Royal Blood on a tight budget

[SteveXFR]

My daughter is a huge fan of Royal Blood and loves playing their songs on bass. Obviously Mike Kerr has a very complex bass rig with a bi amp setup usinga guitar and bass amp.

Is there a way we could get a reasonable sound on a very tight budget? Could we get close with one of the Zoom multi effects pedals?

[Newfoundfreedom]

I don't see why not. I used to use a line 6 M13 and get a pretty reasonable approximation. But you'll also need an ABY pedal to split the signal and make it switchable between bass and "guitar" then something like a blender pedal to recombine the two signals going into the amp, unless your amp has two inputs. 

 

 

[SteveXFR]

21 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I don't see why not. I used to use a line 6 M13 and get a pretty reasonable approximation. But you'll also need an ABY pedal to split the signal and make it switchable between bass and "guitar" then something like a blender pedal to recombine the two signals going into the amp, unless your amp has two inputs. 

 

 

 

Are you saying use the ABY to send a clean signal to the amp and a dirty signal through the effects?

[lee650]

One way could be to use an EHX micro POG. It has a Dry out which would go to your bass amp giving just clean bass. Set the effect with just octave up and use the effect out to a Guitar amp with whatever fuzz you like (Muff/Mastatron/ Tech21 Red Ripper etc) so to Distort the octave up.

Or

A boss LS2 would run a parallel clean blend under a Nano POG (smaller and cheaper than a Micro) so one loop would have the POG set for octave up only, with distortion after it ( using the clean on the POG wouldn't work as it would be distorted). That would only go through one amp though.

 

Neither a budget solution though 😂😂  Sorry.

 

 

[Newfoundfreedom]

36 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Are you saying use the ABY to send a clean signal to the amp and a dirty signal through the effects?

 

Yes precisely, and to change or combine the two. So for example A to the FX unit for guitar sound. B bass direct to the amp. Y bass and guitar simultaneously. 

[dannybuoy]

The Zoom units aren't great for this, the octave up effect has a noticeable delay and just didn't sound convincing.

 

I got much better results running a Mooer Tender Octaver (EHX POG clone) into a Joyo American Sound (Fender guitar amp sim). Mike Kerr runs a POG into a bunch of Fender guitar amps, so it works quite well!

 

You may be able to pick up a used Boss LS-2, TC Sub'n'Up Mini and Joyo American Sound for just over £100 all in.

 

[Newfoundfreedom]

I got a Fender ABY for about £25 off eBay, and about the same price for a blender pedal. Add to that something like a Zoom MS-60B and you're covered for about £100 all in. 

Edited October 10, 2021 by Newfoundfreedom

[lee650]

5 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

The Zoom units aren't great for this, the octave up effect has a noticeable delay and just didn't sound convincing.

 

I got much better results running a Mooer Tender Octaver (EHX POG clone) into a Joyo American Sound (Fender guitar amp sim). Mike Kerr runs a POG into a bunch of Fender guitar amps, so it works quite well!

 

You may be able to pick up a used Boss LS-2, TC Sub'n'Up Mini and Joyo American Sound for just over £100 all in.

 

Deffo Dan

A sub n up/Mooer Tender is a decent and cheaper option than the POG, plus whatever Distortion you like. The Boss LS2 is pretty much the most useful pedal ever made.

 

Just realised with my setup I wouldn't be able to do that. My C4 has a great octave up, but I've put my Copilot Orbit before it,In one loop in my LS2. I may switch those around 😁

[SteveXFR]

Thanks for all the tips. It would have been a lot easier if she was in to a band with a more traditional bass sound!

She's already got ideas about stealing her little sisters Orange tiny terror guitar amp and my Terror bass

[garyt]

There are quite a few videos on YouTube showing various Royal Blood set ups, although none of them look that cheap.  There was one with a Pog, an LS-2, and 2 amps, that worked quite well. 

[mr4stringz]

In my experience (am in a bass & drums 2 piece myself) the sub n up is the best option for the upper octave at not much cost. The Mooer Tender is decent too. The T-Rex Quint is another, albeit slightly pricier, option and you can dial a fifth above in on that simultaneously too. Useful for this kind of thing. And, as others have said, an ABY or LS-2 before it to split the signal plus a drive of your choice and you’ll be in the general ballpark.

[lee650]

3 hours ago, garyt said:

There are quite a few videos on YouTube showing various Royal Blood set ups, although none of them look that cheap.  There was one with a Pog, an LS-2, and 2 amps, that worked quite well. 

I've not seen that! I wonder if its the same as my earlier suggestions. Need to ale a look 😁

[NewUser]

joyo jf 12 voodoo octave

[SumOne]

According to the man himself it's about £600 to have his exact setup:

 

“I actually bought an amp off eBay for £30 but I’m not going to say what it is... I don’t want everyone to go out and buy them, because I might want spares! But there’s loads of them left. And it sounded magical. I did all the guitar stuff using that one amp, and I only had one of them, so any double-tracking was actually re-amped through that, to achieve the second layer.

 

You’ve kept pretty tight-lipped about the pedalboard over the years, but the Electro-Harmonix POG2 is definitely one you are closely associated with. What makes it better than, say, a DigiTech Whammy?

 

“To be honest with you, it’s just the first thing I had. I think it was more about how the bass works with the POG. I actually don’t like the POG sound on its own. I can always detect it on a guitar and for lack of a better word, it always sounded eggy! There was something unpleasant about it. I think my disgust of its sound caused me to drive it harder so you can’t really hear it’s that pedal.  I have a love/hate relationship with it, you know? But I owe it a lot, and at the same time I’m not a massive fan of it, traditionally speaking. I think I only use two settings. I don’t use the others. Also, so much ground has been covered by other bands using that pedal, you don’t want to go treading on anyone else’s toes.“

 

This is going better than we expected, so it would be remiss not to ask if there’s anything else that’s integral to your tone...

 

“Okay, yeah, there’s a pedal... I can’t believe I’m telling you this. I’ve never disclosed any of this information before. It’s a worldwide exclusive. You’re a good interrogator! Anyways, there’s a pedal called the [Tech 21] Red Ripper – which I didn’t discover myself, an assistant engineer showed it to me. It’s a bass distortion pedal and it’s wicked. For anyone out there who plays bass and wants distortion, all bass distortions are a bit stinky poo in my opinion. They sound cool in a YouTube video or when you’re on your own, but when you’re with the band, it makes your bass sound thin and not very nice. Whereas the Red Ripper is just rad. It stays really subby and warm, but has this squelch to it. I would say it’s a very good one.“

 

Good to know! A lot of this stuff is actually easily available and quite affordable.

 

“There are some brilliant videos on YouTube on how to sound like us, but on a budget. One thing that made me laugh is the budget they work with – usually around £1,500. And I’m always thinking, ‘Man, you could do it with £600!’ It’s more simple than that."

 

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/royal-blood-mike-kerr-gear

 

(Following that interview Tech 21 announced the Red Ripper being re-released). 

Edited October 11, 2021 by SumOne

[SteveXFR]

That's interesting. I wonder what the £30 amp is. Maybe it's something like an Orange micro terror. 

[Greg Edwards69]

Andertons made a video especially for your predicament.

 

Sound like Royal Blood without busting the bank.

 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

10 hours ago, NewUser said:

joyo jf 12 voodoo octave

 

I find Joyo XVI and Voodoo Octave get in the ballpark.

[NewUser]

53 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

That's interesting. I wonder what the £30 amp is. Maybe it's something like an Orange micro terror. 

 

I'm using a valeton tar 20 B.

Mine was 75 American dollars new. I do also have the joyo voodoo, Google search for the joyo voodoo on bass guitar and watch a few videos.

Edited October 11, 2021 by NewUser

[Al Krow]

Boss OC-5 has a decent octave up + superb octave down + sub octave; all of which can be engaged simultaneously if you want. More organic / less tinny than some of the competition.

Get's my vote!

[Cuzzie]

Or and 8 or 12 string bass

 

Now they are fun

[Cosmo Valdemar]

EBS Billy Sheehan, run an octave up and any other effects in the distortion loop.

[andruca]

With just one Zoom device you won't be able to independently process the "guitar" part (needs different EQ, heavier distortion, etc.), no parallel processing, even with the latest B6 model. But you can do that with 2 of them, and I've done just that with previous gen cheap ones (you can get a B1on/G1on used for 30€ or less these days).

 

The cheapest I could get away with was <100€ (more like 70-80€ if you toroughly scan the used market) with any 2 of Zoom's MS-60B/50G/70CDR/B1on/Xon/G1on/Xon (firmware can be customized to have guitar FX on the bass model and viceversa) and any cheap ABY pedal (got mine for 20€ new). Explained in the video description. You can hear bass first, then guitar (made stereo with added stereo chorus), then both. Probably not suitable for a 2 piece like RB but for sure gets the job done, i.e., in a 3 piece, to cover some space when the guitar guys does a solo. I've set it up so I can do just octave or octave+harmony (usually a 5th up). I'd usually use the one with the most FX slot capacity for the guitar branch, as it usually needs more processing than my usual crunchy bass tone (usually just BassDRV + 160Comp).

 

 

EDIT: when using only 1 amp I'd use an easy passive Y/attenuator I've made with a box I already had, 3 jacks and a pot. One input is wired directly to the output (the least loud), one goes thru' the pot (the loudest). Guitar goes mono when doing so. Sorta' ghetto, but does what's needed.

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by andruca

[bassman7755]

I have the now discontinued Akai Unibass which does this all one unit - clean bass + octave (plus optionally 4th or 5th) with distortion. Used to use it to fake a rhythm guitar when playing a 1 guitar band. Should sell it really so someone can get some use out of it.

[Newfoundfreedom]

14 hours ago, bassman7755 said:

I have the now discontinued Akai Unibass which does this all one unit - clean bass + octave (plus optionally 4th or 5th) with distortion. Used to use it to fake a rhythm guitar when playing a 1 guitar band. Should sell it really so someone can get some use out of it.

 

Just looked that up. It looks like a superb bit of kit. Literally built for the job. Add a ryrhm guitar in a single pedal. Genius! I now need one of these! 

[Greg Edwards69]

The Fishman Fission works very similarly and is worth looking up. 
 

Personally, I’ve got a patch set up in my helix that does something similar and sounds quite convincing in a band mix. I based it on this patch and tweaked it for my needs: