Recommend me a bass overdrive please.

[marqueemoon]

Requirements:

Not huge (MXR sized)
Dry signal blend

I’m a fan of Rat sounds for bass, but I’m open to other flavors. I play in a 3 piece and the goal is really to add some subtle hair in places. The sound is going to be mostly dry signal, so the overdriven sound shouldn’t be disembodied from the dry sound (solid state amp, so there won’t be much amp grit to glue things together).

The Bass Soul Food seems promising but I haven’t had good luck with EHX. The Jam Pedals Rattler Bass also looks cool, but spendy and I’d prefer just one switch. I’d also be open to a drive/boost combo pedal if it has the dry signal blend option for the OD side.

[matthew a]

The Darkglass micro tube was super popular a few years back. I liked it. Dirty.

[parry]

Don't hate on the suggestion because it doesn't have a blend knob... but I wonder if you might be surprised by -and get on well with the Smallsound/Bigsound Mini. Independent bass/treble knobs to dial in a strong clean sound and then dial in the amount of grit you want between the gain and bias knobs. My other suggestion would be the Tronographic Rusty Box.

[dugwolf]

You might want to check out the mxr m85 bass distortion. They worked on it with Ryan from fuzzrocious. I think it’s based on a rat maybe? Has dry blend too.

[somanytoys]

Don't hate on the suggestion because it doesn't have a blend knob... but I wonder if you might be surprised by -and get on well with the Smallsound/Bigsound Mini. Independent bass/treble knobs to dial in a strong clean sound and then dial in the amount of grit you want between the gain and bias knobs. My other suggestion would be the Tronographic Rusty Box.

I haven't tried the mini yet myself, but the guy I play with has one, it's got a very nice tone (on guitar).

I have 2 Rusty Boxes, to use in place of my TS 50B. Great pedal (or preamp) that I can highly recommend, but I don't think that it has a blend option.

The other pedals that I typically use for bass (none have a blend and can get expensive) are:

Straight pedals:
*Jext Telez: for more of an overdrive, Uni-Drive (Hamburger version), Range Lord (blue dot OC44 version), for ore extreme fuzz a Dizzy tone (blue writing, version 5)
*JHS Colourbox - 3 knob Bandaxall stack eq, knob for distortion intensity level (into the transfomer), volume and gain knobs, and a separate XLR out.

Preamp types:
*Tech 21 Sansamp VT Bass DI, which has a separate clean output but I don't remember if it has a blend (can be used with another amp or PA for the effect and the clean output into another amp)
*Tech 21 dUg Pinnick pedal/preamp - this thing is cool but gets LOUD fast, it doesn't seem to have different outputs for pedal vs preamp like the Rusty Box, but it does have an XLR out, don't think a clean out
*Sleeping Dogs FX IVP (pedal version of the old rackmount Interfax Instrument Voice Processor that Steve Albini uses)

If I want a blend, when I'm not using separate amps for other tones (which I usually am), I'll use either a Lehle parallel L pedal for one pedal, or an Xotic Stereo X Blender to use 2 or 3 of them together or independently.

Most of these may be way more than you want to spend, but they really do have some superb sounds for bass. If you find something you're happy with that has a blend knob, that's cool, but I've found many uses for having a parallel pedal over the years.

[kingmedicine]

You might want to check out the mxr m85 bass distortion. They worked on it with Ryan from fuzzrocious. I think it’s based on a rat maybe? Has dry blend too.

The Fuzzrocious Cat Tail/Rat Tail is also great and what I use. Supposed to be a Rat tuned a little bit for bass and you can get them with a clean blend option as well. The MXR bass distortion is also cool though, and Ryan has said they can be set up similar (although the circuits are slightly different I think).

[øøøøøøø]

SansAmp bass driver?

[beauzooka]

I am really picky about my bass dirt and went thru quite a few, but trying to stay under $150. I needed enough low end and a tubey sound, but not harsh. I ended up with a TC Spark (the 4 knob one) - which may not work for you since it does not have a blend. It goes from barely hairy up to medium gain, just a great sound. Dual EQ and a 3 way toggle too.
I used it a little at the show we played with you Seth.

[marqueemoon]

I am really picky about my bass dirt and went thru quite a few, but trying to stay under $150. I needed enough low end and a tubey sound, but not harsh. I ended up with a TC Spark (the 4 knob one) - which may not work for you since it does not have a blend. It goes from barely hairy up to medium gain, just a great sound. Dual EQ and a 3 way toggle too.
I used it a little at the show we played with you Seth.

Funny, I was just thinking about the Xotic Bass RC Booster. The Spark is cheaper though, and yeah your setup sounds really good.

I actually have a SansAmp Bass Driver, but that’s not quite the sound I’m looking for. It adds so much color I think it would be weird to kick it on as a overdrive.

[beauzooka]

I had an Xotic Bass RC Booster but didn’t like it as much as the TC. I didn’t like the Bass Soul Food at all.

[thenewromance]

I have a Bass Soul Food and like it for both bass and guitar. My first EHX pedal, no complaints so far.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Anyone ever try any of the bass-specific Cusack pedals? They've got a Screamer Fuzz Bass and Screamer Bass that have always intrigued me, but I've never tried them.

[Kinx]

KDHK Abyss sounds amazing and fits the criteria.

[Shadoweclipse13]

KDHK Abyss sounds amazing and fits the criteria.

Just checked a couple demos, and it does sound pretty good.

[somanytoys]

I actually have a SansAmp Bass Driver, but that’s not quite the sound I’m looking for. It adds so much color I think it would be weird to kick it on as a overdrive.

I can see what you mean with that. I can't see using my VT DI as a pedal to kick in & out, really, it seems to me like it's more of a full time sound. Never even thought it about that way. The dUg Pinnick pedal has the option to craft a sound sort of like the Driver, and then it has a footswitch to kick in a dirtier sound, in conjunction with the original sound. It depends on what sound you're looking for, though. It's got a lot of range, but wtih both options on, that pedal can quickly sound a good bit like the first full Primus album, Frizzle Fry, where Les used a Pedulla bass and an ADA preamp. And it can go onward to chaos.

Something I'd like to figure out is the best way to have the distorted sound from the Uni-Drive or Range Lord (or whatever) kick in just a fraction of a second after the clean sound, so the distorted sound kind of splatters in just behind the clean sound every time I hit a note. Sort of like the onset of a Moog or synth can, I guess. Not like a delay, but like a quick attack & release setting on a compressor or limiter, I'm guessing.