MXR MB301 Bass Synth Digital Effects Pedal

Monophonic Bass Synth Tones With Deep Low-End Control

The MXR MB301 Bass Synth is a monophonic effects pedal designed with Ian Martin Allison for bassists who want classic analogue-style synth sounds with strong tracking and sustain. It combines thunderous sub-octave response, expressive envelope filtering and modulation effects, making it useful for everything from tight funk grooves to experimental textures and synth-driven cover sets.

Six main controls provide detailed tone shaping. Sub Mix blends the sub octave with the main synth signal, Mod adds movement, and Envelope adjusts the filter response from quick bounce to slower sweeps. Mix, Cutoff and Resonance controls let players balance dry and effected signals, set the filter frequency and emphasise the selected range. Voice adds harmonically tuned oscillators, while Shape selects triangle, sawtooth or square waveforms.

Eight Ian Martin Allison presets provide fast access to classic-inspired synth tones. Additional options include stereo output mode, external preset switching and expression pedal control. The pedal requires a 9V DC, 330mA centre-negative power supply and cannot be powered by a battery.

At Riffs & Licks Music, we think the MB301 is ideal for bassists who want immediate synth-bass impact with enough control to move from familiar funk sounds to deeper, more experimental textures.