Fast or slow dirt, what do you prefer?

[dozicusmaximus]

I guess this is why I generally hate muffs on bass. So slow and flubby. Which is fine for doom things but when I'm tuned real low they fart out. But I finger pretty hard so maybe it's me.

[oscillofuzz]

Fwiw, I use 2 Muff variants on my Bass VI board; a EHX Nano Bass Big Muff & Earthbound Audio BEAST. I would classify the EHX as 'medium' attack, definitely not slow, but maybe it's 'cuz of the blend, and the way I use the BEAST (lead-ish smooth distortion sound) I would say it's quite fast in it's response.

Of the other dirt I use, I guess I would only say my DIY Brassmaster clone is dialed in to sound slow-ish (and crushing, combined with an octave down POG), but this thing has beautifully developing decayed notes so I prefer this on sustained stuff anyway.

I also got a DIY Ampeg Scrambler clone on the board which is quite fast & cutting as well, but knob positions are key here; I have found settings with slow response as well that weren't very suitable for my use of the thing.

The strangest thing this thread made me realize might be that I've found that using my LPB-1 as -just- a volume boost after the BEAST makes the response of the BEAST slower and the tone duller for some reason. Maybe I should switch it out for something else...

In the studio I used a regular ass Ibanez Tubescreamer for my main riffs on some tracks and it definitely had the fastest response to pick attack of all pedals mentioned in this post. I should build one sometime...

[D.o.S.]

I like my dirt to sag like the before photos on a weight loss program website.

[actual]

[drolo]

admit that you were going to make a joke about sagging skin after diet
why wouldn't you

[Scruffie]

The HM-2 has some gating diodes (there's a technical term for what they do escaping me after several beers)

Got you, crossover distortion ;-)

I was actually thinking of coring diodes but yes, they do produce crossover distortion too.

[drolo]

The HM-2 has some gating diodes (there's a technical term for what they do escaping me after several beers)

Got you, crossover distortion ;-)

I was actually thinking of coring diodes but yes, they do produce crossover distortion too.

never heard of those

[Scruffie]

The HM-2 has some gating diodes (there's a technical term for what they do escaping me after several beers)

Got you, crossover distortion ;-)

I was actually thinking of coring diodes but yes, they do produce crossover distortion too.

never heard of those

It's just the technical name for that rudimentary style of noise gate.

[actual]

admit that you were going to make a joke about sagging skin after diet
why wouldn't you

No I did, but then it just felt like I was biting DoS' joke.

[drolo]

admit that you were going to make a joke about sagging skin after diet
why wouldn't you

No I did, but then it just felt like I was biting DoS' joke.

good that we didn't fall for it haha

[Ghost Hip]

For leads I really enjoy fuzz that blooms as it decays, which usually is a synthy or octavia style fuzz. Nothing suits me more for leads more than my trusty Super Tri Fuzz. The built in Karaoke Party overdrive that I can blend in gives it a faster attack, but it is fun to set it to this real saggy/fuck overdrive esque sound too.

For rhythm I enjoy quick attack generally but slower attacks like a Supercollider/Muff are great for dropping back in the mix if you have another sound/instrument that you want to showcase.

Overall it just depends who or what I am playing with like anything else. I like this topic, as I haven't really consciously thought of or categorized attack in regards to fuzz/dirt.

[Jwar]

I prefer fast and then slow, then fast again, then to slow down towards the finish line.

Wait, what are we talking about?

[decomposing]

check out the supercoliider, it has a depth knob that goes from crunchy razors to doomy bass
love that pedal so much
but a regular muff pushed with a rat is darn nice too
could never replicate that sound with any other gear yet
CHHHUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHH

[Mosfed]

Never thought about it that way but from your list, I seem to greatly prefer slow. Nothing in the fast list does anything for me.

It's probably all dependent on the music one is making. My Dunwiches work best for slower doomy parts but not for where I need more precise articulation. But overall I am writing music that requires precise attack so my BBR or Darkglass get turned on the most. Would you classify your music as needing more articulation or more squish to use these two general words? If both, what pedals do you turn on for what you need vis a vis attack?

I don't know - I guess I really never thought about it that way. I think about attack with filters or compressors etc but never really with dirt. If I think about it, usually if I am going for something heavier in our sound (Fuzz and heavy distortion are probably only on for about 10-15% of our songs, light/touch sensitive overdrive is much more my thing) I go for a creamier, richer, muff like fuzz over a faster attack fy-2 more buzz fuzz. Not that I don't like the other but I use it way way way less.

My favorite overdrive is the Dunwich Volt Thrower (not the VT125B but the stock). And I have had other great experience with RAT type circuits with no clipping options.

Cool. Well from what I am gleaning you use both fast and slow as part of your sound although you may not have thought explicitly about it. And clearly one thing we do have in common is the experience with RAT's. Out of all the circuits I like them the best in terms of sheer tone, but on my VT for instance I need to keep it on no clipping for best attack. Seems like Dunwich in general favors a slower attack. But I could easily use my Landphil as the only distortion on my board since it covers so many areas I like (low gain preamp sound and super high gain dirt). Gets a little too mushy for me at high gain settings, but I never actually use that in the real world. I generally keep that pedals DIST knob at no higher than like 11 o clock, which is where I find it's sweet spot to be between low and higher gain.

You should try the stock Volt Thrower. They sound very different than the VT125B (partially my fault for suggesting the stupid mids dial) and they are the best RAT interpretation that I have tried.

You are right - I never really thought about it. To be honest, I think I like dirt that keeps my natural attack. I am thinking that for all these years when I have been searching for transparent dirt that didn't fundamentally change my inherent tone, it was really my attack that I was trying to match.

Pretty psyched for new Broughton overdrive.

[BossMann73]

Never thought about it that way but from your list, I seem to greatly prefer slow. Nothing in the fast list does anything for me.

It's probably all dependent on the music one is making. My Dunwiches work best for slower doomy parts but not for where I need more precise articulation. But overall I am writing music that requires precise attack so my BBR or Darkglass get turned on the most. Would you classify your music as needing more articulation or more squish to use these two general words? If both, what pedals do you turn on for what you need vis a vis attack?

I don't know - I guess I really never thought about it that way. I think about attack with filters or compressors etc but never really with dirt. If I think about it, usually if I am going for something heavier in our sound (Fuzz and heavy distortion are probably only on for about 10-15% of our songs, light/touch sensitive overdrive is much more my thing) I go for a creamier, richer, muff like fuzz over a faster attack fy-2 more buzz fuzz. Not that I don't like the other but I use it way way way less.

My favorite overdrive is the Dunwich Volt Thrower (not the VT125B but the stock). And I have had other great experience with RAT type circuits with no clipping options.

Cool. Well from what I am gleaning you use both fast and slow as part of your sound although you may not have thought explicitly about it. And clearly one thing we do have in common is the experience with RAT's. Out of all the circuits I like them the best in terms of sheer tone, but on my VT for instance I need to keep it on no clipping for best attack. Seems like Dunwich in general favors a slower attack. But I could easily use my Landphil as the only distortion on my board since it covers so many areas I like (low gain preamp sound and super high gain dirt). Gets a little too mushy for me at high gain settings, but I never actually use that in the real world. I generally keep that pedals DIST knob at no higher than like 11 o clock, which is where I find it's sweet spot to be between low and higher gain.

You should try the stock Volt Thrower. They sound very different than the VT125B (partially my fault for suggesting the stupid mids dial) and they are the best RAT interpretation that I have tried.

You are right - I never really thought about it. To be honest, I think I like dirt that keeps my natural attack. I am thinking that for all these years when I have been searching for transparent dirt that didn't fundamentally change my inherent tone, it was really my attack that I was trying to match.

Pretty psyched for new Broughton overdrive.

I am very happy that a thread occurred where there is no animosity and especially happy that this thread was one you found useful.

Regarding the VT though, I'll probably be waiting for a used one to pop up. Funny how the VT125B run ended up as kind of a bust (I say this because I've seen several for sale already not because I don't like my personal one). How do you think the mids dial affected the pedal?

Anyhow, very cool post and I hope the Broughton works out. I made an offer on an Azure Drive on Reverb yesterday, but the seller declined. That thing has some serious attack.