MikeTheMisfit Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I have a very standard amp with no drive or gain dials. It's a very flat sound. I've looked at pedals to try and help me get the growl needed for metal but I've been told that pedals tend to hurt the low end. What is your advice? Do you get the growl from your amp/pedals/both? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christhammer666 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 boss original hm2 is pretty good for keeping the low end but i always use a big muff when playing doom bands 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 What sound are you trying to achieve? Any examples? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Pedals that just add fuzz do tend to strip the bass out. I used to use a Dave Hall Amps pedal that was good, have also used a Big Muff Deluxe (this model has something it it to keep the bass frequencies in, I can't remember what it's called) to similar results. Depending on the type of metal, it's not a bad idea to just leave the bass clean & let the guitarists do the distortion. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sykilz Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Just my opinion, of course, but I played in originals metal bands for 20 odd years and I never used any distorted sounds, kept it tight and punchy because with two massive fuzzy guitars, I didn't want the bass to get lost in that. Obviously that might not be waht you want, but may be worth recording yourselves and seeing what you think??? Best of luck 🤘🤘🤘 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelDean Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I've got a Boss GX-100 that really works for me in my doom band. I'm mainly using the guitar effects rather than the bass specific ones, but the GX has a separate bass boost, which lets me thicken up the sound. Before I got the GX, I was using a MojoMojo as an always on drive, and then a Bass Big Muff for my fuzz. I run into an Ashdown ABM-600 with the tube drive engaged as well. That also helps with the tone I think. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Many bass drive pedals come with a clean blend feature so that it-'s possible to still retain some clean punch to the driven sound. The fact that there's an absolutely bewildering number of drive pedals out there suggests that what constitutes a 'good' bass drive is highly subjective, probably the only way to find out what works for you is start trying some out. Buying and selling in the BC effects classifieds should hopefully keep the inevitable costs of such an endevour to a minimum. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTheMisfit Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 9 minutes ago, Thor said: What sound are you trying to achieve? Any examples? David Elleffson, Jason Newstead, Ian Hill. I suppose an 80's metal sound. I just want to add a bit of grit, nothing fancy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTheMisfit Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 16 minutes ago, Lw. said: Pedals that just add fuzz do tend to strip the bass out. I used to use a Dave Hall Amps pedal that was good, have also used a Big Muff Deluxe (this model has something it it to keep the bass frequencies in, I can't remember what it's called) to similar results. Depending on the type of metal, it's not a bad idea to just leave the bass clean & let the guitarists do the distortion. I get what you mean by keeping it clean so not to interfere with the guitars, but there's clean and then there's ridiculously clean like my amp. I'm sure even the cleanest of metal bassists have at least a tiny bit of drive or gain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 10 minutes ago, MikeTheMisfit said: David Elleffson, Jason Newstead, Ian Hill. I suppose an 80's metal sound. I just want to add a bit of grit, nothing fancy. Sansamp - Punchy, grindy tone without distorting Then add a: TC Electronic Spark Booster - adds as little or as much grit as you want or: Joyo Double Thruster (budget copy of a Darkglass B3K and just as good IMHO) You don't need anything more than the Sansamp plus one of these. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Almost all bass drives released in the last 10 years have clean blends built in to maintain the lows. If you don't want to spend too much then I'd vote for the Joyo Double Thruster as well. It is a little bit lower gain than the Darkglass B3K it is, err, a tribute of, but nobody runs that at 100% gain anyway. It sounds great. Tech 21 Sansamp BDDI V2 (the V2 bit is important to get a mid control) or the Tech 21 Paradriver V2 are also very good but more expensive, as is the Darkglass stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 If playing down the dog 'n' duck I'd say it's best to keep things simple . Plus sounds differ at different venues. What could make a difference in sound , is if you change from using a pick to fingers etc for certain songs you are doing . Then of course , the type of bass ( active or passive ) and the amp ( Galien Kruger for bright / Aguilar for heft etc) Just a thought .. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I really like the gain on the Ampeg Scrambler & SCR-DI, having a blend option it keeps the solidity of the low end nicely. That said my go to for years has been some form of Tech21 pedal, find their pedals just work so well for rock/punk/metal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 The reason I use the TC Electronic Spectradrive is because of the toneprint capabilities. You can download from a wide selection of drive 'signature' settings until you find the one that suits. And there's plenty to choose from. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 As it happens I've just seen this on YT. 4 separate videos going through 48 different bass drive pedals pretty much in order of price. Low, mid and high gain settings for each. Should give you an idea of what you might like to try. I now want an EBS Multidrive! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 51 minutes ago, MikeTheMisfit said: David Elleffson, Jason Newstead, Ian Hill. I suppose an 80's metal sound. I just want to add a bit of grit, nothing fancy. I think you'll be surprised by exactly how much drive/dirt there is on what sounds like clean bass in the mix. Have a look and see if any tracks by the above have been posted as isolated bass tracks on YouTube. Then you'll get a much better idea of the sound you are aiming for. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolo Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) 56 minutes ago, MikeTheMisfit said: I get what you mean by keeping it clean so not to interfere with the guitars, but there's clean and then there's ridiculously clean like my amp. I'm sure even the cleanest of metal bassists have at least a tiny bit of drive or gain. What is the amp? Ellefson had a pretty clean sound while Cliff used cranked tube amps, so Jason did likewise. Jo Bench of Bolt thrower used a clean peavey head with a tube screamer pedal in the effects loop I think. It's what I do too. One line into the amp, valve pedal in the effects return, my amp let's me mix them as I please. Edited January 12 by Bolo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) Cliff used various guitar effects . When I met him, he said " get a phaser" . I think Jason's sound has more of an attack trebley sound in comparison . Amazing when you think that Cliff was total finger player and Jason plectrum. As for Ian hill , most of his stuff was solid supporting background with drums . I must confess as not being a huge fan of Dave ellefson that I didn't pay too much attention to his sound . I do however. Own his GK App on my iPad which I paid for which needs updating and cannot use now .. Edited January 12 by RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Is it for recording or playing live? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 One thing that's not mentioned in the original post is your current set up. What sort of EQ do you have on the amp? Scooped or Boosted Mids? Low(ish)/High(ish) Gain? What sort of bass do you have, and what pickup height(s) do you have? Pick or Finger player? I've always found that if you have a sound with more boosted mids, it not only helps to cut through the guitar heavy mix, but can also add a bit of growl. Nudging the gain a touch can help (though not too much!), as well as having the pickups that little bit higher as well (though not to the detriment of the string balance). If you're a pick player, have you tried slightly heavier plectrums? If you're a finger player, have you tried moving your playing hand around? Maybe watch a few videos of your favourite players, and see how they approach things. If you are looking at pedals, then one to definitely look at would be the Behringer BDI 21 (SansAmp clone), as it's good value. Thankfully, there are tons more bass specific dirt pedals knocking about, depending on your budget. Though I'd recommend you play around with your current setup to try and get your sound "into the right ball park" first before adding pedals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 As mentioned already a clean / warm and clear bass tone is sometimes better for metal / rock I tried various pedals but they all seem lost against guitar distortion! I now use a valve amp Ampeg V4B with a TC spark booster up front and it’s perfect 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyratm Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 To go to an extreme…the Darkglass ADAM is pretty funky in the sense that you run two chains in essence. One with a compressed clean sound, the other absolutely mental distortion. With the option of balancing. I mean, I’m selling one soon too hah. But something with a blend is needed. Someone above mentioned a sansamp or Behringer clone. You’d do good with one of them. You can add a wee bit of grit to your hearts content! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Buy a used Zoom B1Four as a start... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Clean...... turn it up, plenty of mids, P bass or Thunderbird, old school. Pedals? Cobblers. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 7 hours ago, Rayman said: Clean...... turn it up, plenty of mids, P bass or Thunderbird, old school. Pedals? Cobblers. This ^ !!! 👍🎸🤟 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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