{"id":1786887,"date":"2025-07-29T12:26:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T16:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/?post_type=articles&p=1786887"},"modified":"2025-07-29T12:31:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T16:31:50","slug":"mxr-bass-synth-pedal-quickstart-guide","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/mxr-bass-synth-pedal-quickstart-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"MXR Bass Synth Pedal Quickstart Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Plug your bass guitar into the MXR Bass Synth pedal, and you\u2019ll have a blast with its eight presets of classic keyboard synth tones ready for the stage. Dig deeper, and you\u2019ll discover that it\u2019s a full-fledged virtual analog synthesizer with extensive sound-shaping parameters. While you create your own tones and presets, you can learn the basics of synthesizer programming. Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Register Your Purchase<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  2. Download the Owner\u2019s Manual<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  3. Playing with the MXR Bass Synth Presets<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  4. How Does the MXR Bass Synth Work?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  5. MXR Bass Synth Tutorial Video<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  6. MXR Bass Synth Connections<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  7. MXR Bass Synth Controls<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  8. Saving Presets<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  9. MXR Bass Synth Factory Reset<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  10. MXR Bass Synth Demo Video<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  11. Learn Synthesis with Sweetwater<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Register Your Purchase<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Take the time to register your Dunlop product<\/a> to obtain your full warranty coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Download the Owner\u2019s Manual<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019ve made a lot of practical notes for you in this guide, but you\u2019ll want the owner\u2019s manual for reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On Dunlop\u2019s MXR Bass Synth product page<\/a>, click on \u201cProduct Manual<\/strong>\u201d to download the owner\u2019s manual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Playing with the MXR Bass Synth Presets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Pro Tips:<\/strong>  Connect the output from your bass guitar directly to the In<\/strong> jack on the MXR Bass Synth. Don\u2019t go through any effects beforehand. This ensures that the Bass Synth can accurately track the notes you play on your instrument.

    The MXR Bass Synth tracks very well; but as you play, pay attention to muting the open strings. Sympathetic vibrations from adjacent strings may trigger unexpected notes or glitches from the synthesizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With the power disconnected, connect the output from your bass guitar to the In<\/strong> jack on the MXR Bass Synth. Use the Out<\/strong> jack to connect to other effects and your amp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Power the MXR Bass Synth by connecting the included Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Try each of the presets by tapping the red Presets<\/strong> button at the bottom of the front panel. Each tap of the Presets button advances to the next preset. There are two banks, each with four presets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are the presets and the classic sounds that inspired each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Green Bank<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    1. Thrillenganes<\/strong>: The ARP 2600 on Michael Jackson\u2019s \u201cThriller\u201d (1982) played by Greg Phillinganes.<\/li>
    2. Wonderful<\/strong>: Stevie Wonder\u2019s tones from his early 1970s albums with the TONTO instrument, from Music of My Mind<\/em> forward.<\/li>
    3. Lizard Synth<\/strong>: Herbie Hancock\u2019s ARP Odyssey on \u201cChameleon\u201d (1973).<\/li>
    4. Synthadelic<\/strong>: Bernie Worrell\u2019s Minimoog on \u201cFlash Light\u201d by Parliament-Funkadelic (1977).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Red Bank<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      1. Sledge<\/strong>: This one is not a keyboard synth sound. It\u2019s based on Tony Levin\u2019s fretless bass guitar through an octave pedal on Peter Gabriel\u2019s \u201cSledgehammer\u201d (1986).<\/li>
      2. Army of Synth<\/strong>: Bjork\u2019s sound on \u201cArmy of Me\u201d (1995).<\/li>
      3. Nine Inch Synth<\/strong>: Trent Reznor\u2019s sound on Nine Inch Nails\u2019 \u201cHead Like a Hole\u201d (1989).<\/li>
      4. Synthmau5<\/strong>: The sounds of producer deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) in the 2000s.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Live Mode<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        After you tap through the last preset, none of the four LEDs are lit. You are now in Live mode<\/strong>, and the synth sound is determined by the current position of each knob. This is where you can construct a patch from scratch and save it to one of the preset slots. Tapping the Presets button again will take you back through the eight presets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        How Does the MXR Bass Synth Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        The MXR Bass Synth takes the audio input from your bass guitar, senses each note you play, and generates a synthesizer voice. (Most of the presets output just the \u201cwet\u201d synthesizer voice, but you can blend in the \u201cdry\u201d sound of your bass guitar on each preset by turning the Mix knob.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The MXR Bass Synth is a digital device that emulates the sound of a classic monophonic analog subtractive synthesizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        When you program a sound, you use the same building blocks and signal path found in an analog synth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        • Starting with the main oscillator, you can select its waveform then blend in additional oscillators above and below.<\/li>
        • These are sent to the filter section, with controls for cutoff and resonance.<\/li>
        • Next come the envelopes, which act as a voltage-controlled filter (VCF) and a voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) with control over attack and decay. (The sustain of each synth note corresponds to the sustain of the note you play on your bass guitar.)<\/li>
        • There\u2019s also a modulation section with chorus and low-frequency oscillator (LFO).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          You can set up an external expression pedal to modulate one or more parameters of the sound, just like using the mod wheel on a keyboard synthesizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          MXR Bass Synth Tutorial Video<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Take the time to watch this 30-minute video from MXR. The video explains the different ways to connect, configure, and control the unit. The video shows you all of its tone-shaping and synth-programming features with musical examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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