In order to fully understand the scope behind the Bassbone feature set, one must understand the challenges that bass players face. As the saying goes: “necessity is the mother of invention” and Bassbone delivers solutions to needs that are at once real and relevant.

Performing with two instruments in one amplifier
Today, with the collision of so many musical genres, the performing bassist generally requires two instruments to meet the demand for tonal range. Often times, the choice of instruments will include a passive vintage instrument like an old Fender P-Bass and a new generation five or six string active. Both instruments are at extreme odds with respect to tonal range and output level. The problem occurs when swapping these instruments on stage whereby the amplifier settings must be reset to conform to each instrument’s particular sound. So how do bassists address the problem? They don’t. They have been forced to compromise. Until now…

The Radial Bassbone solves the problem by providing two individual channels for each instrument, and a very powerful EQ section that lets you override the amp’s control settings, allowing you dial-in the perfect sound for your instrument.

Getting TWO sounds with only ONE bass
When performing with one bass, the challenge comes down to achieving a greater palette of sounds to address the various musical styles required when playing cover tunes or creating new musical landscapes. This is partially addressed with two channel amplifiers, but playing with one bass still forces a compromise with respect to EQ control and limited access to boost settings for soloing - Bassbone solves both problems.

When only one bass is connected, the Bassbone converts to a two-channel controller with a footswitch to toggle between channels. Channel-1 drives your amp directly with regular settings while Channel-2's ultra powerful 3-band EQ lets you shape alternate sounds from thunderous deep bass to solo-cutting power mids. Bassbone also includes a power boost section that acts on either channel, giving you four completely different settings with one bass! Finally – real control when you play!

Bringing in effects and taking them out when not in use
Another major concern for bass players is bringing effect pedals in and out of the signal chain. Bass frequencies are the most powerful and demanding of any signal path. This is why bass amplifiers generally require two to four times more power than the accompanying guitar amplifier. The same law of physics also applies at the electronic circuit level. This forces circuit designers to make decisions such as compromising dynamic range versus noise, using higher quality parts versus saving money and so on. The problem with most 9-Volt effect pedals is that they do not have sufficient headroom to produce clean, solid bass. As these are typically not true bypass designs, bass players are forced to compromise by keeping these effects in the signal chain even when not in use. This causes the signal to degrade and adds noise.

Bassbone comes to the rescue with a separate effect send-and-receive loop that can be activated with a simple footswitch. The effects loop can even be combined with the boost circuit, so cool effects such as flanging or chorus can be instantly kicked in for solos.

Performing with no amp at all!
When performing in small ‘coffee house’ gigs, bringing an amplifier may be cumbersome. The bass is often plugged into a direct box and then fed directly into a mixer which feeds the house speakers and stage monitors. Although this set up can get you by, it just does not sound right. The problem is the mixer’s EQ center frequencies are tailored for general purpose (ie: microphones for voice, percussion and instruments) and as such, the bass player is unable to achieve a ‘real’ bass sound. Bassbone gives you back the control to get YOUR tone out there!

The Bassbone is essentially a 2-channel bass preamp with a built-in balanced XLR output for the mixer. This means that the EQ controls have been designed specifically for bass guitar frequencies so that you can get great sounds easily. This also means that you can connect the Bassbone to your mixer and have total control over your sound going through the PA. As the XLR out is post-effect, all changes such as channel selection, EQ, boost and effects are all sent to the mixer. It’s like having your own personal sound engineer!

Staying in tune
Just like effects pedals, tuners can cause havoc, robbing your sound of dynamics and tone, even though one cannot argue the tremendous benefits of having a tuner plugged for on-the-fly adjustments. Until Bassbone, you were either in tune or being tuned out!

The Bassbone’s 'always on' tuner output has been optimized to accentuate the fundamental frequency. This reduces 'needle wobble’ making tuning faster and easier. For silent tuning, a Radial BigShot i/o can be used as a mute to silence the output while the tuner remains active.

Taking control of your bass
Whether you are playing in the studio or performing live, being in total control of your instrument is a critical factor in achieving a better performance. Bassbone was developed to address the real needs of bass players and to provide them with a tool that is at once flexible and practical, while opening the door to a greater array of sounds and textures. Ultimately, the Bassbone helps to spur the creative process of making music.