Bass Synth Pedals

[sagriffiths87]

What are people using or can recommend?

[paul_5]

Zoom MS60B. Small footprint, and more useable sounds than the later B1-4N.

 

I sold my first MS60B to ‘upgrade’ to a B1-4N, then realised that it had fewer synths on it and reverted back.

[Boodang]

Tried a few recently and keep coming back to the EHX bass mono synth. Attaching an expression pedal brings it to life and really transforms it.

Oh, and added bonus, it's cheap!

Edited May 31, 2022 by Boodang

[Boodang]

Depending on what synth sounds you require (anything specific?), another alternative is to use an octave pedal (preferably one with an octave tone control so you can go from smooth to edgy) and an envelope filter pedal. Edgy octave into envelope = synthy goodness. You can even add some overdrive in there to really get it going. So, not a dedicated synth pedal but more versatile.

If you can get hold of one, a COG T65 octave pedal; it has an octave down and plus an octave up with overdrive, and the pedal has a switchable parallel loop in which you can insert the filter. Also check out the Iron Ether pedals... there's a great demo with an Idiot Box bass overdrive going into their filter pedals for some insane sounds.

Perhaps a more expensive way to do it than say the EHX but lots of GAS fun and experimentation where you can come up with your own unique sounds.

Edited May 31, 2022 by Boodang

[SumOne]

The C4 and Future Impact are the best ones I've used. To get the best out of either of them requires Laptop editing though (and extra control stuff for the C4).

 

Or save £hundreds and go the Zoom route which isn't as good but does decent usable synth sounds. 

[uk_lefty]

8 hours ago, Boodang said:

Tried a few recently and keep coming back to the EHX bass mono synth. Attaching an expression pedal brings it to life and really transforms it.

Oh, and added bonus, it's cheap!

I loved the idea of the EHX Mono Synth but found the tracking awful. It had the best sounds for popusic,  if you're holding a single note for a whole bar it's great but to play anything busy it can't keep up IME. 

 

It's a shame, there's something about EHX that always pulls me in but I've never kept a single one of their pedals that I've bought even though I always want them to be the best thing ever.

[Boodang]

5 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

I loved the idea of the EHX Mono Synth but found the tracking awful. It had the best sounds for popusic,  if you're holding a single note for a whole bar it's great but to play anything busy it can't keep up IME. 

 

It's a shame, there's something about EHX that always pulls me in but I've never kept a single one of their pedals that I've bought even though I always want them to be the best thing ever.

A bit like analogue octavers, the mono synth tracks best with less harmonic content in the note, so playing towards the neck rather than nearer the bridge definitely helps. But your right, not the best tracking pedal. Having said that the sounds are too good to ignore so I persevere.

[itu]

I have been amazed by the tracking accuracy of the newest (?) Boss pedal synth, SY-1. Probably not the most flexible unit, but keeps what it promises.

 

(I have FI, SY(B)- 1/3/5, Subdecay Octasynth, and Cog T16.)

Edited September 14, 2022 by itu

[uk_lefty]

10 hours ago, itu said:

I have been amazed by the tracking accuracy of the newest (?) Boss pedal synth, SY-1. Probably not the most flexible unit, but keeps what it promises.

It certainly does. But out of the 121 sounds I only find a handful actually usable!

[stewblack]

Out of all I've tried I would recommend the Boss SY-1.

 

[Quatschmacher]

FI and C4.

 

(Boss SY-200 is pretty much like the SY-1 but with presets and other goodies.)

[bassfan]

2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

FI and C4.

 

(Boss SY-200 is pretty much like the SY-1 but with presets and other goodies.)

What @Quatschmachersays. 

[MacDaddy]

Boss SYB-5 

EHX Bass Mono Synth 

 

But the best of the lot IMO

Digitech Bass Synth Wah.

 

 

[krispn]

Currently using an octave, chorus and dirt but at rehearsal last night I had an iPad running a Moog Model D app and some sounds from GarageBand played via a USB keyboard. 

  
Hope to get some audio to hear what things sounded like over the weekend. I’d prefer to stick to playing bass but the iPad was handy for some pads and intro stuff. 

[pbasspecial]

On 02/06/2022 at 00:03, MacDaddy said:

Boss SYB-5 

EHX Bass Mono Synth 

 

But the best of the lot IMO

Digitech Bass Synth Wah.

 

 

I think the bass synth wah is a good option. Currently using it as just an octave pedal but it does synth and envelope filter too pretty well. About £70 s/h. Bargain considering the amount of options it provides. There is also a built in cab sim if you hold the pedal down before you power up too. 

Edited June 5, 2022 by pbasspecial

[stewblack]

12 hours ago, pbasspecial said:

There is also a built in cab sim if you hold the pedal down before you power up too. 

Whaaat? I never knew!

[Bleat]

My vote would be to find a used Boss ME-8B. Obviously old tech, but has a great bass synth section. In addition you can add in chorus, fuzz, octave, delay, reverb etc to create some huge synth tones. It tracks really well, bigger than a single pedal but still fairly compact. I sold the one I had and now regret it as I programmed some great speaker blowing Moog like synth patches on it. 

[pbasspecial]

On 06/06/2022 at 09:47, stewblack said:

Whaaat? I never knew!

 

[stewblack]

23 hours ago, pbasspecial said:

 

Thank you!

[bassist_lewis]

I was using a EHX Micro Synth for most of this year and just got the Source Audio C4. The Micro Synth is great fun and can do a helluva lot for a single analogue pedal. I managed to get a great 80s Moog-esque downward filter sound for songs like 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody', and coz its analogue the tracking was pretty solid, though still required some adjustment to 'play' the synth effectively. The C4 is a far more versatile piece of kit. the software editor is reasonably straightforward if you've spent anytime with software synth, though a steep learning curve if you haven't. Where it surpasses the Micro Synth is in adding voices, PWM, having a million filter options, sequencer etc etc etc. However, the tracking is, while in no way bad, more temperamental than the Micro Synth. I have to adapt my playing to the pedal quite a bit to make sure it triggers every time, and if I play a fast run it gets lost.

 

Like most things, it's a compromise: you're either closer to the desired sound or get to play more intuitively (but like I said you can learn that). I'm currently favouring the C4 as the songs I use it for (covers) have more need for the right sound than my noodling.

[Quatschmacher]

On 11/09/2022 at 17:31, bassist_lewis said:

I was using a EHX Micro Synth for most of this year and just got the Source Audio C4. The Micro Synth is great fun and can do a helluva lot for a single analogue pedal. I managed to get a great 80s Moog-esque downward filter sound for songs like 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody', and coz its analogue the tracking was pretty solid, though still required some adjustment to 'play' the synth effectively. The C4 is a far more versatile piece of kit. the software editor is reasonably straightforward if you've spent anytime with software synth, though a steep learning curve if you haven't. Where it surpasses the Micro Synth is in adding voices, PWM, having a million filter options, sequencer etc etc etc. However, the tracking is, while in no way bad, more temperamental than the Micro Synth. I have to adapt my playing to the pedal quite a bit to make sure it triggers every time, and if I play a fast run it gets lost.

 

Like most things, it's a compromise: you're either closer to the desired sound or get to play more intuitively (but like I said you can learn that). I'm currently favouring the C4 as the songs I use it for (covers) have more need for the right sound than my noodling.

The C4 doesn’t do PWM (which was a big oversight). FI does. 

[bassist_lewis]

5 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

The C4 doesn’t do PWM (which was a big oversight). FI does. 

You're right! What I meant is when you shift the alignment of the waves so you get a chorus-y effect.

[Quatschmacher]

4 minutes ago, bassist_lewis said:

You're right! What I meant is when you shift the alignment of the waves so you get a chorus-y effect.

Do you mean detuning one oscillator against the other to get beating/phasing? Yep, that’s cool.

 

At some point I should go back and program some more sounds for the C4 but I’ve been mega busy with other (cool) stuff.

[HoorayForAnonyms]

3 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

Do you mean detuning one oscillator against the other to get beating/phasing? Yep, that’s cool.

 

At some point I should go back and program some more sounds for the C4 but I’ve been mega busy with other (cool) stuff.

I think all the C4 users would greatly appreciate more @quatschmacher sounds!! ☺️

[Quatschmacher]

8 hours ago, HoorayForAnonyms said:

I think all the C4 users would greatly appreciate more @quatschmacher sounds!! ☺️

Thanks! I’ve not got loads of free time at the moment as I’m doing a bunch of beta testing and gearing up to launch a MIDI controller I’ve been co-developing for the last couple of years. Just submitted some corrections to the web copy so might have something to share in the next week or so, maybe sooner. 

Edited September 15, 2022 by Quatschmacher