Overview
The effects that are described for each Effects Pedal are the same for both electric and Bass Guitars. However, for the Bass Guitar, the effect is often modified to suit the lower frequency range of the instrument.
Bass Wah Wah Pedal
As with the Electric Guitar Wah pedal, the Bass Wah effect is produced by the use of a rocking treadle type foot pedal. However, with this type of unit, the use of custom EQ circuitry is incorporated specifically for Bass frequencies and the result is a full fat bass tone with a smooth response. This is ideal for enhancing your rhythmic playing, from warm and subtle, to punchy.
Octaver Pedal
The use of the Octaver is to produce a note that is one full octave below the original note played - quite a useful pedal for Funk and R&B - and many are able to cope with two or three note chords. Due to its need to create the altered pitch 'live', the pedal needs to have a fast response or tracking capability suitable for use with rapid playing techniques.
Overdrive and Distortion Pedal
If you want gutsy sounds for playing Rock/Metal etc, then the distortion pedal is for you. These pedals enhance the signal to the point where the resulting sounds are anything between rich and warm 'clipped', to something which is a lot more aggressive. Pedals vary in complexity from a few simple controls to more complex versions incorporating control over harmonic content and tone shaping facilities. Often these pedals are criticised for introducing high levels of noise, and are quite difficult to use for studio recording. Considering the way the signal is being boosted and enhanced, it's not surprising.
Bass Chorus Pedal
Again this pedal is specifically designed for the Bass frequency range. These pedals emulate the effect of having multiple bass notes playing in unison where slight variations create the chorus effect. It is possible to emulate up to sixteen voices depending on the make, and voice randomisation produces a thickening of the sound.
Bass Compressor/Limiter Pedal
The Bass Compressor enables the Bassist to play over a wide range of playing styles - from normal rhythmic playing to greater dynamic styles such as 'slap' - while maintaining the same output or volume from the Amplifier. This enables the audience to hear all your playing, while maintaining a balance within the band. The Compressor is probably the most commonly used pedal, but is the most difficult to use. If not set up correctly, the pedal can produce a rather bland performance.
Conclusion
If you want to use a number of Bass effects, you may want to choose using multi-effect units which incorporates all or any of the above. However, many criticise these saying that having all effects in one unit compromises the quality and functionality of each individual effect. Although, with the advent of microprocessor electronics, a large range of control over the parameters and sound shaping facilities are available to the user, so whether these criticisms are valid or not is difficult to confirm. It is probably down to the opinion of the individual which will decide the method to adopt, and there is certainly an appeal to the ease of setting up at a gig - with fewer cables to worry about going wrong at the most inopportune time.
There are a number of these types of pedals on the market today, which can make deciding the type or make of pedal to buy a bit daunting. If you would like more information on what's available on the market today, plus some great YouTube videos on various pedal types, please visit Bass Guitar Effects Pedals for upcoming news, reviews and sales.
