Pedal recommendations

[drbassman]

I've never had, or thought about, using pedals with my rig.  However, in my quest for deep throbbing bass (excuse the shades of gray innuendo), is there a pedal I could employ that would help me deepen/improve the low end on my rig?  I'm not looking for overdriven stuff, just a fatter, rounder bass response.  I'm finding just turning up the bass control and backing down on the mids and trebles often makes things muffled and indistinct.  My biggest problem is we are a 3 piece band and I need a lot of low end to fill the gaps and I'm not quite there yet.

Just wondering.............

[Psycho Bass Guy]

The long discontinued Trace Elliot SMX Dual Compressor pedal can do that. The EQ balance knob is a single slope active EQ and can dial in thundering lows and any highs that are needed can be dialed back in with the "highs" part of split-band compressor. As a bonus, dialing in just a hair of low end compression can help tame excessive boominess in bass-heavy rooms   I use one a preamp for my tube power amps. Unfortunately, they're very rare and quite often broken. The Ashdown version is supposedly the same or a similar circuit, but I've never encountered one.

[Granny Gremlin]

Maybe it's just my specific pedal, but I find that a phaser really ups the low end without affecting defenition (especially when I have a bit of OD in front of it - aka mild compression).  I have an Ibanez PH99 Classic Phase (and Boss Dual OD). 

I'd also suggest trying a compression pedal (with or without a phaser after it) or the Aphex bass exciter thingy (though I have only used the rack version Aural Exciter with Big Bottom - works well but very easy to overdo it, find a spot you like and then back it off a bit).

 http://www.aphex.com/products/legacy/xciter/ or http://www.aphex.com/products/legacy/1401-xciter/

disco'd but easy to get on ebay.
 

[drbassman]

Maybe it's just my specific pedal, but I find that a phaser really ups the low end without affecting defenition (especially when I have a bit of OD in front of it - aka mild compression).  I have an Ibanez PH99 Classic Phase (and Boss Dual OD). 

I'd also suggest trying a compression pedal (with or without a phaser after it) or the Aphex bass exciter thingy (though I have only used the rack version Aural Exciter with Big Bottom - works well but very easy to overdo it, find a spot you like and then back it off a bit).

 http://www.aphex.com/products/legacy/xciter/ or http://www.aphex.com/products/legacy/1401-xciter/

disco'd but easy to get on ebay.

Hey, the Exciter is a nice looking pedal.  I like the features and simplicity.  Might give one a go.

Anyone else?  I do remember when a Sans Amp pedal was all the rage.

[clankenstein]

if you want to go the trace elliot way i have a dual compressor pedal that i dont use anymore.

[chromium]

I was thinking "compressor" as well, when I read your post.

Here's a high level description of what those do:
http://www.studybass.com/gear/bass-effects/bass-compressors/

I've found that subtle application of one for live use helps add a fullness to the bass sound without muddying it up.

There are a ton of pedal options, like the Aphex Punch Factory or the Trace mentioned above.  I've been using a DBX166a (old, used $75 rack comp) to good effect.

[slinkp]

The EBS dual-band compressor is nice too.  Mine got lost

[Psycho Bass Guy]

The biggest tonal imprint of the Trace Elliot comes from the EQ balance. Its compression truly is more of "compression as a sound effect" because the volume increases with higher settings and there are no provisions for setting limiting levels. It works for me as a preamp, but it doesn't have of the controls of most "true" compressors.

[drbassman]

if you want to go the trace elliot way i have a dual compressor pedal that i dont use anymore.

Check your messages.

[amptech]

My biggest problem is we are a 3 piece band and I need a lot of low end to fill the gaps and I'm not quite there yet.

I thought that was why we had mudbuckers

[Aussie Mark]

Akai Unibass

[Highlander]

Mud... Mud.... Glorious Mud... nothing quite like it for improving the THUD...

[Pilgrim]

For a bigger sound and more fill, I find that a reverb pedal on bass isn't bad at all.  It doesn't fit everywhere, but a moderate amount doesn't call attention to itself.

Of course, I keep a reverb pedal on my board, so when you have a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail.

[Basvarken]

I've never had, or thought about, using pedals with my rig.  However, in my quest for deep throbbing bass (excuse the shades of gray innuendo), is there a pedal I could employ that would help me deepen/improve the low end on my rig?  I'm not looking for overdriven stuff, just a fatter, rounder bass response.  I'm finding just turning up the bass control and backing down on the mids and trebles often makes things muffled and indistinct.  My biggest problem is we are a 3 piece band and I need a lot of low end to fill the gaps and I'm not quite there yet.

Just wondering.............

Maybe an octaver would be the most logical choice if you need to fill the sonic space when your guitarist sets off to shred land.
I sometimes go higher up the neck and use the octaver function on the POG2 so I take care of the guitar frequencies (bass higher up the neck) and bass frequencies (first and second lower octave added).
Or I play chords with some overdrive added.

[Aussie Mark]

Maybe an octaver would be the most logical choice if you need to fill the sonic space when your guitarist sets off to shred land.

Hence my mention of the Akai Unibass - it adds an octave above, a 4th below, or a 5th above, plus has a distortion control as well.  Very big sound for a 3 piece when the guitarist is soloing.