Holy Belly (Bass EQ+Boost) demo/review

[BDJohnston]

Nothing cuts through a mix than proper equalization… separating the frequencies and making certain each instrument sits properly and effectively. This is true of a clean or driven/distorted tone. Bass is no different, and years ago (when I first dabbled in music), I found it difficult to learn bass lines off records as they were buried (muffled and slightly muddy to my ears), and while the vocals and guitar overruled. Today, bassists have far more tools in their arsenal (including bi-amping) and they tend to focus more on a tight punchiness to help bring those low frequencies to the forefront, as opposed to simply working tandem with drums. LiberaToe’s Holy Belly not only is a very effective Parametric EQ, but has four accessible options via a dual channel footswitch.





Holy Belly is a true bypass pedal, and each channel has its own treble, midrange and bass (although the midrange is fixed at 12-noon on the Green channel/toggle down, and for reasons explained below), as well as separate volume controls. There is plenty of headroom via Holy Belly, as I tend to keep both around the 10-11 o’clock range.



Holy Belly does have two different circuits - EQ and Boost (and the boost circuit does have its own EQ function). The various EQ/Boost combinations are accessible via the toggle switch, as follows:

• Toggle Switch UP: Green channel acts as EQ, with treble/mid/bass, and Red channel is an EQ with Boost (full EQ accessible).
• Toggle Switch Down – only the boost circuit is active: Green channel has a flexible treble/bass with a fixed midrange locked at 12-noon, which provides a flat response while tweaking treble/bass for proper tone balance; the Red channel is a full EQ/Boost with treble/midrange/bass.

And so, in effect, and with toggle up, you can have a basic EQ (locked midrange) on the Green channel switchable to an EQ/Boost on the Red channel; or flip the toggle down and you can switch between a treble/bass EQ/Boost (locked midrange flat response) or the Red channel with full EQ/Boost (same as when toggle is up). Moreover, the Red channel’s toggle down has a modest mid-push… nothing extreme, but if you want more mids pushed then toggle down will give it to you. Obviously, working with a full EQ allows you to scoop the midrange (or push it even harder), depending on the tone and needs of the bassist. These options are important since you can set your tone (Green channel EQ with toggle up) with an appropriate EQ mix, then you can switch to a different EQ (Red channel) that boosts a particular tone. In total, you have access to four tones at the stomp/flip of a switch.



This is a very straightforward pedal, but Holy Belly’s build and sound quality holds true to the other LiberaToe pedals I have reviewed – it is a performer! Also note, this is a standalone pedal, but also a module for the LiberaToe-4 and -6 pedalboard switching/routing systems. Both the pedal and the systems should be considered if you are looking for a smaller pedalboard, and particularly if you need to save space on your current board with a pedal that has better control/flexibility than most bass EQs that cost more.

 

[rob aylestone]

The only EQ I have ever needed in recordings is catered for nicely in the DAW, but on stage, I prefer (for the music I play, of course), nothing between bass and amp, and often, just a DI into the system and the IEMs. I've never found a need to play with EQ apart from very general EQ when I'm given a strange cab that is either very bassy or bass light. That was the only time I found it useful. I like to trust the guy out front who sorts my bass in the PA. If we end up with a strange engineer on a show and I can feel he's overcooking it, I'll speak out - but with the ones I know and work well with, their ears and the desk's EQ is fine.

With the one in the video - it's called EQ, but really, it's an effect. I have a bass that plays a sort of dull duh sound, a brighter one, and another that has low action, gets played quietly and sounds mellow and chilled. I have an American jazz with higher action that I can hit quite hard, and lately, a Beatles style semi-acoustic that I kind of dismissed for years and discovered how nice it is recently. All these have the tone up full. I don't own a single pedal, and years back I bought a rack processor with effects and processing. Never used it apart from with a fretless where I used the compression for effect. That's me done. I don't need anything else. I totally get some people need different things, but we're not all the same.

 

[BDJohnston]

The only EQ I have ever needed in recordings is catered for nicely in the DAW, but on stage, I prefer (for the music I play, of course), nothing between bass and amp, and often, just a DI into the system and the IEMs. I've never found a need to play with EQ apart from very general EQ when I'm given a strange cab that is either very bassy or bass light. That was the only time I found it useful. I like to trust the guy out front who sorts my bass in the PA. If we end up with a strange engineer on a show and I can feel he's overcooking it, I'll speak out - but with the ones I know and work well with, their ears and the desk's EQ is fine.

With the one in the video - it's called EQ, but really, it's an effect. I have a bass that plays a sort of dull duh sound, a brighter one, and another that has low action, gets played quietly and sounds mellow and chilled. I have an American jazz with higher action that I can hit quite hard, and lately, a Beatles style semi-acoustic that I kind of dismissed for years and discovered how nice it is recently. All these have the tone up full. I don't own a single pedal, and years back I bought a rack processor with effects and processing. Never used it apart from with a fretless where I used the compression for effect. That's me done. I don't need anything else. I totally get some people need different things, but we're not all the same.

I think it depends on the style of music, etc. I find the punchiness and 'pop' achieved with this EQ (because of the Boost), you get through the mix better, and it works well for a bass solo. Regardless, I downsized my gear quite a bit, since focusing on what I need and don't need... but also... when I get an OD that is better than another, I sell the 'lesser' one off. I think most of us are like that. And then there's "what I need" and "what I want," LOL.

 

[rob aylestone]

ah - you said the kiss of death phrase for me "Bass Solo" - I really don't like them at all - ever. Bass stays at the bottom, forms the foundations. All that twiddly stuff is for others. I'm not bad at improvising to be fair, and I have had to play them loads over the years - especially in jazz, where everyone does them - but I just won't play chords, or go high up the neck. I have loads of friends who laugh at me, but I hate it. The only time I think I had to play chords on stage was that George Michael song - Different Corner, where the bass is a sort of feature throughout and I had to play it on double bass. They're not even real chords, just two high notes. It's a nice song but I felt awkward playing it. Just me - I'm weird!