Bass Legends HX Stomp Pack

This is a collection of sounds inspired by 5 bass players I consider to be legends in their own right, and also huge influences on both my sound and my career. 

Porkpie Hat

Marcus Miller might not be the first person you think of as an influence on my career. I've gone most of it without slapping my bass (or at least not telling anyone when I did), and I play very different music from Marcus. But there is such a huge part of him in my playing, it would be impossible not to include something approximating the way I hear his sound in this pack. With the mids cut, the highs and the lows boosted, and a touch of reverb for when he plays melodically, this preset can transport you from your sound to Marcus' at the press of a button. I think he's one of the most underrated melodic players on bass, and his writing and fretless playing don't get half as much attention as they deserve. I recommend opening up the tone knob on your bass as far as it will go, and maybe a fresh set of strings to complete that shimmery tone Marcus used to change the face of modern music. 

Show of Hands

Another huge proponent of slap technique, yet Victor Wooten remains one of my biggest influences. Whilst most people were losing their minds over "You Can't Hold no Grooge" and "Classical Stomp" from the Show of Hands album when it came out in 1996, I was way more drawn to the beautiful melodies and harmonics-fueled grooves of "The Vision". With this preset you can be transported right back to 1996 in an instant. 

Voodoo

They don't come much more mega than the Welsh wizard of bass: Pino Palladino. Like many people reading this, I'm sure you were listening to Pino long before you were aware of it. His global reach through the countless smash records he has, and continues to play on, is hard to comprehend. To pay homage to a hero through my approach to his sound, I went to the D'Angelo Voodoo album for inspiration. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in NYC over several years, the recording techniques were very stripped down and unique. Luckily the HX stomp has versions of the exact pieces of vintage gear Pino used to get this sound, and I did my best to get it as close as possible. Old flat wound strings on a passive bass are recommended to get the most out of this patch. 

55 Christopher 

It's one thing to listen to your heroes and gather influence from records, it's quite another to be there in the room as they are creating some of the most iconic music of the era. I was lucky enough to see Tim Lefebvre countless times in NYC in the late 90's and early 00's while he was exploding onto the global jazz and experimental scene with Wayne Krantz, Jojo Mayer, Boomish, Uri Caine and many others. I don't think there's really any substitute for the kinds of quirky and often vintage pedals Tim would use to create huge sounds live, but this preset gets you part of the way into the mind of someone I'm fortunate to call both a hero and a friend, and someone who has had a profound effect on my playing for almost three decades. I highly recommend experimenting with the frequency of the ring mod block on this one to suit your setup and your sound. 

Elektric Solo

John Patitucci might be one of the most complete bassists of all time. He has a completely unique and instantly recognizable voice on both upright and electric bass, and hasn't been afraid to update and transform that sound over the years. This patch takes a look back at the Elktric Band years in the 80's with Chick Corea, playing the Ken Smith, and blowing chorus after incredible chorus on tunes like Got A Match? The effect he's had on my sound, my vocabulary, and my approach to music is immense. This small tribute to a period in my life of intense listening and learning will hopefully give you some insight into how John's sound started out on the instrument, how it has influenced mine, and by going and checking out his new records you can see how far it's come and what direction it might be going in next.