MXR M85 Bass Distortion

[LayDownThaFunk]

Has anyone tried one of these? Every time I see a demo video, I get major GAS.

[Sibob]

It does sound crazy dirty!!
To be honest, I don't think you can go wrong:

MXR gooooooood
Fuzzrocious gooooooood

Win/win, but it

Si

[LayDownThaFunk]

https://youtu.be/BGPSOQBNM7g

Such a great demo, 1:35 just kills it.

[Kev]

I'll be ordering one once I sell a couple of pedals.

[bass_ennyday]

the last 2 MXR dirt pedals (Overdrive and Bass Fuzz Deluxe) didn´t do it for me at all, i believe this new Distortion will be a homerun again. I´m really digging the MXR "Bass Innovations" line up.

[Guest FretNoMore]

I'm not impressed by MXR dirt pedals either, the bass overdrive is easily the worst I've tried. From the demos I've heard of this new pedal - and I realize this is not the best way to evaluate it - I think I hear a not that nice harsh top end, but maybe that impression will change as there are more demos. It is labeled a distortion of course, and it does not sound like the smoother lower gain pedals I tend to like. Some poster said it was quite distorted even at the minimum setting.

[Kev]

Bought it, sent it back. Very dissapointed. Couldn't get a tone out of it I liked. Typical MXR dirt pedal, with the clean and dirt sounding entirely seperate from one another, with the dirt on its own thin on the bottom; for me MXR have just got the idea of bass pedals and blend all wrong. Aside from that, I found the pedal muddy and undefined, with the silicon mode sounding thin and the Led mode too muddled.

[skej21]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1438546180' post='2835388']
Bought it, sent it back. Very dissapointed. Couldn't get a tone out of it I liked. Typical MXR dirt pedal, with the clean and dirt sounding entirely seperate from one another, with the dirt on its own thin on the bottom; for me MXR have just got the idea of bass pedals and blend all wrong. Aside from that, I found the pedal muddy and undefined, with the silicon mode sounding thin and the Led mode too muddled.
[/quote]

I got one of these to try out the other day and felt exactly the same. Took it to a rehearsal for a melodic metal band I play in and couldn't get a useable tone that fitted well in the mix. The silicon mode was shrill and glassy and took any presence out of my sound and the Led did the opposite, making my tone muddy and seriously undefined.

MXR - Gooooood
Fuzzrocious - Gooooood
MXR + Fuzzrocious = No thanks

I'm not sure if the disappointment of this pedal was exaggerated by the awesomeness of the other pedals I was trying from the MXR bass innovation range (Bass Preamp, Envelope Filter and Bass Octave Deluxe). It's a shame, as it promised to be something fantastic but even before I played it, there were murmurs that "the MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe is the go-to bass dirt box" in the range.

This gives me the cynical feeling that they may have introduced this to the range to appease the pedal aficionados who buy into the name and heritage of the pedal, rather than its actual practical applications?!

[ambient]

I tried one and didn't like it either.

I ended up with a Soundblox Multiwave Pro.

The thing has endless permutations, and you can set your 3 favourites. These can be tweaked too.

[Kev]

I am giving a DOD Boneshaker a try instead. Different flavour, but perhaps a flavour more suited to me!

[GazWills]

if the idea of a rat-ish pedal appeals, I can't recommend the COG TK421-x highly enough, I love that thing - never gelled with the fuzzrocious rat tail or the blower box, but the TK-421x kills it, and has a proper blend, that never sounds like 2 signals

[paul_5]

I've had the Blowtorch and Bass Fuzz Deluxe and Bass DI/Preamp from MXR, and they left me cold. Shame really, as the other MXR bass stuff (especially the filter) is really rather good.

Edited August 3, 2015 by paul_5

[nickytheafghan]

Got to be the COG effects TK-421-X if we are talking rat based drive with a blend. I have one and its an animal. So much brutality but equaly balanced with its low pass filters. The fuzzrocious nor the MXR ever quite cut it for me but christ this animal does

[nickytheafghan]

Also totally agree with the comments on the MXR di, load of tosh and not cheap to find that out either

[LayDownThaFunk]

[quote name='nickytheafghan' timestamp='1438637953' post='2836084']
Also totally agree with the comments on the MXR di, load of tosh and not cheap to find that out either
[/quote]
I wouldn't use the M80 has an overdrive but it is definitely not 'tosh'. The clean section is great.

[nickytheafghan]

Tbf I didn't like the clean either, didnt stand up to the samsamp. Or the DI out on the gK RB. Was gutted as got loads of people praising it!

[1976fenderhead]

The Color button on the M80 is one of the best things ever in a DI and beats the Sansamp sound IMO. Couldn't find a use for that distortion either. If they sold a small pedal with just that Color button I'd buy it.

[LayDownThaFunk]

Finally got to try one of these and was a little underwhelmed. The blend does make it sound like 2 seperate signals being put into one. It was fuzzy and ballsy but it just didn't give me that fizz. I may be looking for more of a fuzz pedal, something with a huge wall of sound.

[blue]

Loved the demos, certainly something I can get a lot of utility out of. Of all my pedals MXR seems to give me the most for their price range. I have never been sold on boutique pricing. I will probably pull my Boss Bass Synth (never use it) and replace it with the M85.

Blue

Edited August 26, 2015 by blue

[HazBeen]

Something's not right with this pedal, not bad but just not as good as many others out there. Had the same with the Bass Fuzz MXR has on the market.