Make your bass sound just as unique and individual as yourself! Bass players like Mononeon, Tim Lefebvre, Thundercat, and a few others have long proven that you can give your bass sounds a unique edge without your bandmates shouting in protest! Effect pedals have long been a common sight in the bass world. But which ones are best if you’re looking for sounds that venture off the beaten path? In this article, we’ll share our recommendations for unusual bass effect pedals that can help you create sounds unlike any other – bass sounds as unique as yourself!
Warm Audio RingerBringer Ring Modulator
As early as the 1960s, ring modulators were used to create robot voices on British TV (Dalek in ‘Dr. Who’). The Warm Audio RingerBringer Ring Modulator’s knobs and switches are the keys to an amazing range of crazy sounds, because here, one mainly hears non-harmonic overtones. This way, simple signals can very quickly turn into bell-like sounds. Among other things, you can select the waveform, as well as adjust the modulation rate and drive effect.
In this video, the Warm Audio RingerBringer is used on bass from 4:15 onwards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHx0UD86vjw
Meris Enzo Multi-Voice Synthesizer
Turn your electric bass into a synth! The Enzo from Meris is an amazingly versatile synth pedal. It transforms your bass into a monophonic or polyphonic synthesizer and offers extensive modulation options. With features such as filter modulation including 6 filter variations, envelope control, an arpeggiator, and even 2 built-in tap tempo delays, this pedal opens the door to a wide range of soundscapes.
Watch this video to experience some really unusual bass sounds from the Meris Enzo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKufPQAbcq8
Boss SY-1000 Guitar Synthesizer
The Boss SY-1000, powered by a custom DSP, is Boss’s most powerful guitar/bass synthesizer ever. Pitch, level, and panning can be individually adjusted for each string, enabling alternative tunings and wide, layered voicings.
The new Dynamic Synth perfectly follows your playing, and two 16-step sequencers progressively control pitch, filter, and amplitude as needed. Not only are premium effects from the GT-1000 included, but there are also updated versions of Boss and Roland’s legendary guitar synth technologies. Think bass synth can’t get any better? It can – with the Boss Tone Studio Editor, you can customize sounds and download new patches! The ultimate synth tool for your bass. Listen to what’s possible in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x5RgPZhgE8
Strymon Big Sky MX Dual Engine Reverb
Do you want to create wide soundscapes and explore ethereal layers of sound, for example with a fretless bass? Then this flagship reverb from Strymon could be the pedal of your dreams! It lets you lay down pads (great for improvising!), freeze your sound in time (freeze function), and even run two reverb effects simultaneously (!). The Big Sky MX offers twelve world-class reverb engines with brand new impulse and chamber algorithms. A floating dream!
Kasleder Albatross Bass Fuzz
Want to make the earth shake with some really nasty sounds? Then check out the Kasleder Albatross Bass Fuzz: Its combination of a modern JFET preamp and an old-school transistor fuzz makes it a real secret weapon! If you’ve always wondered how to create those brutally distorted yet incredibly precise bass sounds, this is your answer!
With just three easy-to-use controls, the Albatross will give your bass sound a serious kick in the pants! PS. This pedal is also great for electronic music! Hear the Kasleder Albatross Bass Fuzz in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ-PLw7htTs
Boss PS-6
The Boss PS-6 is a harmonizer and pitch shifter that allows you to add up to two additional notes to your signal, thereby creating three-part melodies! The pitch-shifting function also lets you shift harmonics, double stops, or entire chords and can even deliver chorus-like sounds.
Check out the Boss PS-6 on bass here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SwQh2nzUSY
EBS UniChorus Studio Edition Rev 2
A chorus pedal may not sound that unusual, but the UniChorus Studio Edition Rev 2 from the Swedish manufacturer EBS combines no less than three effect types in a compact format! It features a classic chorus, a flanger, and a pitch mod effect for extremely dense and juicy sounds.
This video gives a good overview of the sonic possibilities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dtY0jEv4oU&t=141s
Eventide H9 Max Harmonizer
The H9 Max is a multi-effects pedal that contains over 50 Eventide effects, including reverb, delay, modulation, and pitch-shifting. It is known for its outstanding sound quality and can be controlled and programmed via an app. Whether you want to play synth-like sounds with your bass or use the H9 Max for polyphony, anything is possible! Perfect overdrive and delay with up to 64 (!) taps are also on offer. You can adjust everything in detail, and with the Hotknob control on stage, you always have all the really important parameters at your fingertips. The best part: your instrument never sounds like it’s just running through a simple effects pedal – it somehow sounds even better than without!
The one-knob user interface also allows for easy effect editing and preset selection. Watch the Eventide H9 in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YHZl7RaJ5s
Darkglass Alpha·Omega Photon
Darkglass from Finland are constantly pushing the limits of bass effects! Every component of the Photon is customizable via MIDI and the ‘Darkglass Suite’ app – from compression, distortion, and cabinet simulation to presets. Two channels (clean, distorted), compressor, 6-band equalizer, cab simulation, audio interface, headphone amplifier, Bluetooth – all at the highest sound quality – this pedal, with its endless possibilities, is something you have to experience!
Check out the Darkglass Alpha·Omega Photon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSbhyGOfaw&t=11s
Your Feedback: Unusual Effect Pedals for Electric Bass
How do you make your bass sound stand out? Have you used one of the effect pedals in this article or do you recommend something completely different? Let us know in a comment!
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