dave_bass5

Ive bene using Claytons Acetal for a few years but recently deicided to try a few other brands/weights. Ive tried a few Chicken picks (really nice but a bit too clicky sometimes), the usual Dunlop tortex ones (yellow and purple i think), V-pick which i really liked but it felt a bit sloppy in my hand, and ive finally settled on Gravity picks. so far ive only used one (1.5mm) but i have a couple of the XL 2.0mm on order. The Gravity picks aren't cheap but the tone seems more solid, but without too much note attack. i can/do definitely play faster with the heavier picks. I have to put a bit more effort in but the notes just seem more defined and clearer compared to my old 1.9mm picks, portably due to the material.

Yes, not cheap. I went for the deluxe one as i wanted an almost direct replacement for my BDDI. The EQ is worth the extra cost for me, although to look at it you wouldnt think it cost this much. My budget at the time was for a new head so i didnt mind too much, but now i also got the head the DG will have to go soon.

Oh yes, the microtubes is a very, very nice box.

I'd like to give the VT another go, Fran has offered to lend me his, but at the moment im going through a very nice amp change that might mean i dont need anything else to dirty up my tone. Having now used the Darkglass VMTD (which i except ill be selling soon) i can see just how coloured the BDDI is/was, but i must admit its been the easiest of the lot to use.

I got a Paradriver a couple of years ago for the same reason. I loved it but found I kept playing with it at gigs. I just couldn't settle on a plug and play tone like I did the BDDI.

I did for a long time, but now I've seen the light and doubt I'll use mine again.

The first few times I used mine (actually a BDI21) I had the blend right up. This put me off using it for a few years. It was only by accident that I had it turned down when I was giving it another go, and bang, there was the magic.

Oh dear, we don't normally see jokes like that other than on Christmas Day ;-) I did actually play some of the trees by Rush, but other than the guitarist it went over their heads. Peasents.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1405331572' post='2500769'] Mmm... what are the best trees for metal? [/quote] :-) Can you slap a tree ;-)

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1405330296' post='2500738'] Exciting! When does it arrive??!?! [/quote] Ordered from Thomanns last night so hopefully before the weekend. [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1405330711' post='2500749'] The GK Fusion is a [i]very[/i] different animal compared with the GK1001. It may as well be an entirely different brand - the variations between the two are huge, so I wouldn't worry about that at all - rate the Fusion on its own merits. If the 800F is anything like the 500F it'll be plug and play, so no issues with not using effects. Sounds great as-is. [/quote] Cheers Mark. I wouldnt say i hated the 1001, just that i preferred the SA450. Ill reply to your PM later but point taken about the outdoors gig. The only thing i will add is that ive done a few over the past year and this one was a lot easier to get the tone i was after, and without the usual fussing about i normally have to do. Im putting it down to not using the BDDI more than anything else. Maybe the different trees made a difference :-)

Had a really good gig on Sat. We played outdoors at a small pool party and I had the best tones I've had a for a long while. I think the issue might be the BDDI. Using the Darkglass instead gave me a very clear, articulate tone that filled the mix a lot better than the BDDI does. I even used a very dirty tone a few times and everything fell in to place. The EQ is voiced just perfectly for me, and there was no mud or lack of definition in the low end. I doubt I'll keep my BDDI now, but I expect I'll also get rid of the DG as well, although I do,want to try it with the new head. The DG is a lot more versatile than I first thought, and the way they have implemented the leave knob almost gives a two channel amp set up. Although I came away very happy I have gone ahead and ordered a GK MBF800. I think my heart was set on this a while ago so I feel I have to give it a go. The added output should mean I can run it cleaner than the last GK head I had, and hopefully mean I can stop using any other effects. We are playing a faily large room on Sat so hopefully I'll know straight away if the new head will work.

Yes but IMO that limits the EQ too much. For what it's worth I stuck with the BDDI because of the way it handles the mid freqs. I like, or did like a slightly scoped tone as my cab is already quite mid heavy. Saying that I only had the blend on about 9 or 10 o'clock so it was only just colouring the tone. The EQ was normally slightly boosted in the bass and treble, with presence always off.

I've had two BDDI's and until recently couldn't gig without one. I don't use it for drive much, just to add a bit of depth with the EQ and a slight edge when needed. A lot of people don't like the BDDI tone at first, but the trick is to keep the Blend back. This way you just mix a bit of the Sansamp SVT emulation without losing the tone of your bass. The EQ stays active no matter what. I never got on with the VTBass either, I thought it was a bit to much for my needs. I aslo had a Paradriver which should have been even better but turned out to be something I couldn't stop fiddling with, so sold it and got my current BDDI. I've very recently got a Darkglass VMT Deluxe that works a bit better for my needs. It's similar but rather than try and emulate just one amp it emulates eras of bass head. There have been two versions of the BDDI, the Mark II has a few more features (and switches), although both sound the same. The MKII is more versatile when it comes to hooking it up to a PA etc, but doesn't offer any extra tone options. There is also the much, much cheaper (£30) Behringer BDI21 pedal that gets a lot of love. It's a slightly more digital sounding copy of the BDDI, but in a band mix I've not noticed any difference. It might be a cheap way to try this effect out to see if it suits.

A cab change could well be on the cards later, maybe next year, but i doubt it would be a MB cab. Based on nothing other than one really bad experience with a MB I doubt I'll ever own another, but there other other makes I'd like to try at some point. As it's Thursday my latest plan is to use the Darkglass and F1 this weekend, then quite possibly get a GK Fusion 500 (and sell the DG). As much as the Carvin BX700 does appeal to me I like the idea of smaller and 3 tubes. From what I've read just having the one standard tube is not much more than a gimmick. Let's see what Fridays plan will be ;-)

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1404891196' post='2496652'] Nothing makes up for the loss of a Schroeder cab like a Barefaced cab, but I take your point. Ideally one would have both... [/quote] or 2 of both ;-) [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1404895056' post='2496684'] Actually, I'd go against the grain and say most cabs with a normal 2 way speaker and tweeter can sound pretty similar...the bass/strings/pedals and amp make the biggest difference. No tweeter then makes a huge difference (for me). [/quote] i dont have a lot of experience with 2x12 cabs, but my 1212L sounds nothing like my old Epifani UL-212. That cab was full and deep sounding compared to the 1212L (both have tweeters), but didnt have the punch of the 1212L, nor the volume at the exact same setting on the amp. What i love about the 1212L is that although the tone isnt always 100% to my liking (partly due to the limited Eq on my F1 at some venues) i have never had any issue with not being heard. I just dont to risk giving that up at the moment. I have another gig this Sat (another marque unfortunately), and ill be taking the Darkglass and maybe a VTBass, and if nothing clicks ill try and order a Carvin before the following weekends gig (this will also save me having to get my amp PAT tested as well).

Yep, I've had 3 Schroeders over the past 10 years and each time I've got something else I've ended up going back. I think the cab would be the hardest to replace so that will be last on the list. I was looking in to a Barefaced cab a while ago but that would mean having to sell the 1212L to get it, so no going back.

Yep, the cab is definitely coloured in the mid range. Changing it is an option but I'd rather try and tame it if I can. I also think I would miss it too much if I got rid of it. Something like the Carvin BX700 seems to have all I need built in, and that's very tempting.

Thanks again guys. Having looked at both the B1000 and BX700 i must admit the BX seems to be more up my street. It seems to be a lot more versatile and having the compressor would save me keep buying one every couple of years and then realsing i dont need one lol. Oh, and the lights!!!!!

Oooooh, now that looks nice. Good price as well. Cheers for that. Ill do some researching over the next few days. I know their power amps are very well respected but ive not read much about their bass heads.

Definitely no wow factor for me, but Ive only got the one gig under my belt so far. I don't think I'd loose too much if I sold it, but if I find it does work out then I don't mind that it cost that much.

I have a feeling you are on the right track, but I really don't want to get rid of my cab if I can help it. And I don't drive so getting around with things is tricky. I really think I just need a temporary change, after all I've used the same rig for a few years and never had any complaints. I'd hate to move the cab on and then find out I'm still not happy so I want to try other avenues first. I'm still thinking about the GK Fusion but want to try out one or two more pre amps first. There is just something about a certain freq range In the mids that's bugging me. If I can figure out what it is and how to control it I think I will settle down again. I thought a Paradriver would fix things but I could never settle with that, always tweaking things. I'm going to borrow Fran's VTBass for a gig, and see how that goes again, and if I like what I hear I'll get a VTBass DI and try that. The thing with the Darkglass is it's a lot of money for what is really only a subtle effect (in my case).

These are the ones i use for my Flash guns, Digital recorder, Zoom etc. Anything that has a higher current usage. The lower spec ones i use in remote controls etc. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AFOMQW6/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I also use this charger. Its worth getting something like this as it keeps the batteries in top condition. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004X4OZYG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Well, im not sure that worked. I had a feeling that buying something like the Darkglass might not be what i was looking for. Although it sounded ok i spent a bit of time trying to get it to sound like my BDDI, which sort of defeats the object of spending this sort of cash to replicate what i already have. Only had one gig with it so far, and not giving up on it for a gig or two more, but im now back to wondering what else to try. VT Bass DI is now looking interesting, but i have a feeling im just not getting on with the basic tone, and adding a bit of warmth/dirt etc is not the answer.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1404740221' post='2495235'] Wow. Thats a lot longer than I expected. How are you using yours? I'm expecting to use it live with two of the slots "always on" (an amp sim and probably a compressor) with the other slot being switched on and off (probably with drive) [/quote] First off i dont have it any more as i never got on with it live. I just found the foot switches were too close together for my big feet. I used it with Comp/BDDI and either a chorus or filter effect. The first two were on all the time. I would turn them all off between sets though, and the gigs i used it on were no more than 3x45 min sets each. I always use the high capacity Eneloop batteries, and find they do a great job.

I did 4 gigs with mine on batteries. No issues with it running down.