Tomsline Shaper

Does a good job behind “character” pedals to vary their sounds; the EQ sounds as good as the pedals’ own “cabs”, and has distinct settings. Accurate? Sure, why not, especially with some ambience added. I think I paid US$20 shipped; I use it on my DI board.

EHX Bass Clone

My Reverb.com review:

5 stars

Chorus w/ crossover & EQ

May 18, 2017

I’ve a few chorus pedals, Boss, Digicrap, Zoom, Vox, etc. While they sorta do it on bass, (some are meant to, some are for guitar) plugging this in found the bass chorus sound in my head. The EQ is going to be very useful, the bass-boost is substantial. I like the crossover, which actually doesn’t change the EQ like I feared it might, but just applies the chorus effect above the crossover point. Nice small size (like the newer pre’s and nano stuff), comes with a battery. So, whether for subtle thickening or a much heavier (tho’ not quite “underwater”) chorusing, you can clone me in.

Z Vex Box o’ Rocks

Now, J. Mascis used to call this his fave dirt and I can see why. It is NOT over the top, closer to the SHO then the Mammoth, but damn do it sound good. And why Mascis “used to”? Because he had ’em build a Double Box to stack ’em what is pretty cool but not for me, but then I ain’t J.

5/5 olives

Z Vex Distortron

Marshall-inna-box is the cliche, but true. The triple sub thing is what sets it apart and makes it invaluable on bass. But, run a boost pedal into it with guitar and say goodbye to yer lease.  I mean, even in front of a 15w. amp, you’ll be killin’ skeeters and have the cops visit.

5/5 olives.

Z Vex Super Duper 2 in 1

This is a secret pedal of mine for bass. I use it into my Ampeg BA 108 (ver. 1) and get all kindsa inspired and sometimes can’t stop playin’.

But, it’s a secret, y’all, so don’t tell no one. (Pretty good on guitar, also, altho’ I have other preferences …)

5/5 olives

Hofner Fuzz

OK, I got mine, so lemme say some pedal-maker guy at Reverb mentioned how flexible was the Hofner Fuzz pedal. Now, it’s made in China, it’s kinda a plainish military grey rectangle box, and it can be noisy, but damn if he wasn’t correct. I’m a distortion-pedal kinda guy, and boosts and fuzz and such gimme wood. This one (US$35 or so) is as much fun as my recently acquired Z Vex’s. I mean, it’s not anywhere built as nice nor looks as nice, but it sure sounds good – it’s fun! And if ya ain’t believe me, you might be one of my neighbors … 4/5 olives, cuz it’s built mebbe cheap in China, and it’s a touch noisy …

Z Vex Vexter Super Dooper 2 in 1

The Super Duper 2in1 is terrific on bass into my recording amp (Ampeg BA 108), it ups the Ampegnessossity.

 

5 olives.

Some short inexpensive LDC’s& MDC’s for vocals reviews

In answer to a friend’s query:

For a relatively inexpensive MDC or LDC I could easily reco for vocals:

Sterling ST6050 Ocean Way – lots of depth, sounds kinda vintage, sweet top

MXL Genesis FET – brighter than the 6050, not dissimilar

Sennheiser MK4 – very clean, neutral and accurate

Shure KSM27 (MDC) – nicely colored for vocals, fairly neutral, a little bright

ADK A6 – no color, neutral, seems dark because of that

Blue Spark – like a lot of less expensive LDC’s, but cleaner, and has a switchable cap for color

AT 4040 (MDC) – nicely colored, a little bright, accurate, can have some vocal artifacts at times, nice on OH’s

M-Audio Luna – a fave on vocals, very colored, vintage sounding

M-Audio Solaris – multi-pattern version of the Luna -I prefer the Luna, but they are close

CAD GLX 3000 – like a lot of less expensive LDC’s, but cleaner, slightly colored

CAD M179 – accurate, kind of dark, nice on OH’s

Yamaha YC – a short review

As posted at reverb.com:

I write play rock (on guitar, bass vox – keys is for fill-in) , and I need to get some organ sounds going on. I have 3 Casios and a Yamaha, the kind with built in speakers. They do OK cheese, but … I have a nice Yamaha S-03 what sounds great, but is relatively big, needs a stand, is a PITA to program and set up. I have a Microkorg, what sounds like a Korg synth – if you play synth, you know what I mean; organ is possible, but … I have a Arturia Microbrute – oh, what a lucky man, I am. Then I found a good price here on this – all my roots-rock and other organ needs is met. It sounds great with built in leslie (tone, fast, slow), distortion and reverb effects, adjustable attack (the key-hit part of the sound – think B3, and Billy Preston) and drawbars. It has 4 patches to start out, (Yama, Hammond, Vox, etc.) and is about infinitely adjustable. And it’s very portable, 3/4 sized, wall-warted, and it’s almost Nord red. FWIW, I spent a lot of time looking for a case and went with the Gator 21″ (one for the MicroK, also). IMNSFHO, this rules. (Can be heard on the most recent stuff on bandcamp under Vlayman).

My Friday nite recording adventures

So, last night, at the instigation of the drummer, we again did “improv” recording. (I gotta getta better name for that, because they’re really a little more structured.) In a exchange of emails during the week, he indicated how cool last week’s session was, and let’s do it again. This time, while I brought my head and bottom, (and my amp and cabinet), I left the bass stuff in the truck, except my Hohner B2B j-style.  Tom had his 30 w. Peavey Classic (what a sweet amp), also, but we never plugged it in. I DI’d and I gotta say, the hi-z input on the Zoom R16 is really, really good, with this bass – I get a very convincing and inspirational grind out of it what rules for monitoring in cans, altho’ I typically re-amp or at least heavily EQ ifd I keep the trax. I have a cheap Zoom 505 multi-FX and so I had Tom dick wiffit whilst I set up the drum mic’s, what were typical but slightly altered in that there were only 5: E6502 on kick; SM57 on snare; SP C4’s in XY for OH’s (again on that imaginary snare/kick bisexting line opposite the hats) RE320 looking across the rack toms, pointing at ye olde floor toms The eighth track on the R16 was a SM58 for yo’s vocal styleeings. Aiight, and since we agreed to do this as of Thursday, I got up at 8:30 AM Friday (I took the day off already) and by 10:15 I had the lyrics to 5 choons. 1 6-pack Lagunitas IPA – like, yum. So then, wif me seated behind the recorder and Tom to me right as we faced the kit, we started on each song.  First, we either chose some chords (“Hey, Tom, what’s yer fave 3 chords?”) or used a word (one song as FAGG for the verse) or started witha bass riff inna single chord.  Then I would take a cupopla minnitz to fit the bass to the lyrics, and then we’d write the chorus and whatever bridge.  Going thru the parts we’d work out the derrangement, and also candy-shite like where to  put stops and breakdowns and one choon even opens wif just bass and vocal. Then we’d do a practice partial-run of the parts. Then – and half the time the other guys didn’t know – we’d be recording the take. Most were first takes, of 5 we did do two fecund takes. The results? Mebbe I’ll post a ruff inna while as I have 58 minnitz of 8 tracks I’ve just started on, but, I think, as far as the drums go, stellar.  And that was the idear, to get drum tracks to the songs to what we will in the coming weeks overdub the guitars and the bass and the alleged singing and do all the sweetening  and mixing and masturding, etc. We have so much stuff with Tom, now, I am gonna publish some tracks of just me and Mark (and a couple with Herr Grankenspoine) as MVx2 separately, and come up with a new project name for this aggregation. Did I mention we’re having a blast? Azza aside, we recorded between 6:00 and 10:30, and then sat around until 1:00 AM tellin’ war stories.

carpal diem! THD vlayman blog vlayman.bandcamp.com thehungrydrunx.bandcamp.com