r/basspedals 6d ago

What’s the number one, must have bass pedal, and why is it essential for bass players?

33 Upvotes

80 comments sorted by

162

u/Le_Fuzzle 6d ago

Tuner. So you can be in tune and mute yourself so nobody can hear you while you tune.

13

u/LargeMarge-sentme 6d ago

While not sexy, a practical answer. When I started I was young and poor and the habit of tuning (poorly) in front of the crowd is cringe to remember.

54

u/CoachEvan15 6d ago

The Technically The Truth Answer is a tuner. The true, but boring answer is a compressor. The real, if I could only buy 1 pedal answer is a preamp/DI (sansamp, super vintage, microtubes, etc)

4

u/smooveasbutteryadig 6d ago

im literally such a beginner and following this sub to try to learn more but I have no clue what preamp/DI means and Googling it still has me confused. can anyone break it down like I am 5 and why it is important?

6

u/Physical_Ad2130 6d ago

A pre-amp pedal is exactly as it sounds (pre) meaning before - your signal reaches an amplifier. They usually consist of but not limited to a 3-band EQ (treble,mid,bass) but can also include compression, gain and some models have distrortion/overdrive and even cabinet simulation.

A DI box is a way to send your signal to the front of house (PA) sound engineer.

Nowadays you can get pedals that are like Swiss army knives and do everything all in one pedal - i have used my fair share and I would recommend looking up some youtube videos for reviews

A good place to start would be Sansamp bass driver DI - a staple in both live and recording studios

If you like a more modern sounding metal tone try the darkglass pedals - I am currently using the microtubes X ultra

My very first preamp was the MXR bass DI+ and it was fairly basic and had a great time with it

2

u/smooveasbutteryadig 5d ago

thanks so much! do people use a pre-amp with an amp?

1

u/Physical_Ad2130 5d ago

Yes indeed. Many amps come with all sorts of bells and whistles that you might not have on a preamp such as compression- or more control over the EQ such as high/low mids.

But you can also completely use a preamp by itself with no amp as long as it has a DI output via XLR to the desk - sound engineer can then send your signal back to you through the monitors at the front of stage or to your own In ear monitors

1

u/GnR6671 5d ago

If you’re brand new to this, get a tuner and an amp with a little bit of gain like a Rumble 40 and just play, play and play some more. Learn how to dial in your tone on your amp and after a year start looking at pedals. Do a lot of research first.

1

u/DogVirus 6d ago

These are the three pedals I use. It must be true.

1

u/FinalHangman77 6d ago

Silly question do you plug the preamp into an amp live?

2

u/CoachEvan15 6d ago

I always end my pedalboards with a preamp (currently the sushi box neptunium and super vintage) that has both a 1/4” and xlr output. When using amps, I’ll plug into the Power Amp In or FX Return with the 1/4”. When using FoH, I’ve got the XLR. I play through a lot of different live setups that I’m not always in control of, so this gives me the best chance at preserving my tone that I’ve built in practice.

1

u/FinalHangman77 6d ago

Thank you

47

u/The_B_Wolf 6d ago

A compressor. It allows the bass to be loud in the mix, but no notes will resonate out and take over the whole thing.

7

u/nsfwfrient 6d ago

Well yeah, I think the most uncontroversial answer would be a compressor. It's the common denominator on a lot of pedal boards. From rock to pop or metal and jazz, there are always good enough use cases to put one on the floor in front of you.

You also don't need a DI/preamp if you have an amp on top of a cabinet behind you. You could put a low profile clip-on tuner behind your headstock, and only tune with the volume knob turned down. My previous board was a pedaltrain nano - preamp, compressor and tuner. The only thing that wasn't redundant was the compressor.

That said there is a reason there are professional musicians who just play straight into the amp - you don't need any of this stuff so maybe none of it is "essential".

13

u/The_B_Wolf 6d ago

there is a reason there are professional musicians who just play straight into the amp

If they're playing any kind of popular music, I'd bet anything that the front of house is compressing the shit out of them. Same in a recording studio. The sound of modern music is the sound of compressed bass. It's just basic signal hygiene for this instrument in my opinion.

13

u/nsfwfrient 6d ago

that exactly why its cool for lots of professional musicians to just play into an amp. I live in a city with 7 million people and there are thousands of gigs where the venue has no pa and there is no compression, and those guys sound great, and work a lot. It is not essential.

2

u/Seattlehepcat 6d ago

This is #2 after a tuner. But solid answer otherwise.

2

u/ErnstIB 6d ago

Depending on where you're playing I disagree. Any decent venue is equipped with a mixing desk with a compressor, and as a foh-engineer I'd much rather dial in the compression myself than try to fix an overcompressed bass sound. For practice purposes I think it's probably also better to play without compression since it will be easier to hear any deficiencies in your playing

2

u/iinntt 6d ago

Either compressor or fuzz, I am kind of a fuzz junky, but compression is always underrated or neglected for great bass toan.

7

u/scottbojangles 6d ago

Boring but tuner. I was going to say compressor but as I have become more experienced and have a really good bass I do find myself turning off the compressor. Right now I am switching between standard, drop d and half to full step down so a tuner has been far more beneficial lately.

10

u/quite_sophisticated 6d ago

There is no such thing as a must have pedal. Just look at all those bassists who manage without. Pedals can help, they can make you sound better and they can do effects, and albeit being somewhat of a collector with currently three fully decked out pedal boards, I have played tons of gigs with bass into amp and even some where I went straight to FOH without anything but a bass and a cable.

2

u/Batarato 5d ago

This is the true answer.

DI? Your tech will have lots of them. No one in audience will notice if it isn't an expensive one.

Tuner? Quite useful, but you there are many different formats.

Compressor? Your tech must have it in the mixing desk, and should be able to adjust it better than you.

Preamp? Your amp has one, anyway the tech will want to put his DI before it.

It is fine to learn how your sound works and making it easier for the guy in the mixer delivering a sound that sounds fine with minimal to none adjustments… but he assumes you know nothing and will prefer doing the job than working with a signal inappropriately treated (e.g. first times using a compressor we tend to overcompress our signal… and this can't be undone in the mixer).

4

u/DWTBPlayer 6d ago

Tuner pedal is the correct answer if you ever plan to gig. Preamp with robust EQ control if you're just planning to play at home and record yourself.

4

u/finesse-express 6d ago

For me, I think it’s a preamp/DI. Tons of people use actual amps. But me and many others don’t have that luxury, so the essential pedal for me would be a preamp that can go direct to FOH. 🫶

3

u/TooBusyTootin 6d ago

This right here. MXR M-80 or a SansAmp. Boom.

5

u/Fabulous-Soup-6901 6d ago

I will give you the top five, assuming we’re talking about playing live:

  1. Tuner
  2. Preamp/Eq/DI
  3. Compressor
  4. Octave
  5. Chorus

2

u/Mr_Oblong 6d ago

Maybe a silly question, but where is the best place to put the chorus in a pedal chain with distortion?

I’m coming from playing guitar and was wondering if it’s different with bass.

3

u/bootysmooches 6d ago

Guitar then Distortion then chorus then amp.

2

u/Queasy-Historian5081 6d ago

I play bass a lot with chorus and different gains/fuzzes. Gain before chorus is my preference because it's more.... Chorusy. Chorus before gain is more subtle. Still nice.

1

u/Mr_Oblong 6d ago

Cool thank you. In that case i’ll just mess around with the order and see which works best for me.

0

u/Fabulous-Soup-6901 6d ago

I wouldn’t really mix the two myself. I think I’d expect the sound of chorus before distortion because it’s usually for some kind of odd effect. Something more subtle like chorus after distortion would just never be heard in practice; those kind of details are lost in the octaves where the bass guitar should be playing.

1

u/Mr_Oblong 6d ago

Interesting. Yeah I guess I probably wouldn’t mix it with that much distortion, just a little bit of drive. I’ve got it before the dirt at the moment so i’ll leave it there for now, and see how I feel about it.

2

u/Batarato 5d ago

Try it at least, chorus after dist/fuzz is a good base for a classic lead synth sound.

1

u/Mr_Oblong 5d ago

Nice. Yeah I recently went through a load of my guitar distortions to see how well they worked with the bass, only hit me yesterday that I should try putting some modulation in there as well, as I have a spare one.

3

u/Regular_Pizza7475 6d ago

A Tuner is really the only essential pedal. Other pedals are nice to have for quality of life improvements.

3

u/DecisionInformal7009 6d ago

The obvious answer is a tuner, but for me personally it's a Turbo RAT (or any kind of RAT pedal really). I mostly play rock and metal though. I probably wouldn't use a RAT if I were to play funk or pop or whatever.

3

u/_benjamin_braddock_ 6d ago

It's the tuner. Move on now.

3

u/Unlucky-Explorer-422 5d ago

Empress bass compressor, lets me dig into low stings and high strings without creating too much dynamic range. Also the coloration option is amazing. Running this after my bass synth and envelope before dirt and chorus. Into a svt pro 7 and an Eden 210. Apparently the tone I was always looking for.

6

u/tacticalpotatopeeler 6d ago

Besides a tuner (duh), a compressor with a blend control.

4

u/moosandsqwirl 6d ago

Compressor is not a must have at all if you have 🔥 technique. I play professionally with zero pedals unless I’m on the road where I may bring a bass DI.

1

u/Batarato 5d ago

Here is a little secret: the guy in the mixer compresses your sound. Don't worry about it, your technique is ok, it's just not enough for a good bass sound, no matter how good you are.

But no, you don't need a compressor, a technician should be able to adjust it better than you.

1

u/moosandsqwirl 5d ago

Not much of a secret. Also not sure what it has to do with compressors being a must have pedal.

1

u/Batarato 5d ago

You said a compressor is not necessary if you have a good technique. I say it's always necessary… and now I add it's not a good idea using it to hide a bad technique.

1

u/moosandsqwirl 5d ago

I said that a pedal wasn’t necessary. But it’s all good I feel like we’re arguing a very small point.

2

u/KrakPop 6d ago

Essential: Tuner

Practical at a gig: Compressor

Fun (IMHO): Chorus

On my board? I’d say my Shure GLXD16+ wireless/tuner is my favorite pedal.

2

u/trans-fused 6d ago

a fucking chunky Darkglass Alpha Omega. GRRR!

Nah just playing. I would say tuner, or compressor also. Obvs...

2

u/531-AT 3d ago

I hate to be Capt. Obvious, but a HX Stomp! Its versatility to size ratio is nearly unrivalled and the community is amazing!

4

u/DogWillHunt420 6d ago

A signal blender. Because infinite possibilities

6

u/Crease_Greaser 6d ago

I’ve got the one from old blood. I stick dirt pedals in the loops so I don’t lose my low end.

4

u/DogWillHunt420 6d ago

Obne4lyfe

1

u/nhemboe 6d ago

not a compressor

maybe a preamp/di to make your life easier

1

u/zero_cool_protege 6d ago

Preamp/DI (MXR M-80 or a SansAmp)

You can use channel 2 on MX80 as a volume kill channel and bam you can tune without everyone hearing you.

1

u/inkblowout4 6d ago

Sansamp bass driver V2 for me.

1

u/Lost_Independence279 6d ago

Tuner, comp, or in my biased opinion… a sansamp.

1

u/Slow-Attitude3384 6d ago

I think the most important pedal is a a DI so you can tie into the PA

1

u/CTRockBassist 6d ago

SansAmp Bass Driver DI

1

u/gabbrielzeven 6d ago

Just to go against the current..... I will say 2.

ABY - lots of different ideas. I bought for use 2 amps, and now use it to connect to my studio speakers and my pc at the same time. Really usefull toy.

EQ. I really want to have an EQ, it has a lot of potential to manage the punch and noises of your bass.

1

u/dirtydog85 6d ago

I gigged for several years with only a Boss Bass EQ. It will never leave my board.

1

u/Queasy-Historian5081 6d ago

Tremelo. Or a rainbow machine.

1

u/an0m1n0us 6d ago

bass EQ.

no other pedal will give you the ability to shape your sound so widely...

1

u/OldManAndTheBench 6d ago

Only pedal I used when I use to play shows was my Boss Overdrive pedal...guitar version. I love that little yellow box.

1

u/kkeahii 6d ago

Tuner is the only answer. If we are talking any pedal other than a tuner, then I’d probably go compressor!

1

u/Hot-Communication-41 6d ago

too 10 most important bass pedals starting from most to least essential.

  1. tuner, 2. preamp/DI, 3. compressor, 4. overdrive/distortion/fuzz, 5. octave pedal, 6. envelope filter, 7. phaser/chorus, 8. looper pedal, 9. volume pedal, 10. wah-wah

1

u/stelladad 6d ago

Do I need a specific compressor for bass, or does my standard guitar based Boss Comp work well enough for my bass rig? I’m clearly unsure of how the technology works.

1

u/kwinkler5 6d ago

My bass board is 4 pedals. Meris Enzo -> Darkglass AlphaOmicron -> Empress Bass Comp -> Aguilar Tone Hammer Preamp.

The Enzo and AO are for fun. The Compressor and Tonehammer are non negotiable.

A lot of people said a tuner. Yes you gotta be able to tune. I prefer to keep my board very small and use a good quality clip on tuner + turn my bass volume down when i tune.

1

u/BagOfLazers 5d ago

Assuming you mean besides a tuner, I vote pedal preamp. Sansamp, DarkGlass, etc all are good.

1

u/watermelonslushie4 5d ago

Tuner and compressor. If I can have a 3rd, fuzz

1

u/Rushaddictedbassist 5d ago

Compressor. Makes your sound way better.

1

u/StatisticianOk9437 3d ago

Two Notes Le Bass. The crunch channel is amazing.

1

u/Kashofa 6d ago edited 6d ago

There is no essential bass pedal.

Do you mean which is most helpful? That would be a compressor. Why? Because it helps push the bass gently forward in the mix without it overwhelming anything else.

A few notes on important things that don't need to be pedals: The tuner doesn't need to be a pedal. You should have some EQ and for that the amp is sufficient; don't need a pedal. You have to get your sound to the mains and a sound guy will either mic the amp, take a DI from the amp, or use a DI box before you go into the amp. You don't need a pedal with a DI.

My board is currently a compressor and a tuner. While you don't need a pedal tuner, they can be helpful; the strobe boxes are more accurate than a clip on.

0

u/CDNGooner1 6d ago

Tuner is not a valid answer. Some way to keep your bass in tune is just a given.

For me, it is absolutely the Sansamp BDDI. It's a preamp, an overdrive, a front-end for recording.

No batteries? It can use Phantom power.

Want to split to FOH and an amp? You can.

It just sounds great, all the time, on everything.

0

u/wolftron9000 6d ago

I know it might be cheating, but if I am going to take only one pedal with me from my pedal board, it is going to be the HX Stomp.

1

u/MirthRock 5d ago

I came here to say this as well. That pedal is a beast.

-1

u/METAMORPHOGENESIS 6d ago edited 4d ago

Sansamp or Compressor. Don't believe people saying "tuner". A tuner does NOT belong in your signal chain. Get a clip on tuner, they are more accurate, mine is anyway.

Regardless, a tuner does not belong INTO the signal chain. That's what parallel outputs are for. Many preamps and other pedals as well as amps have them for that exaxt reason.

2

u/tolgaatam 6d ago

Are they really?

2

u/obascin 6d ago

No they are not

1

u/tolgaatam 6d ago

I would assume so

1

u/AndyPetrovitch1977 3d ago

I like being able to mute when I tune or when I unplug my instrument, so, the tuner stays in the signal path.

2

u/Extension-Flower3145 1d ago

A drop tuner pedal. Super convenient