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sound stodgy in the lows or fizzy in the top
end. One part of the circuit that is important
at this stage is what is known as a high-pass
filter. The signal going into the drive circuit
runs through this type of filter that removes
any unwanted low frequencies which in turn
will clean up the distortion sound hugely.
The filter can be set for a specific point at
which the low end is rolled off. Our problem
is that it coincides with where many of our
important bass frequencies live. Even tuned
to E standard, the HPF filter could well be
scooping away a large proportion of our
lower octave. Sure, the quality of the drive
itself will sound good even if we carry no
low-end weight. Up against a band with
Thomas Lang flanked by a pair of big guitar
amp stacks, the minute you stamp on that
pedal, you can say goodbye to feeling your
low end or at worst, being able to be heard at
all.
Well, why not just drop the HPF to a lower
frequency? Yeah, to an extent that will work,
but shoving low frequencies into a drive
circuit can have the effect of overwhelming
other frequencies and things start to sound
muddy again. (Maybe that’s what you want,
in which case, cool, it’s like a vintage vibe
right?)
Why not boost the bass frequencies you
cut away but after the drive circuit then?
Actually, that does work, but it cant address
the possible loss of dynamic punch due
to the way that distortion has a natural
compressing effect - sometimes high
saturation settings can suck the life out of the
bass transients.Great, so, what do we do? Welcome to
the world of “Blending”!In my video I demonstrate using a (and in
this case the superb Cog Effects from the
UK) ‘effects loop pedal’. I am using this
model in a simple configuration that allows
me to mix both the driven guitar pedal
sound and my original bass sound in parallel
together before sending it out to my mic’d
Bergantino amp in the studio. I am not
plugging one pedal straight into the other, I
am splitting my signal in to two, passing one
path into the drive pedal and path two is left
alone. The two elements are then mixed back
together inside the blending pedal so that
both paths can be heard at the same time.
I can adjust the levels of each to suit as you
will see in my video. »THE BASSMENT SETTING THE TONE“I can adjust the levels of each to suit
as you will see in my video...”