Soundgasm

I just bought this bass effects processor in order to prepare tones and sounds for my second (and probably final) studio recording session with my college buddy S and our album project.  I hemmed and hawed about it for a while, because I wanted to get a full-sized bass amp first - or perhaps exchange my current 80's-era keyboard amp for one without a tweeter, so I could play my bass and sing through the same amp.  But I realized that I may never have another opportunity to record another album, and I want to be able to give this one my all...so in that vein, it made sense to try to put my best bass forward, so to speak.

I found it used for $250 -- it normally retails for $400.  You can get an entry-level gigging bass amp for $400.  Shit, even at $250 you'd be halfway to an amp powerful enough to gig with.  But I can't take an amp with me to Michigan two weekends from now -- nor can I select from hundreds of effects, tones and sounds to find the ideal mix for my bass for each song.  Even though it's bigger than it looks, I can take this with me as hand luggage inside my backpack or messenger bag. 

I tried it out on my own for the second time last night (the first being amidst the chaos and noise of a used music store).  I printed the user manual from the Internet (from the same link posted in this entry); it's 84 PAGES LONG.  Yikes.  The controls are myriad and initially confusing, and I have to have this somewhat figured out by next weekend. 

But OH MY GOD.  This thing is AMAZING.  I've been tooling around on bass for about 12 years now, and I had no idea what I was missing.  My current bass guitar has been with me since 1997 (or '98, I can't remember), and I could never get it to sound like this before.  The choices are overwhelming.  The sound combinations are insane.  I can literally get not only brighter, cleaner tones, but out-of-this-world space-age effects and everything in between.  Needless to say, I'm really freaking excited about the next recording session.  As long as I figure out what tones I want to use on each remaining song by next Friday.

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