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Using 2 basses


silvertrumpetmusic
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Hi

Does anyone hae any suggestions for easily using 2 basses fo live work.
I'd like to be able to switch from fretted to fretless and with the press of a button add more bass and some chorus.
I haven't found a dual channel preamp wit chorus anywhere.
I did try the pod x3 live but the effects get easily lost

Any thoughts welcomed!!

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Radial Tonebone Bassbone = 2 input channels, each with its own EQ (or a single channel stomp-selecting between both EQ settings), + stomp-selected FX loop.

Sansamp Bass Driver Deluxe = 2 input channels, plus 6 stomp-selected EQ settings, + stomp-selected FX loop.

Put a Chorus pedal into the FX loop and Robert is your mother's brother.

The Radial can be set so that the stomp for FX also introduces a pre-set (by the user) level boost, so you could make the Chorus effect anything from subtle to completely OTT as you wish.

You can achieve something similar with the Sansamp, but it needs more thought and planning. Basically, you need to dedicate one of the 6 EQ settings just for the FX.

The Radial can drive a power amp direct, but that's not really what it's good at. The Sansamp does it comfortably, and has DI output as well.

The Radial is built like a tank (you could chuck it against a concrete wall) where the Sansamp feels relatively flimsy.

Both cost well over £200. They're such useful toys that they're actually pretty good value, but not everyone wants to chuck c.£250 at yet another stomp box. :)

Cheaper Sansamp BDDI's are all over the place, but I don't think they offer the FX loop?

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[quote name='iamapirate' post='675854' date='Dec 6 2009, 04:48 PM']wayne do you mean:

bass 1 -------------------------------------->Input A of switch
_______________________________________________---->switch ----> amp
Bass 2 -----> chorus -----> EQ ------>input B of switch[/quote]


That's the one, you wouldn't be surprised to hear I don't use effects.

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I would make sure you know exactly what you need before spending money. I have both P and fretless J basses and gig with both regularly. The P bass sounds good as it is but the fretless jazz needs a small volume boost to equal the P. At low volumes a like to boost the mids a bit on the fretless too but at gig volume I don’t find this is necessary.

So, I use an MXR M80 and if I need no EQ changes for the P it’s left switched off. When I change to the fretless J I use the clean channel to boost. To be honest even if I need to use a little EQ for the P it’s not a problem to bend down after switching basses and move the volume knob from 12:00 to 2:00, and a small EQ change on the fly is very easy too. My chorus pedal stays inline all the time too so can be used whenever needed.

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[quote name='silvertrumpetmusic' post='675802' date='Dec 6 2009, 03:50 PM']I did try the pod x3 live but the effects get easily lost

Any thoughts welcomed!![/quote]

Really? I have a Bass Pod XT and that's one of the things that I particularly use it for - having dedicated presets for different basses. I've found no problem getting the right mix of chorus for me. How was the Pod connected in your signal chain?

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Do you have a chorus and/or an EQ? Ad do you have a preamp already? Or a proper amp? Becuase you could do the above with a decent chorus (which you can upgrade whenever), and cheap behringer EQ (about a tenner second hand) and an AB switcher which are about a tenner as well. Then the hartke preamp is very similar tone-wise to the sansamp stuff, and by doing it this way, it takes up more room, but you can adjust everything in the future very easily, and inexpensively. So if you decided the chorus sucked, then you could change it to a coocat, but if you had a sansamp, then you'd need a whole new system and back to square one.

Edited by iamapirate
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i use one of these...http://www.redonionsolutions.co.uk/AB/ABVol.htm. I use it along side a digitech bp-50 so i can program two settings - one for each bass in terms of eq settings before going into my amp. the redonions pedal is great and very reasonably priced too well recommended

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[quote name='CliveT' post='676732' date='Dec 7 2009, 02:09 PM']I would make sure you know exactly what you need before spending money. I have both P and fretless J basses and gig with both regularly. The P bass sounds good as it is but the fretless jazz needs a small volume boost to equal the P. At low volumes a like to boost the mids a bit on the fretless too but at gig volume I don’t find this is necessary.

So, I use an MXR M80 and if I need no EQ changes for the P it’s left switched off. When I change to the fretless J I use the clean channel to boost. To be honest even if I need to use a little EQ for the P it’s not a problem to bend down after switching basses and move the volume knob from 12:00 to 2:00, and a small EQ change on the fly is very easy too. My chorus pedal stays inline all the time too so can be used whenever needed.[/quote]
Yeah, you're rght. I could just change settings on the fly but I might only use fretless for one song then back to fretted so it seems a little fiddley to me.

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[quote name='iamapirate' post='677316' date='Dec 7 2009, 10:52 PM']Do you have a chorus and/or an EQ? Ad do you have a preamp already? Or a proper amp? Becuase you could do the above with a decent chorus (which you can upgrade whenever), and cheap behringer EQ (about a tenner second hand) and an AB switcher which are about a tenner as well. Then the hartke preamp is very similar tone-wise to the sansamp stuff, and by doing it this way, it takes up more room, but you can adjust everything in the future very easily, and inexpensively. So if you decided the chorus sucked, then you could change it to a coocat, but if you had a sansamp, then you'd need a whole new system and back to square one.[/quote]
Well I have an old Hartke amp which I quite like, but no added EQ. I was going to get th boss chorus as I've used several other boss pedals and they seem to really deliver so I trust the make I guess. If I go for the Sansamp that lives me some options if I do a gig where the gear is already in place, like theatres etc

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='676755' date='Dec 7 2009, 02:39 PM']Really? I have a Bass Pod XT and that's one of the things that I particularly use it for - having dedicated presets for different basses. I've found no problem getting the right mix of chorus for me. How was the Pod connected in your signal chain?[/quote]
Yeah it seemed to get lost a bit. I have a variax bass too (soon to be swapped for a Stingray) and have similar problems there too. The sounds live seem too similar to one another or get lost in the mix

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[quote name='pal1972' post='677340' date='Dec 7 2009, 11:12 PM']i use one of these...http://www.redonionsolutions.co.uk/AB/ABVol.htm. I use it along side a digitech bp-50 so i can program two settings - one for each bass in terms of eq settings before going into my amp. the redonions pedal is great and very reasonably priced too well recommended[/quote]


Just had a look. Spot on for me, thankee. :)

fatback

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[quote name='silvertrumpetmusic' post='677693' date='Dec 8 2009, 11:27 AM']Yeah it seemed to get lost a bit. I have a variax bass too (soon to be swapped for a Stingray) and have similar problems there too. The sounds live seem too similar to one another or get lost in the mix[/quote]

Tone is a personal thing... In which case you should probably try and of the recommendations above before you part with any cash. There's no guarantee that they're going to perform any better to your ears.

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