We briefly talked about it in the first installment of Slap Bass Bassics, but the easiest way to grab that slap tone sometimes is through the help of an effect pedal like an equalizer, compressor/limiter or harmonic expander. However, many notable slap bassists have used all sorts of effects with great results. So for today, let’s go over some ways to get a great effected slap bass tone.
Arguably, you can use whatever effect you want to grab a good slap bass tone that you like and that works well in your musical setting (say that second point a couple of times, because it’s the important part).
Envelope Filter: Probably the most-used effect on slap bass (and bass in general) is the envelope filter. There are a lot of variants out there, but basically it started out as a wah effect that, instead of being controlled by a foot pedal, would be affected by the input level of the instrument being used. Setting the sensitivity control would determine how quickly the filter would open and close, following your playing style like an affectionate puppy. Add the envelope options that many, many pedals have and you can get all sorts of sounds, from “Look! I just landed the Mothership!” burpy sounds to angry, bordering on overdriven filtered effects.
The biggest thing to note here is that with any envelope filter, you really need to play the pedal, in that it’s not a “set it and forget it” deal. Find out the nuances of each one you have (or are looking at purchasing) and find the one that fits your style and playing.
A word of caution: a lot of envelope filters have such a wide tonal range (I’m looking right at the DOD) that you can risk clipping or overdriving the amp a bit when using it. What I find sometimes is that it’s best to put a compressor right after the filter in the signal chain to pull back the frequency spikes the filter may have, without completely squashing the character of the effect.
Equalizer/Preamp: Basically, this is another preamp in effect pedal format, that allows you to dial in that slap tone you want. While some may think it is redundant (I know, you’re saying “But Jon, we talked about using our onboard preamp for this reason!”), we have to still be realistic. When you are playing live and go from fingerstyle to slap bass in a moment (like, say, moving from a verse to a chorus in a song), do you have the time to switch your onboard controls? If you have a STC-2 or 3 preamp, pulling the slap contour isn’t a big deal. For the rest of the bassists out there, having an EQ pedal that has your tone already dialed in, waiting to be stepped on to release the slap bass krakken is actually quite handy and convenient.
Compressor/Limiter: An often used (and sometimes misunderstood?) effect in slap bass is the compressor or limiter. Because slap bass has such a wide tonal spectrum, it is easily to clip the signal. Enter the compressor, that aural clamp that evens and smooths everything out, leaving you with a slap tone that is more audible across the board. The limiter does basically the same as a compressor, except it’s usually kept at a much higher ratio with a quicker attack time.
Harmonic Expander: These pedals actually do the opposite of the compressor; instead of controlling the frequencies and pulling everything in, they actually open everything up. I think of it more like boosting your bass and treble on your onboard preamp; sure, you’re effectively cutting the mids, but the fact that you’ve boosted everything else leaves you with a bigger, more robust sound than just dialing back on the mid control.
Overdrive/Distortion: I know, you can’t use overdrive or distortion to play slap bass. Or can you? Electro Harmonix gave us this idea with the BassBalls many, many moons ago, and even without a filter, a bit of overdrive with slap bass will help you cut through a mix and might even give you the texture that your song has been needing. So seriously, why not?
As with any effect pedal that you’re using, take the time to make sure that you understand what all the controls do, as well as how the tones you’re getting will fit into the band context, but more importantly, the song. Special thanks to Pigtronix and Rocktron for graciously allowing me to use their effects for this article.
For those that use effects with (or without) slap bass, what’s your favorite effect that you use? What does it add to your sound, the songs you’re playing and the band you’re with?