MXR Bass Distortion Pedal Pedal

General

Bass distortion pedals have been on the up and up within louder styles of music for years, but other genres could also do with the infusion of a little bass distortion. MXR agree and have just released the pocket-sized M85: a bass distortion pedal fitted with four different controls to help you give shape to numerous, differently distorted sounds.

Options, Options, Options

When it comes to effect pedals that are made to drastically alter the sound of a bass guitar, it's important that you're able to dial in the specifics in minute detail. As such, the M85 offers myriad options and then some. First of all, you have the choice between silicone or LED diodes or, in other words, the choice between heavily aggressive distortion or a more open-ended fuzz effect. In addition, four different control knobs give way to countless original sounds and include a Tone control for the treble and a Distortion control to tickle the signal as much as preferred. But there's more...

Wet & Dry

Using the Dry control, the direct signal of your bass can be boosted to make your physical play more clear to hear past the distortion. This can come in handy when you want to make sure a certain sound, line or note is given more presence while the distortion gets mixed to the background. Needless to say, the Wet control does the exact opposite: simply turn it up to create a richer distortion effect with less of the direct signal mixed in. All in all, the MXR M85 Bass Distortion pedal is indispensable for bassists operating within louder styles and for those that aren't afraid of a little experimenting alongside more mellow vibes.

• Please note: The actual colour of the M85 can be seen in the first image.