What ways are you folks using DELAY or REVERB effects with your Bass Playing?

[TryinTaGetBack]

What are some of the ways you folks are using DELAY or REVERB effects with your Bass Playing?

I know that there's plenty of music that features delay/reverb on Bass - so I'm interested in hearing What sorts of musical adventures in which you all are using that.

And what pedals you're using to get those sounds -

Thanks!

 

[sloppy_phil]

Welcome to TB!

I use delay as a very sparing effect during spacey dub sections with various reggae bands. It's a glitch delay setting on the Dr. Scientist BitQuest, so definitely a niche sound, even within delay which is already kind of a niche sound with bass.

As for reverb, I really only tend to use it when doing synth bass type sounds, as a thickener and for some added atmosphere. The reverb is used mostly with a specific improv/jam trio that embraces weird sounds. So, again, quite niche. And even then, I try to make sure I don't wash out the attack of the bass, or fundamental, too much. This is still a foundation instrument!

 

[Plucky The Bassist]

Reverb has worked ok for me in recording, but never could get the hang of it with a live mix...that was what got me looking into Delay for live applications.

Sorta stumbled onto a setting I liked by accident, but I just use a simple Digitech Digital Delay pedal (silver one) on the Tape Delay setting. Not too many echoes, but I want the notes to trail off long and have a little bit of warble for coloration. Pair it up with a good chorus pedal or flanger and it sounds pretty awesome IMO.

I'd wager a real tape delay or analog delay pedal will have different flavor, but thus far the Digi has done well enough for me.

 

[Geogio]

I use delay as a very sparing effect during spacey dub sections with various reggae bands.

Similar usage for me but a reverse delay for those spacy interludes.

 

[PhR75]

I use delay mainly with a volume pedal for soundscapes or sometimes for rhyhmic stuff.
80's Ibanez Delay II DDL10 or Ibanez Digital Delay DLL or if I need longer delay times a Digitech Hardwire DL-8.

 

[bassbrad]

Welcome to TB. I always like a touch of room or air reverb on bass, that has been a trick I learned ages ago in the studio. For synth sounds delay and reverb help to complete the sound. On some sounds for songs or solos I might add a synched delay especially for melody or sparse parts.

 

[amper]

I don’t really use delay on bass, unless I am covering Pale Saints’ “A Thousand Stars Burst Open”—the only song I can think of that uses delay on bass that I might be likely to play, none of my own music uses delay on bass—and I use reverb only sparingly for sparse, quiet music, usually only as a side player. Current reverbs include the Boss RV-6, tc electronic HOF mini, and Boss GT-1000Core (which also does delay). The only other reverb pedals on my possibly to buy list are the One Control BJFe Prussian Blue and maybe the Tasty Chips Integral convolution IR reverb. I probably won’t ever buy another delay pedal.

 

[smogg]

What are some of the ways you folks are using DELAY or REVERB effects with your Bass Playing?

I know that there's plenty of music that features delay/reverb on Bass - so I'm interested in hearing What sorts of musical adventures in which you all are using that.

And what pedals you're using to get those sounds -

Thanks!

Pink Floyd

 

[IPA]

short scale bass with flats and a mute into spring reverb for surf/spy vibes

 

[Thumpin6string]

I use reverb with chorus on my fretless. It accentuates the mwah.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Only in the studio. The barest touch of reverb. Delay/ slap-back on bass? Nah. Me: "What? Where the hell is one?"

 

[blastoff]

in one band we do some spacy western style songs. i add a delay and palm mute with a pick for a sort of Morricone vibe. pigtronix constellator is honestly my favorite delay i just wish it was bigger! way huge aquapuss has a nice flavor to it. mxr carbon copy is solid and reliable but the repeats get really trebly. same with aquapuss really. if you want a really cool delay with lots of freakout options the DOD rubberneck is awesome

 

[JimmyM]

I’ve tried and it doesn’t work for me. Delay throws people off, reverb I used to like till I discovered that unless I’m doing a solo, it washes out the sound and makes it sound too “loose.” That said, it CAN work for certain things.

 

[PineappleOwl]

Welcome to TB. I always like a touch of room or air reverb on bass, that has been a trick I learned ages ago in the studio. For synth sounds delay and reverb help to complete the sound. On some sounds for songs or solos I might add a synched delay especially for melody or sparse parts.

Do you add your "touch of air" via a pedal or do you use outboard gear/plugins to achieve this in the studio. Are you referring to DI or a mic'd cab?

Are you also saying you replicate this touch of air when playing live, or only in a studio setting?

 

[Grinderman]

What Jimmy said. Reverb on bass seems cool conceptually, but it doesn't work if the bass is sitting in a mix with too many other instruments--too cluttered, too sloppy.

It might work in a three-piece but there would need to be plenty of open frequency space. It also might have a more practical application if the bass is a Fender VI bass or similar.

 

[ItsmeSantiago]

I use it mostly at home for fun. I've used both in a band setting once and it was this big ending on our last song and I'd put the delay into self oscillation and make a bunch of noise. Other than that, I've never found a practical reason to use delay, but I can see reverb fitting in with like an alternative band or something atmospheric.

 

[Drucocu]

I use spring reverb with my bass, in a surfy fashion, or palm muted to get that drippy spaghetti western sound. Sometimes I even get to play a bass solo, like in this song:

 

[bassbrad]

Do you add your "touch of air" via a pedal or do you use outboard gear/plugins to achieve this in the studio. Are you referring to DI or a mic'd cab?

Are you also saying you replicate this touch of air when playing live, or only in a studio setting?

I use a Zoom MS60B live for modulation, reverb and delay plus occasional EQ needs, this is after my preferred preamp usually a SushiBoxFX Underground Accelerator or Bass Dude. In a DAW usually a well tuned plug in. Even when I am recording "dry" bass parts for others recordings there is still a pinch of air. On the rare occasion I actually mic a cab it would depend on the source and distance to the mic placement, I might add some air to the speaker signal or add some afterwards.

 

[Lonnybass]

When our kids were born, most of my playing at home had to shift away from using my big rigs and move towards headphones only. I started putting together the ultimate headphone rig - and no matter what I did, it all just sounded kind of sterile and dry.

As all this was happening, the new TC Electronic Hall of Fame reverbs were hitting stores. I tried one out on a whim, and could not believe the tasteful "touch of air" (described above) added to my tone on the "Ambient" setting, the most subtle preset. Instead of being sterile, the sound through my headphones was more like a mic'd up cabinet in a studio, or the way my backline rig sounds on stage...more three-dimensional, more "life" to the sound.

Coincidentally, my home audio system includes a set of reflecting speakers which sounds incredibly natural because they model how much we hear every day that is a combination of both direct source and reflections. It's similar to my experience with the Hall of Fame reverb. That ambiant setting just sounds so much more three-dimensional through headphones.

 

[Grinderman]

This is a good example of how reverb on bass might work and why it likely wouldn't work.

This was a Fender VI. There's probably a touch of reverb on the bass but it's minimal. A prominent level of reverb could work on the intro/1st 15 seconds of this song, but as soon as the wall-of-sound symphony kicks in, the open sonic space gets flooded.




One of Poison Ivy's (The Cramps) favorite influencing songs.