Bass drum 'stomp box' anybody use one ?

[GibbyPrague]

I went to see this lady play last night, amazing vocals and performance.

One thing i noticed which gave her performance really nice additional percussive effect on some tracks, is this bass drum stomp box.

I wanted to ask if anybody has used this stomp box, or similar and what has been your experience with it ?

The lady in question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJGWmHWg-7E&NR=1

The stomp box in question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CXCx...layer_embedded

[kscobie8]

I'll say first that I have no experience with the one you posted in the link. I really have no experience with any of the "factory made" stomp boxes out there. I saw a few performances where the musician was using one and looked into getting one. But I found them all to be rather expensive for just wanting to try it, knowing I wouldn't use it for more than a few songs, at least initially. So I dug a little deeper on youtube and found a few Do-It-Yourself options and built my own.

Mine is similar to this guy's box:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGb0g-AGf64
I used the same pickup he uses, which was less than $20 on ebay. I bought an unfinished cigar box from the hobby store and total cost to me was less than $30, easy.

Here's another home-made version using parts you probably already have lying around:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuEmtzQvHYg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN15Qa43WlA


Bel isi,
-kyle

[GibbyPrague]

Nice one Kyle, thanks for the tip !

Some good piece of creative invention there, and yes, good value for money. The stomp box in question was $130.

Originally Posted by kscobie8

I'll say first that I have no experience with the one you posted in the link. I really have no experience with any of the "factory made" stomp boxes out there. I saw a few performances where the musician was using one and looked into getting one. But I found them all to be rather expensive for just wanting to try it, knowing I wouldn't use it for more than a few songs, at least initially. So I dug a little deeper on youtube and found a few Do-It-Yourself options and built my own.

Mine is similar to this guy's box:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGb0g-AGf64
I used the same pickup he uses, which was less than $20 on ebay. I bought an unfinished cigar box from the hobby store and total cost to me was less than $30, easy.

Here's another home-made version using parts you probably already have lying around:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuEmtzQvHYg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN15Qa43WlA


Bel isi,
-kyle

[open-road-matt]

I use a Porchboard:

http://www.porchboard.com/

I've tried a few others and heard quite a few others. The big difference to me is that most, if not all of the others generate a "tap," while the Porchboard produces a big, rich, organic thump.

Now I'm sure you can EQ some of the others to get a bigger tone. I tried that with the Ellis running it through a Boss GE-7 pedal but to me it wasn't the same.

The Porchboard has a ton of positive qualities. First off, they are completely silent when plugged. No hum or extraneous noise. The new ones have a selector switch that allows you to select the tone, either high, mid or low. They have both a 1/4" and an XLR out and they come apart.

I know the price, to some, might seem a bit high when compared to the others but for me, my music and what works best in my live shows I could:

Buy one of the smaller "tap" boxes, then buy EQ pedal to make it sound good, then get some 9v batteries for the pedal, hook up two or three different boxes, tape the little "tap" box to the floor so it doesn't move around while I play and then do my show.

or

Buy a Porchboard, plug it in and play.

Matt

[kscobie8]

The one I built has a pretty nice thump to it, very bass drum-like. I don't use any signal boost or EQ pedals/effects, just straight into the PA. Couldn't be happier.

No need to spend more than $50 tops for materials building one.


Bel isi,
-kye

[clintonb]

I've been looking up those stomp boxes today because the drummer for our upcoming gig backed out.

Instead of doing a stomp box, I was wondering if I could just make my own stomp box that has a drum trigger which triggers my drum machine sounds.

Drum trigger connected to some kind of box -> Trigger/MIDI converter -> Drum machine

Drum trigger:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pulse-KD-1-Acous...item2eb5745ec0

Trigger/MIDI converter
http://www.alesis.com/triggerio

Drum Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRkiGAoFOlI

I could just buy an electronic bass drum pedal, but that doesn't feel as comfortable as tapping your foot.

[kscobie8]

Originally Posted by clintonb

I've been looking up those stomp boxes today because the drummer for our upcoming gig backed out.

Instead of doing a stomp box, I was wondering if I could just make my own stomp box that has a drum trigger which triggers my drum machine sounds.

Drum trigger connected to some kind of box -> Trigger/MIDI converter -> Drum machine

Drum trigger:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pulse-KD-1-Acous...item2eb5745ec0

Trigger/MIDI converter
http://www.alesis.com/triggerio

Drum Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRkiGAoFOlI

I could just buy an electronic bass drum pedal, but that doesn't feel as comfortable as tapping your foot.

Here's a similar idea. No MIDI, but they guy used a trigger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UFYVDWtV9c

Bel isi,
-kyle

I use a footbass and am very happy with it. I go straight into my PA with it. I get a thuddy, bass drum sound out of mine that I use for some songs. Here is a demo of it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdy4yk4p0Bw

[open-road-matt]

Originally Posted by kscobie8

The one I built has a pretty nice thump to it, very bass drum-like. I don't use any signal boost or EQ pedals/effects, just straight into the PA. Couldn't be happier.

No need to spend more than $50 tops for materials building one.


Bel isi,
-kye

Hi Kyle,
I didn't mean to disparage any of the other stomp boxes and certainly not one that you made. I hope it didn't come across that way. Maybe my enthusiasm for the Porchboard got the best of me.

Matt

[mike o]

I'm hooked on the Porch Board Bass for the same reasons as Matt. Love the sound. Works perfectly every time.

[Rick Jones]

I use the Ellis, but I tape it to the floor, and run it through a ehx black finger tube compressor to even out the thumps. I also find it sounds best with a piece of carpet on top...less 'tappy'.
I'd love to try a porchboard.

[kscobie8]

Originally Posted by open-road-matt

Hi Kyle,
I didn't mean to disparage any of the other stomp boxes and certainly not one that you made. I hope it didn't come across that way. Maybe my enthusiasm for the Porchboard got the best of me.

Matt

No worries, Matt. I didn't take it that way at all. I think the Porchboard is probably one of the better made/sounding "factory" options out there, especially not having to use any other effects/preamps with it. If I had to use an EQ or something with mine I'd just say forget it. I just wanted to point out that, if done right, you can get some decent sounds out of a DYI version. One other member here, knuckle, has one he's made that sounds pretty good in his videos.
Cheers!


Bel isi,
-kyle

[knuckle]

Originally Posted by open-road-matt

I use a Porchboard:

http://www.porchboard.com/

I've tried a few others and heard quite a few others. The big difference to me is that most, if not all of the others generate a "tap," while the Porchboard produces a big, rich, organic thump.

Now I'm sure you can EQ some of the others to get a bigger tone. I tried that with the Ellis running it through a Boss GE-7 pedal but to me it wasn't the same.

The Porchboard has a ton of positive qualities. First off, they are completely silent when plugged. No hum or extraneous noise. The new ones have a selector switch that allows you to select the tone, either high, mid or low. They have both a 1/4" and an XLR out and they come apart.

I know the price, to some, might seem a bit high when compared to the others but for me, my music and what works best in my live shows I could:

Buy one of the smaller "tap" boxes, then buy EQ pedal to make it sound good, then get some 9v batteries for the pedal, hook up two or three different boxes, tape the little "tap" box to the floor so it doesn't move around while I play and then do my show.

or

Buy a Porchboard, plug it in and play.

Matt

How loud is it? The problem I have with mine, even with a boost pedal is I can't get enough volume. I even tried it through a QSC K-sub and it was lame. It's louder through my Sony Home Surround sound powered 100W sub with a upgraded Pyle 12" speaker in it.

What I found is that the cigar box / piezo ones online in the videos sound very tinny. I like a THUMPFFF type sound. Like a bass drum with a pillow in it.

Any ideas? I need to get this thing loud.

[open-road-matt]

The Porchboard has always been as loud as I've needed it to be. I try to mix my Porchboard so it sits right underneath the guitar. I don't want an obvious kick drum type sound. I've even had people think that I'm doing some sort of fancy palm mute on my guitar to create the low end noise they are hearing. So I don't have my Porchboard very loud.

I run mine through a Bose T1 digital mixer and out to my Bose L1 Model 2. When I use the Porchboard, I almost always use 2 B1's (the Bose sub.)

I have the gain on the Porchboard channel set at about 1 o'clock and the volume on that channel set at noon. So I could go a lot louder.

I have the gain set properly with a fairly light tap on either side of center. The sensor is right in the middle of the Porchboard. I stand when I play so I switch tapping feet every song. So I would get more volume and more of a thump if I was sitting and tapping right in the center.

I don't like to sit when I play and that makes the Porchboard so great for me. With the smaller boxes I would either have to tape it to the floor right in the middle which makes playing with either foot quite awkward. Or I'd have to pick a foot. I don't think there is any way I could get through 3 straight hours tapping with one foot!

I've had to get creative over the years to play three or more hours, sometimes every day while tapping on my Porchboard.

With the old one, I built a little stage that put me up on the same level as the Porchboard so I didn't have to balance. I could just tap. I covered the stage with an anti-fatigue mat:



The stage was made of plywood and 2x4's so it was a pain to lug around. When I got the latest version I was able to eliminate the stage and use the anti-fatigue mat along with the chopped off end of a Manduka yoga mat to create a very comfy and easy to haul "stage:"





But I digress! I don't think you would have any trouble getting the volume and the thump you need out of a Porchboard.

The best thing to do is to call the folks at Enroute Music:

http://www.porchboard.com/Contact_Us.html

You will often get to talk with Bill who invented the Porchboard. They are super nice and can tell you everything you need to know.

Hope that helps,
Matt

[Rick Jones]

I see a porchboard in my future!!
Looks ideal Matt....I didn't know about the new, smaller version,thanks!

I do actually get my lowest bass thumps from my inner wrist on the guitar body, and my Ellis is less subby and more of a whack noise. I think I'd sooner have the porchboard and learn to use it for the bass function.