- Published: 27 February 2020 27 February 2020
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Hello Effects Fans!
The new GT Mudslinger module is an original GT design that doesn’t compare directly to anything else that we know of. It is designed specifically for bass players. It isn’t really an effect itself. It’s more like “a secret sauce” that makes other effects better for bass. If you have tried effects with bass, you probably have found that many of them don’t really sound all that great. There’s something about the physics and human perception of low-frequency sounds that cause many effects to sound flabby, loose, or otherwise unusable with bass. Effects that add gain, such as overdrive, distortion, and fuzz in particular often sound unpleasant, although there are a few exceptions here and there.
The problem is with the lowest frequencies, typically somewhere around 80-200Hz. Not only do effects not handle that range gracefully, but they often reduce bass to minimize the problem. A reduction in bass, complicated with flabby sound, can cause the rhythm to get lost in the mix. You probably know that while the root bass notes are in that low-frequency danger zone for effects, each note is also accompanied by a lot of harmonic content well above that note’s frequency. Those harmonics give bass some definition, clarity, pop, and presence. Those harmonics are well above the danger zone.
The Mudslinger takes advantage of this fact. As your signal comes into the Mudslinger, it divides the low and high frequency content. You get three choices for that crossover frequency, as the best crossover may differ from one effect to another. The high content is routed to a loop, where it can be run through guitar effect modules, which might not normally sound good with bass, but sound great with guitar frequencies. The low notes go straight through, without effects, keeping your rhythm tight. Then the two paths are joined by a Mix control so you can adjust the dry lows and the highs with effects. The result is a somewhat lower level of effect, but without the flabbiness, looseness, and general silliness you sometimes get when you send bass through effects. And your root bass notes keep your bass line driving. We think it is the best of both worlds. The biggest benefit is that you can experiment with virtually any guitar effect, instead of limiting your selection to those few designed specifically for bass.
Buffers are added in the path to make sure the split signal doesn’t degrade, particularly the high path that might go through a lengthy chain of effects. We think this ranks the Mudslinger right up there with compressors and EQs on the bass “must try” list.
You can see the details about our Mudslinger at: Mudslinger. Or look for it in the Bass Modules section under Products -> Modules -> Modules By Type.
(Please pardon the printing error on the front panel of our prototype unit above! )