Thanks to our good friend Nick Owen for recording these demos of Ashdown Bass Effects Pedals. Check out Nick's Myspace page.
In all examples the pedals were running through Nick’s old ABM 400 RC to add a bit of warmth and colour to the source sound. Unless stated the bass used was a ‘73 Precision with old strings on.
All bass played by Nick Owen, Beats and Production by Dan Gooday.
The aim here was to recreate a classic Bootsy P Funk style squelch; the Peak, Up/Down and BP/LP controls were all set kinda halfway. The slight dirty bottom end is natural distortion from the ABM’s valve preamp.
Download Link Envelope Filter
This setting demonstrates the Drive Plus’s ability to overdrive the high frequencies, creating a high gain, high octane grind on the top end but keeping the bottom end full, punchy and relatively unaffected. The bass you can hear is one of the late, great John Entwistle’s very own Status Buzzards – hence the ‘Boris’ quote – and why not??
Download Link Drive Plus
In this example the pedal was set with fairly high Sub level and minimal distortion, creating an organic sub-sonic bass sound for dance music; although it offers massive fundamental, the notes still track and don’t become too muddied.
Download Link Sub Plus
With the low comp set halfway, high comp off and eq balance set at 12 o’clock, this passive mid 70s Jazz bass punches nicely with even string to string response without any high or low frequency ‘spikes’.
Download Link Dual Band Compressor
Example 1
Classic rock chorus setting with speed and range controls set in a midway position, filter on.
Download Link Chorus Example 1
Example 2
Combined chorus and filter sound, with lower speed/higher depth and deeper range and filter on – the result is heavily modulated, almost fretless sound. Sorry about the pastiche Pino!
Download Link Chorus Example 2
Example 3
With filter off and the emphasis towards flanger the Chorus Plus gives a great old skool hip hop sound, demonstrating the pedal’s resonant filter sweeping possibilities.
Download Link Chorus Example 3
With a midway setting on the Envelope Filter and the Sub Plus pumping lots of distortion this nasty, funky square wave octave sound is pure analogue Micro-Synth. Who needs a keyboard player?!!
Download Link Envelope and Sub Plus
