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Digitech Bad Monkey / Variants / Mods


Dood
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I've always known about this pedal and I do own a few different drive pedals already, but a new band on the horizon is pulling me towards a particular sound. I've just watched a review for a BM with the 'banana mod' which looks handy and online, people have mentioned the Digitech Hard Wired CM-2 is a suitably upgraded Bad Monkey?

So, If I am after this sort of pedal - Stock seems good as I will blend it anyway, but who makes variants of the pedal? I'd also really love to hear comparison recordings and see videos too as there doesn't seem to be a great deal online for bass.

Oh - and yes, I saw that a BM was sold on BC yesterday. It was only this am I decided I needed to try one ha!

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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1455101913' post='2975822']
The Bad Monkey is basically a Tube Screamer with a bass control so there are about a million similar pedals.

Annoyingly the Bad Monkey (in its current form) has recently been discontinued so prices have risen slightly.
[/quote]

Yup, interestingly I have a TS (Mini) here but I think the BM is capable of more gain? The single tone control is slightly limiting too and I want to (hopefully) not have to use an EQ pedal to sculpt. Yup, I'm hoping! ha! I don't want to add more low end to the pedal input so won't mod that. but those smooth mids and no-fizz top end is what I would like to achieve.

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[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1455102383' post='2975829']
[url="http://forum.music-group.com/showthread.php?6287-XR12-as-bass-preamp"]http://forum.music-g...-as-bass-preamp[/url]

;P

I will get you to buy one.
[/quote]

So, I missed the bit where it will run plug-ins too... Gonna need to give that a bit more attention I think!

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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1455101913' post='2975822']
so there are about a million similar pedals.

[/quote]

I guess my question is, out of the million similar, which are regarded as the most flexible. I'm not necessarily looking for one with a massive bass response, as I will blend anyway - but one with a tight low end, definitely not sludgy.

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[quote name='ratman' timestamp='1455105306' post='2975863']
From my experience, the stock Bad Monkey doesn't retain much low end. It may work for you if you're thinking of blending though.
[/quote]

Exactly what I am after actually, yes - I'm not a fan of forcing too much low end through a distortion path. it creates a mushy character that I really don't like. I always prefer to distort mids and above, then treat the low end separately. Thank you! :)

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[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1455108320' post='2975932']
I'm just gonna sit here drop feeding stuff in...
[/quote]

You know me well, that's exactly what I am after :)

Gonna need to hear the new Sheehan pedal. I have the now 'old' version and I need a little more from it. I'd love to replace the tone controls with an HPF and LPF on it.

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Ive had a few monkeys (mod'd and stock ) thought they were ok.also had the Cm2 ,although it sounded great i had a real problem with the volume knob......... using it as a dirty stomp i wanted the volume slightly louder than my clean , at a slight turn the knob goes from to quite to too loud ( was why i sold it)

Having gone through a few tubescreamer variants theNobel ODR-1 is really peaking my interest, John K (the highly regarded overdrive king ) over on talkbass is very very impressed with them (cheap as well £59 :-)
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6TWdIEUZGE"]https://www.youtube....h?v=a6TWdIEUZGE[/url]

ill be getting one on the weekend if anyone wants any feedback?

Edited by danbowskill
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[quote name='danbowskill' timestamp='1455125375' post='2976216']
Ive had a few monkeys (mod'd and stock ) thought they were ok.also had the Cm2 ,although it sounded great i had a real problem with the volume knob......... using it as a dirty stomp i wanted the volume slightly louder than my clean , at a slight turn the knob goes from to quite to too loud ( was why i sold it)

Having gone through a few tubescreamer variants theNobel ODR-1 is really peaking my interest, John K (the highly regarded overdrive king ) over on talkbass is very very impressed with them (cheap as well £59 :-)
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6TWdIEUZGE"]https://www.youtube....h?v=a6TWdIEUZGE[/url]

ill be getting one on the weekend if anyone wants any feedback?
[/quote]

Thank you! I'd seen that you have had adverts in the For Sale section for Monkeys etc. I am interested to hear about the ODR-1 too so yes please!

Today, I've been messing with my pedals. I currently have managed to get a TS to do what I want, but the arrangement is a faff. I am using an EQ pedal as a boost that also includes a massive treble boost and low cut (Brian May Treble Boost idea). I'm plugging that straight in to the TS which is then being followed by a cab sim pedal to shape the tone a bit as well as getting rid of the top end fizz. The whole lot is in the loop of a Mosquite Blender giving me my low end back along with the rest of the clean signal.

Ideally, I'd like this to all happen in as few boxes as possible. I think a custom build is on the cards :)

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More TS-like bass pedals for you to consider, more on the boutique side:

Xotic BB, Cusack Screamer, Rodenberg 808B

Plus the Ibanez Bass Tube Screamer of course!

Darkglass/Pike pedals sound like they'd fit the bill too. I know what you mean about tubescreamers sounding bloated with too much low end, these pedals somehow avoid this, plus the grunt/fat switches can filter out even more lows from the dirt channel if you should wish. They also sound like they have a built in speaker sim to remove any fizziness.

Edited by dannybuoy
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[quote name='ratman' timestamp='1455132258' post='2976318']
That'd be right up Tom's street. A Tubescreamer with bass/mid/treble/presence, blend, and maybe a HPF on the wet signal too? Hmmm, could be tasty!!
[/quote]

My creative juices are flowing!! I've had contact with Tom before chrimbo but that was to do with Guitar Interactive Magazine, so I have his contact details. Something to think about! I'm off to experiment on my 'test rig' now!

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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1455101913' post='2975822']
Annoyingly the Bad Monkey (in its current form) has recently been discontinued so prices have risen slightly.
[/quote]

Has it? Was going to pass mine on to a friend, but no chance now!

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[quote name='ratman' timestamp='1455105306' post='2975863']
From my experience, the stock Bad Monkey doesn't retain much low end. It may work for you if you're thinking of blending though.
[/quote]

I found it pretty good, not too much low end loss. Least, not for a pedal that cost twenty quid...

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[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1455181746' post='2976661']
I assume you're going the COG route now after listing all of the gubbins you were using to get that sound!
[/quote]

I'm in the process (and probably will for a while) of investigating! A custom route seems to make a lot of sense but I need to make sure I can nail a particular tone before committing it to a build. I'd like to put a Bad Monkey on the lab slab for a closer look though!

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[quote name='dood' timestamp='1455188472' post='2976773']
I'm in the process (and probably will for a while) of investigating! A custom route seems to make a lot of sense but I need to make sure I can nail a particular tone before committing it to a build. I'd like to put a Bad Monkey on the lab slab for a closer look though!
[/quote]
Our friend [SFX] here on the forum used to sell pre-modded Bad Monkeys - maybe drop him a PM?

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[quote name='iamtheelvy' timestamp='1455183826' post='2976688']


Has it? Was going to pass mine on to a friend, but no chance now!
[/quote]

Yes. Along with a whole other bunch of digitech pedals.

http://digitech.com/en/products/bad-monkey

I saw some comments from a digitech employee on another forum that implied that many of the Digitech pedals would reappear under the DOD badge.

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