Off Topic Bass EQ/preamp proposal...

[keko]

Hi bass mates,

I wonder, ...does anybody yet in the bass world got an idea to add into the regular active built-in bass preamp an one knob compressor function?

It could be very useful and contains tiny piece of electronic circuit which could be easily added on the bass preamp electronic board, especially with 18V preamp units!

What do Ya think about that, ...what the "EBMM guys" think about that?

Many external bass compressor devices sometimes are nightmare for a simple users, or non electronic guys musicians ...etc. I mean how many of You know exactly what is Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release...etc?

Make it simple like on the bass amp one knob compressor circuits and built it into the bass, ...I mean why not?

Many famous brand amps does not contains any compressor unit at all, like some Mesa models for example!

I'm waiting for Your feedback!

 

[five7]

My pedalboard would be smaller though, lol.

 

[keko]

My pedalboard would be smaller though, lol.

I really don't think so!

Imagine this on Your bass (just an example): single H pickup, 2x9V batteries socket (on the back of the body),
knobs: volume, compressor, treble, middle, bass ...output jack 1/4" ...The End!!!

 

[Soulkeeper]

Maybe (just maybe) one day MM will release a Gamechanger MKII with a digital multi effects processor in it.

With a dual purpose wireless connection, to control the effects from a pad or mobile phone mounted on the microphone stand, plus a wireless audio out so you won't have to deal with the guitar cable.

All the necessary technology exists today, so I actually don't know why nobody has done it yet.

 

[OldManMusic]

I never thought of that before, Keko. I like it!

 

[bassmonkeee]

I don't see the point, to be honest.

I CAN understand the various knobs on the compressor pedal I have on my pedal board (ie: I read the owner's manual), so an overly simplified one would simply be one more thing to break or turn off that causes the price of an instrument to go up. And, not to mention one more drain on the batteries, another knob on the face of the instrument, etc.

On board effects are never all that great--they are a compromise between size, simplicity and cost. And, what kind of compressor would it be? Optical? Tube? VCA? Purely digital? None of them sound exactly the same.

You certainly wouldn't want to use an on board compressor in the studio when there are much nicer versions available. And, if you use more than one bass live, what then?

You mention uneducated users--people who can't figure out a compressor with all of the info available online probably shouldn't be trusted with one embedded into their instrument, either. How many people would complain about the squished sound their bass was making because it was just another knob that got set to 10? One person's transparent is another person's squashed.

Sorry, but this seems like a solution looking for a problem.

 

[Oldtoe]

Lot's of bass amps used to come with cheap on-board compressors. Maybe they still do, but not the ones I shop.

 

[keko]

Ha, ha...thanks for the inputs guys, ...I like the way how this discussion is going on...

OK, ...let's say that compressor knob is available like an option? (like piezo for example)

How about that?

 

[bassmonkeee]

I'm all for more options. And, I think a compressor knob would be a much better idea than a chorus, distortion, etc. But, I think the people who would be most interested in it are the ones who would be more interested in a pedal to play with and swap out. Compressors can sound so different that it'd be detrimental to just pick one for every instrument.

I think even the people who would be interested in a one knob compressor would be better served by a separate pedal.
If you want simple, that's already available. But, if you want a particular type of sound or option, you can get that, too.

I don't think anything is really served by having any effects actually on the instrument unless it's part of something like the Gamechanger package and has a bunch of parameters that can be changed to suit the player's need.

I've got a couple of the TC Electronics toneprint pedals, and they've just released the powerful editing software. I'm having a great time with tweaking both my Shaker vibrato and Hall of Fame reverb pedals. And, I can change the settings live with my phone. It's not a great leap to see something like those effects brought onboard with the Gamechanger.