Aphex Bass Xciter - any good?

[Bassmurf]

I've got a tax rebate so am wondering about getting an Aphex Bass Xciter, opinions please good and bad welcome!

[MoJ]

Not that I've used one or trying to suggest anything, but my opinion is with things like this is that these pedals are trying make up for lack of good equipment. Though it looks from your signature you have some good stuff there.
Having said that, I guess that if you don't have access to either the equipment or the funds for aquiring such equipment, then I guess they are ideal.
Would be good placed after some heavy compression I guess too??
Whether or not the pedals are any good or will work for you, as I say, I cannnot inform you of.
Just thought Id throw in me 2p..

Andy

Edited July 25, 2007 by MoJ

[Rayman]

Superb little pedal.

Big bottom end boost, big clear, crisp highs, it makes an average rig sound fantastic, and makes a great rig sound massive.

It doesn't boost volume levels at all, it just widens the spectum of tones, more bottom, more top.

I reviewed mine on the old Bassworld site, and I likened it to this: Imagine your sound as an accordion half open, then you switch on the Aphex, and then imagine you stretch open the accordion as far as it'll go. That's what the pedal does to your sound.

I hope that makes sense.

[Rayman]

I forgot to say, on the down side, they have a tendancy to break their footswitches. Mine's no exception, and is currently awaiting a replacement. Once done, I believe they're fine from then on.

[Hamster]

[quote name='Rayman' post='36958' date='Jul 25 2007, 06:03 PM']Superb little pedal.

Big bottom end boost, big clear, crisp highs, it makes an average rig sound fantastic, and makes a great rig sound massive.[/quote]

+1 on that

Hamster

[jay249]

are they the kind of pedal you'd personally leave on for a full gig or use to an effect? i'm gonna buy one to trial, as i play passive jazz basses and i don't wanna go active but i like the idea of ''exciting'' my sound, nothing wrong with my sound mind, just think it'd be good for a laugh, do they have a di out?

[phagor]

Afraid I'm going to differ... I haven't found that I like the sound of my Bass Xciter much at all. I feel that it makes the bottom end "plasticky" and unnatural.

The only time I've found it useful was when I didn't have an amp and was playing through a monitor wedge - then it added some useful bottom end without making the sound break up like it would have if I had piled on the bass frequencies on my bass. It's probably good for getting the most out of cabs that don't have good low frequency response.

On the plus side, it makes a pretty good DI box, which I still use it for occasionally.

On the down side, my footswitch is broken too!

[JPJ]

I've just bought my second one because I bought one, loved it so much I went to the rack version (which isnt 'tuned' for bass, so doesnt work as well in a live situation imho) and now have gone back to the pedal version.

I use it after the Punch Factory compressor. To explain, I use the punch factory live to control my occassional excesses on live gigs. The Exciter comes next just to add a little sparkle to the top end and a little meat to the bottom. Bearing in mind I play through an SWR750x into either a Schroeder 21012 or a Goliath/Son of Bertha stack, you could say that the exciter isn't strictly necessary. However, I think it adds a little something else to the overall sound.

Word of caution though, use both ends of the effect spareingly as it has a huge amount of tone shaping capability.

[mikeh]

[quote name='JPJ' post='38094' date='Jul 28 2007, 11:18 AM']I've just bought my second one because I bought one, loved it so much I went to the rack version (which isnt 'tuned' for bass, so doesnt work as well in a live situation imho) and now have gone back to the pedal version.

I use it after the Punch Factory compressor. To explain, I use the punch factory live to control my occassional excesses on live gigs. The Exciter comes next just to add a little sparkle to the top end and a little meat to the bottom. Bearing in mind I play through an SWR750x into either a Schroeder 21012 or a Goliath/Son of Bertha stack, you could say that the exciter isn't strictly necessary. However, I think it adds a little something else to the overall sound.

Word of caution though, use both ends of the effect spareingly as it has a huge amount of tone shaping capability.[/quote]

What did you think where the main differences between pedal and rack mounted version? Im just looking to buy the rack version as I want nothing on the floor, apart from my feet!!

Cheers

Mike

[Rayman]

I used my repaired pedal last night at a gig, and boy have I missed it. One flick of a switch, and there was my big bottom for all see.............er..................hear.

[mikeh]

[quote name='Rayman' post='38616' date='Jul 29 2007, 08:47 PM']I used my repaired pedal last night at a gig, and boy have I missed it. One flick of a switch, and there was my big bottom for all see.............er..................hear.[/quote]

Russ did you replace the switch with a toggle? Was it easy to do? I've a Punch Factory coming in the week or so and I was thinking fof doing that, as it'd be on all the time so no need for a foot switch.

[jay249]

As long as the cutout is the same size, that kinda thing is dead easy to do.

[Rayman]

[quote name='mikeh' post='38622' date='Jul 29 2007, 08:53 PM']Russ did you replace the switch with a toggle? Was it easy to do? I've a Punch Factory coming in the week or so and I was thinking fof doing that, as it'd be on all the time so no need for a foot switch.[/quote]

Just a straight switch change Mike, but I was told that the old switch appeared to be ok in the first place. One thing I have done is adjusted the length of the shaft of one of the plugs on my daisy chain. The power socket is quite deep on the Aphex, and some daisy chain plugs don't go far enough into the socket, thus the power was intermittent, possibly the reason for my problem in the first place, chances are the switch was fine. So I trimmed back a bit of the plastic on the daisy chain plug with a pair of pliers to make the metal shaft a bit longer, so now it fits all the way in (OOer) nice and snug, and no problems at all last night.

[Metal-Mariachi]

I found mine reacts differently depending on the amp and bass used. It’s not like using an eq; it doesn’t have a dramatic effect, more a subtle enhancement of the highs and lows.
I use it when I switch between my ’51 P and my fretless. The P is very in your face, while the fretless has a smoother more refined sound, which can seem kind of vanilla in comparison.
Haven’t had a switch problem, but did notice it eats batteries. A One Spot right angle adapter didn’t always make full contact, I had no troubles with a boss adaptor though.

If you plan on playing with the switches on the back you should use straight plugs, right angles block them. I set mine up and don’t change them so it isn’t a big deal.

As a side note, I have a couple of other pedals the One Spot doesn’t make full contact with. They all have pc-mounted sockets set back just a tad from the outside of the pedal. It works well with the ones mounted on the outside.

MM

[dudewheresmybass]

DOes anyone have any links to where i could pick one up at a reasonable cost?

[stingrayfan]

They're great for passive basses - bit pointless with active ones as they're just active EQ on top of active EQ. Disagree with the comment about these pedals making up for crappy gear. You could say the same about active basses. Is a Stingray or Warwick rubbish because it's got active EQ?

Watch out for the input/output jack sockets on them though - they're not built to last. Would be wise to mount them on a pedalboard.

[Gwilym]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='85606' date='Nov 8 2007, 06:25 PM']They're great for passive basses - bit pointless with active ones as they're just active EQ on top of active EQ. Disagree with the comment about these pedals making up for crappy gear. You could say the same about active basses. Is a Stingray or Warwick rubbish because it's got active EQ?

Watch out for the input/output jack sockets on them though - they're not built to last. Would be wise to mount them on a pedalboard.[/quote]

+1

sounded good with my old passive Fender P/J Jazz. However, it did nothing for my active Smith. If your bass is active, try before you buy.

[Johnny Wishbone]

Had mine for a couple of months now and it could well be the best £40 (bought it used) I've ever spent. I liken the difference in sound to that between a CD track and an mp3, if you see what I mean? You don't think there's any real difference but when you switch it off you realise how much it's adding to your sound.

The Xciter widens the range of tones adding a lovely, punchy low end and nice, sparkling highs. I've had punters and other bassists complimenting my tone at most every gig since I bought it, and sound engineers seem to love the signal from the DI. I seem to be able to hear myself better onstage too.

If I lost/broke it, I'd buy another one tomorrow.

[dannybuoy]

Same here, just got mine today and now it's going to be a permanent part of my setup. My bass just sounds muddy, undefined and lacking low end punch without it. I was perfectly happy with my sound before, but now there's no going back!