Electro-Harmonix Bass Microsynth

It took a couple of uses with the band to determine which settings provided usable tones. The ten sliders allow you to easily visualize what is happening with the device. You can get sounds out of this ranging from beautiful long filter sweeps to the most aweful fedback distortion that you can imagine.
The manual was limited, but provided a bass to do your own configuration of the synth.

I am currently using a Modulus Genesis V->Peavey T-Max-> SWR Goliath III Jr. I have an ernie ball volume and DOD Chorus pedal between bass and amp.
Due to the bypass of this effect being, IMO, very weak, I have decided to place the synth in the effects loop of my amp(which is footswitchable) so that it doesn't deteriorate my sound. When in bypass mode, it seems to suck all the sound of the instrument. It is kind of annoying. If I ever have to use this with someone elses amp, I will probably just forgo it :(.
The Synth section, after tweaking the EQ, sounds very good and has worked its way into several songs, whether it is just filter sweeps, distortion, or little synth like annoyances.
The unit is very quiet.

Haven't had a problem, but did somehow lose one of the little white caps that go over the slider. Looks pretty solid.

nothing.

I play in a technical/jam band and it is the perfect thing for what I do to add some crazy bass noise. I will sometimes use this to solo and let the keyboard or malletkat player to take over bass duties for a while. The crowds usually have no idea where the sound is coming from, kind of amusing. The only complaint so far is the bypass mode which is very weak.
I can get some very Trey Gunn-like sounds out of my bass using this with all voices on and fast filter sweeps going on. Really cool. Not for full time use, but a very nifty little device, that if used appropriately can add a lot to your arsenal of bass gadgets.

its not the easiest pedal to get a good sound out of, but when you sit down and give it time you can pick it up pretty fast.

well its not true bypass, which is a downer but its pretty quiet depending on what your doing with it. the effect itself is just the coolest thing around

nothings gone wrong so far.should be careful with it though.

haven't needed to.

i play space jam stuff so its right on the money for that. but its also the FUNK pedal if you want it to be. truely innovative sounds.

Kinda involved I suppose(all those sliders) but the manual has some good suggested settings which are a wise place to start.You can learn to "tweak" your sound later.Practice is required to get the full potential out of this box.

Once you get the hang of it you can get a tremendous amount of great
sounds from this unit.Some funky,some funny,some even SCARY and some
just weird.Has a fantastic analog sci-fi space rock vibe and alot
of character to its many colors.As stated in the manual it tracks best
with Jazz basses or basses with single coil pick-ups(which I use with this device)but can be adjusted for other types of basses.

Looks and feels totally solid and has a nice wood storage box for when
not in use but sliders might be a little fragile.Don't step on it!

Not yet,great company web-site though.

I adore this unit! Without a doubt this is the single most fun and totally entertaining bass effect I have ever owned period.It is very useful and I feel that it has a profound influence on my playing.It
can generate sounds that are inspirational to the creative element
of experimenting and composition.Versatile,I love it---'nuff said.

I bought it used with no manual. Controls are complex compared to other pedals (possible to not get any sound at all), but fairly easy once you know whats going on. Small phillips head pot on the bottom for tuning the gate trigger.

Low octave is good, but slightly loose.
High octave is fantastic - this is where you get the best filter/synth sounds.
Square wave fuzz- kinda cheezy and worthless for bass, use a Muff Pi or Bass overdrive.
The REAL Problem is the gate, extremely noisy woomfy sound at each attack, to the point that I wouldn't use this thing for anything but play time. It is possible to minimize this by really contentrating on keeping your attack steady. [I wonder why no one else has really mentioned this much?]
The swell and filter sections are fantastic, the variety of sounds and clarity of effect is unrivaled. Coupled with the synth section, I don't think you could get anything this funky for this cheap.

I have never gigged with it. Solid box, solid footswitch, but don't step or spill anything on the sliders.

This is THE funk machine. The noisy gate is the only problem. I wish the gate could be turned off via a switch or turning the pot all the way down (at the expense of the swell feature I suppose).

Sliders are easy to use, but takes a while to figure out what you like. personally, i really really want to be able to move sliders while im playing, like with some expression peddals. the guys in my band always see me crouched over this thing, playing bass with one hand and moving sliders around with the other for some way out sounds

hi, i dont play bass anymore, i play a fat synth from before midi was even a glimmer in the digital eye

not a problem at all. its an eh built like the old ones, good old metal.

nothing yet

im in a technical jam band and we get way out there alot of the time. with this thing, i can bring us in for a landing with serious space tones, or throw the speed really fast while my drummer kicks on his new EH sonic boomer triggered by his kick drum and get some seriously weird house and drum n bass / jungle goin on. people love to dance to this sound

This is not the easiest pedal in the world to use. The 10 sliders are very nice for visualization of what the pedal is doing, but It takes a while to actually figure out what each slider really does and the effect it has on the sound. It is also kind or a pain that it has to be plugged in (no batteries), but I guess I won;t have to worry about batteries dying in the middle of using it.

I use this in direct line with my Carvin LB70 bass (also with a chorus and occasional wah-wah for some really freaky sounds). The electronics are very quite in bypass mode. When this pedal is on look out!!! you can get that very deep almost dub sound to a great fuzzy white noise sound to an excellent "moog" lead synth sound. This pedal tracks incredibly well because of it being analog (unlike the Boss pedal that is digital). With this pedal's octave up, Octave down and fuzz, plus the variable rate you can achieve very deep powerful and highly varied sounds. Imagine some background music to "Flash Gordon" to some Funkadelic sounds. Also one key feature is the trigger slider. setting it allows you to activate the synth differently depending on how you pluk the strings. A strong firm pluck can trigger a ringing fuzzy synth sound, while a light smooth sweep over the string can create a low solid deep background. This pedal is probably the best synth pedal around.

I would probably gig with this without a backup, even though I bought it more for fun, than for mixing in with my band's sound. Plus at almost $300 a backup can be a little pricey. This thing is built very sturdily....all metal (except the sliders, which could be kinda fragile, but they are fairly protected)

Haven't had to deal with them yet, but they have a good warranty and supposedly they will assist you very redily if you have any problems

This is a great pedal to just experiment with the whole synth sound with. I wouldn't recommend using the pedal all the time (after all you are playing a bass). This total blew the digital Boss synth out of the water. The only reason I didn't give this thing a 10 is due to its high price tag. If this were stolen or lost I probably would buy another, because every now an then I just like to get a sound from my bass that is more than just bass.

Ok, If you know the basics of analog synths, dialing up sounds are a snap. If you don't, well, it's not so easy. The interface is as straight-foward as you can get. 10 sliders and a button! Once you figure out what they all do the possibilities are endless. The manual, ehem, pink instruction ditto just gives you a VERY general idea of each sliders function. Also, comes with charts for a bunch of thoroughly cheesy presets and a few blank charts to record your own.
Kind of cool. I'll give it a 6 because if you're new to analog synths it can take a few minutes to get used to.

Right now I'm using this unit with 2 basses. Either my old Peavey T40 or a Danelectro Longhorn reissue. I've come to discover that this unit doesn't take kindly to humbuckers as when I've tried to use it with my 5 string Thunderbird, the sounds are just not all there. I'd say straight-up single coils make this thing sing. I play through a Hartke 3500 head and Ampeg SVT 15e cabinets. The graphic EQ on my head (which I used to hate) has never come in so handy. You may dial up some awsome sound and then when you play it loud the resonant swells are just TO MUCH. So lowering (or raising) certain frequencies on the head clear it up no sweat without changing the desired sound from the pedal. My EQ has never been in such odd configuration but hey, it sounds awsome so, whatever! Noise...none. Seamless switching between clean and dirty. Which is surprising for a big metal stomp box. Ok, the sounds...THIS THING RULES All I can say is it's just a beast! The possibilities are endless. You can get anything from light nuances, sub-bass harmonics, sweeps, swells, leads, pads, and of course, your cheese infested space sounds. They are all there, right on top of the box. I have but one grip with this machine and is it does't handle a low B string too well. You have to turn the gain pot way down so the trigger doesn't break up the signal. But with the super-low frequencies this thing produces you probably wouldn't want to use a low B anyway. Unless you're playing through Bag End E.L.F. amps or a true subwoofer. I recommend this unit to anyone wants to add a little fatness to their sound and everyone who wants to make aliens land on their roof. In order to get all these sounds from single pedals you would probably have to chain a series of at least 7 pedals that would cost you a hundred bucks a piece.This stand-alone unit does 'em all and then some! This thing is perfect in my eyes. It's the ONLY pedal I use.

If you're familiar with Electro-Harmonix, you know that the stuff is built to last. It's big. It's metal. Just don't step on the sliders. I know people who own the originals and they work like they're new. I would definitely use it on a gig without a backup. But first I would put some tape on the power plug. I pesonally like wall-warts because in case of a surge I'd rather fry the wart than the pedal. I'm not worried about this thing.

Top-notch! A few years ago, way before they reissued these things, I dug an original Guitar Micro-Synth out of this dudes garbage and Electro Harmonix sent me a schematic, parts list, replacement foot button, and a phone call! They are glad to help owners of they're products. Excellent.

I use this for fusion/drum n' bass type stuff and it is perfect. I was searching for "my sound" forever and I found it in 5 minutes in the store showroom! I set the frequencies WAY-LOW and the trigger WAY-HIGH. If I play lightly I get the deep P sound on old Soft Machine records. And when I hit a little harder the trigger kicks in to an auto-wah type thing. So cool. Super expressive and sensitive. I consider it a whole instrument in itself. It needs to be mastered like anything else. When I play it's ALWAYS on. I've used it to develop an original, expressive sound that couldn't be duplicated with anything else. Especially any digital pedal on the market. I've owned virtually every flanger, wah, pitch-shifter, and distortion pedal around, and so far, none compare in quality, originality, and especially, price. I won't lose this thing as I've had surgically attached to my hip, but if it were stolen I wouldn't hesitate to replace it the same day. I couldn't play the stuff I'm playing without it. It's revamped my entire playing style. If there was one thing I wish it had it would be a twin brother. Get this pedal.

I would say it is in the middle as far as ease of use. If you have a knowledge of synthesis then it will be very easy to understand. It is very important to take the time to learn how to use the Bass Microsynth. You must understand what everything does on the unit to get the results that were intended by the designers. Most of the negative reviews that I've read about this unit are probably due to a lack of understanding how to set the controls.

Excellent sound quality. If you are looking to get a very authentic "ow" type MiniMoog bass sound from your electric bass (as well as a huge variety of other sounds) then this is a way to do it. I'm impressed with the unit. Since the unit is totally analog, there is absolutely no tracking delay like you find on digital units. The filter has a great ballsy sound like the filter on the MiniMoog. The Bass Microsynth can be used to acheive many other types of sounds as well. I use it to add a sub-octave, as an analog eq (with resonance!), as distortion pedal, as a envelope modifier, as well as providing very cool synth bass timbres. It is highly funky but also very usable in pop/top 40 music as well.

The unit is well built. I does have an external wall wart power supply. I wish this weren't the case but I can live with it.

Excellent. I've had several email correspondences with them regarding possible mods that I want to do. They have been great. On two occasions they even sent me materials to help out with the mods.

This is the absolute best way to get that coveted MiniMoog bass sound from your electric bass. It's authentic. Keep in mind, though, that you need to learn how to use the Bass MicroSynth in order to get the results. It's a fairly complicated box. It the ONLY pedal I use.

There's a lot going on with this device, and the interactivity of the controls makes for many discoveries (and occasional frustration) when figuring it out (however, if you're familiar with analog synthesizers, you can probably "up" the rating to a 9 or 10). And it can sometimes take a while to tweak the controls "just right" for the patch you want, even once you are experienced with it. And it *is* possible to set the controls for no sound, so watch out for that. The short manual (instruction sheet, really) does a good enough job of describing the features, but probably isn't necessary if you're in that "9 or 10" category. Once you understand how the effect works, changing the settings is trivially easy since there's a slider for every parameter. Using sliders instead of knobs is a big plus in this case - it makes it easy to visualize things like the range of filter sweep based on the positions of the filter start and filter stop sliders. And if you really want, with a bit of care and practice, you can adjust the sliders with your foot while playing - I have done so, although that would really lower this rating by a couple points.

This pedal is *loaded* with features. The first slider sets the trigger threshold for the attack decay and filter sweep sections (see below). The next four sliders adjust the levels of suboctave (octave down), guitar (clean) signal, octave up (like an Octavia fuzz) and square wave (fuzz). The quality of these doesn't match high-end pedals like an EBS Octabass or ZVex Woolly Mammoth, but are as good as any standard Boss, MXR, or other "standard" manufacturer. One slider controls the length of time of the attack decay phase, which is initiated when the volume level of your bass exceeds the threshold set by the first slider. The next four sliders control the filter sweep: resonance (amount of "bite" or "presence" for the filter), start frequency, stop frequency, and sweep time - this section acts like an envelope filter with variable attack time (decay/release is instantaneous when it's re-triggered). Since the start & stop frequency settings are full-range, it can be used either for up-sweeps (swell) or down-sweeps. This can either sound like a normal "funky" envelope filter, or, with the various fuzz settings and resonance cranked, noise spawned from the pits of hell (or something like that). The sound can be fairly transparent (the character of my Rickenbacker 4001 still shows through) or, with heavy fuzz and filter, can thoroughly decimate your tone (I mean this in a good way!), somewhat like Helios Creed/Chrome (I believe he uses an original Microsynth on his guitar). I give it a "9" because there's so much sonic variety, even if it doesn't have "boutique" sound quality (which is usually required to get a "9" from me).

Seems reliable enough, and I've done several gigs with it without any problems. The only trouble I ever had was with the power supply (see below), and that was entirely the building wiring's fault. I suppose one could worry about breaking the sliders if you move them with your Doc Marten-clad feet, but they feel sturdy to me. As for needing a backup, the Microsynth is, in effect, a backup for my Meatball / Octabass / Wooly Mammoth combo (replace 3 expensive pedals with 1 expensive one!) or a "real" analog synth (modular or vintage), so I'll have to do without one (especially at this price).

One day, the electricity in our rehearsal building went crazy, with AC levels fluctuating from very low (~90v?) to very high (~130V?), which fried the power adaptor for the Microsynth (note to people who prefer internal transformers to "wall warts": if this had been an internal transformer, I would have needed to take the entire unit into the shop instead of getting a new wall wart). The rep at New Sensor quickly answered my Email, and got me in touch with a local dealer who was able to order a replacement part for me. Both she and the dealer (Panhandle Guitars in San Francisco) were very friendly and helpful.

This effect pedal is fantastic! At first I was a bit leery because it *is* so weird, but it has integrated into my band's sound (punk/pop with psychedelic, spacerock and experimental influences on some songs) very well (albeit used sparingly/tastefully) in the several months that I've owned it. It even came in handy the time our drummer had to fix her kick pedal in the middle of a set, so I improvised a Spacemen 3-like instrumental on-the-spot using the Microsynth through a tremelo pedal. One of the great things about it is that there's nothing else like it, so if it were to go missing, I would HAVE to replace it. It's NOT for everybody - if you're playing straight-ahead blues, country or other more traditional music forms, don't bother with it. But I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to add a bit of freakout to their sound. The only reason it gets a "9" is because I don't give out "10"s.

To be honest I'm glad I downloaded the schematic for this beast before I got one. The controls are misleading and the manual, if you get one is very general in descriptions. I myself am an Air Force trained elecronics technician, and am familiar with analog synths. This is probably one of the most complicated analog effects ever created. But once you get the jist of it you're gonna get a chubby every time you play through it. There are ten sliders on the top of the unit with a power on/off switch and an effect on/off switch, not a true bypass. Out of all the controls the trigger ajust is the least responsive on my unit. It may be that the old IC's are at the end of their serviceable lives. There are 2 trim pot inside of the unit. One is preamp gain that sets the overall gain of the unit. The other is the "SQUELCH" adjuster. This is an analog threshold limiter, aka: Noise Gate. This one is tricky to set if you play several basses with different levels of output. It would have been wiser for E/H to mount these two pots externally to accommodate varied input levels, hopefully they will do this on the reissue models that they will be releasing soon. They also need to make the squelch ajustment a little more precise. The more time I spend with it the more capabilities I find in it.

I use this thing through all different kinds of setups with many different input devices (basses,guitars,drum machines,mics, whatever) and it rocks. If you want an analog synth sound this and I suppose the microsynth are the best at that. It is not noisy at all unless you turn the squelch control down too far. With the trigger set correctly you can get the most marvelous sounds, plus you can use the attack delay setting to smooth the response to sound like a keyboard type synth. One of the most interesting things I've found in this unit is the sweep controlled envelope filter type effect. Unlike a typical envelope filter you can control the sweep time and the filter range or peak no matter what your string attack is. It took me no time to get Bootsy's sound on "FLASHLIGHT" or "THEME FROM THE BLACK HOLE" I mean this is a pure funk machine. I own or have owned every envelope filter made except for the Lovetone MEATBALL and this thing beats 'em all for control. Except for the MEATBALL? Out of all the bass/guitar synths I've tried this is the best tracking unit ever, it is however nothing more than a super filter, but ti beats the fuck out of the glitchy DIGITAL SHIT on the market.

Don't know. Have only had it a short time. I would use it on a gig without a back up,if you are familiar with E/H construction you know why. Besides I have the PC board layout and all the parts required to build another one now.

I have e-mailed Sovtech and got immediate responses, even from Mike Matthews himself. These people appear to accept input from us end users on the reissue stuff, plus they will help you with the vintage stuff if you ask them.

All I can say is that this is the sweetest analog pedal I have ever owned. I would gladly spend the money to replace it if it were lost or stolen. If it were broke I would simply repair it. The one word that comes to mind with this pedal for me is "FUNK" this is the queen mother of old school funk tone for me. Plus its got a million other sounds in ther that I have yet to discover.