Looking to turn your bass into a vintage-inspired, synth-powered groove machine? The MXR Bass Synth might just be your new secret weapon. Co-designed by none other than low-end guru and tone wizard Ian Martin Allison, this pedal transforms your bass into a filthy, funky, analog-style monster with vibes pulled straight from the golden era of synth bass.
Think Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Parliament Funkadelic, those deep, chewy, monophonic synth tones that defined entire eras of music. This pedal doesn’t just nod to that legacy, it grabs it by the collar and launches it into the modern world. From sub-heavy rumbles to expressive filters and lush modulations, this thing grooves. Hard.
Designed for Bassists, by a Bassist
Let’s be real – there are a ton of synth pedals out there, but very few actually feel like they were built for bass players. The MXR Bass Synth nails the sweet spot. The tracking? Lightning fast. The sustain? Smooth and powerful. And the flexibility? Next level.
You get full control over every nuance of your tone:
- Blend dry and syth signals for clarity or chaos
- Shape your filter sweeps from quick snaps to syrupy slow-mos
- Tweak resonance and cutoff to punch right through the mix
- Switch waveforms on the fly – triangle, sawtooth, or square
- Layer oscillators for rich, layered textures
Whether you want subtle warmth or outrageous space-funk, it’s all right here.
A Synth for Every Bass Player
Whether you’re covering ’80s bangers at your local bar, playing gospel on Sunday morning, or crafting spaced-out synthwave in your studio, the MXR Bass Synth delivers pure bass synth magic, no complicated setup, no compromise. Just plug in and go.
Here’s what Ian had to say about the process:
“I’ve been building synth tones from scratch with multiple pedals or using multi-FX units for years. And while that can be cool, it never quite nailed the feel of a real synth rig. The MXR Bass Synth? It gets you there—and in some cases, you can’t even tell it apart from an actual keys rig. We obsessed over every detail – how each knob feels, how it responds, the tracking, the latency. I wouldn’t stop until it was perfect. And now… it is.”
Bottom line? If you’re serious about synth bass tone, the MXR Bass Synth is not just an option, it’s a must-have. Built by bassists, for bassists – engineered for today, inspired by the legends.
