My Review: The Aguilar Chorusaurus is an analog stereo chorus pedal that delivers lush and shimmery sounds without compromise. Simply put it makes your signal louder, preparing it for further processing by your other bass effects as the more you use in your signal chain, the more your signal drops. This is a great little compressor! In the olden days, analog octavers offered only an octave-up and were quite prone to glitching. The internal 18V circuitry ensures that you never run out of headroom. The Sensitivity control adjusts how hard you need to play for the filter to engage. The Footswitches are generally of decent quality and rarely fail from normal stomping use. It creates its magic through the use of the iconic bucket-brigade chips. It comes equipped with 2 voices, one octave down and two octaves down, which you can blend as you see fit using the OCT1 and OCT2 volume control. Keep in mind, with most pedals whether its distortion, overdrive, delay, reverb, etc. Octave pedals are ideal if you are laying indie pop, psych rock, and shoegaze. Estimated Price: $25 Being at the end of the chain allows the looper to record and loop all of your pedalboard at that present moment. Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 Bass Overdrive/Distorion (Best Overall Distortion), 19. Aguilar Tone Hammer Preamp/Direct Box (Best Preamp Under $300 ), 10. Here you buy a great Chorus pedal and you’ll get a free flanger with it. One way is to use a bass Octave pedal, perfect for exploring new sounds by adding or removing sound within an extra octave. It really all depends on the case in point: the type of bass and electronics inside of it, the length of your cables, and how many pedals you run the signal through until it reaches the amp. All in all, if you are looking to buy a tuner, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better one. However, things can get more complicated when it comes to different looper pedal arrangements. The downside is slightly reduced accuracy and a pricier pedal so if you are on a budget you can skip the “polytuners” and get a regular old tuner. By jay bass, September 10, 2016 in Effects. Placing a looper pedal at the end of the signal chain (the most common way) will directly record your pedalboard exactly how you the pedals arranged and whatever is engaged at that present moment. To aid in this scenario, worthwhile tuners let you choose the reference point from a range below and above 440Hz. The result is a full, shimmery ensemble of “bass voices” simulating the sound of multiple basses playing the same part. My Review: The M82 offers funky analog, envelope filter sounds in a pedal that should have a spot on any bass player’s pedalboard. My Review: There are many tuners out there, but this one is the TC Electronic Polytune 3! In the simplest terms, a compressor will compress your sound, reducing the dynamic range of your sound making everything sound more even. The effects loop is traditionally designed for pedals that are planned to go after distortion within the effects chain. The footswitch will only activate the SansAmp Tube Amplifier Emulation circuitry, it is not a bypass for the pedal. A filter is a circuit that adjusts the volume levels of some or all frequencies that pass through it. It has an on/off footswitch for the preamp and an on/off footswitch for the scrambler. MXR M82 Bass Envelope Filter (Best Overall Envelope Filter), 27. TC Electronic Polytune 3 (Best Overall Tuner), 2. 4. My Review: The Boss BC-1X is a compression beast, packed to the brim with intelligent pro-grade circuitry. What is a distortion pedal and why do you need one. With the Dry volume control, you can add your dry signal into the mix creating the perfect combination for any musical occasion. Best Acoustic Electric Guitars (All Prices), Songs with Lots of Bass Guitar (Rock and Pop), bass pedal information guide at the bottom of the page here, For more basic facts about Bass effects pedals click here, 16 Best Acoustic Guitars Under $500 in 2021, 27 Best Guitar Amps in 2021 (All Price Ranges), 25 Best Electric Guitar Brands in 2021 (Ranked in Order), 17 Best Pedalboards for Guitar in 2021 (All Price Ranges), 17 Best Acoustic Guitar Pedals in 2021 (All Types), John Frusciante Guitars and Gear List (2021 Update), Dave Grohl Guitars and Gear List (2021 Update), 1. In a bass specific context, you will probably use a preamp as a clean boost placed before your other pedals, but you can also use a bass preamp as a standalone tone-shaping tool as most of them combine an Overdrive and an EQ (equalizer) section. The preamp section is minimalistic in its layout with a volume knob, 3-band parametric EQ, and Aux Level – setting the volume for the two auxiliary inputs and 2 switches for the Ultra HI and Ultra LO circuits. The next common question with octave pedals which can be pondered by guitarists. The Tone knob is a high frequency roll off, only affecting the distorted signal, the Distortion control sets the amount of distortion in your signal and the separate Dry and Wet controls let you mix your signals at your leisure. Blending these three controls creates a wealth of sub bass goodness. You’re a Bass Player, you’ve been rocking for a while, laying down those funky bass lines or just jamming with your mates, but you started to feel like something in your tone is lacking, that you could do more. If you need more presence and clarity in your tone, you can activate the Mid switch to boost your mids by 6dB at 800Hz. The distortion section sports a Drive (sets the saturation of the overdriven signal), Level (sets the volume of the overdriven signal) and Blend( sets the mix between the dry and the overdriven signal) knobs and 2 dip switches marked Attack and Grunt, determining how the top and bottom end respond to the distorted signal. From the heaviest of distortions to the cleanest of cleans and everything in between, this little powerhouse has got you covered. Remember, the signal chain begins from right to left…. Essentially, distortion, overdrive, and fuzz will ‘color’ and ‘mask’ the notes being sent into your octave pedal. It also has a true bypass circuit. Keeley Bassist Limiting Amplifier (Best Compressor Under $200), 18. My Review: The SansAmp Bass Driver DI is a classic that has been in production for ages, and with good reason – it is a reference pedal among bass preamps. Estimated Price: $150 If you are running low on pedalboard real estate or if you just need a small tuner to throw in your gig bag, one of these minis might be a good idea. Not only can the pedal be used for octaves. NOBODY should hear you while you tune your instrument; not your bandmates and especially not your audience, so tuning while the output is muted is something every tuner should have! The Electro Harmonix Micro Pog is designed for guitar players who know what they want from an octave pedal. It’s built around the high fidelity THAT Corp. 4320 chip bringing studio-like performance to an extremely pedalboard-friendly format. The TU300 is slightly less accurate than other flagship tuners but it will tune your bass or guitar nicely. Our content is not influenced by commissions. When shaping your bass tone, the EQ will be your go-to. Use the Depth and Rate controls to dial in your basic chorus sound, Treble will influence both the wet and dry signals, use the crossover switch to remove the now muddy low end of your wet signal then add your tight and punchy low end back using the Bass control that only affects your dry signal. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through them. OC-3 is an octave-down pedal, what it can do is to change the pitch of your signals by an entire octave. It’s an improvement of a classic, a great tuner without a doubt. An octave pedal is traditionally positioned at the ‘beginning’ of the effects chain. Pedal Type: Compressor. It features a true bypass circuitry and over-voltage protection from faulty PSU’s. EQ (Graphic Equaliser) pedals are very useful tools for bassists, especially when playing in a live setting such as a gig, rehearsal or jam session. However, there are some key areas where an octave pedal prefers to be positioned within a signal chain. The Master knob controls the overall output volume. It sports a balanced XLR DI out with pre/post EQ and ground lift switches in addition to the standard ¼” jack input and output. These pedals are usually (delay, reverb, flanger, modulation etc.) How you set this section up will also depend on the intensity of your dirt section coming from your overdrive, distortion or fuzz. Ie creating a 4/4 beat by hitting the strings or slapping the body of the acoustic which sets the beat of the song. This degradation is largely reduced when using active pickups or electronics in your bass, but it is worsened the more pedals you add to your signal chain. Bass distortion features heavily with bands like The Who, Muse or Karnivool, and others, too many to name. Another feature you’ll find on most well thought out bass preamps is the DI out, this enables you to plug directly into the mixing console of the PA system without the need of an amp – you just need your bass and your preamp and you are ready to rock. In fact, it’s so good it takes top spots in both the preamp and overdrive/distortion segments. As far as the knobs, you'll be able to set your direct level (the volume of your original signal) independently from the first and second octave levels. With this pedal you have the option of using it as a preamp, masterfully sculpting your bass tone. A cent represents one-hundredth of a semitone. As we have learned, positioning an octave pedal is pretty straight forward. I’ll start by jumping straight into reviews, but if you want to learn more about them or how to choose the right type before reading reviews, check out our bass pedal information guide at the bottom of the page here. If you’re looking for the best bass pedal, this should be a top contender. If you did not happen to know already, ‘tracking’ translates to how well a pedal can ‘detect notes’ through a guitar signal when it is engaged. When starting out with looper pedals choosing to place the pedal at the end of the chain is the most simple set up. This lays the foundation for a solid beat for an acoustic player to then layer acoustic rhythm and other arrangements over the top. The contour control is a broad spectrum mid scoop centered around 900Hz, Presence is a +6dB/-20dB boost/cut at about 4kHz, Saturation sets the amount of distortion added to you signal and the Level knob lets you adjust the output volume of the pedal. It features Bass and Treble controls to fine tune your sound while the Intensity, Rate, and Width knobs control the character of the Chorus effect. Depending on the manufacturer and model of the pedal. But the Polytune 3 is even better, it switches automatically between the polyphonic and monophonic modes based on how many strings you play. As a bonus feature, you can load different cabinet simulations from your computer through the free Darkglass suite software, available for download on the Darkglass website. Updated February 2020 with 2 new octave pedals & … But with players new to pedal order, you may be wondering where does the octave pedal usually go on a pedalboard…. Great price, great tone, great pedal. My Review: If you’re out looking for an affordable tuner pedal with some cool features, you will have some trouble beating the Behringer TU300 outside of the used market. As mentioned, a bass is tuned down one octave lower (12 notes) than an electric guitar. It features a very low noise floor (it’s very quiet while in use) and high bandwidth of over 20kH ensuring no part of your sound gets lost when you turn it on. It even has an ambient light detector that adjusts the super bright 109 LED display for perfect readability in any lighting conditions. Would be the simple yet effective Boss OC-3 Super Octave Pedal. My Review: The M85 Bass Distortion pedal was born from a collaboration between MXR and Fuzzrocious Pedals founder Ryan Ratajski. In this one we're giving the top 5 bass octave pedals a go with Russell from our web team. ), Giving the audible illusion of a bass guitar especially when playing notes on the low register strings (low E & A strings.). But then, at the touch of the distortion foot switch you get blown away by its wide range of overdrive AND distorted sounds which you can effortlessly blend with your clean signal and reshape through the use of the Grunt and Attack dip switches. But in classic Ampeg fashion, from such minimalism comes greatness. They modified an iconic distortion circuit, adapting it for use in a modern bass context. If you are on a budget and want a chorus pedal to shine and shimmer with, give this EHX modern classic a try. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It can also be used as both a limiter and a transparent clean boost pedal. The scrambler has 2 knobs: Drive which controls the amount of overdrive and Blend which blends the former with the signal coming from the preamp section. It’s simple 4-knob layout makes dialing in the tone you want a breeze. A bonus is the internal 18V operation which gives you headroom to spare. It offers the whole palette of overdrive sounds from subtle to dramatic. Pedal Type: Compressor. The Boss OC-3 was the first ever polyphonic bass octave pedal and remains a best-seller due to its high sound quality. The solution to glitching is a modern digital octaver that samples your signal and applies processing to digitally change the pitch of your signal, even enabling you to play chords or adding multiple up or down octaves. Here at the Guitar Lobby, our aim is to share our passion for Music and gear with the rest of the music community. Sometimes the changes are subtle as with compressors, at other times they are more dramatic as with a distortion pedal, but we’ll get to all the different pedal types later on. In essence, it’s a great sounding. jay bass 13 jay bass 13 Members; 13 93 posts; Posted September 10, 2016. Cutaway vs. Non-Cutaway - The Ultimate Comparison. Ther… The synthesized octave signal is created by halving (octave down) or doubling(octave up) the original frequency. Plus, it is fun to play around with different basslines and noodle around with different songs allowing you to be creative. In my opinion, this is easily one of the best bass guitar pedals out there. Here is an example of a basic pedalboard arrangement with an octave pedal Included. Popular Related Articles: 17 Best Bass Amps. In contrast, placing the looper pedal at the beginning of the chain can modify the raw signal in ‘real time.’. – as some purists out there would have you believe. The preamp section features a 4-band EQ, the low and high mids each have 3 selectable center frequencies and is toggled with the bypass footswitch. My Review: This is a great fuzz/overdrive/distortion pedal from legendary pedal maker Electro-Harmonix. The looper records the signal as a whole, while the octave pedal interprets and reproduces the guitar’s notes individually for applying octaves and pitch shift effects. After the tuner and volume pedal, but before the ‘drive section.’ This placement ensures the ‘cleanest signal’ through the pedal allowing the notes and chords to be tracked ‘cleanly’ and ‘reproduced’ when the effect is activated. My Review: The M89 is a very harmonically rich overdrive pedal that delivers warm, punchy tube-like sounds. The Bass Driver DI is a workhorse for the bass player masses, you’ll get classic tube sounds, a great DI, and it won’t break the bank. They do what they say they do – they let you tune your bass to the pitch you want, but they can do so much more. The twin-filters can be adjusted via two internal trim pots and it also features a true bypass circuit. All in all, this is a great tuner. MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe (Our Pick) OUR PICK MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe $149.99. As the name suggests it’s a super small tuner pedal with a solid build quality, a great price point, and has good features. It will still do the job quite nicely and you will have some cash left over to invest in another pedal that really makes a difference to your tone. My Review: This is one of the greats from BOSS, probably the biggest pedal manufacturer out there. The preamp section has a versatile EQ offering, Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, and Treble knobs, both the mids having selectable three-way center frequency dip switches. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. You have three options to power it: with two 9V block batteries, a PSU, or by Phantom power which is really nice. Pedal Type: Compressor. While all the bass octave pedals on our list are excellent in their own rights, we have to go with the Boss OC-3 as our absolute favorite. The fuzz/drive switch toggles between the overdrive and the insane fuzz circuit. Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 Bass Preamp (Best Overall Preamp), 8. Well with my experience, this post is all about ideal placement, how placement affects tone, applying it for acoustic, and why every guitar player needs an octave pedal in their set-up. We do this by linking to products and services we highly recommend. An octaver is a type of effect that grabs your input signal and creates a synthesized signal one or more octaves higher or lower from the original signal. This program is designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon. Pedal Type: Envelope Filter. Whatever your instrument, an octave pedal is a great way to add a rich texture and far-out sound to your music. The distortion itself affects only the high end and leaves your fundamentals intact. DI box, a preamp with a powerful 3 band EQ featuring a fully sweepable midrange and an added overdrive section which they call AGS (Adaptive Gain Shaping). Pedal Type: Distortion. Remember, the signal chain begins from right to left… If you are new to octave pedals and only recently started adopting an octave pedal within your individual sound (good choice by the way) this order is a good place to start. No Spam, no Junk! My Review: The Peterson StroboStomp HD offers outstanding tuning accuracy coming in at 0.1 percent and a ridiculously huge LCD display with variable color LED backlight, true bypass, buffered output, and buffered monitor modes, it supports 6 string basses, multiple tuning presets – and it even orders them according to your most commonly used ones. Spending hours experimenting with different pedal orders combined with guitars, amps, and settings to sculpt and mold our ideal sound. If you are looking for tuning accuracy then the strobe mode is the one for you, with a +/- 0.02 cent accuracy, while the chromatic mode lets you tune within +/-0.5 cent. The Polytune has revolutionized the way we tune our guitars back in 2010 when it first arrived, with its solid design, compact form factor, bright display, and of course as the name suggests the polyphonic mode which lets you strum all the strings on your guitar at once, then you tune and then you rock. My Review: The M288 Bass octave deluxe is an analog, dual-voice octaver, giving you a wide range of octave down sounds. Overdriven bass sounds can be heard on many Hard Rock, Punk, Heavy Metal, and Hardcore tracks. What is a bass Preamp and why do you need one. My Review: The EHX BassBalls has been around forever, and for good reason. There is a ¼” instrument input and two ¼” outputs for your wet and dry signals. Ideally, you want to apply the octave pedal on a raw guitar signal so it can effectively track notes. It could be as simple as getting a small pedal or two. Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2 (Best Preamp Under $250), 11. Best Octave Pedal For Bass. The filtering effect being dependent on the way you play your bass, you can learn to play your filter pedal using your playing dynamics.