Gear Reviews
Review – Broughton Audio: Josh Wah, Low+High Pass Filter, and Apex Compressor
Broughton Audio Josh Wah, Low+High Pass Filter, and Apex Compressor Reviews…
Toronto-Based Broughton Audio is the brainchild and one-man operation of Josh Broughton, a bassist and electrical engineer with a vision to produce high quality, handmade effects and signal processing pedals designed specifically for the needs of bassists. His evil genius level prowess has resulted in what many praise as among the finest offerings out there for bass tone shaping and effects. Since his pedals are built by hand in limited run small batches, there is a lot of intrigue and mystique around his pedals, and are highly sought after on the used market. I was pretty thrilled when Josh agreed to send me three of his more recent offerings: The L+HPF, Apex Compressor, and JoshWah. Each arrived showcasing exemplary build quality and robust feel, right down to the click of the jacks, smooth turn of the knobs and slick paint jobs. I have been having way too much fun putting these through their paces and am happy to report that the reputation is well warranted.
Broughton L+HPF
When I asked Josh about the L+HPF, he told me “it was designed as a one pedal gig fix no matter what the venue. Often times bassists find themselves in a venue with an unruly sub bass resonance, or a high frequency slap back. The L+HPF allows the user to vary the cut-off frequency of the lows and highs to correct for these acoustics, and even offers a clean, quiet gain control to make up any extra gain needed. The L+HPF is also an effective EQ for shaping other effects, as well as an effective cab simulator when going direct to a mixing console”. While that sums it up nicely, I will add that the overall effect of the H+LPF is to narrow down the particularly wide footprint of an electric bass tone, helping to “pocket” your tone in just the right spot amongst a busy mix. With the high cut (LPF) and low cut (HPF) knobs, you can locate just the right bandwidth to slot your bass sound between the kick drum and guitar, for example, or you can use it to tighten up a loose and flabby low end, or conversely, to remove string noise and zing without crushing your musical upper midrange. Personally, I find that my hi fidelity rig can sometimes sound “too” full range and wide, or a little bright for some applications. The catch is that cutting treble on most onboard bass preamps or amps can affect the center frequency of the treble EQ, but leave frequencies above that EQ point intact, resulting in some dips or peaky unevenness and a less balanced overall tone. The H+LPF lets me shave off the highs, emulating a vintage amp. It can crudely be thought of like a passive tone control on a Jazz or Precision bass, which is a welcome addition for those with active basses and traditional 3 band equalizers, with fixed EQ points.
Ultimately, this pedal is simple and effective, allowing one to powerfully shape the sonic footprint of their tone, and offering clean gain to make up for any volume lost in the process. I have been using an HPF on my bass rig for a couple years now, in an effort to tighten up the low end by removing subsonic frequencies that can cause stage rumble, limit an amp from producing those power hungry subsonic lows, and protect my cabs from the potential ravages of sub-octave effects. The filters are 12db per octave, which isn’t quite as steep as I am used to, for making surgical adjustments to taming low end, but that being said, it sure works as advertised and tightens up those lows as you roll up the HPF. This is a great pedal for someone who uses a hi-fi rig with the characteristically extended bandwidth, looking for a one box solution to get them in the vintage tone multiverse.
Broughton Apex Compressor
The Apex compressor is a great sounding comp, optimized for bass, and including some very thoughtful and usable features for bass. Josh says: “The goal of the Apex was to provide a high fidelity, transparent, low noise, easily tunable compressor for the gigging bassist. An internal charge pump gives the Apex a huge amount of clean headroom suitable for nearly any signal level. The VCA chip gives fast, accurate, and clean compression. The side chain HPF allows the bassist to remove ultra-lows that may trigger the compressor too much, giving equal and natural compression across the entire range of the bass. The wide range dB compression meter indicates exactly how much compression is going on.” Uh, what he said. But seriously, the beauty of the Apex lies not only in its clean operation and excellent sound quality, but its variable ratio (from 1:1 all the way to infinity:1), and the HPF sidechain. It took me a minute to wrap my head around it, but essentially, it allows a certain amount of low end to pass through, uncompressed, while affecting the frequencies above the cutoff point. I found it worked great set around 40-50hz. The result is a powerful sound with plenty of transients, but still provided that slight cushion on the upper frequencies that I look for in a clean compressor. Like the L+HPF, the build quality and design is exquisite, and a 7 LED metering row helps a whole lot in getting the setting tweaked for best results. The gain control offers up to 20 dB of clean gain, to offset any attenuation from compression.
I’ll just say: I have used a bunch of high end compressors in the last few years, most notably, the Empress, Demeter, and Diamond compressors, and the Apex certainly contends strongly with this list. I was able to coax a handful of great tones out of it, from a clean “fat boost” sound, to a more vintage-voiced compression sound with slight midrange bump. Between its usable range and its great sound quality and low noise, there is a lot to love about the Apex and users are sure to be rewarded the more they tune into its broad capabilities.
Broughton Joshwah
The Joshwah is the least straightforward of the 3 pedals reviewed here, but with all that complexity comes a crazy spectrum of great and usable bass sounds. I think of the Josh Wah as something of a 1 click “lead channel”, a combination envelope filter and fuzz pedal, with all kinds of cool and weird things happening at the intersection of the two. Capable of producing familiar clean envelope filter sounds with a fast release time, as well as full on fuzzed out synthy tones dripping with distortion, the Joshwah is one of those pedals you really have to get to know, in order to appreciate the scope of its capabilities. As Josh says, “The LPF topology retains all of the lows while giving a wide ranging sweep of the mids and highs. The Sense knob gives a wide range of sensitivity for practically any bass. The gain knob can add in harmonics for a more pronounced filter effect, all the way to a full on distorted synth type sound.” What can I add? Well, that it’s a LOT of fun, for one thing. I had a blast dialing up different amounts of fuzz laden bubbly filter sounds, and because each knob is reactive to the settings of the others, it is seriously deep. Like I said above, I ended up using it as a one click solo channel, with a little envelope effect, a touch of grit, and a slight volume bump. This worked great for switching between clean bass tone for ensemble playing, and all the texture, color and gain I wanted when it was time to step forward and solo. Overall, a very compelling and desirable range of sounds for bass, all lurking on one deceptively intricate pedal.
Broughton Audio effects are sold direct through Broughton’s website, which features lots more info about their pedals, as well as some links to great video demos. For more info, visit: www.broughtonaudio.com
Gear Reviews
Review Transcript: BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass
This is a written transcript of our video review of the BITE Custom Bass Black Knight PP Bass originally published on March 4, 2024
BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass Review…
Bass Musician Magazine did a review on a Steampunk bass from BITE Guitars about three years ago, it was an amazing instrument, and we were very impressed. Now we’re happy to bring you another BITE bass, the Black Knight PP.
Everybody needs a P-type bass, it’s the standard of bass. If you’re recording, they want you to have a P bass. So why not have something that gives you a little more by having two instead of one P pickup. That’s the idea of this bass, it’s the first thing that leaps out: the double P pickup configuration.
Installing two of their 1000 millivolt split-coil pickups, BITE then went one step further and wired them up in a 4-way parallel/series circuit, a look at the controls reveal a 4-way rotary selector:
The first position, marked “B”, gives you the bridge pickup by itself.
The second position, marked “P”, gives you the bridge and neck pickups in parallel mode, that’s the traditional J-type circuit, it reduces output due to the physical law of parallel circuits.
Position number 3 is marked “N”, it gives you the neck pickup by itself.
And finally, number 4, marked “S”, gives your bridge and neck in a series (humbucking) mode which adds up resistances and thus boosts output. The other two controls are master volume and master tone.
What’s more, like every BITE bass, this one also has a reinforced headstock heel designed to give it extra output and sustain. The BITE website features a graph and explanation of what they have done to the heel, as compared to traditional headstocks.
A look at the body reveals a beautiful Black Blast body finish and underneath that we have alder wood. The bass has a matching headstock with a 4-in-line tuner setup and the traditional bite out of it, so everybody will know what kind of bass you’re playing. The pickguard is 3-ply black, the neck is vintage tinted hard maple and it has a satin speed finish at the back which keeps your thumb from sticking.
On top of that, there’s a clear-coated roasted black locust fretboard with black blocks marking the frets. The nut is a black Graph Tec nut, we’ve got diamond dome control knobs, and the tuners are lightweight compacts with cloverleaf buttons and a 1:17 ratio precision gear. The bridge is a Gotoh brass bridge with 19-millimeter string spacing.
Overall measurements: we’ve got a standard 34″ scale, a 1.65″ width nut and a C neck profile. This bass weighs 8.2 pounds, or 3,7 kilograms for our metric friends, and it uses standard 18% nickel silver frets.
Taking a closer look at the sound, this bass is a joy to play. The BITE proprietary 1000 millivolt pickups deliver an extraordinary amount of output which is surprising considering this is a passive instrument. You may even want to set your amp to active mode because of all of the juice you’re getting out of this guy.
The tonal possibilities are very versatile, it’s a straight P if you want but also much more with those different arrangements of the circuitry. So why have multiple basses when you’ve got one that can give you your basic P plus a lot more?
To sum it up, the Black Knight PP is an amazing instrument. The attention to detail that BITE puts into their basses is second to none. This bass is also amazingly balanced and gorgeous to hold and feel with the satin neck finish.
For more information, visit online at bite.guitars/product/black-knight-pp
Bass Videos
Reviews: Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17
Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17 Reviews…
In this issue, we take an in-depth look at two new amps from Phil Jones Bass, the Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17.
For more information, visit online at pjbworld.com
Bass Videos
Video Review: BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass
BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass Review…
I am sure many of you saw my review of the Snobby Steampunk Bass from BITE Guitars back in February of 2021 and will remember what a remarkable bass it was. BITE has been building custom basses since 2019 and has a unique custom approach where you can configure your bass to your specs.
I am very excited to have another Bass From BITE Guitars in my hands, The Black Knight PP Bass!
The need for a P-Bass in one’s armamentarium is pretty standard for bass players and I recall chatting about this with Marty O’Brien about a year ago. It turns out that Marty and BITE Guitars got together and came up with this excellent configuration that gives you a P-Bass with a whole lot more. Marty even played his own Black Knight PP bass at the 2024 NAMM show. You can see his review here.
Join me as I take an in-depth look at this very cool instrument and share all the details.
Here is The Black Knight Bass from BITE Guitars!
For more information, visit online at bite.guitars/product/black-knight-pp
Gear Reviews
Gear Review: Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass
Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass Review…
Throughout the evolution of music, bass players have sought tools to sculpt and enhance their sonic landscapes, and one indispensable ally in this pursuit has been compression. Origin Effects, a name synonymous with premium audio craftsmanship, introduces the Cali76 Compact Bass Compressor, a pedal that pays homage to the legacy of compression and brings forth a new chapter in bass sonic mastery.
As we delve into the world of the Cali76 Compact Bass Compressor, we’ll explore how Origin Effects seamlessly weaves together the heritage of compression and contemporary bass demands, promising a pedal that not only honors the past but propels your bass playing into the future. Join us on this sonic expedition as we dissect the nuances of the Cali76 Compact and uncover the secrets it holds for bass players seeking the perfect blend of vintage warmth and modern versatility.
For Starters, the Cali76 is a studio-grade FET compressor pedal, based on the classic Urei 1176, but with some features optimized for bass guitar. For those of you who are not familiar with it, a FET (Field Effect Transistor) compressor is essentially a solid-state tube compressor emulation that allows for fast and precise control over the attack and the release parameters; allows for extreme compression ratios; and finally adds the typical 1176 color and character to the sound.
Together with the common controls we see in most compressor pedals – Ratio, Attack/Release, input (just like the original 1176, the threshold in this pedal is fixed), and output (makeup gain). The Cali76 offers two more controls dedicated to us bass players.
A Dry control – This allows us to mix in our dry, uncompressed signal to the pedal output. This is great for when we want to add back some of our playing dynamics to the compressed sound or for when you want some volume back in situations where the compression starts taking away the volume.
A High Pass Filter control – Low frequencies on a bass guitar signal normally overwhelm compressors. This high pass filter allows the compressor to only react to higher frequencies, which helps preserve the natural dynamics of our playing while keeping the low end intact.
Metering on this pedal can be a bit hard to get used to at first. There’s a single LED light on the pedal, that not only serves as an On/Off light, but it’s also our meter. It glows red when no compression is applied and orange for active compression. The brighter the light, the greater the amount of gain reduction. Yellow signifies that the gain reduction reached 27dB and maximum reduction occurs around 38 dB.
In practical terms, it’s all about working with the input and the LED to find the sweet spot (turn the input to zero, start playing and slowly increase the input level until you start seeing the LED glowing orange, which means there’s reduction going on).
With 6 highly interactive knob controls, this pedal implies some degree of compressor knowledge and also some amount of tweaking and experimentation to find the perfect settings. The good news is that it is very hard to make this pedal sound bad…
It can go from very subtle compression settings to very extreme, and it can do everything in between. Also, the team at Origin has been kind enough to add a couple of sample settings in the manual to get players started and to help us understand better how the pedal works.
Dynamic Control is a setting that provides natural compression, balancing dynamics between various playing techniques. It is a subtle compression that will work almost out of the box almost all the time. Having a medium setting for the High Pass Filter ensures an honest translation of the lower string dynamics.
Parallel compression is a popular studio technique, where both compressed and natural signals are blended. We get the sound and feel of hard compression while retaining the natural playing dynamics.
Percussive, lively & Fat is a setting that uses a slower attack time to accentuate the start of any note. Then using a fast release allows the compressor to recover between notes so that the phrases sound more percussive. Ideal for slapping and other percussive techniques.
Finally, I would like to mention the classic 1176 tonal coloration. It’s not a secret that engineers all around would sometimes use the 1176 compressor, without applying any compression, just to get the tonal coloration into the instrument sound.
And the Cali76 compressor is no different, it has such a rich, warm, and full coloration that’s super pleasing to the ear and makes you want to have it ON all the time. So be aware, that if you want a transparent compressor, this pedal is not for you!
All in all, it is easy to understand why this pedal became a favorite of so many bass players around the world. The Cali76 Compact stands as a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful engineering that Origin Effects is renowned for. It seamlessly navigates through the rich history of compression, offering bass players a gateway to the soulful resonance of the past while empowering them to sculpt a contemporary sonic future.
Whether you’re a seasoned bass maestro or a budding virtuoso, the Cali76 Compact invites you to embark on a sonic journey where every note is held in a delicate balance between tradition and innovation. As we bid farewell to our exploration, we do so with the realization that the Cali76 Compact is more than just a pedal; it’s a sonic companion that elevates the artistry of bass playing
For more information, visit online at origineffects.com
Gear Reviews
Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review
Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review…
Not long ago, I did a review of the Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass and I have just been given the honor and privilege of reviewing the Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass. I have to say, another great bass from Spector that is hard to put down! While there are some similarities between both basses, there are also some noticeable differences which is why I believe having both is essential to any bass arsenal.
Spector, widely used by many rock and metal bassists like Ian Hill, Alex Webster, Colin Edwin, Doug Wimbish, and many more, just to name a few, has a long-standing in these genres. Well, that’s about to change! The bass I used for the review, didn’t see any of those genres, matter of fact, I used it on a few classic country gigs and at church too! However, when at home in the studio, I let the funk out. The NS Ethos HP 4 Bass is an all-around great bass for any genre and will not disappoint.
Let’s get into the specs about the bass, and here we will find the differences between the HP 5 Bass and the HP 4.
Forget that one is a 5 string, while the other is a 4, while that is a difference, that’s not one that I feel needs to be noted as both models are available as 4 and 5 strings. The Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass has a 34” scale, 24 fret, 3 piece maple neck through construction with solid alder wings, ebony fingerboard along with centered and side dots and the 12th fret Spector logo inlay with a brass nut.
While the pickups are different as the NS Dimension HP 5 Bass uses the EMG 45DC and the NS Ethos HP 4 Bass sports the EMG 35DC pickups, they are the same pickup configurations, the difference being, one for 4 string, the other for 5 string. The electronics are the same, consisting of a Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp which consists of +-12dB @70Hz for Bass, +-12dB @500Hz for Mids, and +-12dB @2.8kHz for Hi Mids. Controls for Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass consist of Master Volume, Blend, Bass, Mid, and Hi Mid controls. The electronics are powered by a 9-volt battery.
The bridge is a Hi-Mass locking bridge with intonation screws and the tuners are sealed die-cast. All hardware is black. Same as the Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass, the HP 4 Bass is available in 4 different finishes, White Sparkle Gloss, Gunmetal Gloss, Plum Crazy Gloss & Black Gloss. The bass also comes with a very nice and well-padded gig bag.
Check out the Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass at a Spector Music Retailer today near you or visit online at spectorbass.com/product/ns-ethos-hp-4/
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Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
