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Effects for fretless bass...


Jigster
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  • 2 years later...

Just a little compression. Apart from that occasional octave and chorus if the song needs it but don't to go too 80's :)

[quote name='vailbass' timestamp='1419659782' post='2641645']
octave box on fretless was fun in the 80's, for sure... never use compression, you'll lose the expressiveness that makes playing fretless so rewarding. I don't use any effects on my fretted or fretless, save for a little reverb on a recorded solo. You've all you need with 8 fingers and 2 thumbs (hopefully :-))
[/quote]
I disagree, light compression will help with sustain and help the notes ring out. Check these out:
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTTzcb4z-ZY"]https://www.youtube....h?v=NTTzcb4z-ZY[/url]
and
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NczyGuRnl8"]https://www.youtube....h?v=5NczyGuRnl8[/url]

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1414689021' post='2592305']
Boss bass limiter/ enhancer to bring out the "mwaaaaahhhh" - great for my fretless, still got to find a setting on it I like for my fretted basses. Tried a Boss bass chorus and just personally didn't like it so sold it on. Boss digital delay works nicely with it too. I use my fretless for heavier music too so distortion and fuzz (EHX Bass Blogger being the current weapon of choice) does very nicely
[/quote]
Out of interest, if you still have the Boss limiter enhancer what settings do you use for fretless? I use this pedal foe exactly the same purpose.

Edited by CliveT
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I like a Phase 90 with the sweep set very slow, just to emphasis slides. For more 'effecty' stuff, on slides - and especially harmonic slides - I use a TC flashback set to tape delay or sometimes reverse delay but only engage it as I execute the slide and disengage at the end of it. Like everything else though, it depends what everyone else is playing.

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[quote name='CliveT' timestamp='1501513641' post='3345172']
Out of interest, if you still have the Boss limiter enhancer what settings do you use for fretless? I use this pedal foe exactly the same purpose.
[/quote]

Quite boringly I use the "enhance" recommended settings in the manual! Does the job so I don't mess with it from there. And I still don't use this pedal for my fretted basses.
Since my earlier post I have added a Hartke bass chorus pedal which is great for the fretless and am now using an ashdown amp head and it's octave setting works nicely too, would be better still if I get the octave effect footswitched.

Incidentally I also spent about a month without gigs rehearsing with only my fretless and a very old zoom 506 multi effect. In the mix leaving this on the factory A1 effect, which is some kind of quite subtle flanger, it worked with everything! I have an 80s boss flanger on my main board so will experiment with this and the fretless on Thursday night...

Edited by uk_lefty
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[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1501572149' post='3345532']
Quite boringly I use the "enhance" recommended settings in the manual! Does the job so I don't mess with it from there. And I still don't use this pedal for my fretted basses.
Since my earlier post I have added a Hartke bass chorus pedal which is great for the fretless and am now using an ashdown amp head and it's octave setting works nicely too, would be better still if I get the octave effect footswitched.

Incidentally I also spent about a month without gigs rehearsing with only my fretless and a very old zoom 506 multi effect. In the mix leaving this on the factory A1 effect, which is some kind of quite subtle flanger, it worked with everything! I have an 80s boss flanger on my main board so will experiment with this and the fretless on Thursday night...
[/quote]

Thanks. So you're not using any compression, just adding a bit of the enhance for top end. I can see the sense in that if you don't want to compress at all

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[quote name='CliveT' timestamp='1501576101' post='3345553']


Thanks. So you're not using any compression, just adding a bit of the enhance for top end. I can see the sense in that if you don't want to compress at all
[/quote]

Yes, I use the amps built in compressor for my fretted basses but would switch this off and engage the "enhance" when playing fretless. As well as eq tinkering.

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[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1501613233' post='3345974']
Out of interest, for those suggesting octavers on fretless, do you mean specifically octave down or octave up?
[/quote]Down for me as that allows me play higher up and overcome any tracking issues on the lower notes with my EBS Octabass.

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[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1501613233' post='3345974']
Out of interest, for those suggesting octavers on fretless, do you mean specifically octave down or octave up?
[/quote]
Octave down. It's great fun to play Stevie Wonder lines up the dusty end with a sub octave.

Try it, you might like it.

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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1501617126' post='3346012']

Octave down. It's great fun to play Stevie Wonder lines up the dusty end with a sub octave.

Try it, you might like it.
[/quote]

Ah...I'll have to get me a fretless first! I'm currently GASing for an Ibanez SRF Portamento 5-string...

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[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1501613233' post='3345974']
Out of interest, for those suggesting octavers on fretless, do you mean specifically octave down or octave up?
[/quote]
Octave down here too. It fattens up the sound when playing higher up the neck. I find the octave up is more a specific sound if the situation is right but octave down can beef up a chorus or bridge etc as well as be an effect in it's own right.

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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1501603838' post='3345858']
A smidgen of overdrive to add some extra harmonic content and growl.
[/quote]

I've been playing with this and do find it adds a nice warmth and bloom to the notes. Really tasty and can be quite subtle. It kind of gives you that growl over the whole range which sounds lovely.

Personally I have an octave, stereo chorus with separate depth/speed for the high and low frequencies (shallower and faster with less clean mix on the top end). I also use some reverb, and switch between room and hall settings depending on what I'm doing, though live I don't use any. I also like a delay, slapping back at me with 50% of the original volume, again in stereo.

I also find it handy to have the high mids at my fingertips so I can adjust the gain and frequency centre on the fly, which opens out lots of sounds.

Most of the time though it's clean, rear pickup, reverb.

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Properly applied compression will help the mwah come out. Ideally you want a compressor that lets you set the attack/release to enhance the sound.

Some gentle overdrive/saturation may also help to bring out the the harmonics and give the bass more 'character'.

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