All the gear? Now get an idea

Secret_Sam

Most of the threads are about buying stuff. So for variety, here's one about using stuff.

Like Viz Top Tips, but probably not as funny.

What are your recipes for sounds? 

A couple for bass players as a start:

Octave down blended with the dry signal can make the instrument sound massive when playing in mid registers (obviously it doesn't do so much for your bottom E, because there's not much further down to go)

Octave up can create a useful synthy solo sound

Chorus used to be a cheesy 90s fusion solo sound, but done slow and subtle, it's the secret sauce in the bass sound for Sledgehammer. Phase also works for this 

EQ after distortion to re-emphasise the bottom end. This is often a better result than blending in a clean signal

On the other hand, clean blend works really well with compression on bass. Solid and dynamic at the same time 

If you play bass solos, recording a verse or two into a looper means you are not the only sucker in the band having to solo without the support of a baseline.  This assumes your drummer can keep time with the looper 

Right, now it's your turn.

AntonHunter

Good shout!

Boost or compressor into a volume pedal then into a medium-length analogue delay followed by a longer digital delay is great for ambient swells. I've used this for pad-type sounds in loads of bands. Set the feedback on the delays moderately high without self-oscillation, and it works best when the delay times aren't immediate multiples of each other.

Secret_Sam

103 views and just one idea.

Are musos more shy than they used to be?

nero1701

Compressors with hollowbodies tend to give feedback..

Fez

Tame shrill Strat bridge pick up by kicking in a tube screamer with the turned fully anti clockwise.

mrkb

Secret_Sam said:

103 views and just one idea.

Are musos more shy than they used to be?

Ok, I’ll bite.  “If you play bass solos”….don’t!

maharg101

New strings, straight into a good amp. Works every time

DesVegas

A light od after a filtered delay gives you great control over the delays eq

GoFish

Try a fuzz into an envelope filter. Go on, try it! Fuzz into a range of other effects produces interesting, sometimes discernable sounds.

roberty

Super Fuzz style fuzz into a regular block logo Phase 90. Absolutely glorious

flying_pie

Putting a Boss metal zone straight into the FX loop is less bad than putting a Boss metal zone into the front of your amp

AntonHunter

Slightly more specific, but here's a couple of videos I thought would be the start of a series, but, y'know, life gets in the way etc

thecolourbox

Save money on expensive reverb pedals by only ever playing in a big church, aeroplane hangar, or in the whispering gallery at St Paul's.

Likewise, save money on expensive delay pedals by simply learning to play everything twice in quick succession

TTBZ

EQ pedals can be the best clean boost pedal out there.

A Marshall amp is the best MIAB you can get. I was on an endless MIAB hunt til I decided to stop messing about and get the real thing. 

flying_pie

TTBZ said:

EQ pedals can be the best clean boost pedal out there.

Absolutely.

Also an EQ pedal at the front of the chain is a great way of cleaning up your overdriven amp into a crunch tone without having to worry about your guitars volume knob.

And an EQ pedal in the FX loop with a mid boost and high/low cut is an ideal instant lead tone.

And an EQ can even give a passable cab sim for into the PA.

EQ pedals are great. I could live with a pedal board of just EQs (and a delay.- shame you can't do that with an EQ)

Winny_Pooh

Secret_Sam said:

103 views and just one idea.

Are musos more shy than they used to be?

So smart, what on earth did we do before you joined?

Re bass, I like an analog octaver (Foxrox octron) with the dry signal off, then play an octave higher for fat synthy vibes.

A slow phase 45 is a good substitute for chorus. 

Aidanspaghetti

flying_pie said:

Putting a Boss metal zone straight into the bin is less bad than putting a Boss metal zone into the front of your amp

Fixed that for ya!

Grangousier

Likewise, save money on expensive delay pedals by simply learning to play everything twice in quick succession

Or get one or more friends to play exactly the same thing as you but just afterwards. You can also use clones for this, or versions of yourself who have wandered through a portal from a parallel universe. 

AntonHunter

Grangousier said:

Likewise, save money on expensive delay pedals by simply learning to play everything twice in quick succession

Or get one or more friends to play exactly the same thing as you but just afterwards. You can also use clones for this, or versions of yourself who have wandered through a portal from a parallel universe. 

I wasn't aware of him prior to this I don't think, but this is excellent.

Fez

mrkb said:

Secret_Sam said:

103 views and just one idea.

Are musos more shy than they used to be?

Ok, I’ll bite.  “If you play bass solos”….don’t!

Drums stop bad - drums stop...................bass solo

digitalscream

For recording high-gain stuff...consider what you're playing when setting the gain levels.

For chunky muted rhythm stuff...start with low gain, and keep raising it bit-by-bit until you get the right level of chonk.

For squealy pinched harmonics...start with low gain, and keep raising it bit-by-bit until you get the right level of squealies.

For smooth lead tones...start with low gain, and keep raising it bit-by-bit until you get the right level of Vai that sustains just enough for the longest note in the part you're playing.

You may notice a pattern.

It's slightly different for live work, because of the interaction between the speaker and the strings. Ergo...only start setting the gain when you've got the volume at actual gig level. And, as you turn the gain up, turn the bass EQ down.

This is all basic stuff which everyone should know, but it kills me how many folk I see at gigs doing it ass-backwards, setting their gain before they turn it up and then completely disappearing in the mix.

Bonus tip: if you have two guitarists, one of them should use a subtle chorus on their high-gain rhythm sound. It instantly differentiates the two in the mix without having to faff with EQ, even if you keep it so subtle as to be nearly unnoticeable.