Amp Direct sometimes just works best

[BassAdder60]

Last night I was using my Orange Little Bass Thing via my Ampeg SCR-DI and TC Spectracomp pedals 

Nice sound 

 

At break I pulled the cable out and went direct into the amp without pedals and set my EQ and bang .. what a better sound, the weight and tone of the amp were just better and had more heft behind the notes 

 

Needless to say I’m ditching the SCR and TC and be happy with this great sounding amp and my ABM600 

[Lozz196]

I have to say that I too prefer the sound of my amp - ABM600 - than pedals, however on the shared rigs circuit it`s rare that I`ll get to use it, so get my sound/eq from my Sansamp so I`ll always sound pretty much the same. I`m quite near to the ABM sound with the Sansamp but agree, much better weight and tone to the sound from just the amp itself.

[BassAdder60]

To think I nearly sold my ABM600!!! Eek 😱 

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

I've never used a pedal, never needed or wanted one. I had a raft of them when I played guitar, but with bass all the effects I needed were my hands.

[BassAdder60]

23 minutes ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

I've never used a pedal, never needed or wanted one. I had a raft of them when I played guitar, but with bass all the effects I needed were my hands.

I’m definitely coming round to this way too 

 

As a guitarist you can benefit from so many pedal variations depending on the music but as a bass player I’m enjoying the simple good amp and cab sound and EQ to suit the room and band 

 

[Huge Hands]

I have a Tonebone Bassbone V2 to allow me to quickly switch between EUB and bass guitar on big gigs, which feeds into a Zoom B1Xon.  I bought it as an option for some effects but mainly use this as a volume pedal for the EUB to try and emulate some sfz kind of stabbing dynamic effects in our concert band.

 

My problem is, even when just running it all fully open and clean (no FX), I feel like I can hear the electronics saturating somewhere when I'm digging in. I hear a kind of compression, that I don't hear when going direct into my amp. 

 

I have never had time with my full rig somewhere to really go through it all and try and work out where it is happening in the chain.  As a result I don't use it that often.  

[chris_b]

I've never used a pedal either. I briefly owned an amp that had compression and HP and LP filters but never found a use for them. I just prefer the sound of a good bass plugged into a good amp.

[alexa3020]

I do like a compressor. It’s not necessarily something you hear. Your bass feels better when you play with one - tighter and less dynamic range

[Downunderwonder]

I expect the SCR does a fair mess of compression in doing its thing.

[King Tut]

I’ve got a medium sized pedal board, about six or seven pedals inc a Zoom B1fourx. I’ve recently programmed the zoom to do most of the stuff that the pedals do. Last weekend I rehearsed with no radio and just the zoom - wow what a difference. I definitely can’t do without the zoom but I think Less is more for the time being for me.

[Marvin]

I don't use pedals because I haven't the faintest idea how they work. Whenever I've tried it just sounds awful, so I don't bother. 

I use a Zoom B1on for headphone practice at home. I use one patch I made myself, it uses an Ampeg sim and that's it.  Even then it doesn't sound that great. I used to have a Boss GT6B.  Looked good, but was more of a hinderence than anything.  The only reason I kept it was that it had this Auto-Wah loop preset that you could just play a short riff and it'd loop itself forever. It meant the rest of my band, at the time, jammed to the loop whilst I ate the cookies and donuts.

 

I've never understood using preamp pedals when using an amp...buy an amp that sounds like the preamp pedal maybe?

[Lozz196]

19 minutes ago, Marvin said:

 

I've never understood using preamp pedals when using an amp...buy an amp that sounds like the preamp pedal maybe?

On the shared rig circuit it`s always nice if you can get your sound quickly if using an unfamiliar amp, that`s when a preamp pedal becomes invaluable imo, as well as in cases of amp failure of course. I get a sound that works for the band from my amp then find whichever pedal will replicate it close enough, so I can always get "me" quickly and through FOH easily. 

[BassmanPaul]

Some times the guys who design amplifiers actually know what they are doing!!

[acidbass]

I don't understand the need for compressors live. In the studio yes, but live, an imbalance of notes is usually a setup or technique issue.

[Dad3353]

3 minutes ago, acidbass said:

... live, an imbalance of notes is usually a setup or technique issue.

 

Maybe (but debatable...); whatever, 'issues' need fixing, and compressors can be a useful fix. There's is more, but... Whatever. As a drummer, it's rare to not have the drum channels compressed at the FOH console. Whaver gets the best result for the show, no..? 

[alexa3020]

6 minutes ago, acidbass said:

I don't understand the need for compressors live. In the studio yes, but live, an imbalance of notes is usually a setup or technique issue.

You may have a point, although a lot of decent players use them.

I only use one with my passive basses. My active stingray sounds and feels bit compressed already.

[acidbass]

3 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

As a drummer, it's rare to not have the drum channels compressed at the FOH console. Whaver gets the best result for the show, no..? 

Yep, most instruments are compressed at FOH anyway, so why over squash it by sending something already compressed? Dynamics are cool!

[Dad3353]

48 minutes ago, acidbass said:

... Dynamics are cool!

 

Certainly, but, as you yourself wrote : 'a setup or technique issue' is not. One may keep the issues, or use compression to help fix them. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Dad3353