Other Bass Effects

The Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synthesizer is the popular guitar synthesizer effect tailored specifically for bass guitar and bass frequencies. It's pretty much the same pedal except this one is designed for bass frequencies. It's an analog pedal that consists of a 1/4" input and a 1/4" output. It requires power from an Electro-Harmonix power supply and isn't rack mountable since it's a stomp box. UTILIZATION While it does take a bit of fiddling with to get completely comfortable, the Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synthesizer isn't too hard to use overall. It was really just a matter of trial and error for me, as I'd been used to the guitar Micro Synth and this was an easy enough crossover since the make up is quite similar if not the same. The sliders that the pedal has include voices for sub octave, guitar, octave, and square wave, as well as filter sweep parameters for resonance, rate, and both start and stop frequencies. It also has sliders for trig and for attack delay. The manual might be helpful but I haven't seen it so I can't say anything about it. SOUND QUALITY While I don't think that the Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synthesizer is the most practical effect in the world, it definitely does as advertised as then some. I guess I just don't think that many bass players would need these sorts of effects out there on the front lines, but even if you just use them in the studio or at home, they're a lot of fun to mess around with. You can get some pretty funky sounds with the Bass Micro Synth, and the palette of sounds is pretty versatile as well. While I don't think that too many people are going to be mistaking your bass for a synthesizer even with this box, it still gives you a variety of really cool, synth-like effects. OVERALL OPINION If you're primarily a bass player and are looking to expand your possible sounds, a quick way to really expand them is with the Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synthesizer. The tracking is surprisingly good with this pedal, and while I think that some of the effects are more practical than others, it's an awesome overall pedal for bass players who want to experiment a little bit. I don't know of any pedals out there for bass that can match the flexibility and unique sound of the Bass Micro Synth.

This is an EQ specifically designed for bass, and the intent is to fix problems that the bass might have with certain high or low frequencies. There are only the 1/4" input and output as well as the adapter input for power. There is no computer editing capabilities, nor are there MIDI capabilities, as this is simply an analog pedal. This is not rackable either. UTILIZATION There are only three knobs on this effect box, as well as a switch for turning the effect on or off. I think this is interesting, as the switch is a hand switch as opposed to footswitch. I was puzzled by this at first, but eventually I realized that this is an effect that one would leave on or off, and wouldn't be changing mid-song. Then it made more sense. There are three knobs, bottom, attack, and level. The bottom knob will add the aforementioned low frequencies to the bass sound. The attack knob will adjust and increase the mid and high end of the sound for clarity's sake. The level knob adjusts the level up or down, actually capable of adding 30 db of boost according to the manual. The manual is easy to read and lets you know exactly what to do. SOUND QUALITY I have used this with my Jazz bass, as it doesn't always have the huge low end that I want. It also helps to use with a PA system when going direct, but it does work just as well with an amplifier. I think that this pedal will certainly color the tone of just about any bass, but that's sort of the point. The point is to achieve a massive low end that the audience will feel in their chest, and that is certainly possible with this pedal. Even though I wouldn't use it for most of my genres of music, I think it's an interesting and effective pedal that has many creative uses, especially today with the numerous genres that rely on heavy low end. The attack knob also allows you to add a clarity to the sound that can sometimes be lacking in a bass rig. I like getting crazy low end on my bass and doing hip-hop songs with my drummer. OVERALL OPINION I think that the effect is pretty cool. It's not the most versatile EQ, it's more of an EQ-enhancing effect. The price isn't too bad retail, and I got it from an acquaintance for a really great price. I didn't really try anything like this before, other EQs I've used were not very similar to this one. I would recommend this to somebody who is either frustrated with their current rig and thinks they only need minimal adjustment, or somebody who is interested in pushing the limits of low end.

got it used for a couple hundred bucks... also considered electro-harmonix synth. tried the digitech synth once and it's not too hot, to say the least. the reason i chose this pedal is because it remembers 9 different settings that you can switch between in the blink of an eye. these 9 presets come with a certain sound, but you can tweak them as much as you want, you could even make them all the same sound if you wanted to. there are plenty of knobs to twist and turn to get just what sound you want. and it does sound good. it is also a true bypass, so they say, so i rest assured that when it's off it isn't inhibiting my sound. another great little touch is that when you switch between sounds, you can browse presets and pick the sound you want to switch to before you actually switch to it, so it's great to use live. although it's good that it's so versatile, the fact that one could get so many different sounds makes it a little overwhelming at times. it's easy to use, though, so this isn't really a big problem. as far as sound quality and user-friendliness go, it's great. the only real problems i have with the unit are in quality and construction. read on. it's pretty light-weight, thus feels a little flimsy. i know it's nice when a pedal doesn't break your back, but it's also nice to know that it's sturdy and solid. no problems with onstruction yet, though, so maybe it's ok. what i have had are problems with it not tracking correctly. it can be testy at times. under normal circumstances it's usually fine, but occasionally, when i turn it on, it comes on all messed up and everything i play comes out the same pitch, with some really wierd stuff going on. it's a glitch, so i have to turn the thing off and on again, sometimes several times, until eventually it will come on acting normal again. this can be annoying. so i'm not convinced that it's the most well-built piece of equipment, but it does the job for a good price. i'd say it's one of the best valued bass synths out there. i still also want an electro-harmonyx, i think they'd be fun to play with together, but i'm glad i got this one first, i think it's more practical. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this from Musician's Friend, paid about $170 for it. I was looking for an octaver and this one goes up & down various pitches, with or without distortion. I have had it about 2 years. Easy to use. Very cool if you are in a band with only 1 guitar player. Switch it on when they go into a solo, and BOOM, instant rhythm filler. Even has a separate line out (with or without distortion) that you can run to another amp. Many options you can play with. Very versatile. Chords freak this thing out. Tracking is VERY touchy. Can't be all over the fretboard, it won't keep up. Must be very precise in your picking & fretting. If they could nail down the tracking & chord interference, this pedal would rock! However, it can still be pretty useful, in the right situation. Very good. Sturdy metal case. Rubber feet. Knobs and little switches seem good quality. LED's let you know how the input levels are. Heavy duty, stomp box style on/off switches. For someone in a band with a guitar player that solos a lot, this would be great for filling in the 'hole' when they solo. However, fast picking/fingering/plucking, chords, and slap-pop all freak this thing out. If you play straight ahead at moderate speeds, check it out, but definitely try before you buy. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This little pedal does increase your tone and sound quite a bit. It is great for week sounding pickups or not so powerful bass amps. It about as simple as pie to figure out. There are two footswitches and three knobs to control your over all volume and sound. This pedal is really just a boost pedal and it doesn't distort your tone very much or at all depending on how you run it. If you run it into a bass amp that has some overdrive in the preamp then this pedal will give you a slight kick in overdrive but hardly anything. This pedal works for long cables, weak guitars, and weak sounding amps. There is also a market for this pedal with people who what more drive to their tone. UTILIZATION Markbass SUPER BOOSTER Bass Pedal Features: * Level Boost (level knob and on/off switch) * VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator) * VPF (Variable Pre-shape Filter) * Filters on/off switch * Input jack * Output jack * XLR active DI output jack * Ground Lift * Power jack (DC 12V) * Voltage is factory preset for the U.S. SOUND QUALITY The first footswitch control the pedal on and off. This is really for me the only purpose for this pedal. The other footswitch controls some EQing and filters which don't change the sound too much unless it is all the way up or all the way down. The sound quality is pretty nice for that extra kick. It doesn't really change your tone but just gives you more of what you really need. The second switch which mixes it up a bit does have some variants. The first control knobs color your tone from sort of a vintage to modern loud speaker. The second control knob just control your EQing filters OVERALL OPINION At new these pedals come in at around $130 which isn't bad for what this little thing can do. This is a great buy for those needing a solid boost pedal that it make quite well. I would recommend this pedal to anyone getting signal loss from running long cables or someone who needs a touch of drive to your tone. You may never switch if off once you get it