What's out there?

Yeah, it's weird out there for bass multi-fx/modeler choices. There's this huge gaping hole between $400 and $1400 that nobody seems willing to occupy. So, you either spend on the high end: Fractal Audio, Kemper, Line 6 Helix, or you're left with the low/low-mid stuff: Zoom, (older) Boss, (older) Line 6, Digitech (???), Vox, Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig...and whatever other odd off brand might be lurking out there.

The things I constantly see from bassists are:

- the expected fans of tube bass amps and traditional speaker cabinets
- those looking for great tone in a Class D bass amp
- those looking for louder and lighter bass rigs that satisfy like their old school boat anchors can
- those looking for a great in-line preamp pedal
- crazy numbers of bassists vexxed by every aspect and flavor of bass compressor
- those looking for the best way to get a "stage rig" sound via DI to FOH (usually this becomes a "mic your cabinet" vs. "cabinet simulation device" discussion)
- those looking for all-in-one multi-fx modelers
- those looking for specific/esoteric types of effects stomps (usually, but not exclusively analog)

Really, all the clues are out there for a manufacturer to come out with THE ONE for bassists, even if it were in the mid-hi to high end market. The inexpensive ZOOM B3 sort of lit the bass world on fire, and got a lot of people interested in the notion of an all-in-one DI solution for bass via Full Range cabinets, but then....crickets...no follow-up...from ANYONE.

The ZOOM is a nice little box, but it suffers from the fact that it is an inexpensive unit from inexpensive parts. Even though the programming is remarkable for the price, it's hard to trust using it for anything much beyond non-critical gigging and demo recording. It's just not up to snuff tech-spec-wise. I swear, then next company to come up with a dedicated bass device that is somewhat comprehensive and specs out good will make a ton, just from the numbers of bassists who have been dying for someplace to go that appears to sound better than their cheap multi-fx but doesn't cost upward of $1000.
 
Even at $1300 the AX8 would be on a lot of bass player's radar. But, the dedicated support for bassists is just not quite enough to get bassists excited about it. If they could add say half a dozen of interesting amps, 3 or 4 of the popular effects, and update the factory cabs, that would go a long way.

All of that said, my band played an insane gig as direct support for Leaves' Eyes and Sonata Artica last night, and I'm still super happy with how things sound coming out... even if I know it could be better.
 
with no more upgrade for the afx mkII (no more bass amps ) I'm considering sell the axe and get the kemper. it's really a struggle get specific bass sounds only with the afx,
 
wiz_2112 said:
with no more upgrade for the afx mkII (no more bass amps ) I'm considering sell the axe and get the kemper. it's really a struggle get specific bass sounds only with the afx,
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Wait... what? I thought Cliff nuked the "old firmware" option for Mk I/II, which opened up some amount of future updates? I'll have to go read up on the latest... I have been too busy playing out to really bother keeping up. I'm still on Quantum 3 anyway heh.
 
selta said:
Wait... what? I thought Cliff nuked the "old firmware" option for Mk I/II, which opened up some amount of future updates? I'll have to go read up on the latest... I have been too busy playing out to really bother keeping up. I'm still on Quantum 3 anyway heh.
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We are still getting at least the latest firmware.

No specifics on how much more room is left.
 
I have a MXR M87 into a TC Corona Chorus into an OC3 into an Ampeg SCR-DI on my BASS pedalboard (Pedaltrain Classic Jr powered by a VL 4x4) We're IEM, so I don't need an amp/cab rig... Been looking at the Darkglass equivalent (B7K, Ultra, Vintage) to replace the SCR-DI, but I can't find much on utube that isn't all overdriven/distorted bass demo's :( .. which I will never need.. so.. <shrug>
 
^^^ this seems to be the trend now and for quite some time. I'm the same way. I just can't understand bass with more gain than guitars. It's a sound I just can't get along with. It's surprising how many bass gear demos don't show the basic bass tone. "The meat and potatoes" if you will. I don't care if it does 5 things or a 105. First and foremost I want to hear the general tone. I also find a lot of bass reviews the players play the weirdest shit. I want to hear it in a basic rock context etc, yeah some slap, sure lets see some funk. All the tapping and artificial harmonics and stuff on the bass just leaves me ????. I can and do appreciate the technical ability though. I've checked out loads of products in the last so many years that I heard some buzz about only to click "off" within seconds. It's a different world.
 
gearjunkie said:
^^^ this seems to be the trend now and for quite some time. I'm the same way. I just can't understand bass with more gain than guitars. It's a sound I just can't get along with. It's surprising how many bass gear demos don't show the basic bass tone. "The meat and potatoes" if you will. I don't care if it does 5 things or a 105. First and foremost I want to hear the general tone. I also find a lot of bass reviews the players play the weirdest shit. I want to hear it in a basic rock context etc, yeah some slap, sure lets see some funk. All the tapping and artificial harmonics and stuff on the bass just leaves me ????. I can and do appreciate the technical ability though. I've checked out loads of products in the last so many years that I heard some buzz about only to click "off" within seconds. It's a different world.
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Same here.. I tend to do a lot of research before I buy something.. The vid demos for Ampeg SCRDI, Subway D800 DI, Aguilar ToneHammer DI.. ALL cover the basic tones.. of which I think I found ONE for the B7K Ultra.
I don't understand the distorted bass/sub-harmonics focus of bass these days.. to me, it all gets lost in a live mix anyway.. so <shrug>
I have the Ampeg SCR-DI (don't use the scrambler side) because I use an Ampeg SVT7Pro rig for bass.. which I'm dropping in favor of the plug-n-play pedalboard.
But the SCR-DI has rubber [desktop mount] feet that also house the screws that lock the base plate to the DI body.. makes it difficult [but not impossible] to mount to a pedal board. :(
 
The more low strings guitarists add to their instrument, and the more down-tuned they are, the less sonic room there is for bass between the kick drum and these modern low-tuned guitar's low strings (A). And then, adding bass distortion that is focused in the mid/upper midrange just enhances the bass in regions that are already crowded by vocals and guitars. Honestly, some of the really heavy modern riff-rock out there sounds like it wouldn't suffer much without bass player at all. Seriously. Chuck a good octave divider on the guitar, and for all intents you now have a perfectly synch-ed bass sound, for whatever little it is adding to the riffage anyway. I like heavies and all, but at some point it all seems to be a mechanical exercise lacking much sonic or musical value.

Oh well...I guess I'm old. LOL.
 
jimfist said:
The more low strings guitarists add to their instrument, and the more down-tuned they are, the less sonic room there is for bass between the kick drum and these modern low-tuned guitar's low strings (A). And then, adding bass distortion that is focused in the mid/upper midrange just enhances the bass in regions that are already crowded by vocals and guitars. Honestly, some of the really heavy modern riff-rock out there sounds like it wouldn't suffer much without bass player at all. Seriously. Chuck a good octave divider on the guitar, and for all intents you now have a perfectly synch-ed bass sound, for whatever little it is adding to the riffage anyway. I like heavies and all, but at some point it all seems to be a mechanical exercise lacking much sonic or musical value.

Oh well...I guess I'm old. LOL.
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Only took me 20 days to see this :D. But I pretty much agree with all of this. 7 string guitars and 5 string basses can hang. Once you have 8 or 9 string guitar, no need for a bass player in the band, especially with how a lot of them EQ themselves.
 
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