Digitech XBS Bass Multi-Band Compressor Pedal

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $104.95
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
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• Level - controls the overall compression level
• Crossover - selects the frequency at which the signal crosses over from the low band to the high band control. The frequency range runs from 100Hz to 3kHz
• Low Band - adjusts the amount of low frequency compression plus the output level
• Dual Outputs. the Amp output is for connecting directly to a bass amplifier. The Mixer output, with CIT(TM) bass cabinet emulation technology, is for connecting directly to a mixing board or headphone preamp
• The frequency range runs from 100Hz to 3kHz
• Dual Outputs. the Amp output is for connecting directly to a bass amplifier.
• Crossover - selects the frequency at which the signal crosses over from the low band to the high band control.
• The Mixer output, with CIT bass cabinet emulation technology, is for connecting directly to a mixing board or headphone preamp

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Four stars because the price is so low for a multiband compressor. I'm as much a live audio engineer (touring and at a large church) as I am a bass player. I also do some studio session bass. I bought this to try it because, honestly, a compressor stomp box for under $100 is disposable in a world where decent compression costs at least 3 times as much. That's just the reality of the cost of internal components and I set my expectations accordingly.

If you're playing live on a budget I think this is a good shot at multiband compression. As far as I know, this Digitech and the EBS Multicomp are the only mulitband bass stomp box compressors in town. The EBS felt like more of a risk because $200 isn't much but it's not disposable, it has no crossover frequency adjustment, and a bass mag review said they couldn't tell the difference between its multiband mode and its "Tube Sim" mode. I'm sure the EBS sounds cleaner but I like lots of control. If I get a chance to demo one and it sounds better I'll probably buy it but the local Guitar Center doesn't keep them in stock. For now, this Digitech works for me.

True to Digitech form this box hisses when you get agressive with it. At $70 you forfeit all rights to complain about a little hiss. Try to find another multiband comp for that price. They did put in a noise gate that's set pretty well so it doesn't hiss when you're not playing and if you play solidly the signal to noise ratio is just good enough for live but I wouldn't take it to the studio. The 4 knobs are for level, crossover point, low compression and high compression. You can get a wide range of tone out of this. The single compression dials seem to drop the threshold and raise the makeup gain at the same time as you turn them up. The higher you turn them the more the noise floor comes up. 1/4 turn is plenty of compression so don't overdo it. (Compression is a fine art more is not necessarily better and the best fix for uneven tone is better playing style.)

It has an alternative output that simulates an amp. Nice touch but I don't use it. I think it tries too hard. If you don't use another amp or amp modeler then I can see this cleaning up your tone on a semi-pro live system in a saturated mix like most churches: 2 electrics, keyboards, acoustics, drums, tons of vocals, all playing all the time... you want plenty of midrange to maintain clarity of tone and this will do it for you.

Here's how this has helped me: For my vintage tone I play a Fender Jaguar in passive mode through a POD X3 Fender Bassman model. The Jag thunders on the low end (first 5 frets of the E string) but when you want to get the right overdrive evenly across the whole fretboard the low notes overdrive more and turn to mush; no clarity or focus. I set the crossover point on the compressor so it evens out the low end, I get just enough edge evenly on all notes, then I make up the low end after the amp like you would in the studio. It sound just gritty enough down low and the upper notes stay nice and thick. I get compliments on that tone almost every time I use it and the minor hiss in a live setting isn't that noticeable.

Remember, go easy on compression; you only need just enough. Tone is in the finger, not the gear.

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With this compressor and a Sansamp Bass driver, you can get any popular bass sound, and do everything that the TC electronic 450 or Staccato heads do, but at a fraction of the cost. This thing is easy to adjust, makes very little noise and works well with all basses. Unlike the one-knob 3-band compression of TC heads, this allows players to adjust the crossover frequency and compression level. That's a great feature because every player, amp and bass is different.

I have found that this is also great for guitar. Most compressors set attack based on an averaged voltage of the entire input. Separating the bands into lows and highs, and then adjusting the attack differently, allows you to get a great Jazz tone without losing dynamics.

Before you go out and spend a ton of money on one of those new TC heads, Check out the Sansamp Bass driver and this pedal together. You can get all the useful sonic functions of the egregiously expensive TC heads at a fraction of the cost. The only things you will not get: bells-and-whistles like a built in tuner, pretty lights and the wallet-raping.

Sansamp Bass Driver is about $200. Add $65 for this. If you already have any kind of bass amp, you can use these with it.

Compare that cost with the $1500 of the TC bass heads, and you can see why so many informed pro-bassists refuse to shell out the extortion money TC wants for their pretty new amps.

Because Digitech is owned by Harmon, and Harmon also owns DBX, they were able to incorporate some of the DBX "over-easy" compression algorithms into this inexpensive unit. That means it sounds good almost no matter how you set it.

It has two outputs, one optimized for bass amps, the other for going straight into a mixing desk. That means you can also use it with low-noise professional mixers like Mackie or go directly into a pro-power amp.

This is a versatile and useful pedal for bass or guitar. I have even used it to record snare drums with great results! The dual band feature allows you to put heavy compression on the low end so every hit has that authoritative wallop, but you can ease off the compression on the high-end so that nuances of good drumming comes through the mix.

If you have a low-budget home recording studio,

are a pro-bassist looking for the tonal excellence of over-priced boutique amps without the exorbitant tariff,

or are a jazz guitarist who needs a smooth professional sound without losing tone and dynamics,

This is a good gamble that usually pays off.

Try it, especially if you were drooling over a new TC bass head. You don't need to spend a fortune to get great tone.

Combine this with a Sansamp Bass Driver and you will be in Funky Heaven.

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The other reviewers have done a decent job covering what you need to know about this particular pedal, so I'll just input my personal experience to (more or less) back up what's been said.

I've been using this pedal for a few months now, and I'd say it is certainly worth a try for live settings. I play live sets several times a week in various settings and implementing a variety of styles, and I've found that this compressor can hold its own pretty well. Obviously the biggest selling point is the low price, so don't expect magic to come out. The sound quality is acceptable for live sets, but I wouldn't use it for recording. The first day I used it I picked up on that familiar "digitech" feel to the sound, but once you get used to it (or settle) it's not really noticeable. I only recognize it by knowing the sound of my own gear, so unless you have a real audiophile standing next to you, no one will notice.

I've found the 2nd output to be particularly useful at times. When going direct out from my amp, unless I'm plugged into the "Out 2", a buzz comes through the board even though I don't hear it in my amp. Something to keep in mind if (for whatever reason) you decide to use this for recording.

Also, plan on getting the power supply. I went through a couple batteries before realizing that it would only last for a couple hours of continuous play. There's nothing worse than getting the sound you want only to loose it half way through a set, so save yourself the aggravation and get the cord.

Overall, it's a useful little pedal to keep in your gig bag. If you're looking for more control over your sound, go for it, but if you're looking for a professional sound, keep looking.

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Good:

-dual band compression

-solid construction

-easy to use

-dual output

-great value

Bad:

-farts out completely (massive, nonmusical distortion) if you go too loud or past about 10-11 o-clock on the compression. I'd rather have finer control over the usable part of the band. Really I'd rather it did better at high compression, but at this price, what can you expect?

The dual band feature allows me to compress the bottom end on my bass so that I can play in a variety of styles without having to change volume settings, without having to bring in a bunch of string noise by compressing the high end. That's why I got it, and it does that just fine as long as you don't push the compression too hard. A quality noise gate and higher quality compressor might be a better solution, but it ought to be considering that's about 500 bucks worth of gear, and this is less than $100.

I can't speak to the battery life, I always use a power supply.

I own a real nice bass and some good old copy standbys. An '82 Wal Custom fretless, a kit Jazz bass with Bartolini's and an added Seymour Duncan two band active EQ(reviewed here), a kit '57 Precision style sunburst/goldguard w/DiMarzio P-bass pickups, and a japanese '51 Precision reissue in butterscotch that's stone stock. All the Fender styles have maple neck/fingerboards. I plug into a little Hartke 1 12" Hartke Kickback 12 Bass Guitar 1x12 Combo Amplifier, 120 watts that I reviewed here with an added tube DI. Look them up. Anyway, I got this pedal and started reading the directions and they were worded too complex for me so I will simplify. Level is volume output. Crossover selects where low frequency level control and high frequency level control take effect. In a nutshell, the compression is SET. You can't adjust the ratio like other pedals. The pedal should be called a compression/EQ pedal. You set the output level to your amp, use the crossover control like a pan pot to pick your low, high, or whatever frequency, and turn the low/high knobs on the pedal to add or subtract the crossover selected bass and treble levels, like active bass/treble knobs. I don't know if there is an internal trimpot to add or reduce the compression intensity, but that would be nice. I personally think the compression is just a tad heavy, but in a band mix with guitars, drums, vocals and keys, it's probably fine. I like compression when I want it but will turn it off just as quick in a less dense situation like acoustic guitar or a sax fronted jazz combo. Once you get how simple this pedal is to run after you read past the verbage, it's a nice option to have in your gig bag. Set the EQ levels to the same and you have your basic compressor. Adjust them around and you got an easy to use active variable frequency EQ for your amp. And it's pretty darn cheap to boot!