SFX Thumpinator

[danny-79]

Who uses one and ware to you prefer it in your signal chain? 

Ive got mine towards the end so it catches any unwanted lowes from say the Octaver but after a recent conversation with another bass player they put there’s very fist with the compressor? 

All comments very welcome 

cheers

Dan

[Japhet]

I use a Broughton high pass filter which does the same as the Thumpinator. I use it near the front of my signal chain to stop sub frequencies messing with the signal going to other pedals. I don't use it all of the time but find that it help in certain situations like hollow stage areas when the bass can become a bit unruly.

[danny-79]

41 minutes ago, Japhet said:

I use a Broughton high pass filter which does the same as the Thumpinator. I use it near the front of my signal chain to stop sub frequencies messing with the signal going to other pedals. I don't use it all of the time but find that it help in certain situations like hollow stage areas when the bass can become a bit unruly.

Thanks. I just did a quick search and found a similar thread I started back then in 2015 and the general word was to put it at the end, that’s where I’ve got it. Recently removed it, definitely missed it especially when using octave effects, if it was before said effect it would have the same effect? It’s a difficult one to judge cause unless you are playing at significant volume you can’t tell 

a user post by a on the SFX website also recommends first but I don’t know what else is in the signal chain 

Edited December 6, 2018 by danny-79

[GarethFlatlands]

Hmm, I use the Thumpinator first (I have no octave effects) and then compression last!

[danny-79]

2 minutes ago, GarethFlatlands said:

Hmm, I use the Thumpinator first (I have no octave effects) and then compression last!

A complete contradiction to what I’m doing. 

What effects do you have in your chain ? 

On one set up of mine compressor is last but that’s for a totally different gig/style. I’m taming everything down (don’t worry about compressor for now) just high pass filter 

[GarethFlatlands]

SFX Micro Thumpinator > Boss TU2 > ZVex Channel 2 (always on for a bit of growl) > Custom COG Distortion > MXR Bass Comp.

I don't think anything else in the chain would add the frequencies the SFX is removing, and the whole lot gets some light compression before it hits the amp. That was the theory anyway, now I'm worried I've done it wrong!

[danny-79]

10 minutes ago, GarethFlatlands said:

SFX Micro Thumpinator > Boss TU2 > ZVex Channel 2 (always on for a bit of growl) > Custom COG Distortion > MXR Bass Comp.

I don't think anything else in the chain would add the frequencies the SFX is removing, and the whole lot gets some light compression before it hits the amp. That was the theory anyway, now I'm worried I've done it wrong!

There are no right or wrong answers. The theory of last was, when your done fiddling about with the sound, effects etc, put it just before it hits the amp. Putting it first is setting the bar for the next lot of processing. But in my case will it be any advantage if

A- it hits the octave pedal giving it a better frequency to deal with (before)

or

B- after it so it can deal with the unwanted spikes before it hits the amp ?????? 

(After)

Edited December 6, 2018 by danny-79

[dannybuoy]

I don't think it really matters, either way has benefits, get 2 if you want the best of both!

First in line stops any sub frequencies that could make your compressor overreact to thumpy low notes.

Last in line would catch any unruly sub freqs from octavers or filters.

I put mine last. Or first, I can't remember.

[pete.young]

Max from SFX reckons it should be the first pedal in the chain. That's where I've got mine.

[TPJ]

I get different results from different basses. With a 5 string jazz with EMG pups, it's first and it tames and focuses the sound before going into a VTDI. With the other basses, it gives opposite effects so it sits at the end.

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

Max from SFX reckons it should be the first pedal in the chain. That's where I've got mine.

That's useful to know - I was going to put mine last. Max mailed me a second  Thumpinator by mistake so I could have kept it and done what dB suggested and have one at both ends of the chain 😂 (I returned it, of course!)

2 hours ago, dannybuoy said:

First in line stops any sub frequencies that could make your compressor overreact to thumpy low notes.

...and not just the compressor. Should also benefit the whole of signal chain right?

2 hours ago, dannybuoy said:

Last in line would catch any unruly sub freqs from octavers or filters.

I guess I'm more worried about signal spikes from filters (which I've got a limiter on sentry duty for) than I am about unruly subs (now that I have moved on my DOD Meatbox on anyway). So defo starting to side with Max on this...

[Dosi Y'Anarchy]

You may want to put it first if you have a high output bass and find it hitting the other pedals too hard. I find that some of my basses slam my compressor and overdrive/fuzz pedals just that bit too hard and the Thumpinator helps with that. The downside to that is that with my jazz bass, my Zvex Concert Bass doesn't actually drive the low gain channel hard enough anymore!

Having the Thumpinator first also means that I'll get maximum booty out of my octaver when I switch it on.

Odd thing though, sometimes I've seen a notable "pop" when switching on other pedals with the Thumpinator is first.

I've experimented with it last and it was fine but prefer it first for the reasons mentioned above.

[danny-79]

1 hour ago, Dosi Y'Anarchy said:

You may want to put it first if you have a high output bass and find it hitting the other pedals too hard. I find that some of my basses slam my compressor and overdrive/fuzz pedals just that bit too hard and the Thumpinator helps with that. The downside to that is that with my jazz bass, my Zvex Concert Bass doesn't actually drive the low gain channel hard enough anymore!

Having the Thumpinator first also means that I'll get maximum booty out of my octaver when I switch it on.

Odd thing though, sometimes I've seen a notable "pop" when switching on other pedals with the Thumpinator is first.

I've experimented with it last and it was fine but prefer it first for the reasons mentioned above.

Thanks for your input. My main basses are StingRays, they are both very high output, (East preamps & Nordstrand pups) so putting it first after having it last for years is starting to look appealing for all the reasons you have stated, not too sure about the popping when switching other effects on but if it will help them all  track better then I’ll give it a go and see how it works out 

cheers 

[danny-79]

Just moved it (well re routed it) it’s now first in chain, just after the wireless. Only plugged in in just to test it and noticed the lights on the compressor are a lot less. Looking forward to getting it wound up now. (Be about right that my next gig is an acoustic gig and don’t need my board for that....) 

[Al Krow]

30 minutes ago, danny-79 said:

Just moved it (well re routed it) it’s now first in chain, just after the wireless. Only plugged in in just to test it and noticed the lights on the compressor are a lot less. Looking forward to getting it wound up now. (Be about right that my next gig is an acoustic gig and don’t need my board for that....) 

Really helpful thread. I'm going to move mine to the start of my board too. 

[danny-79]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Really helpful thread. I'm going to move mine to the start of my board too. 

Just been playing with it a bit more, (well the best you can at low volume) I won’t pass judgment just yet but I’m thinking it’s definitely a very good move in the right direction. Octave pedal it tracking much better on the low notes even open Eb is sounds good. I’ve readjusted the compressor accordingly and everything seems to be breathing a lot better. 

I’m sure I’ve had it at the start before and don’t know why I moved, or can’t remember more like lol but I’ve kept the last set of patch leads so easy enough to put back if it doesn’t work out but fingers crossed I’m hopeful 

[danny-79]

So I sent SFX an email and was sent a great reply straight from the horses mouth so to speak. It goes as follows: 

Hi Dan,

Thank you for your enquiry.

When the micro-Thumpinator is in a pedalboard with an octaver, there is always the question - what is best: do I want to stop the low frequency noise at the beginning of the signal path or do I stop the sub frequencies generated by the octaver?

Generally speaking, if the octaver is analogue like the Boss OC-2, the amount of sub noise generate by the OC-2 is probably negligible. The somehow limited tracking capabilities of the OC-2 stop the generation of  frequencies that are below the cut-off frequency of the micro-Thumpinator.

For digital octavers, the problem is different as they track the signal well regardless the frequency. With digital octavers, it is likely they generate frequencies that normal amplification systems cannot convert into sound.

To summarise, I recommend the following.

1. From the practical viewpoint, I recommend you try different positions, included the amp effect loop. Based on the tone, speaker/cone movements and amp headroom/clipping, find the best position in the signal chain.

2. As an alternative approach, I would put the micro-Thumpinator first unless you have a digital octaver. If you have a digital octaver, I would put the micro-Thumpinator after the octaver.

For instance, I'm pretty sure that Dusty Hill (ZZ Top) puts it after the octaver. And in his case, I think it is a good choice. He uses a digital octaver and according to Billy Gibbons, they want to stop the presence of super-low frequencies.

I hope the above helps. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

All the best,
Max [sfx]

 

think that clears a lot up, does for me anyway. Permission was granted for the copy/paste 

[Dosi Y'Anarchy]

Max is a great guy and one hell of a builder

[dannybuoy]

I place mine after my Octabvre because:

a) the tone changes when I run another pedal in front of it Vs going straight in

b) it can track a low C on my 5 string, producing an audible flap-flap-flapping that sounds like it's well under 30 Hz

[danny-79]

14 hours ago, dannybuoy said:

I place mine after my Octabvre because:

a) the tone changes when I run another pedal in front of it Vs going straight in

b) it can track a low C on my 5 string, producing an audible flap-flap-flapping that sounds like it's well under 30 Hz

What octaver do you use ? 

[dannybuoy]

Mainly an Octabvre Mini, I also have an Octamizer, and had an EBS Octabass and a  COG T16. Tracking was good on all of them, most fretted notes below the 5th fret are quite stable in the low E and B strings, just not on the open notes!

[danny-79]

1 hour ago, dannybuoy said:

Mainly an Octabvre Mini, I also have an Octamizer, and had an EBS Octabass and a  COG T16. Tracking was good on all of them, most fretted notes below the 5th fret are quite stable in the low E and B strings, just not on the open notes!

I’ll have to look the first two up not heard of them. I’ve got a Markbass Octaver. Brought it new a few years back. Discontinued now I believe. Tracks pretty well down to about F#. It’s very close to the Boss oc at a guess. Analog 

[e40]

I found an HPF (I use a Broughton HPF which performs the same function as a Thumpinator - but is more flexible) has worked best for me left by itself in the effects loop. So I suppose you could say that makes it dead last since it comes into the signal chain after the amplifier’s preamp stage.

Edited December 15, 2018 by e40

[pete.young]

9 hours ago, e40 said:

I found an HPF (I use a Broughton HPF which performs the same function as a Thumpinator - but is more flexible) has worked best for me left by itself in the effects loop. So I suppose you could say that makes it dead last since it comes into the signal chain after the amplifier’s preamp stage.

Take it that you have a serial effects loop? If it's a parallel loop, the un-effected part of the signal (the part that doesn't go through the loop) will continue to cause low-frequency problems.

Edited December 15, 2018 by pete.young

[e40]

2 hours ago, pete.young said:

Take it that you have a serial effects loop? If it's a parallel loop, the un-effected part of the signal (the part that doesn't go through the loop) will continue to cause low-frequency problems.

Yes. It is actually a stereo capable serial loop in that particular amp. Good point, and something I should have specified earlier. I keep forgetting not all effects loops are implemented the same way.