Sustain, but without the distortion?

[rk7]

Hello effects people.

I'm a novice at this, but I want a pedal that will hold a clean bass note, or chord, longer than my bass will deliver, until I play the next note or chord. Not for an indefinite time, but for a 'wee while'.

I've looked at the EHX stuff, the Little Big Muff, and the Freeze, and I'm not convinced either will do this. The LBM adds distortion, which I certainly don't want, and the Freeze will hold a note until the footswitch is pressed? Excuse me if I have misunderstood this.

Am I looking for something impossible?

RK

[BigRedX]

Compressor.

[rk7]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1397493384' post='2424466']
Compressor.
[/quote]

Yeah, just tripped over the EHX Soul Preacher, which seems to fit the bill.

thanks

RK

[xgsjx]

Try a compressor (or ten) before you buy one. Your other option is an Ebow,

[BigRedX]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1397498978' post='2424539']
Your other option is an Ebow,
[/quote]

I've never been able to get my Ebow to work reliably on a bass.

[rk7]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1397498978' post='2424539']
Try a compressor (or ten) before you buy one. Your other option is an Ebow,
[/quote]

Thanks for the steer, but I live in the 'frozen north', and opportunities to try stuff just don't come up.

I may need to take a punt on a Soul Preacher.

RK

[xgsjx]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1397499072' post='2424542']
I've never been able to get my Ebow to work reliably on a bass.
[/quote]
I couldn't either, but one of my friends uses his efficiently (I suppose it's practice & patience).

[quote name='rk7' timestamp='1397500363' post='2424563']
Thanks for the steer, but I live in the 'frozen north', and opportunities to try stuff just don't come up.

I may need to take a punt on a Soul Preacher.

RK
[/quote]
Might be worth trying the second hand effects forum on here, that way you wont lose money if it's not what you want.

[rk7]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1397500739' post='2424570']

Might be worth trying the second hand effects forum on here, that way you wont lose money if it's not what you want.
[/quote]

Will do.

thanks

Rk

[tonyquipment]

Yep. Compressor. Or even a limiter will do it I know the boss lmb3 does this. I squash the hell out of my signal

Edited April 14, 2014 by tonyquipment

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1397499072' post='2424542']
I've never been able to get my Ebow to work reliably on a bass.
[/quote]
Me neither, partly because the grooves don't line up with the strings on a bass. Compressor it is then (cough) ↓↓↓

[BigRedX]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1397503503' post='2424622']
Me neither, partly because the grooves don't line up with the strings on a bass. Compressor it is then (cough) ↓↓↓
[/quote]

Coupled with the fact that bass guitar strings appear to have a lot more inertia when it comes to making them vibrate using magnetic fields.

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1397503620' post='2424625']
Coupled with the fact that bass guitar strings appear to have a lot more inertia when it comes to making them vibrate using magnetic fields.
[/quote]
Yep, loads more metal to get wobbling!

[thisnameistaken]

The Pigtronix Philosopher King can apparently do rather a lot of sustain, but I imagine in the end you'll end up with a dominant harmonic rather than the note you played, that's just how these things work out.

[Romeo2]

A bit extreme but you could try EHX Freeze.

[rk7]

Hey Romeo,

I think the Freeze requires a 'stomp' to start the sustain, and then another 'stomp' to end it.

I may be wrong, but if it does, this isn't what I want.

RK

[paul_5]

…or you could play a proper bass with a bow….

Nah, compressor is the way forward for this.

[rk7]

My bass doesn't even have a ribbon, let alone a bow.

I'll get my coat,

RK

[xgsjx]

The downside that I had with a compressor sustainer was the increased noise floor.
You need a clean set up, which might involve spending a bit on good patch leads & PSU & making sure that your shielding is good too.

[andydye]

the mxr bass compressor is excellent, it's got the right collection of controls and display to do a reasonably proper job for a stompbox without spending loads of money

[cheddatom]

A compressor will help, beware of your noise floor as above

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned volume. If you turn up loud and stand by your amp you should be able to get more than enough sustain

[dincz]

A helpful little mod for your bass might do the trick:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uqpObxAVZs[/media]

Edited April 15, 2014 by dincz

[rk7]

That's the sound I'm after!!!

Going to the man-shed to hack up my Overwater.

back soon!

RK

[paul_5]

[quote name='rk7' timestamp='1397586220' post='2425457']
That's the sound I'm after!!!

Going to the man-shed to hack up my Overwater.

back soon!

RK
[/quote]

[KingBollock]

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1397584743' post='2425436']
A helpful little mod for your bass might do the trick:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uqpObxAVZs[/media]
[/quote]
Argh! We used to go to a Jousting event where lots of people dressed up as medieval folk (Not us! We went to watch the Jousting and the Medieval Babes (the group)) and there was an 'orrible old woman wondering 'round with one of those the whole time, every time we went. Well, I say wondering, what she was actually doing was following [i]me[/i] around, so I could hear the damned thing everywhere I went. I'm one of those people that believes it's sacrilege to destroy a musical instrument (says the man that left an upright piano in a skip when he moved house), but she made me 'ave 'orrible thoughts about it