How would you imitate a synth bass tone without a pedal or keyboard?

JukeBoxHero · #1 02-01-2010, 04:45 AM

I was wondering since I was going to be playing in a musical called Back to the 80s and a good portion of the songs have synth tone. A link to the setlist can be found here. http://www.backtothe80smusical.com/theShow_musicUSc.php

Any help or insight that could be provided would be appreciate. I also apologize if this is the wrong section for this topic.

CamiloDíaz · #2 02-02-2010, 01:36 PM

I think it's doable, but EXTREMELY difficult, to keep an upper octave on every note you play, hitting root w/thumb, octave w/middle finger, kinda like jazz guitar players do sometimes. But to do the slight filters, the distortion and choruses, that is not possible in my books, out of pure hand-bass-amp combination.

I think is more effort effective to get at least some sort of filter. That thing alone, besides some clever eq'ing and changes in attack (some thumb, some finger, some pick), could add at least a very passable eighties tone.

sixandeightstringer · #3 02-02-2010, 01:39 PM

If you can get an octaver pedal that allows you to completely eliminate the source note and only play the octaved note - and then play everything up one octave - this can be effective. I did something similar using a dbx120 in my rack in my last band; it was a pretty phat dub-like synthy sound. Worth a shot! And there are "synth bass" pedals which work pretty well, too... Behringer has one as cheap as around $40 if you want to see how it works out.

AbsoluteFunk · #4 02-02-2010, 02:00 PM

in a few songs where ive emulated synth ive found a few thing
1. never play open strings
2. use a pleck (playing with you right hand resting on the bridge- to enable easy muting of each note where required )
3 eq you amp in smooth as poss w on your graphic if this is not poss try putting a bit of mid boost to your standard tone ( this varies acording to pickups and cabs as well)
hope that helps

Calebmundy · #5 02-02-2010, 02:39 PM

Palm mute and/or playing everything in octaves will be your best bet. Also, based on those tunes, if you can't afford to pick up or pedal or something, I wouldn't worry about it. I play a lot of those tunes in a wedding band, and they go over great with just straight bass tone. Any articulation you can pick up will help-slides, shakes, ghost notes etc.

sikamikanico · #6 02-02-2010, 03:13 PM

well, i think of three basic components of a synth sound. waveform, oscilator mix and filter. modulation can be left out.

try to get the "right waveform" and right "oscillator mix". root+5th, or root+octave (or both). you can use your thumb for roots, and index and middle fingers for 5ths and octaves, or you can use your index finger for the roots. I find this easier to play certain things, although that only leaves me the middle finger for either 5ths or octaves.

I never tried to achieve a synth sound with this though... it's hard to do it without pedals...

oh, you might want to adjust your technique to get the right sounds ("waveforms")- play towards the neck for softer, sine-y sounds.... and towards the bridge for more aggressive sounds... maybe also incorporate palm muting...

and it also depends on the pickups you use, you can do certain adjustments there as well, they should help...

oh, and in the end, don't over do anything... better to play good in a normal fashion than something sounding synthy, but badly...

JukeBoxHero · #7 02-02-2010, 04:55 PM

Thanks for all the help guys. I don't really have any money for the filter/pedal, but I can certainly try some the techniques recommended here. If I can't get the synth sound I'll just play normally with some more bass added, since my mids are usually all the way up.

bassmanjla · #8 02-16-2010, 01:52 AM

I don't have a synth pedal, and i've recently gotten really into the idea of the "synth sound"

i've found that running my RH450's tube drive emulator nearly all the way up with some solid compression and alot of muting can sound a good deal like a synth pedal. it's still missing some of the filter tones though.
solutions?
if you can borrow a half decent multi pedal ( or find a cheap used digitech) throw a little envelop filter on it.

basically, a synth pedal is going to do a few things to your sound.
replicate one octave lower
one octave higher
filter in some square wave distortion
and sweep filter the signall ( flangers do this too)

remember, guitar pedals are alway cheaper than bass pedals.. and since you lose alot of low end with most synths anyways. it may not hurt you to borrow a guitar players pedals to experiment. good luck.