SumOne

I think the 'drone note open string' thing is quite niche, perhaps it is more common in genres I don't play but wouldn't an alternative be using somethign like an EHX Freeze pedal? Tune down for the (what I assume is niche and very occasional) song that Eb drone is really needed. Or normal tuning and play an Eb an octave up (or 3rd, or 5th) and 'freeze' it. I dunno, but the thought of potentially needing a separate bass just to play an Eb drone note seems inefficient and potentially confusing.

Unless the low Eb is essential, just play that note up a 3rd, 5th, or octave.

I've found lately that playing live the Amp EQ is easier to adjust than a pedal - you don't want to have to crouch down mid song while wearing a Bass to fiddle about with a pedal EQ on the floor when the Amp is right there on top of my cab at easily reachable height. Then again, an EQ pedal to stomp on for a EQ sound change in a particular part of a song is ideal. So the PTEQ is still on my shopping list for that.

Perhaps something else to consider: I like having a separate DI, I have this £10 SubZero one that works fine, but you can spend more on things like the Radial ones. It is passive (no need for power), small, cheap, tough, has ground lift, pad (with 0, -20 and -40db), and line through, they are things that a lot of expensive 'all-in-one' preamp and DI boxes don't have. It also means that you don't have to have your preamp and DI combined in a fixed position in your effects chain (although some preamp/DI pedals to have pre/post and effects loops, but a lot don't) and it opens up the possibility for using all sorts of other good preamp pedals that don't have DI e.g. Solid Gold Beta, Xotic BB, Origin DCX, One Control 360/Crimson red etc.

Did a pedal trade with Tom and all went perfectly. Thanks!

Ah yeah, I mis-read them all as out of stock. Not good for my bank balance!

I'm loving the look of this SRMS 720 (and the 5 string version SRMS 725) in 'Blue Chameleon' https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/srms720_1p_01.html Tacky, but funky, and at least it isn't a 'vintage' throwback like most basses. This would be the car equivalent: A shame it doesn't get the shiny blue Fishman pickups those on https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/ehb5msbsp_1p_01.htmll) Ibanez are skirting around what I really want: that EHB MS but with this paint job.

Edit - moved to the SR thread.

It doesn't work with B Stock but works for others. It means the DCX Bass 'A Stock' total price is £207 (so actually £3 cheaper than the B stock version). Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for my bank balance) the DCX Bass is currently out of stock.

Adding VAT and shipping is the kicker. DCX Bass is £172, but add VAT and it is £206 (and I assume postage added at the end but I didn't go through the sign-up hoops to find out) so it is perhaps £210 for B stock.....alternatively, Peach Guitars are doing 'A stock' it for £230 including postage. I suppose it depends just how much of 'B Stock' the B stock is for that £20 saving being worthwhile. Something odd with Origin Effects is UK shop prices seem to be all over the place e.g. The DCX Bass is £230 from Hot Rox, £245 from Peach, £260 from most others. Bassrig Super Vintage is £380 from Hot Rox, £400 from Peach Guitars, £410 PMT, £450 from Andertons. (I've bought a few pedals from Hot Rox and Peach and they've always been good UK based shops and are generally cheaper than Andertons, GAK, Gear4Music, PMT).

Here' a quick noodle with Low Pass, Low Range, Drive Down. On a Jazz type Passive Bass and no compressor or preamp or EQ etc. BTronIII Bass.mp3

Perhaps, but it is hard to predict these things - there might be a resurgence of music with bands playing instruments once a new generation wants something different from the current generation. And there is already a certain youth movement for old physical things like vinyl. I think old basses might continue to be quite collectable - there is a finite number of them.

Yeah that, low pass, low range, drive down sound is really good.

I think Ibanez are stepping up creatively with stuff like this that might be future classics:

Mine didn't come with a battery included. (or if it did, the battery is dead, it does nothing without a power cable. I haven't taken the back off though)

Well, people pay a lot of money to collect all sorts of useless stuff, scarcity being valued more than practicality. I suppose at least pedals have some use compared to things like old stamps.

A bit more playing around (it is one where you need to 'play to the pedal') and I think it's a keeper. Who needs sensible practicality when you have funk?!

Yes, I suppose the aim is a clone - warts n'all and it seems to have succeed in that (although I've never actually tried the original). There are some good sounds to be had, as good as any filter I've owned for that particular thing. 00Funk comes closest that I've owned.

My first impressions are: Good quality all metal enclosure and decent quite high end look and feel. Unreasonably large - and yet the in/out and power cable are all still squashed right next to each other. On/off button seems pointless, and does a loud 'pop' if switched when footswitch is engaged. (Edit, apparently it is useful if battery powered to turn off) Gain suddenly gets very crackly and distorted when turned past 9. High Pass is useless on bass. (Edit, I have found some okay high pads sounds) Band Pass has some decent sounds if Range is set 'low', but for me the gain needs to be low to get a decent sound with the drive set 'up' - meaning the output is quiet. Drive 'down' can sound good if peak is set low and gain high, then it has a decent volume and nice squish, clean blend with it would be useful though. .....now all that considered I was ready to put it in the box and return it. But - the Low Pass, Low Range, Drive Down does do a very good lazy 'Chameleon' type of filter sound. I've not decided yet if that's good enough reason to keep it, but it is definitely a good sound.

I would go for it at Behringer prices, but I'm also eyeing up the FI v4 so am hoping that will cover that ground once I save up my pennies. (the temptation is to wait for the small version, but the original size doesn't particularly bother me - it is probably quite good to keep my clumsy size 12s a decent distance away from the display and 'edit' dial).

Ordered mine from Andertons £69 (Gear4music have them listed at £57, but not in stock until mid April). I'm now hoping they do the MF-101 clone (BM-101) they had shown off a couple of years ago.

My favourites: SA Atlas is good for doing more extreme stuff and nerding out with a Laptop. I do kind of miss it as I haven't found other compressors that can be used as such an extreme effect, but I didn't find the hardware layout to be very good live (alt buttons and all that) more of a thing to muck about with a Laptop (and if doing that, could possibly just use VSTs). Cali 76 always sounds good. Doesn't go as extreme as the Atlas, but you know it'll be useable live and reliable in almost any setting. FEA Opti-FET is very good, they aren't that easy to get hold of though and mine developed a fault - or at least was more sensitive to ground loop than my other pedals. Markbass Compressore is good, quite big and 12v power needed though. Boss LMB-3 worked well for me - basically only used to tame big peaks, I couldn't get so many different compression effect types from it as things like the FEA or Atlas - but for what it does, it does well. I didn't get on with: MXR M87 (not bandpass, and no HPF or clean blend, I find at least one of those things is usually needed or it squishes lows too much), Earthquaker Warden (on higher settings did that first note pumping thing that optical compressors can do). Pigtronix Philosopher was alright, but more of a specific effect to add sustain than than what most people would usually expect from a compressor. Some say there is no need for compressors or they all do the same thing but I've found them to be very useful - especially live, and they are one of the more variable types of pedals and you can only really tell playing them (e.g. A youtube video can never show you how it subtly is changing your playing dynamics, you need to feel that) so it is a deeper and more complex rabbit hold than, say, fuzz pedals.