Thanks! I just got mine last week (second hand from a big UK retailer) and was disappointed with the volume response - this problem is now resolved! Guess that's why it was sold by the previous owner
I watched this last night and tried tweaking my pedal at rehearsal tonight, made a big difference. I was looking at replacing mine and this small change means I won’t have to and it now does what I expected it to do. Cheers 👍🏻
This compressor is awesome. You are right about the noise. I play in a brutal death metal band (which we do touring) with all active electronics on my bass. I just did this mod on this pedal. I really can't think that this really small move can make this pedal THAT better and also reduce the white noise. Thanks a lot for this
That’s awesome. I played in a few DM bands myself. Cognitive being the one that actually went on to your and record, still is actually. Glad this helped.
I’ve been out of the metal realm for some years by now but the one band that I would suggest checking out is Cognitive. I played with them very early on but they’re still putting out quality, brutal albums to this day.
Thank you so so soooo much for this! I’m by no means technical, just a simple bassplayer, and never would came up with this solution. This pedal went from meh to a solid A!
Glad i came across this video...i have a Bass Preacher where i have to turn the volume up very high with my passive bass's....i don't use active bass's live, i have a couple of active Ibanez's, an SRX360 & SR E600 that do both active & passive...great for recording active with the Nordstrand pickup's....will have to get a screwdriver out & try this...nice one....👍🎸
Good presentation, useful for anyone buying or owning this pedal 👍 I notice that many of those EHX pedals that contain trim-pots need adjusting by the owner. For me that includes the “BassBalls” , the “Doctor Q” , among others.
Thanks! This is definitely in my wishlist. I currently have a Digitech bass Squeeze, bau that seems to be more focused on the multiband aspect (with its own merits).
Really nice video. I couldn't understand why everything went so quiet when I used the pedal -- I though I just didn't understand what the pedal was all about so I compensated by upping the amp volume. Things are good now. Again, much thanks.
@@pfg_pedals yes it's made a huge difference. I can use it without it killing my dirt effects. I know its a bit redundant but I like having some compression going into my fuzz and overdrive.
@@arudd909 I’m glad it helped you. I think it’s a very underrated pedal due to this error in the factory settings. Once I started using compression I never wanted to be without it again. Especially with heavily distorted parts. It just makes everything sound better. Occasionally someone will ask what it does and I tell them it makes you sound good.
I have one of these on my rig. I like it, but was experiencing the same issue. Had no idea about that little trim pot inside! First chance I get, I'm going to give that a go! Thanks 👍
No problem but if the pedal has been working well as is there is probably no need to adjust. If you are having to keep the sustain level low or the output volume maxed out then it definitely needs a tweak.
I got the comp back and adjusted and was surprised it didn’t take much of a turn to give me that volume I cranked it and got some distortion but really only needed a few degrees of turns and it was GTG
Thanks for this. I always open up pedals, like my mini Cry Baby wah, because you can get a far better tone response, etc, so thanks for this. I'm planning on buying one of these, because the ones I did want are too expensive right now, but need compression.
FYI you have to do this with their Bass Micro Synth pedal too. Mine crapped out and I didn't like it too much; but doing this with it made it sound much better.
It’s not a bad idea, but once you have it set properly it’s not something that needs to be adjusted frequently, which is probably why they just put it inside. I use two drastically different basses and it works fine with both without having access to the input gain all the time.
I haven’t used that one myself and while it’s possible it has the internal trim pot(s), I can’t say whether they will perform the same function. Edit: I took a quick look and the Corset does have the same internal trim pot and I found reports of players having to do the same thing with the Corset as the Preacher.
@@mattiasdahlberg8525 the volume will lower as you raise the sustain, which is why there is a volume control. It’s just a function of how compression works. The problem was that if your Preacher wasn’t properly set inside, you wouldn’t be able to get to unity gain with higher sustain settings.
Cheers for some useful info. These are easy to score S/H because the gain trim isn't optimised. This general ignorance represents a golden opportunity. To score a simple half decent compressor for very little money. & turn someone elses $#!t into gold. Other peoples ignorance IS bliss 🤩
I might upload some samples. I’m not necessarily recommending it, this video was for the people who were having trouble with the one they already have. All I can offer is that I’m extremely pleased with it after setting it correctly. If I’m playing, it’s on.
The reviews I heard were very, meh. I thought it was going to be really good and focused on 3 areas (hence the toggle) and easy contouring with only 2 knobs. Perhaps it’s what bass players need? Does your mod affect the “sustain” portion too?
Don’t simply make the adjustment upon opening the box. If your bass has very high output, or they made the change at the factory, then you could end up with the opposite problem of it being too loud and possibly distorting. If it is too quiet for your needs, then make very small adjustments until you find the right spot. Take your time with it and it will work very well.
Thanks. i was bitterly disappointed in this pedal. Liked the compression sound but the noise and volume drop made it unusable. about to get out the screwdriver
Thanks for the input. According to EHX it sets the gain of the compressor stage, but that can be interpreted a few different ways. I have not even looked at the schematic though, so I may very well be wrong, but the important thing is it solved the problem for a lot of people.
I’ll tell you that in my experience, when a company makes millions of a device, there are gonna be a few duds. Doesn’t make it feel any better when it happens to you, but I always give them a chance to make it right. I had their Bass Battalion for nearly two years when it stopped passing signal. They gave me a repair order and for $25 they replaced it. Might be worth a shot. I first was just happy to have the Preacher be functional, but I actually love it now. It’s an integral part of my distorted sounds.
I had it initially and sold it. Reason is it was reducing output and introducing a lot of white noise. I’m big fan of EHX pedals but this one was simply awful. After researching I decided to give SpectraComp from Tc electronics a go and it worked great. Before getting the preacher it’s good to test it. I think this compressor is rather terrible
That’s exactly why I made the video. There is nothing wrong with the design, but they did a poor job setting them up. Unfortunately first impressions are everything, but after adjusting the input gain I absolutely love it. Basically I wouldn’t recommend anyone buy one, at least not new, but if you already have one here is how to fix it.
@@pfg_pedals great video. I wish I saw it before I sold mine but now I actually enjoy SpectraComp little footprint and tons of presets and settings via app ;)
Of course not. Every reviewer who got one found the low output and loud noise. I was already aware of the internal trim pot because I liked the sound of the compression on my EHX Battalion, which had the exact same issue with the same fix, which is why I took the risk. Most reviewers have an understanding with the manufacturers that they won’t just blast them in a review, so many either didn’t do a review or gave it a negative score. I reached out to EHX and laid the problem out for them but I suspect they will move on to a new model, or a new name, due to the poor execution on their part.
Buying broken stuff for cheap and repairing it yourself is a great way to save money, and this is the easiest repair I've ever seen. Their mistake could be your gain, but you're allowed to follow your own principles.
It's a minor oversight that came from being overly cautious. They set it very conservatively so that high output, active inputs wouldn't distort. I think the bigger mistake was not simply showing how to adjust it in the instructions. If they had done that perhaps this pedal wopuld have a better reputation.
![Small Package, BIG Tones! | Electro Harmonix Bass Soul Food [Review/Demo]](/img/n.gif)
Whoa, this is amazing! Small tweak, huge improvement! Thanks for sharing
Glad it helped.
Thanks! I just got mine last week (second hand from a big UK retailer) and was disappointed with the volume response - this problem is now resolved! Guess that's why it was sold by the previous owner
Probably. They messed up by not putting this in the manual.
I watched this last night and tried tweaking my pedal at rehearsal tonight, made a big difference.
I was looking at replacing mine and this small change means I won’t have to and it now does what I expected it to do.
Cheers 👍🏻
This compressor is awesome. You are right about the noise. I play in a brutal death metal band (which we do touring) with all active electronics on my bass. I just did this mod on this pedal. I really can't think that this really small move can make this pedal THAT better and also reduce the white noise. Thanks a lot for this
That’s awesome. I played in a few DM bands myself. Cognitive being the one that actually went on to your and record, still is actually. Glad this helped.
What BDM band are you in man? Live for slam and sludge.
I’ve been out of the metal realm for some years by now but the one band that I would suggest checking out is Cognitive. I played with them very early on but they’re still putting out quality, brutal albums to this day.
I didn't see that knob and I was unhappy... now I know this little trick and I'm happy again!
Thank you!!
Very informative tutorial! Thanks for making this!!
I stopped using this compressor after few days I bought it. But now is a different story, thank you for this 👍🏼
Thank you so much! Just bought a used one and being so glad to find your video.
Glad it helped you out. In my opinion it’s a great sounding compressor, despite its poor reputation.
Thank you so so soooo much for this! I’m by no means technical, just a simple bassplayer, and never would came up with this solution. This pedal went from meh to a solid A!
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.
Glad i came across this video...i have a Bass Preacher where i have to turn the volume up very high with my passive bass's....i don't use active bass's live, i have a couple of active Ibanez's, an SRX360 & SR E600 that do both active & passive...great for recording active with the Nordstrand pickup's....will have to get a screwdriver out & try this...nice one....👍🎸
Good presentation, useful for anyone buying or owning this pedal 👍
I notice that many of those EHX pedals that contain trim-pots need adjusting by the owner.
For me that includes the “BassBalls” , the “Doctor Q” , among others.
Appreciate this video! I knew the pedal couldn't possibly be that garbage. Sounds much better now after following the video. Thanks 👍
Thanks! This is definitely in my wishlist. I currently have a Digitech bass Squeeze, bau that seems to be more focused on the multiband aspect (with its own merits).
The Bass Squeeze is an overlooked gem, the DBX dual band compression is great. The Preacher is great despite its unfortunate reputation.
Really nice video. I couldn't understand why everything went so quiet when I used the pedal -- I though I just didn't understand what the pedal was all about so I compensated by upping the amp volume. Things are good now. Again, much thanks.
@@darrylstaflund3431 glad it helped.
Greatly much appreciated. I’m just getting one now I will know how to utilize it to the best.
Thank you, I've had the issue of cranking the vol nob to max and not reaching unity. I'm excited to try this out.
It’s gonna make a huge difference. I actually love the sound of this pedal now. At first I was just happy it worked.
@@pfg_pedals yes it's made a huge difference. I can use it without it killing my dirt effects. I know its a bit redundant but I like having some compression going into my fuzz and overdrive.
@@arudd909 I’m glad it helped you. I think it’s a very underrated pedal due to this error in the factory settings. Once I started using compression I never wanted to be without it again. Especially with heavily distorted parts. It just makes everything sound better. Occasionally someone will ask what it does and I tell them it makes you sound good.
I have one of these on my rig. I like it, but was experiencing the same issue. Had no idea about that little trim pot inside! First chance I get, I'm going to give that a go! Thanks 👍
No problem but if the pedal has been working well as is there is probably no need to adjust. If you are having to keep the sustain level low or the output volume maxed out then it definitely needs a tweak.
Thanks for this video I am definately going to give this compressor a try again cheers!
Thanks for watching. Glad I could help.
I got the comp back and adjusted and was surprised it didn’t take much of a turn to give me that volume I cranked it and got some distortion but really only needed a few degrees of turns and it was GTG
Thanks for this. I always open up pedals, like my mini Cry Baby wah, because you can get a far better tone response, etc, so thanks for this. I'm planning on buying one of these, because the ones I did want are too expensive right now, but need compression.
Very helpful video. Thanks for posting.
FYI you have to do this with their Bass Micro Synth pedal too. Mine crapped out and I didn't like it too much; but doing this with it made it sound much better.
Yeah I’m pretty sure it applies to any of their pedals that have the built in compressor.
Does this void the warranty?
@@luukderuijter1332 Not at all. It’s what it’s there for.
I’ve got a 2nd hand one coming from eBay in the next few days. I might mod mine and fit the pot to the side of the pedal
It’s not a bad idea, but once you have it set properly it’s not something that needs to be adjusted frequently, which is probably why they just put it inside. I use two drastically different basses and it works fine with both without having access to the input gain all the time.
Thanks a lot, made my day, almost sold it... but now i love it more than my cali 76 xd
might be a weird questions but would this work with the ehx tone corset since it’s an ehx compressor as well?
I haven’t used that one myself and while it’s possible it has the internal trim pot(s), I can’t say whether they will perform the same function. Edit: I took a quick look and the Corset does have the same internal trim pot and I found reports of players having to do the same thing with the Corset as the Preacher.
Thank you mate! best advice for this bedal!!
That was pure magic! 🥳
Now - anybody who knows why the volume goes down when i raise the sustain? Is this as it should be? Is there other magic tricks?
@@mattiasdahlberg8525 the volume will lower as you raise the sustain, which is why there is a volume control. It’s just a function of how compression works. The problem was that if your Preacher wasn’t properly set inside, you wouldn’t be able to get to unity gain with higher sustain settings.
Thanks a lot! Gonna try that!
Gonna try this immediately thank you
Very helpful, thank you!
Thanks😊
Cheers for some useful info. These are easy to score S/H because the gain trim isn't optimised. This general ignorance represents a golden opportunity. To score a simple half decent compressor for very little money. & turn someone elses $#!t into gold. Other peoples ignorance IS bliss 🤩
Hey Petey. Great video. I plan on getting one of these. How exactly do you make the adjustment on that internal trim pot? Thanks!
Just need a small screwdriver and turn it up a little bit.
Was considering this pedal and would like to hear it demo’d with this mod applied.
I might upload some samples. I’m not necessarily recommending it, this video was for the people who were having trouble with the one they already have. All I can offer is that I’m extremely pleased with it after setting it correctly. If I’m playing, it’s on.
The reviews I heard were very, meh. I thought it was going to be really good and focused on 3 areas (hence the toggle) and easy contouring with only 2 knobs. Perhaps it’s what bass players need? Does your mod affect the “sustain” portion too?
so this tip is useless if i have active bass?
I was using an active bass when I made this video. It is effective for any type of bass.
thank you i will have tommorow my basspreacher i will do that you show
@@pfg_pedals
Don’t simply make the adjustment upon opening the box. If your bass has very high output, or they made the change at the factory, then you could end up with the opposite problem of it being too loud and possibly distorting. If it is too quiet for your needs, then make very small adjustments until you find the right spot. Take your time with it and it will work very well.
Thanks. i was bitterly disappointed in this pedal. Liked the compression sound but the noise and volume drop made it unusable. about to get out the screwdriver
It’s going to sound so much better.
EHX often have internal trimpots to finetune the action. So does my Doctor Q.
yes
So that's the output/makeup gain, not the input. It's boosting output post-compression.
Thanks for the input. According to EHX it sets the gain of the compressor stage, but that can be interpreted a few different ways. I have not even looked at the schematic though, so I may very well be wrong, but the important thing is it solved the problem for a lot of people.
@@pfg_pedals That's been my biggest concern with this pedal, this video talked me into trying one out. Danke
I had this pedal and it started putting out an annoying hum after six months. It's shame, because it was a good sounding pedal for my bass.
I’ll tell you that in my experience, when a company makes millions of a device, there are gonna be a few duds. Doesn’t make it feel any better when it happens to you, but I always give them a chance to make it right. I had their Bass Battalion for nearly two years when it stopped passing signal. They gave me a repair order and for $25 they replaced it. Might be worth a shot. I first was just happy to have the Preacher be functional, but I actually love it now. It’s an integral part of my distorted sounds.
I have to say I'm very much an ehx guy but disappointed hugely, went back to my boss cs-3, avenues superior in character and over all sound
I had it initially and sold it. Reason is it was reducing output and introducing a lot of white noise.
I’m big fan of EHX pedals but this one was simply awful. After researching I decided to give SpectraComp from Tc electronics a go and it worked great.
Before getting the preacher it’s good to test it. I think this compressor is rather terrible
That’s exactly why I made the video. There is nothing wrong with the design, but they did a poor job setting them up. Unfortunately first impressions are everything, but after adjusting the input gain I absolutely love it. Basically I wouldn’t recommend anyone buy one, at least not new, but if you already have one here is how to fix it.
@@pfg_pedals great video. I wish I saw it before I sold mine but now I actually enjoy SpectraComp little footprint and tons of presets and settings via app ;)
The Bass Preacher could have been a home run if they had just put a third knob on front.
@@pfg_pedals It has rather low opinions. Also if you see compressors comparisons etc it is never considered there.
Of course not. Every reviewer who got one found the low output and loud noise. I was already aware of the internal trim pot because I liked the sound of the compression on my EHX Battalion, which had the exact same issue with the same fix, which is why I took the risk. Most reviewers have an understanding with the manufacturers that they won’t just blast them in a review, so many either didn’t do a review or gave it a negative score. I reached out to EHX and laid the problem out for them but I suspect they will move on to a new model, or a new name, due to the poor execution on their part.
I refuse to buy this pedal because these mods should not be necessary. The pedal should work great right out of the box.
Buying broken stuff for cheap and repairing it yourself is a great way to save money, and this is the easiest repair I've ever seen. Their mistake could be your gain, but you're allowed to follow your own principles.
Quite shameful from a brand like Electro-Harmonix 😮
It's a minor oversight that came from being overly cautious. They set it very conservatively so that high output, active inputs wouldn't distort. I think the bigger mistake was not simply showing how to adjust it in the instructions. If they had done that perhaps this pedal wopuld have a better reputation.
@
Thankx for thé clarity 👍🏼