blue Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 (edited) I use a pinch of chorus (TC Electronics Corona) and overdrive on a few songs. My Boss OB-3 Overdrive Pedal was problematic from day 1. When ever I engaged it my volume would drop significantly and even after adjusting the level it still was a pain. I don't like double stacked dials and actually all the dials on it are too small for me to adjust easily at gigs. I'm pulling the Boss Overdrive pedal from my board this weekend and replacing it with the true by-pass Dr.J Soloman Overdrive pedal. It looks a lot easier to use. Anyone know anything about the Soloman Overdrive pedal? Blue Edited May 12, 2015 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudewheresmybass Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Iirc sk8 had one for a while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I've never heard of them but anything's an improvement over that Boss pedal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Think they are made by Joyo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 The Joyo Ultimate Drive is considered to be excellent on bass and a real bargain. (If you can get past the graphics!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 8, 2015 Author Share Posted May 8, 2015 [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1431100004' post='2767837'] I've never heard of them but anything's an improvement over that Boss pedal... [/quote] Agreed, I've had nothing but problems with that thing. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elephantgrey Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I have a joyo vintage drive on my board and i like that. i have it in a blend/feedback loop after a bitcrusher, and can get some nice sounds out of it (and a few weird/nasty sounds). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 8, 2015 Author Share Posted May 8, 2015 (edited) Yeah, it's made by Joya. I have listened to a few Joya overdrive pedals on Youtube, but most of those demos are poorly scripted and if your not using the bass and amp they are using what can you really tell? Blue Edited May 8, 2015 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 Ordered the Dr.J Soloman Bass Overdrive on Tuesday, it came UPS today. I'm going to pull that Boss OB-3 out of my chain tonight and put the Soloman in. I have a bar gig tomorrow night and will try it out and give a report on Sunday. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 I did a bedroom pre-gig check on the Soloman Bass Overdrive. So far I love it. Maybe it's the true by-pass? Level and gain with those big chicken head dials, that's all the eq I need and have the aptitude for. Let's hope it does what I want it to do at tomorrow night's gig. Blue BTW, the thing was inexpensive, $69.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 10, 2015 Author Share Posted May 10, 2015 Sounded great when I tested it in my bedroom. When I tried it through my GK gig rig at last nights gig, I couldn't hear any of of the crunch. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 [quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1431087231' post='2767655'] Iirc sk8 had one for a while [/quote] Bizarrely one of the few I've not had Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 10, 2015 Author Share Posted May 10, 2015 (edited) All my other pedals work fine. What's up with overdrive? Just like with my Boss OOB-3 as soon as you turn the thing on the volume drops way down and you have to turn up your bass and the level on the overdrive. Any easy solutions for this? Blue Edited May 10, 2015 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudewheresmybass Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 [quote name='sk8' timestamp='1431289338' post='2769726'] Bizarrely one of the few I've not had [/quote] Fair enough mate. My dodgy memory again! 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 I'm going to set my gig rig up in the living room tomorrow and get to the bottom of this. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Stupid answer but are you using the same patch lead on the overdrives? if so it could be as simple as a dodgy patch lead or is it another pedal in front of it that is causing the volume drop? I am no expert on these things though hope you fix it mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1431411865' post='2770910'] Stupid answer but are you using the same patch lead on the overdrives? if so it could be as simple as a dodgy patch lead or is it another pedal in front of it that is causing the volume drop? I am no expert on these things though hope you fix it mate [/quote] Never thought of that. Thanks Tbird. I switch out the patch cord when I trouble shoot tonight. Blue Edited May 12, 2015 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badderer Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 (edited) Out of interest do you run quite a treble heavy tone or have a low amount of mids or lows? Do you have an EQ pedal? A lot of drives respond very differently depending on the raw sound going into them, so might be worth playing with your tone and see how it responds. Some drives can really suck the low end out so it sounds like our volume has dropped massively, when it's just the low end punch has disappeared. Sometimes you really have to crank the level / volume so that the bass still cuts through. I know it's a really stupid question but your Boss pedal has a separate Level control, are you saying your volume drops even when this is turned all the way up? I tend to use a blend pedal with a lot of my set ups so i still have some of the dry bass signal running through my sound, then i dial in more extreme settings on drives so that you still get that overdriven sound but with solid bass underpinning the band. The only drive pedal i've not really worried with this about is a Darkglass VMT Deluxe (i know there are many Bass OD pedals that also don't need a clean blend to sound good, before everyone posts saying how their OD pedal also sounds good without a blend pedal). Edited May 13, 2015 by The Badderer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 [quote name='The Badderer' timestamp='1431513700' post='2772029'] Out of interest do you run quite a treble heavy tone or have a low amount of mids or lows? Do you have an EQ pedal? A lot of drives respond very differently depending on the raw sound going into them, so might be worth playing with your tone and see how it responds. Some drives can really suck the low end out so it sounds like our volume has dropped massively, when it's just the low end punch has disappeared. Sometimes you really have to crank the level / volume so that the bass still cuts through. I know it's a really stupid question but your Boss pedal has a separate Level control, are you saying your volume drops even when this is turned all the way up? I tend to use a blend pedal with a lot of my set ups so i still have some of the dry bass signal running through my sound, then i dial in more extreme settings on drives so that you still get that overdriven sound but with solid bass underpinning the band. The only drive pedal i've not really worried with this about is a Darkglass VMT Deluxe (i know there are many Bass OD pedals that also don't need a clean blend to sound good, before everyone posts saying how their OD pedal also sounds good without a blend pedal). [/quote] All good things to consider. I was using my G&L ASAT with the pre-amp on with the treble boost. When I test it I'll try using my Gibson Thunderbird. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 Does it matter where the OD is located in the chain? Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badderer Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 yeah. at the start of the chain, assuming you aren't using an envelope filter. to get the drive sound you want it needs to get the cleanest signal at the start of the chain, otherwise if it has passed through other pedals that apply a level of filtering, the original signal is then altered, so it's trying to drive a standard bass signal, but receiving an altered signal, so the OD then doesn't react the way you would expect it to. The only exception to this is if you are running any envelope filters that require a clean signal to work properly. If you are then you'll have to consider your options more carefully. I had a revelation with my Big Muff by running it before my tuner pedal as through some reading i found out a Big Muff pedal works properly by reacting with the circuitry in your bass itself, so i ran a Passive Jazz straight into the Big Muff and it worked amazingly well like the sound i'd always wanted. Obviously this is Fuzz not OD but goes to show position in the signal chain is key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 [quote name='The Badderer' timestamp='1431541597' post='2772450'] yeah. at the start of the chain, assuming you aren't using an envelope filter. to get the drive sound you want it needs to get the cleanest signal at the start of the chain, otherwise if it has passed through other pedals that apply a level of filtering, the original signal is then altered, so it's trying to drive a standard bass signal, but receiving an altered signal, so the OD then doesn't react the way you would expect it to. The only exception to this is if you are running any envelope filters that require a clean signal to work properly. If you are then you'll have to consider your options more carefully. I had a revelation with my Big Muff by running it before my tuner pedal as through some reading i found out a Big Muff pedal works properly by reacting with the circuitry in your bass itself, so i ran a Passive Jazz straight into the Big Muff and it worked amazingly well like the sound i'd always wanted. Obviously this is Fuzz not OD but goes to show position in the signal chain is key. [/quote] Thanks, I'll try moving it to the 3rd spot in the chain, right after my wireless receiver and tuner. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share Posted May 14, 2015 Ok guys, I set my gig rig up in the living room and got the crunch I was looking for by keeping the level at about 9:00 and the drive up high at about 2:00. That was with my G&L ASAT with active pre-amp. With my Gibson Thunderbird I had to turn the drive up to about 5:30. I have a gig this weekend with Greg Koch, keep your fingers crossed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zkhKsl9ICg Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 when you're setting the levels on pedals so that they don't jump up or down when you engage them, you have to do it at full gigging volume. If you're deciding on settings at home, then I doubt you'll be as loud as you are at gigs? Which will lead to problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share Posted May 14, 2015 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1431602033' post='2772990'] when you're setting the levels on pedals so that they don't jump up or down when you engage them, you have to do it at full gigging volume. If you're deciding on settings at home, then I doubt you'll be as loud as you are at gigs? Which will lead to problems [/quote] Ok, I will have set everything back up and test at full gig volume. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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