Bass effects beginner questions

[jb90]

Hi guys. I noticed that many bass players have in their pedalboard some preamps, compressors and whole bunch of effects. I almost never used any effects and I'm very curious one thing.
Why I need stompbox preamp in pedalboard when I have onboard preamp in my bass and preamp in my amp? Does 3rd preamp in pedalboard is not too much "complication" in signal chain? For what is necessary this stompbox preamp? Is it really necessary? How to setup the sound when you have so much preamps in your signal chain?
Same with compressors. I have one a couple years ago but it just stopped my articulation and dynamics and nothing more. And many bass players can't live without comp in their pedalboards. Again is it necessary to have one? How to know which pedals I need?  I really want to have the best bass sound I can get but I don't know nothing about effects at all and dont know where to start and what is need in today music and live situation. Maby these question are stupid but I really want to understand the phenomenon of bass pedalboard and pedal preamps especiallly. Thanks.

[itu]

Preamp may be a tool, when the bass (and possibly the pedalboard, too) is driving the PA. Those preamps have cab simulation, so the sound resembles the amp+cab sound. Here PA is thought to be neutral, which it is not in HiFi terms but it does not matter here.

Probably the bass has an active (lo-Z) preamp, which is driven by a small 9 V battery. Its quality is not HiFi either compared to the amp - or a hi-end mixing desk - but they offer quick adjustments within reach. Usually those preamps offer just tone adjustments and some of the signal path is covered by low quality carbon track pots. Definitely nothing to do with quality.

Effects, yes, many effects affect the sound and especially the low end. You may try to put lots of distortion or chorus to your signal and find, that the lowest end has vanished. The sound has become thin.

To reduce the effect to the low end, there are units that have blend, where you can mix the bass sound to the effect. This may give better sound, but I myself find it a bit lame solution. You still have to be somewhat careful or the low end is affected.

My choice has been a cross-over. With a X-over you can mix signals so, that the higher end has the effects and the low end is intact. Yes, I can put lots of effects to that high end but also too much. Still the low end is there.

Compressor is not the easiest signal processor in the bassist's world. I suggest you to read some articles on how to set it up. Sound-on-Sound is one very good source and ovnilab has a very wide selection of compressors and tests.

https://www.soundonsound.com/

http://www.ovnilab.com/

[Al Krow]

I'd say the starting point is think about your existing sound and tone and ask yourself is anything missing? If there is, a pedal maybe able to step into the breach.

Plenty of gigging bass players are very happy to go straight from the bass to their amps without any pedals in between. If you've got a good bass with decent pups and strings and a decent amp and cab you may well find you've already got a tone that you, your band and audiences already really like!

A preamp pedal is certainly not 'necessary' if your amp has a decent pre, but may give you a difference in tone.

Agreed that many bassists can't live without a compressor on their board; an equal number are very happy without.

You could easily end up spending a small fortune on pedals, before you do a great way to dip your toe into the water and find out whether particular pedals might add something is to get a multifx e.g. the Zoom B14

Edited August 10, 2019 by Al Krow

[Dapper Bandit]

Preamps in pedal form are either there to better get your signal to the PA (if you're going direct for example) or to offer you a different tonal palette to what your amp may be able to get on it's own.  I'll play an active bass through a Rusty Box because the Rusty has the EQ points I am looking for in certain situations.

I had a compressor once, it was years ago when I was playing fingerstyle in a fast metal band and I wanted / had read on TB that I needed a little compression to smooth out the less appealing parts of my technique at the time.  It was good in that it kept things pretty even when I was transitioning from three finger galloping to tapped parts with less grace than I would have liked but I haven't used one since that band folded, part exchanged the compressor on a Whammy in fact.

I think part of the pedalboard craze is that compression and preamps have been used all over recorded music since time immemorial and now people are able to get closer to that tone at home and on stage.

As Al says, if you're really interested in dipping your toe, a second hand multi fx would be the way to go as you will get a decent sound for not a whole lot of money.  I still remember my Zoom unit from way back when fondly, even if by today's standards it would be considered a horrendously overpriced dog!

[Cato]

I started my bass effects journey with a Zoom B1on which I initially bought purely for silent home practice.

The latest equivalent model would be the Zoom B1 four.

For around £50 you can try just about every category of effect (chorus/filter/compression etc), try out various preamps and discover which ones, if any, you think will benefit your sound.

[jb90]

Wow! thanks guys for reply and many useful advices Well... I like my sound, but sometimes I wish to change my sounds during songs (most of the time I play 2 main sounds: round, bassy sound for "ballad" kind of things, and more bright and warm for slap/pick and more complex speed playing like rock bands in 80's). I noticed that some warm growl in the mids cuts through very well in many songs. It would be nice to get that from my gear. Also I think that compressor would be good to just set my volume on the same level when I play with fingers and slap. I don't know... I always think that effects should change your sound (chorus, distortion) or just improve it. Then it make sense. But I don't play "Paul Young stuff" or "heavy metal grind" to use it so often IYKWIM  Sometimes some synth parts with "synth sounds" could sit better than clean bass guitar signal, but probably it would be better to play on synth bass then than on bass with some effects on. My philosophy is to provide the best sound for my bands/artists I play with. And everything that help me cut more in the mix, get better, even tone or appropriate tone quality is always welcome.

[bazzbass]

for a comp i recommend the TC Spectracomp because there are lots of presets you can load via your phone. Small footprint, one knob.You can change what parameters that one knob affects.

You probably don't need a pre amp pedal as you have an onboard preamp and the amp's as well.

[dannybuoy]

I use preamp pedals mainly because overdrive is important to me, which I can't get from the EQ on any bass. Yes, many amps have overdrive but I like to chop and change to try different units out, and most amp overdrives are pretty limited compared to what's out there in the pedal landscape. E.g. the Tech21 YYZ I'm fooling around with at the moment has 2 channels blended together - clean with the highs rolled off alongside a dirty channel that has the bass rolled off. Not many amps can offer that.

So if you equate a preamp with a clean EQ, then the preamp in your bass + the one in your amp is probably already overkill and there's not much point adding a third!

But adding some overdrive can work wonders, you don't need to be in a metal band to appreciate it. Listen to a lot of isolated bass tracks, especially from classic rock or Motown and you'll discover they're mostly pretty dirty. You don't hear it as distorted in the context of the full mix, but those extra harmonics do help the bass to stand out and be heard.

[Lozz196]

Agree, I was quite shocked when I heard an isolated track by John Deacon of Queen, what sounded clean, warm and rounded in the track was quite harsh and driven in comparison on its own. A bit of drive really helps make the bass sound bigger and more present.