I have a pedal that encompasses a preamp, compressor, OD, have had a tuner and chorus forever, octave is definitely next on my list, also looking at a volume.
TECHNICALLY you are right this is a very responsible and conservative approach. However, I would love to see a follow up video with an irresponsible mess of fun pedals.
My chorus stays on pretty much all the time, it adds a lot of depth and texture to the bass, which in the overall band mix thickens up the whole rhythm section. My favorite is the Boss Chorus Ensemble, because the treble and bass frequencies have separate blend knobs. I like to dial the bass all the way out and crank the treble side, so that my low end stays clean and the pedal just adds a ton of high end shimmer
Nice list. The signal chain I'm using right now is SansAmp for tone shaping and DI -> Darkglass B3k for distortion -> EQD Hoof Reaper for fuzz -> Boss SY1 for synth emulation -> Zoom CDR70 for modulation and miscellaneous fx -> Boss DD200, which I can fade in via expression pedal. With this relatively simple setup, I can make almost any sound my band could ever need
I remember watching this video years ago. I came back to it because its very very relevant now. I currently plug straight into a bass amp at a church and i felt off for a while - especially sustain and tone consistency. Thank you. Btw, i freaking love how you make your videos. The editing, humor, your personality, the structure, how the hell do you not have 1m subs yet?? Great job either way
This guy looks like Wolverine and Steve from Blues Clues fused together and created this guys 😂 But this video pretty much was perfect for just a generic bass board!
I use an EQ instead of a preamp, no DI out but every single gig I've played has the bass going through the venue's DI. My chain goes tuner > comp > EQ > octave > dist > fuzz > guitar amp sim (I play both bass and guitar on my band) > chorus > reverb
1. Your taste in tuners is immaculate because the Korg Pitchblack is the perfect tuner and no one will ever change my mind. 2. In 10 years of gigging, I've had one (1!) sound engineer ever mic up my amp. DI is just the standard. 3. Everything you said in this video is absolutely true. 4. Your editing is superb and I'm going to have to step things up to keep pace. All you need is a bit of background music.
Such a GREAT tuner 🔥 Thanks mate! Haha funny you say, I normally do and I legit forgot to add my music in 😆😅 It wasn't until after it had uploaded behind the scenes and I was like, oh sodd it 😆
@@ampthebassplayer Indeed! Annoying this video is nearly all me talking haha. I was tempted to push it back a day (I have slow af Internet haha) but thought it best to just get it out 😛Also, you already got that quality down boy! Videos look sick as x
Love the content Mr. Dibble, but for me personally ( I am writing this before going thru the vid) 1. Tuner 2. Compressor 3. Envelope filter (I'm a big P-funk/Thundercat fan) 4. Octaver 5. Distortion/Fuzz
I'm the exact type of person you describe in the beginning of the video who plugs directly into the amp :D Honestly, I've thought about experimenting with some pedals, so this video is super useful :) Also, great editing!
I used to be that way too, until I ran into festival gigs where I had to use Ampegs instead of my Orange setup. Got a Tech 21 dUg Pinnick sig pedal and I have my tone no matter the rig.
"The earth is round" you got my like right now! But in my opinion, i would go with tunner, compressor, IQ, boss oc3 (I use a lot more octaver than distortion but still the padel has the distortion option) and ofc chorus to make some kind of "synth". Keep up with the good work, really like the new energy of the videos and "jokes". 🖖
I’ve always loved chorus on bass, it’s such a cool sound and definitely gives you that classic Peter Hook/Duff McKagan/Peter Steele/Tony Levin (mixed with an octave pedal) tone and it’s awesome. I use it a lot on my guitar but will also throw it onto my bass when I want to add a bit of colour to my sound
"Man this was a great video!" I thought to myself after watching, "Surely this guy has to have thousands or millions of subscribers right?" Man, the editing in this video is top-notch, the way the topics were presented was beautiful, even the intro and outro were spot on. Keep it up brother, I'm off to go watch some more of your videos now. :)
With a Sans Amp, you really don't really NEED extra distortion. Chorus is nice once in a while but hardly essential. I'd say that these days, an octave pedal is necessary if you're playing in band covering contemporary pop music. I like the Sonic Stomp for adding clarity.
hands down man! I love the way u explained everything. I play in a rock band too and those are the most essential pedals that every bassists needs! U earned yourself a new subscriber here!!
You said some of the truest words in the beginning of this video. So many music snobs I know. Music- Sound is an infinite landscape and the best advice is to be open minded
@@JonnyDibble That's how I been in my older age. It ain't a competition. Instead of telling folk they suck, I tell them how good they're getting. Same with pedals- sound, I advise my folk which pedals to get for great sound and give suggestions, but I won't harp on anyone for what they love. As long as folk are into music, I'm not gonna harp on that band sucking. Its music, and music is always subjective. That song or band could've been what got them through. I love your attitude on opinion vs fact. Wish more folk were like you with music man
@@johnhareiel5118 Different tastes are essential, otherwise we'd never discover new things! Yeah there are ways of helping out without being a dick about it. Hahaha any ref to spinal tap is welcome here 🙏
As a funk player, my go too pedals are for making my bass sound more like a key bass (Mike league method) octave, envelope, and compression my favorites
This is definitely the best video about effects I have watched. I watched a bunch of other ones and wasn’t satisfied. I’m subbing to you right now! A compressor pedal for slapping now makes total sense!
Chorus is essential if you want to nail the sound of a lot of 80's Post-punk, Alternative, and Goth bands. And, you're right, mixed with distortion, it's a beautiful thing!
Dude. As a guy who's played the bass for almost 20 years but only recently purchased my first pedal (a tuner - thank God I don't have to tune it by ear anymore!) this video is amazing. The octave pedal, compression pedal and chorus pedal are a must-have for me in the near future. As soon as I sell a kidney or something I'll get right buying them. Also, props for putting big numbers on your screen so I can easily switch between your presentations. Well done!
I started playing bass at the start of the pandemic and have found many of your videos so helpful! I have become confident enough with my playing that I am looking to start building my pedal board and this video was a very good introduction to what i should look at. Thanks!
@@JonnyDibble Will do! Also, do you have any mod suggestions for an Ibanez TMB100? That is the bass I have. I decided to go with it after watching your review.
@@thafilms7262 Yeah man! As I said in the video, I wasn't a huge fan on the preamp. I wpuld take put all the electronics and wire it up passive with some new pickups
Thanks Jonny for making this video. I had no idea what a compressor or a preamp were 😅 and I've been looking for a video that explains it well. This is it.
After years and thousands of dollars messing around with gear, I'm running a fairly simple setup. My preamp is a Two Notes Le Bass, with a Darkglass Harmonic Booster, Strymon Blue Sky and Darkglass Hyper Luminal Compressor, back to the Le Bass and out the XLR output. The board allows me to do everything from deep clean lows to following lead parts, all on my Dingwall Combustion 6 string
Great video Johnny! 👍🏼 My pedalboard: tuner (Boss TU3), compressor (Origin effect Cali76 Compact Bass), chorus (MXR Bass Chorus deluxe) and Pre-Amp (Aguilar Tone Hammer) This pedalboard gives me All the sounds I need 😎
Looking for an always-on chorus? Boss CEB-3. Secret genius pedal. It seems subtle but that's why it's a chorus you will really USE. Effect level all the way up, low filter all the way down = perfect chorus you never have to turn off.
My pedal board is Comp/Sustainer ->Octaver->looper->PreAmp (TC Electronic SpectraDrive) I end up using Comp at the beginning for evening out the input and then the comp in the SpectraDrive to polish up the final signal. SpectraDrive also adds any OD dirt needed, *AND* finally it has an Aux in for external music and a Headphone out so I can travel with a bass and just my pedals to jam in the hotel. I definitely am looking at getting a chorus to add to the mix.
@@JonnyDibble As I travel a lot, it was a perfect starting point to my pedal board as it has OD and Comp along with the 4-band EQ. I use the stock tone prints and I'll warn you that this is NOT the higher end device where you can make your own tone prints, only download premade ones from their app (app and prints are free). But you can find these pedals used for a reasonable price. Slightly more bulky than a normal pedal but will work with a power adapter chain. Because I can pipe in audio tracks and listen on headphones, I am very happy with it!
@@kirtfulcher6288 Awesome! Thanks very much for the insight 😊 I always forget about the programmes like tone print, I just want it to work and have all the features there and then haha.
@@JonnyDibble I honestly didn't get it for that "feature", like I said I keep the tone prints stock, its nice that its flexible. I should also mention that the OD and Comp are both "single knob" effects so if you are looking for configurable effects, this isn't it. Like I mentioned before, I usually like just a little dirt (Geddy-esque) and the Comp is the "final polish" so I don't need it to be robust typically.
Compressor is great for slap and finger style. I mostly play pick style and use that co control dynamics. As far as mic'ing cabs, definitely a fan of that over DI, it's just tricky finding a sound engineer that's not afraid to do it. With distortion, I hate blend knobs, and "bass" drive pedals aren't necessary for my playing.
Nothing will quite beat an amp tone. For me a blend knob is essential as I like to really get the blend between clean and completely distorted 😍 Each to their own!
I just set up my first full pedalboard. I start my signal with a tuner, then went with overdrive and chorus. I needed delay for some songs that I've been needing to work on. I'm looking to add a compressor, although I do have compression available on my amp. I actually have a fuzz pedal that I already had, in addition to the overdrive, and the two (overdrive and fuzz) both do as you suggested - add to what the guitar is doing, in key parts. The chorus is also good in specific parts (my band actually does a lot of Nirvana). So... you were right on the spot. I'll also be looking at octave pedals eventually.
Latest: NS Design CR6-string Radius fretless bass guitar (active pickups) > TC Electronics black nano tuner > Lehle mono volume pedal > Gamechanger Audio PLUS pedal with Wet switch > Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Fuzz with Tone Wicker > Keeley Electronics Caverns V2 (Delay/Reverb) > Schertler Giulia Y amp > XLR direct out... I do use a 3to1 Lehle box when swapping my Moog Rogue synthesiser and NS Design CR6-string electric cello on stage too. Sometimes a BOSS PS-3 Digital Pitch Shifter/Delay/Reverb and MXR Phase 100 are in the mix too.
I can do without a chorus, it's just to "washy" for me and seems to defeat other effects that I use. Octaver in the chain is more useful for me. Great video again!
I've been paying guitar since 1994 and only recently (about 2 years ago) started to play bass for fun after a friend give me a Maison P-bass from the 80's! The Bass was a mess, super dirty, rust, broken pickguard and pots, wires riped and all. I fixed it all and kept it! I actually got in 2 bands a few months ago and decided it was time to get some gear. What gear?! Well. I obviously already had a tuner and an Overdrive that actually sounds good with bass also (Bad Monkey) but i just bought 3 used pedals and it's exactly what you talked about in the video! I Got a Tech 21 Compressor that i leave on ALL the time, A Chorus that i also have on most of the time (with very low effect volume) and i got a Sans amp clone. The Behringer one! I actually have the Pre amp ALWAYS on also because i'm not even using a Bass amp. And to be honest i'm NOT gonna buy one. ever! The Sans amp is at the end of the pedal chain and it has a D.I. out to front of house and the output goes to a Rack with P.A. EQ and Power amp and then into two old school p.a. 1x15 cabs. The whole rig is taller than me! If this ever gets more serious i would go into in ears. I'm never gonna buy any Bass amp thats guaranteed! lol I also like to use a Phaser a few times on the Bass. The good thing is that i have everything in the same board for guitar and bass. I obvioulsy don't need the bass compressor on the guitar as well as i dont use my Decimator Noise gate on the bass. And i rarely use the delay but all my guitar pedals are ok for bass. Except for the Dunlop wah obviously!
Two things to watch out for: Distortion kills lows. Get a bass distortion, which will blend the clean lows back in. I have a Boss BB-1X. It leaves the lows alone and can blend the clean and dirty. Mostly a problem with single coil pickups, compression and distortion will both make noise louder. You might want to have a gate to shut off the signal when you stop playing.
i find that a fender pugilist does just as good a job as bass distortion pedals do, really helps having a bass boost switch on it to prevent losing the low end
Pretty much agreed with everything on this list, e x c e p t for chorus. But it's cool to play around with. Also gonna call this now, you're going to hit 1k by the end of November
@@JonnyDibble if I had to choose a 5th effect, it would be an octave pedal. Specifically, an octave up. For the most part, the only pedals I really want or will need in the future are the first 4 you mentioned, but with a digitech drop. You gotta be able to get different tunings quickly. Not many people are rich and can afford 15 basses for different tunings *COUGH* Mike Kerr *COUGH*
@@mrarchr think octave could be my 6th! I used to have a Boss Line Selector with an octive up + distortion in a loop to get a BLOODY ROYAL sounding tone. Digitech drop is also an incredible asset 👌
I only use a boss gt1-B effects processor and it's all i really need. I use only a fraction of the effects for bands but it's also a ,ot of fun to mess about with at home there is so much that you can do with it it's amazing. I have one for guitar as well and I ordered a boss RC-500 looper and now I'm set i don't need anything else.
Re preamp and DI out to house sound: Abso(friggin)lutely! Used to be we carried around a “stack”, an amp head, a 4x10 and a 15” cab. Standing in front of those things was enough to give you WOOD! Ah, those were the days... But now, you just wander in with your 12” Markbass combo for your stage sound and DI out to the sound guy and, hence, GIVE UP ALL CONTROL OF YOUR TONE!!! Except for onstage, of course. Big whoop. But I digress... Yeah, that’s something I am concerned about with the new Zoom B1 four pedal I just picked up. No XLR out. Just your basic 1/4” jack. Is that good enough for the sound guy? Any sound guys out there wanna weigh in on this? Don’t tell me I gotta go out and buy a separate DI (pedal)! If so, which one? Your opinions welcome.
Sterling bass - Tuner - Comp- sansamp same set up as mine I keep it simple and portable but i reaaally Need to know your settings to get THAT "preamp" sound
Best board I've built so far is Tuner - Sans Amp Preamp - Octave - Chorus with Flanger - Compressor - Ampeg Preamp. In that order. Love the Sans Amp tone shaping and the way it drives my other pedals. But I was missing the Ampeg punch on top so added that to the end of the chain. Works great!
I have always wanted an octave pedal, definitely up next on my buy list. There are just WAY too many that are out there, and in the last year or two, tons of OC-2 THIS IS THE BEST CLONE that have come out.
@@JonnyDibble Yeah! Boss finally nailed that again. MXR made one based on Janek Gwizdala's OC-2 as well, which sounds great, and Three Leaf Audio has one too. I should probably just buy them all.
You don’t really hear a lot of people talk about his bass playing but the dude was an absolute beast of a player whose voice was as big as his tone and it’s great
8:34 I thought the Distortion was already on ':I xP awesome playing, man ! You look a bit like Flea, with that round head and colored MusicMan ^^ keep op teh good stuff mate !
With an preamp you can input into the effects return on your amp to bypass the onboard preamp. When recording with a preamp, try using a cab simulator (impulse response) instead of an amp simulation
My take on "D.I. vs Cab" : I love mixing the two using separate mixer channels. I scoop the mids & mid-bass on D.I. channel to let the mids/mid-bass cab's channel pop out in the mix. Up to me it's quite a perfect match between amp/cab coloration (mainly in the mids) and good low-end, deep bottom from the D.I. (and hi-treble as well)
Great video, thanks for taking the time to make it. You Fact/Opinion bit should be required watching for everyone :) I have just received my Orange Bass Butler, so I think my pedalboard is about to change quite a bit the coming weeks. But I usually mix and match my pedalboard for what I want that day. Tuner->compressor->fuzz/overdrive->delay->pre amp/di
@@JonnyDibble If they would have put a tuner in there, it would really be all I need. I like to keep things simple. For my clean side I went from my Boss LMB-3 and MXR M81, 10 knobs combined to just 4 knobs on the Bass Butler. If I use overdrive it is usually just a small amount to give my sound a bit of a kick. But if you like heavy distortion, you will find it here as well. I am glad I bought it. But I am a fan of Orange. I had their Crush 100 combo before switching to the Little Bass Thing so I knew what I would get. If you like to build a big pedalboard, the bass butler might not be your cup of Earl Grey. But for me, a set-and-forget kind of guy, it works great. (Sound is super subjective of course, but a super clean pristine pre amp it is not)
I Am So Glad i quit trying to make my guitar sound like a synthesizer, ( the first attempts were expensive, and painful, enough ) i ended up just getting into soft-synths, keys, and eventually a Linnstrument 128 .... i don't need octave effects, i just need bass guitar to sound like bass guitar, and guitar to sound like guitar.
Great overview, thanks! When discussing the compressor function, you used high and low when you should have said loud and soft, or high and low -volume-. High and low by themselves always imply frequency to me.
In my board (some on and off, compressor atleast always on): Ehx Bass Big Muff, Boss Odb3, Danelectro Black Licourice (has octave), Ehx Bass Preacher, Mod Flamma, TC Electronics The Prophet, Boss Oc3, Boss NS2, Mod Core NUX. Octavers are so much fun with bass. Chorus totally essential too. Boss tu3 shared with guitar.
It's a potential mine field talking about effects for bass. I don't blame you for any disclaimers. Really like you opening my mind up to the reason for pre-amps as not only am I ye of the southern paw, I love p-bass and sometimes I can't achieve a decent enough tone so the pre-amp would most likely be the answer. I'll try and get a used SansAmp or similar.
37 years considering pedals to be guitar toys. Recently discovered the darkglass vintage microtubes pedal. Pretty killer way to add a bit of warmth, but pedal allows the grit to be blended in subtly with the clean tone. Soon as I decided on one pedal, went with 4 space board and added a tuner and chorus/flange. Room for one more on my board, but in no hurry to decide. Dont really need a HPF/LPF or compressor as my amp has those covered.
Finally got a dream of a P Bass and was able to rip on it yesterday. I've had 3 Boss pedals ready and waiting for it. GEB-7 Bass EQ, ODB-3 Bass Overdrive, and CEB-3 Bass Chorus, and I also plugged in an Earthquaker Devices Hizumitas fuzz. Already having a blast!
That first riff with the compressor 👌, You know I think you might have been the person that got me to get one after watch your videos. I think you are an official "influencer" 😀
Nice video. For me the fifth effect would be a phaser. Modulation effects are beyond what I would call the basics. What is needed, if anything, is very much a matter of preference. Otherwise this is spot on.
Good evening Chap. How about a study on how to get the different sounds that certain bass players use, but keeping it on a tight budget. I’m enjoying your videos. Keep it up.
Exactly.... Totally agree with you and this is my pedal My pedal is boss tu 3 because it has so many mode and easy setting....and agree..we can use it as silencer compressor is mxr m87 absolute.....i need that because sometime i need to boost and sometime i need to tamed my single coil..... And then ampeg scr di....because i love ampeg tone and sometime i need that when i jamming.....it really help me connect directly to mixer.....and it also include drive pedal.....some person hate that...but for me...well....that will do.... And also chorus pedal...because sometime we play without drummer....only vocal...guitar and me....so i need to make "soft floor" for guitar sounds to land on it....
Love your bass. I just-bought a Sterling Stingray SS-4 and I am so Impressed with the: fit, finish, sound & playability. (only Downside is: it's Impossible to find a proper Case?) I do-agree 100% with tuner & compressor. I'd look at an Octave or the Source Audio C-4. oNe LovE from NYC
Nice list! Up to number 4, your list lines up with mine (including Sansamp and Pitchblack tuner choice)! Personally, I prefer a light flanger (TC Vortex) over chorus. Also, I love the phaser (TC Helix), would be mine number 6...
I love chorus with bass. My all time favorite to use is the Walrus Audio Julia v2 pedal (the Julianna is the same but it has a vibrato circuit too) it works great with bass. I also love their Slö reverb pedal. It's a little quirky in a great way, and combines with the Julia excellently. For "non-essential" pedals, Red Panda Bitmapv2 with an MXR Vintage octave in front of every other pedal (except your wah/volume) is amazing if you want to emulate synth bass sounds.
Round 2! 🥊The sequel video '5 MORE pedals you need' is now live! th-cam.com/video/b4txUYvhhME/w-d-xo.html
Fun fact: having a whammy on your pedalboard allows you to have chorus, detune, octaver, and pitch shifter. All in one single pedal!
Amazing pedals 🔥
I actually prefer the chorus on that pedal than any other chorus Ive tried haha
My wha wha pedal is on its way haha can't wait
Are you talking about digitech whammy pedal? I'd love to try one out!!!😉👍
EHX Pitchfork fits this role too
Octave pedal, in my opinion, very essential. The “power” you can get with it is just mmmmmm! 💪🏻 Great video! 👌🏻
I'd say that's definitely the next one up on my list! Love that low end 👌 Thanks man!
First one I got was an Octave. Someone said I needed it and I said “More bass? Hasn’t it got enough bass already”. I was wrong.
@@greatkingrat there’s never enough bass 😂
I have a pedal that encompasses a preamp, compressor, OD, have had a tuner and chorus forever, octave is definitely next on my list, also looking at a volume.
@@bassguitar1919 got it all sorted! 😁
So much polish on these videos. Really love what you're doing, hope your audience builds soon because you are clearly putting a lot into these
Thank-you so much! Just want to keep the bass conversation going! 😁
Well said! :) Keep it up Jonny! :)- Stay safe- Brent
@@brentheathersimons7042 Thanks very much! Stay safe 😊
I think you stole my 3 rd grade school picture day shirt 🤔
Retro rugby af
I think he stole everybody's 3rd grade school picture day shirt.
YOOOOOOOOO! 😂
Man stole it from Chris-Chan.
why do i kinda want his shirt
Holy shit that Chorus + Distortion took me back to every goth/shoegaze gig I've worked in my life. Crazy sound!
I love it 😍😍
TECHNICALLY you are right this is a very responsible and conservative approach. However, I would love to see a follow up video with an irresponsible mess of fun pedals.
Hahaha YES! 🤔😍
Your editing/explanation is next level entertaining. Glad I clicked. Keep em coming.
Glad you liiiike! Thanks so much for checking it out 😊
My chorus stays on pretty much all the time, it adds a lot of depth and texture to the bass, which in the overall band mix thickens up the whole rhythm section. My favorite is the Boss Chorus Ensemble, because the treble and bass frequencies have separate blend knobs. I like to dial the bass all the way out and crank the treble side, so that my low end stays clean and the pedal just adds a ton of high end shimmer
The preamp. “Adds more diversity” well said! It is the cleanest sound I’ve ever encountered when recording.
I dont think I'll ever go without one! Thanks 😊
Nice list. The signal chain I'm using right now is SansAmp for tone shaping and DI -> Darkglass B3k for distortion -> EQD Hoof Reaper for fuzz -> Boss SY1 for synth emulation -> Zoom CDR70 for modulation and miscellaneous fx -> Boss DD200, which I can fade in via expression pedal. With this relatively simple setup, I can make almost any sound my band could ever need
Quite the soundscape! Sounds wicked 😍
I remember watching this video years ago. I came back to it because its very very relevant now. I currently plug straight into a bass amp at a church and i felt off for a while - especially sustain and tone consistency. Thank you. Btw, i freaking love how you make your videos. The editing, humor, your personality, the structure, how the hell do you not have 1m subs yet?? Great job either way
This guy looks like Wolverine and Steve from Blues Clues fused together and created this guys 😂
But this video pretty much was perfect for just a generic bass board!
You're not wrong bub. Haha thanks for checking it out 😊
Hey bass wolverine... 😁👍👍
I’ve recently started noodling around with my bass stuff again after a long time away from all of it. I’m really enjoying your videos Jonny!
YES! Bet it feels great to pick up the axe again 🤘😁 Thanks very much!
I use an EQ instead of a preamp, no DI out but every single gig I've played has the bass going through the venue's DI. My chain goes tuner > comp > EQ > octave > dist > fuzz > guitar amp sim (I play both bass and guitar on my band) > chorus > reverb
Yeah thays fair! Normally they always take the DI from the back of the head into their own DI box. Nice one!
1. Your taste in tuners is immaculate because the Korg Pitchblack is the perfect tuner and no one will ever change my mind.
2. In 10 years of gigging, I've had one (1!) sound engineer ever mic up my amp. DI is just the standard.
3. Everything you said in this video is absolutely true.
4. Your editing is superb and I'm going to have to step things up to keep pace. All you need is a bit of background music.
Such a GREAT tuner 🔥 Thanks mate! Haha funny you say, I normally do and I legit forgot to add my music in 😆😅 It wasn't until after it had uploaded behind the scenes and I was like, oh sodd it 😆
@@JonnyDibble Dude, it happens. I probably wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't also making videos.
@@ampthebassplayer Indeed! Annoying this video is nearly all me talking haha. I was tempted to push it back a day (I have slow af Internet haha) but thought it best to just get it out 😛Also, you already got that quality down boy! Videos look sick as x
@@JonnyDibble High compliments indeed! Thanks!
Love the content Mr. Dibble, but for me personally ( I am writing this before going thru the vid)
1. Tuner
2. Compressor
3. Envelope filter (I'm a big P-funk/Thundercat fan)
4. Octaver
5. Distortion/Fuzz
I'm the exact type of person you describe in the beginning of the video who plugs directly into the amp :D Honestly, I've thought about experimenting with some pedals, so this video is super useful :) Also, great editing!
Nothing wrong with that! I'm glad this was some kind of help, let me know how you get on! 😁
I used to be that way too, until I ran into festival gigs where I had to use Ampegs instead of my Orange setup. Got a Tech 21 dUg Pinnick sig pedal and I have my tone no matter the rig.
You’re climbing the subs quickly boss! Wonderful content
Woohoo! All thanks to you guys! 😁 Thank-you
I rarely take the time to comment but your video put a smile on my face! It’s like a storytime...but....about bass pedals.
Aw amazing! I'm so glad. Thanks very much! 😁
Honestly super helpful, been playing bass for years but only looking into pedals now. Thanks man!
"The earth is round" you got my like right now!
But in my opinion, i would go with tunner, compressor, IQ, boss oc3 (I use a lot more octaver than distortion but still the padel has the distortion option) and ofc chorus to make some kind of "synth".
Keep up with the good work, really like the new energy of the videos and "jokes". 🖖
Im tempted to do a part 2 because octave is definitely my 6th or 7th pedal! Thanks for the kind words 😁
I’ve always loved chorus on bass, it’s such a cool sound and definitely gives you that classic Peter Hook/Duff McKagan/Peter Steele/Tony Levin (mixed with an octave pedal) tone and it’s awesome. I use it a lot on my guitar but will also throw it onto my bass when I want to add a bit of colour to my sound
"Man this was a great video!" I thought to myself after watching, "Surely this guy has to have thousands or millions of subscribers right?"
Man, the editing in this video is top-notch, the way the topics were presented was beautiful, even the intro and outro were spot on. Keep it up brother, I'm off to go watch some more of your videos now. :)
Ho John! Thanks so much man. Started at the start of lockdown, can't wait to keep making more 😁
@@JonnyDibble Right on! I look forward to it!
Pedals are toys--awesome, amazing, joy-inducing toys. Who doesn't like toys?
With a Sans Amp, you really don't really NEED extra distortion. Chorus is nice once in a while but hardly essential. I'd say that these days, an octave pedal is necessary if you're playing in band covering contemporary pop music. I like the Sonic Stomp for adding clarity.
hands down man! I love the way u explained everything. I play in a rock band too and those are the most essential pedals that every bassists needs! U earned yourself a new subscriber here!!
You said some of the truest words in the beginning of this video. So many music snobs I know. Music- Sound is an infinite landscape and the best advice is to be open minded
Gotta find what works for you! Each to their own and no need to yuck someone's yum! 😁
@@JonnyDibble That's how I been in my older age. It ain't a competition. Instead of telling folk they suck, I tell them how good they're getting. Same with pedals- sound, I advise my folk which pedals to get for great sound and give suggestions, but I won't harp on anyone for what they love. As long as folk are into music, I'm not gonna harp on that band sucking. Its music, and music is always subjective. That song or band could've been what got them through. I love your attitude on opinion vs fact. Wish more folk were like you with music man
Ha Ha Ha, you remind me of Nigel from Spinal Tap with the Tuna!
@@johnhareiel5118 Different tastes are essential, otherwise we'd never discover new things! Yeah there are ways of helping out without being a dick about it. Hahaha any ref to spinal tap is welcome here 🙏
@@JonnyDibble I love Tuna, no bones
As a funk player, my go too pedals are for making my bass sound more like a key bass (Mike league method) octave, envelope, and compression my favorites
Niiice. Gotta find what works for your style!
This is definitely the best video about effects I have watched. I watched a bunch of other ones and wasn’t satisfied. I’m subbing to you right now! A compressor pedal for slapping now makes total sense!
Thanks very much!
Everything I need: tuner - comp - dirt - boost - chorus. I have a Aguilar Tone Hammer preamp/DI on it's way, so that one will take the last spot.
Similar boards! Sounds awesome 👌
I love compressor on bass, it sounds much more even 😍
Agree! 😊
As someone who just started playing bass and wondering what effects to look for this was a very helpful video thank you!
Chorus is essential if you want to nail the sound of a lot of 80's Post-punk, Alternative, and Goth bands. And, you're right, mixed with distortion, it's a beautiful thing!
Dude. As a guy who's played the bass for almost 20 years but only recently purchased my first pedal (a tuner - thank God I don't have to tune it by ear anymore!) this video is amazing. The octave pedal, compression pedal and chorus pedal are a must-have for me in the near future. As soon as I sell a kidney or something I'll get right buying them.
Also, props for putting big numbers on your screen so I can easily switch between your presentations. Well done!
Thanks very much! Welcome to the pedal pit of despair mwahaha
I started playing bass at the start of the pandemic and have found many of your videos so helpful! I have become confident enough with my playing that I am looking to start building my pedal board and this video was a very good introduction to what i should look at. Thanks!
Thats amazing! Glad to hear you're getting on well and that the videos have been of some help 😁😁 Let me know what you go for
@@JonnyDibble Will do! Also, do you have any mod suggestions for an Ibanez TMB100? That is the bass I have. I decided to go with it after watching your review.
@@thafilms7262 Yeah man! As I said in the video, I wasn't a huge fan on the preamp. I wpuld take put all the electronics and wire it up passive with some new pickups
Sweet thanks!
Presentation and editing skills are on point. I was thoroughly engaged and entertained until the end. Kudos!
Thanks very much! 😄
Thanks Jonny for making this video. I had no idea what a compressor or a preamp were 😅 and I've been looking for a video that explains it well. This is it.
After years and thousands of dollars messing around with gear, I'm running a fairly simple setup. My preamp is a Two Notes Le Bass, with a Darkglass Harmonic Booster, Strymon Blue Sky and Darkglass Hyper Luminal Compressor, back to the Le Bass and out the XLR output. The board allows me to do everything from deep clean lows to following lead parts, all on my Dingwall Combustion 6 string
Great video Johnny! 👍🏼
My pedalboard: tuner (Boss TU3), compressor (Origin effect Cali76 Compact Bass), chorus (MXR Bass Chorus deluxe) and Pre-Amp (Aguilar Tone Hammer) This pedalboard gives me All the sounds I need 😎
A tuner, squeeky distortion and a good chorus pedal is all I need
Looking for an always-on chorus? Boss CEB-3. Secret genius pedal. It seems subtle but that's why it's a chorus you will really USE. Effect level all the way up, low filter all the way down = perfect chorus you never have to turn off.
Thats the chorus pedal I most recently owned! I personally only wanted this as a temporary effect as I play in a modern rock band 😊 Great pedal!
My pedal board is Comp/Sustainer ->Octaver->looper->PreAmp (TC Electronic SpectraDrive)
I end up using Comp at the beginning for evening out the input and then the comp in the SpectraDrive to polish up the final signal. SpectraDrive also adds any OD dirt needed, *AND* finally it has an Aux in for external music and a Headphone out so I can travel with a bass and just my pedals to jam in the hotel. I definitely am looking at getting a chorus to add to the mix.
Sounds awesome! I'm tempted by a SpectraDrive to review. What are your thoughts on it?
@@JonnyDibble As I travel a lot, it was a perfect starting point to my pedal board as it has OD and Comp along with the 4-band EQ. I use the stock tone prints and I'll warn you that this is NOT the higher end device where you can make your own tone prints, only download premade ones from their app (app and prints are free). But you can find these pedals used for a reasonable price. Slightly more bulky than a normal pedal but will work with a power adapter chain. Because I can pipe in audio tracks and listen on headphones, I am very happy with it!
@@kirtfulcher6288 Awesome! Thanks very much for the insight 😊 I always forget about the programmes like tone print, I just want it to work and have all the features there and then haha.
@@JonnyDibble I honestly didn't get it for that "feature", like I said I keep the tone prints stock, its nice that its flexible. I should also mention that the OD and Comp are both "single knob" effects so if you are looking for configurable effects, this isn't it. Like I mentioned before, I usually like just a little dirt (Geddy-esque) and the Comp is the "final polish" so I don't need it to be robust typically.
Compressor is great for slap and finger style. I mostly play pick style and use that co control dynamics. As far as mic'ing cabs, definitely a fan of that over DI, it's just tricky finding a sound engineer that's not afraid to do it. With distortion, I hate blend knobs, and "bass" drive pedals aren't necessary for my playing.
Nothing will quite beat an amp tone. For me a blend knob is essential as I like to really get the blend between clean and completely distorted 😍 Each to their own!
I just set up my first full pedalboard. I start my signal with a tuner, then went with overdrive and chorus. I needed delay for some songs that I've been needing to work on. I'm looking to add a compressor, although I do have compression available on my amp. I actually have a fuzz pedal that I already had, in addition to the overdrive, and the two (overdrive and fuzz) both do as you suggested - add to what the guitar is doing, in key parts. The chorus is also good in specific parts (my band actually does a lot of Nirvana). So... you were right on the spot. I'll also be looking at octave pedals eventually.
Awesome! Congrats on the first board 👏 hope you find the pedals you're looking for 😁
Latest: NS Design CR6-string Radius fretless bass guitar (active pickups) > TC Electronics black nano tuner > Lehle mono volume pedal > Gamechanger Audio PLUS pedal with Wet switch > Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Fuzz with Tone Wicker > Keeley Electronics Caverns V2 (Delay/Reverb) > Schertler Giulia Y amp > XLR direct out... I do use a 3to1 Lehle box when swapping my Moog Rogue synthesiser and NS Design CR6-string electric cello on stage too. Sometimes a BOSS PS-3 Digital Pitch Shifter/Delay/Reverb and MXR Phase 100 are in the mix too.
Tried a few pedals iny time and now just use a tuner and a chorus,works for me.
I can do without a chorus, it's just to "washy" for me and seems to defeat other effects that I use. Octaver in the chain is more useful for me. Great video again!
Dirt box, reverb, chorus, wah, tape relay. To each their own, I like checking out someone else's rig especially if it is different than mine.
I've been paying guitar since 1994 and only recently (about 2 years ago) started to play bass for fun after a friend give me a Maison P-bass from the 80's! The Bass was a mess, super dirty, rust, broken pickguard and pots, wires riped and all. I fixed it all and kept it!
I actually got in 2 bands a few months ago and decided it was time to get some gear. What gear?! Well. I obviously already had a tuner and an Overdrive that actually sounds good with bass also (Bad Monkey) but i just bought 3 used pedals and it's exactly what you talked about in the video!
I Got a Tech 21 Compressor that i leave on ALL the time, A Chorus that i also have on most of the time (with very low effect volume) and i got a Sans amp clone. The Behringer one!
I actually have the Pre amp ALWAYS on also because i'm not even using a Bass amp. And to be honest i'm NOT gonna buy one. ever!
The Sans amp is at the end of the pedal chain and it has a D.I. out to front of house and the output goes to a Rack with P.A. EQ and Power amp and then into two old school p.a. 1x15 cabs. The whole rig is taller than me!
If this ever gets more serious i would go into in ears. I'm never gonna buy any Bass amp thats guaranteed! lol
I also like to use a Phaser a few times on the Bass. The good thing is that i have everything in the same board for guitar and bass. I obvioulsy don't need the bass compressor on the guitar as well as i dont use my Decimator Noise gate on the bass. And i rarely use the delay but all my guitar pedals are ok for bass. Except for the Dunlop wah obviously!
Two things to watch out for:
Distortion kills lows. Get a bass distortion, which will blend the clean lows back in. I have a Boss BB-1X. It leaves the lows alone and can blend the clean and dirty.
Mostly a problem with single coil pickups, compression and distortion will both make noise louder. You might want to have a gate to shut off the signal when you stop playing.
i find that a fender pugilist does just as good a job as bass distortion pedals do, really helps having a bass boost switch on it to prevent losing the low end
Glad Nirvana was used as the quintessential standard for chorus usage. I will now invest in one. Thank you bass sensei.
Pretty much agreed with everything on this list,
e x c e p t for chorus. But it's cool to play around with. Also gonna call this now, you're going to hit 1k by the end of November
Yeah thats the audience dividing one haha. What would be your 5th effect? 😊 That would be cool! 😁
@@JonnyDibble if I had to choose a 5th effect, it would be an octave pedal. Specifically, an octave up. For the most part, the only pedals I really want or will need in the future are the first 4 you mentioned, but with a digitech drop. You gotta be able to get different tunings quickly. Not many people are rich and can afford 15 basses for different tunings *COUGH* Mike Kerr *COUGH*
@@mrarchr think octave could be my 6th! I used to have a Boss Line Selector with an octive up + distortion in a loop to get a BLOODY ROYAL sounding tone.
Digitech drop is also an incredible asset 👌
WE DID IT! 🥳
You are so geekily comical in this video.
This is Very Cool. 😆❤️❤️💕🎸🎵🙂
Haha well I am a massive NERD so ill take that! Tha ks very much for checking it out! 😁
Digitech RP90 for the win. Awesome pedal highly recommend checking this one out!! True all in one pedal!
Thank you. I am a complete noob. This was very helpful. Played a gig and had no pedals. Couldn't hearmyself the whole time
I only use a boss gt1-B effects processor and it's all i really need. I use only a fraction of the effects for bands but it's also a ,ot of fun to mess about with at home there is so much that you can do with it it's amazing. I have one for guitar as well and I ordered a boss RC-500 looper and now I'm set i don't need anything else.
I showed my Australian friend the part where you say, "tuner" and show a "tuna". It's a running joke between us, like "Choco Chuesday"
I don't know if this will be seen by anybody but i just wanted to give a hand to the editor on this one. Their editing tone is 🤌
Hey 👋 I edit all my own videos, so thanks so much! 😄
@@JonnyDibbleloving the videos Jonny, content and execution!
This is a very useful video and ugh the editing is sooooo good
My man 👊 Thanks Louis 😁
I'm particularly happy with my board after a long quest for a sound pallet. It goes Octave, Fuzz1, Fuzz2, Envelope filter, Chorus, Delay, Preamp
So much to play with! Awesome stuff man 😊
@@JonnyDibble I just "upgraded" my octave to a legendary Boss OC-2... all the hype is real...
@@CamiloDiaz ooooh amazing!
Re preamp and DI out to house sound:
Abso(friggin)lutely!
Used to be we carried around a “stack”, an amp head, a 4x10 and a 15” cab. Standing in front of those things was enough to give you WOOD! Ah, those were the days...
But now, you just wander in with your 12” Markbass combo for your stage sound and DI out to the sound guy and, hence, GIVE UP ALL CONTROL OF YOUR TONE!!! Except for onstage, of course. Big whoop. But I digress...
Yeah, that’s something I am concerned about with the new Zoom B1 four pedal I just picked up. No XLR out. Just your basic 1/4” jack. Is that good enough for the sound guy? Any sound guys out there wanna weigh in on this? Don’t tell me I gotta go out and buy a separate DI (pedal)! If so, which one? Your opinions welcome.
He played bass with a pick. You’re fired.
*hired
Like for the cat pedal
😼😼😼
Having a separate volume pedal is very good to have, specially for those fade in and fade senarios.
Totally!
Great video Jonny! I Love my boss tuner and sansamp 😎
Cheers Sean! Simple but effective 🔥
Sterling bass - Tuner - Comp- sansamp same set up as mine I keep it simple and portable but i reaaally Need to know your settings to get THAT "preamp" sound
Used a Sansamp programmable BDDI (the one with 3 switches)
Drive: 9 o'clock
Bass: 12 o'clock
Treble: 1 o'clock
Presence: 11 o'clock
Blend: 11 o'clock
Level: 2 o'clock
My pedal board is also on my Instagram @Jonnydibble 😊
Best board I've built so far is Tuner - Sans Amp Preamp - Octave - Chorus with Flanger - Compressor - Ampeg Preamp. In that order. Love the Sans Amp tone shaping and the way it drives my other pedals. But I was missing the Ampeg punch on top so added that to the end of the chain. Works great!
I have always wanted an octave pedal, definitely up next on my buy list. There are just WAY too many that are out there, and in the last year or two, tons of OC-2 THIS IS THE BEST CLONE that have come out.
It's worth getting a decent one for sure, have you seen the new OC-5? Looks pretty sweet! I had the TC Electronic which I rated really highly
@@JonnyDibble Yeah! Boss finally nailed that again. MXR made one based on Janek Gwizdala's OC-2 as well, which sounds great, and Three Leaf Audio has one too. I should probably just buy them all.
@@Willstonez yeah, might as well! 😅 Let me know what you go for
Peter Steele was a bassist that used a lot the Distortion + Chorus combination, and sounds dense and amazing, agree that are an excellent combination!
Distortion and modulation, match made in heaven!
You don’t really hear a lot of people talk about his bass playing but the dude was an absolute beast of a player whose voice was as big as his tone and it’s great
Compressor and Preamp/DI absolutely approved. The rest is for fun at home, because in a band mix it will be lost. 💥
That's fair!
That’s crazy! I must be doing something right! The exact same effects I use! Cool!
Crazy!
And I’m also an old man! Thought I was extremely old school!
8:34 I thought the Distortion was already on ':I
xP
awesome playing, man !
You look a bit like Flea, with that round head and colored MusicMan ^^ keep op teh good stuff mate !
😝 Thanks very much!
Its kinda cool that the bass fly rig kinda has all of these
With an preamp you can input into the effects return on your amp to bypass the onboard preamp.
When recording with a preamp, try using a cab simulator (impulse response) instead of an amp simulation
My mom got me that shirt, in middle school, in the 80s. She was trying to break my rebellious, independent nature.
She had a great eye
I go, Octave, Fuzz, Wah/Volume Combo, Flanger, Delay, Limiter/Enhancer, Tuner. Love it.
So many sweet combos in there! 😍
My take on "D.I. vs Cab" :
I love mixing the two using separate mixer channels. I scoop the mids & mid-bass on D.I. channel to let the mids/mid-bass cab's channel pop out in the mix.
Up to me it's quite a perfect match between amp/cab coloration (mainly in the mids) and good low-end, deep bottom from the D.I. (and hi-treble as well)
Great video, thanks for taking the time to make it. You Fact/Opinion bit should be required watching for everyone :)
I have just received my Orange Bass Butler, so I think my pedalboard is about to change quite a bit the coming weeks. But I usually mix and match my pedalboard for what I want that day.
Tuner->compressor->fuzz/overdrive->delay->pre amp/di
Thank-you! Oh amazing. I'm currently bidding on a Bass Butler! How do you like it?
@@JonnyDibble If they would have put a tuner in there, it would really be all I need. I like to keep things simple. For my clean side I went from my Boss LMB-3 and MXR M81, 10 knobs combined to just 4 knobs on the Bass Butler. If I use overdrive it is usually just a small amount to give my sound a bit of a kick. But if you like heavy distortion, you will find it here as well.
I am glad I bought it. But I am a fan of Orange. I had their Crush 100 combo before switching to the Little Bass Thing so I knew what I would get.
If you like to build a big pedalboard, the bass butler might not be your cup of Earl Grey. But for me, a set-and-forget kind of guy, it works great.
(Sound is super subjective of course, but a super clean pristine pre amp it is not)
I Am So Glad i quit trying to make my guitar sound like a synthesizer, ( the first attempts were expensive, and painful, enough )
i ended up just getting into soft-synths, keys, and eventually a Linnstrument 128 .... i don't need octave effects, i just need bass guitar to sound like bass guitar, and guitar to sound like guitar.
cool. you just listed my pedalboard man. great video! I do also have some delay for trippy stuff.
Thanks!
9:48 you played a single note and I was instantly thinking The Cure
Great overview, thanks! When discussing the compressor function, you used high and low when you should have said loud and soft, or high and low -volume-. High and low by themselves always imply frequency to me.
Ah yes I was talking volume 🤪 Cheers!
In my board (some on and off, compressor atleast always on): Ehx Bass Big Muff, Boss Odb3, Danelectro Black Licourice (has octave), Ehx Bass Preacher, Mod Flamma, TC Electronics The Prophet, Boss Oc3, Boss NS2, Mod Core NUX. Octavers are so much fun with bass. Chorus totally essential too. Boss tu3 shared with guitar.
The text tracking on the fact/opinion part was much better than it needed to be, good job lol
Sometimes you need to spell it out 😅
My tuner is not a pedal but it is a Boss Tuner. My GK Head has a tuner button though so it’s still silent.
Handy feature!
It's a potential mine field talking about effects for bass. I don't blame you for any disclaimers. Really like you opening my mind up to the reason for pre-amps as not only am I ye of the southern paw, I love p-bass and sometimes I can't achieve a decent enough tone so the pre-amp would most likely be the answer. I'll try and get a used SansAmp or similar.
37 years considering pedals to be guitar toys. Recently discovered the darkglass vintage microtubes pedal. Pretty killer way to add a bit of warmth, but pedal allows the grit to be blended in subtly with the clean tone. Soon as I decided on one pedal, went with 4 space board and added a tuner and chorus/flange.
Room for one more on my board, but in no hurry to decide. Dont really need a HPF/LPF or compressor as my amp has those covered.
Finally got a dream of a P Bass and was able to rip on it yesterday. I've had 3 Boss pedals ready and waiting for it. GEB-7 Bass EQ, ODB-3 Bass Overdrive, and CEB-3 Bass Chorus, and I also plugged in an Earthquaker Devices Hizumitas fuzz. Already having a blast!
I'm in full agreement with this pedal board
That first riff with the compressor 👌, You know I think you might have been the person that got me to get one after watch your videos. I think you are an official "influencer" 😀
Nice video.
For me the fifth effect would be a phaser.
Modulation effects are beyond what I would call the basics. What is needed, if anything, is very much a matter of preference.
Otherwise this is spot on.
Thanks! Yep all about preference 😊
You sold me on the chorus! Awesome editing skills btw. Very entertaining.
Thanks so much 😄
Good evening Chap.
How about a study on how to get the different sounds that certain bass players use, but keeping it on a tight budget.
I’m enjoying your videos. Keep it up.
Nice! Bit like Anderton's Sound Like but for Bass 🔥
@@JonnyDibble I’ll take your word for it. Yes please.😀
Exactly....
Totally agree with you and this is my pedal
My pedal is boss tu 3 because it has so many mode and easy setting....and agree..we can use it as silencer
compressor is mxr m87 absolute.....i need that because sometime i need to boost and sometime i need to tamed my single coil.....
And then ampeg scr di....because i love ampeg tone and sometime i need that when i jamming.....it really help me connect directly to mixer.....and it also include drive pedal.....some person hate that...but for me...well....that will do....
And also chorus pedal...because sometime we play without drummer....only vocal...guitar and me....so i need to make "soft floor" for guitar sounds to land on it....
Love your bass. I just-bought a Sterling Stingray SS-4 and I am so Impressed with the: fit, finish, sound & playability. (only Downside is: it's Impossible to find a proper Case?) I do-agree 100% with tuner & compressor. I'd look at an Octave or the Source Audio C-4. oNe LovE from NYC
Earth is obloid. Couldn't resist lol. DAMN ALL FACTS!
😆 SPREAD THE FACTS!
Nice list! Up to number 4, your list lines up with mine (including Sansamp and Pitchblack tuner choice)! Personally, I prefer a light flanger (TC Vortex) over chorus. Also, I love the phaser (TC Helix), would be mine number 6...
Thanks! Sounds awesome. I'm super into phasers right now 😍
Which distortion did you use for this video?
Hi! So its the Virmin Dirt pedal (RAT copy) on the Line 6 HX Stomp but on a separate signal chain so its not cutting any of the low frequency 😊
I love chorus with bass. My all time favorite to use is the Walrus Audio Julia v2 pedal (the Julianna is the same but it has a vibrato circuit too) it works great with bass.
I also love their Slö reverb pedal. It's a little quirky in a great way, and combines with the Julia excellently.
For "non-essential" pedals, Red Panda Bitmapv2 with an MXR Vintage octave in front of every other pedal (except your wah/volume) is amazing if you want to emulate synth bass sounds.