Low Gain/Edge Of Breakup Tone

[Supernaut]

I run a fairly basic rig to get more of an old school tone. Precision with flats into a Polytune, Spark Booster and then into a MarkBass combo. I also use a Radial DI box. 

I'm looking for edge of breakup/very low gain valve tones. Is there anything out there that beats the Spark Booster for this?

 

I have tried:

Xotic BB Bass Preamp

SolidGold Beta Mk II

Bearfoot Blueberry

Phat Phuk B

Way Huge Green Rhino

 

The Spark Booster is the one I've always preferred. I predominantly use it on the 'clean' setting. 

[Baloney Balderdash]

I have been wanting to the get the TC Electronic Spark Booster for a long time, cause I've heard so many great things about it, but haven't gotten around acquiring one yet.

 

Though it will hardly help you I get the low gain, just above breakup point, overdrive grit on my bass from a combination of first an EHX Black Finger, with the input gain dialed up to drive the tubes in it to just on the verge of breakup, then a Joyo Oxford Sound dialed in to deliver a low gain overdrive, blended with clean signal at an about 50/50 ratio, via a Boss LS-2, then a NUX Melvin Lee Davis Bass Preamp with the Drive at a low gain setting, 9 o'clock, or 13/100, to be exact, and the clean blend at a 50/50 ratio, and then finally that into an ART Tube MP Project Series tube preamp/DI, with the tube in it also driven to just on the verge of breakup, and I am extremely satisfied with this combination. 

 

Which is actually also basically what makes up my always on "clean" tone of my "amp-less" setup. 

 

Edited March 13, 2024 by Baloney Balderdash

[Supernaut]

I would like just one pedal, please. 

[Jack]

2 hours ago, Supernaut said:

I run a fairly basic rig to get more of an old school tone. Precision with flats into a Polytune, Spark Booster and then into a MarkBass combo. I also use a Radial DI box. 

I'm looking for edge of breakup/very low gain valve tones. Is there anything out there that beats the Spark Booster for this?

 

I have tried:

Xotic BB Bass Preamp

SolidGold Beta Mk II

Bearfoot Blueberry

Phat Phuk B

Way Huge Green Rhino

 

The Spark Booster is the one I've always preferred. I predominantly use it on the 'clean' setting. 

In my experience it's very hard to do as everything needs to be set 'just so' and then your playing has to be super consistent. Then you change basses or switch to a pick for a song and it's all wrong again. I've had better luck with amps that get a little gritty themselves rather than pedals, although to be fair I haven't used a real amp in ages and these days it's either a sansamp or a helix for me, either of those do a decent job. 

[Osiris]

Shameless plug - This fits the edge-of-breakup bill perfectly. I also have a spark booster and I'd describe this as kind of similar but 'bigger' sounding and with more control over the EQ, and possibly a little more Ampeg sounding than the more neutral voiced spark.

 

 

[LukeFRC]

Beta if you want more bass, @Osiris, beta 5 to dial that out... Fairfield Barbershop I like (I built a clone) same sort of idea comparing it to the Beta... my main question is - if you've tried half a dozen pedals and settled on the Spark, why are you still looking?  If it sounds good, it is good

[Supernaut]

I think I'm also after something that has a mid control. A lot of pedal makers leave that out for some reason. 

[Jonse]

Sansamp bddi V2 or VTDI, can get rid of your di box as well then! 

[LukeFRC]

39 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

I think I'm also after something that has a mid control. A lot of pedal makers leave that out for some reason. 

Mids are a bit pointless unless they are semi parametric in my mind. Broughton SV pre or some other SVT a like, with the gain backed off?

 

[Supernaut]

Not really after the SVT sound. I'm after something more neutral. 

[Lozz196]

I really like the Ampeg SCR-DI for this. I don`t like it much for full-on gain/drive but for what you`ve specced out @Supernaut it`s a decent option, very good at adding that little bit so as as to make the notes not completely clean. You can either use the full pedal with all of its eq options or just the Scrambler part of it on your current eq. Added bonus of being a Preamp/DI so all of the uses that come with those.

[Paul S]

I use the TC Spectradrive.  This is an EQ (with adjustable high and low mids), DI, compressor and drive all in one unit.  I use the 'clean boost' patch on the drive which is apparently the equivalent of the Spark Boost pedal. The amount of drive and the amount of gain have an interesting interplay.  Works for me, anyway.  I'm hoping one day they will do a pedal with all those things plus a tuner so I can lose something else off my board, such as it is.  They could call it the TC Spectrapolytunedrive.  

[pete.young]

If you can find a used Dave Hall Amps VTI-EQ-Bass Drive I reckon that would be an improvement, and would also do the DI function. Something with a valve in it, anyway.

[Supernaut]

3 minutes ago, pete.young said:

If you can find a used Dave Hall Amps VTI-EQ-Bass Drive I reckon that would be an improvement, and would also do the DI function. Something with a valve in it, anyway.

I had a DHA VT1 EQ DI years ago and found the DI was super noisy so sold it. Good pedal otherwise. 

[Gwilym]

Durham Electronics Sex Drive has worked for me

[Al Krow]

Grizzly Bass can do this (and a range of other tones / dirt) as well. 

 

Only has mid-cut not mid-boost though. Wonder if the sound at 2.45 is what you are after?

 

 

[Baloney Balderdash]

4 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Grizzly Bass can do this (and a range of other tones / dirt) as well. 

 

Only has mid-cut not mid-boost though. Wonder if the sound at 2.45 is what you are after?

 

 

Is that the much dreaded ManPigBear?

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Guest]

After messing around with various Darkglass pedals (which I now can’t stand) I settled on a Sansamp Bass Driver v2 because it does exactly what you’re asking for here - takes the bass to breakup while maintaining the character. Mids are very controllable with this pedal. I found almost all other bass dirt pedals (I’ve tried several brands inc MXR, EHX, Ampeg and the aforementioned Darkglass) add a nasty rasping layer on top of the bass tone and I hate that.

[MrDinsdale]

Sushi box seem to do a lot of great stuff in that territory although never had chance to try one. 

[Osiris]

7 hours ago, Supernaut said:

I think I'm also after something that has a mid control. A lot of pedal makers leave that out for some reason. 

 

The LPF on the Beta V is actually a mid control and not a low pass filter, no idea why they called it an LPF when it plainly isn't 🤷  Check out the bass the world review for an idea of what it can do.

 

 

[Supernaut]

The Beta seems a little too dark for my liking. 
 

I want to take my original signal but add minimal colour to it - just make it more valve like. 
 

Has anyone tried the EHX Hot Tubes, Way Huge Pork Loin, Jam Lucy Dreamer or One Control Blackberry? 

[MartinB]

I saw the thread title, thought "Spark Booster!", and then came in to find you were already using one 😆

 

 

[uk_lefty]

Marshall Jackhammer overdrive/ distortion pedal. Great EQ control for bass and a big range of sounds from it.

[Japhet]

EHX Bass Soul Food.

[Bassybert]

Hudson Broadcast? Always seems to have a really nice warm breakup sound