Has anyone used the TASCAM MP-BT1 Portable MP3 Bass Trainer?????

suitlandkid2005 · #1 10-21-2008, 02:02 PM

Has anyone ever used the TASCAM MP-BT1 Portable MP3 Bass Trainer? Here is a link:
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...ner?sku=241198

I was thinking about getting it to teach me to learn parts of bass in songs. I see it has effects, tuner, and metronome included. Does anyone know what the effects are? And does anyone think this would be a good investment?

Dr Stankface · #2 10-21-2008, 02:04 PM

I personally use one as an at home amp and I can't say how much I love this thing. Definitely a worthy investment. Great battery life and is a big relief on the power bill.

bassbully · #3 10-21-2008, 07:22 PM

Let me say this. No, i have not tryed the new MP-BT1 Trainer but if it is half as good as the old CD one... go get it now! This is one of the best learning materials i have ever used that was advised to me a few years back right here on TB by a TBer.
Of course its way better then the old CD one i still use all the time...what are you waiting for go get it now

gre107 · #4 10-21-2008, 07:24 PM

I've had one for about 8 months and it is great!
I owned the CD version and this new mp3 version is a great improvement.

I Highly recommend it.

Beta · #5 10-21-2008, 10:57 PM

The effects are EQ, compressor, distortion, chorus, phaser, flanger, autowah, reverb, delay, octaver, exciter, something labeled "TechnoFlt" that I have no idea about, and various combinations of the above effects. The chorus is OK, as is the autowah. I can deal with the compressor. I don't like the sound of any of the other effects.

None of them, obviously, are of the quality you'd expect from something you would use to record or gig with, but they're fine for practice.

Bassamatic · #6 10-21-2008, 11:58 PM

These are FANTASTIC for learning songs. Our guitar player also uses it a lot to slow down the recordings and loop the hard parts.

Hats off to TASCAM for these!

stanknuckle · #7 10-22-2008, 03:20 AM

Get one. I've had mine since April as a birthday present. Its all I use at home 80% of the time. Battery lasts ages and or use a 5volt power adaptor.

Chickencha · #8 10-22-2008, 07:50 AM

I got one a few weeks ago. It's definitely worth it. The effects are pretty cheesy for the most part, but if you're getting it for the effects you're getting it for the wrong reason.

I've also seen them for quite a bit cheaper than they are on Musician's Friend. I got mine new on Ebay for around $145.

Jayhawk · #9 10-22-2008, 08:20 AM

Oh boy ... I'm glad I haven't sent my letter into Santa Claus yet, this looks like it's going to the top!

DudeistMonk · #10 10-22-2008, 08:33 AM

I've never used the TASCAM but I bought a Line6 bass pod XT live....It goes directly to my computer via USB and I can record onto my computer from it or send sound from my computer to it. Used in conjunction with a program like "Amazing Slow Downer" I can send a slowed down version of whatever song mixed with my own bass playing into headphones or my amp. Then it does all the amp modeling and effects stuff, most of the non synth effects like the compression, distortion, overdrive, autowah, fuzz, sound pretty good to me (granted I'm no effect guru), and the modeling is amazing. I would check this out as a more versatile alternative if you can afford it.

suitlandkid2005 · #11 10-22-2008, 09:21 AM

WOW!!! Thanks a lot for the responses. Everything sounds good. The effects and being able to learn song parts sounds cool; but does help you in being a better bass player as well? I know it's not a learning dvd from a teacher or anything like that; but I was just wondering does anyone get any cool insight or better dexterity from learning the songs while using it? Or it just like playing tab but electronic?

bassbully · #12 10-22-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suitlandkid2005

WOW!!! Thanks a lot for the responses. Everything sounds good. The effects and being able to learn song parts sounds cool; but does help you in being a better bass player as well? I know it's not a learning dvd from a teacher or anything like that; but I was just wondering does anyone get any cool insight or better dexterity from learning the songs while using it? Or it just like playing tab but electronic?

I think i get what you saying and "No" the tascam bass trainer will not teach you to be a better bass player thats something you have to do yourself. I will say jamming along to CDs and looping parts and studying the chord progressions, modes and finger patterns could teach you to be a better bass player. Since you can write out what you are hearing by ear and playing over and over thru the trainer. I dont know if i explained this well but thru using the trainer i have learned to play difficult basslines i could of never of learned any other way since i dont read music. So maybe the answer is "Yes"

suitlandkid2005 · #13 10-22-2008, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

I think i get what you saying and "No" the tascam bass trainer will not teach you to be a better bass player thats something you have to do yourself. I will say jamming along to CDs and looping parts and studying the chord progressions, modes and finger patterns could teach you to be a better bass player. Since you can write out what you are hearing by ear and playing over and over thru the trainer. I dont know if i explained this well but thru using the trainer i have learned to play difficult basslines i could of never of learned any other way since i dont read music. So maybe the answer is "Yes"

Thanks..you did get what I was saying. I was trying to break it down the best way I could. I by no means am try to look for some easy way out or some tool to make magically become a better bass player. I know it comes from practice and hard work which I do not mind at all. You got exactly what I was saying by one becoming familiar with the modes, chord progressions and such.

suitlandkid2005 · #14 10-22-2008, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beta

The effects are EQ, compressor, distortion, chorus, phaser, flanger, autowah, reverb, delay, octaver, exciter, something labeled "TechnoFlt" that I have no idea about, and various combinations of the above effects. The chorus is OK, as is the autowah. I can deal with the compressor. I don't like the sound of any of the other effects.

None of them, obviously, are of the quality you'd expect from something you would use to record or gig with, but they're fine for practice.

I understand. Like do they sound good enough for a jam session with a friend? I plan on getting chorus and synth from boss but money is an issue at the moment. I really want to get the trainer so learn songs and the effects are just a bonus to me. I am not buying strictly for the effects though. I was just wondering while it has the said effects; are they ok or do they sound horrible and make you not want to play with them.

Beta · #15 10-22-2008, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suitlandkid2005

I understand. Like do they sound good enough for a jam session with a friend? I plan on getting chorus and synth from boss but money is an issue at the moment. I really want to get the trainer so learn songs and the effects are just a bonus to me. I am not buying strictly for the effects though. I was just wondering while it has the said effects; are they ok or do they sound horrible and make you not want to play with them.

I wouldn't use them for a jam session. That said, I'm not a big effects user, anyway. I liked the effects I listed. I really didn't like the exciter, I don't like reverb in general, and I didn't like the sound of the flanger (but I also didn't try to play with the settings). There's this one combination called "Warm Sound" that's EQ+compression+chorus that kind of cops the sound of Jaco's studio recording of "Continuum," so when I break out my fretless, there it is.

The trainers are useful for practice and learning songs in environments where you can't or don't want to do said things at volume. They're also probably useful for noodling around with ideas, where you can throw effects in, but you can't record those ideas, of course.

mgash · #16 10-22-2008, 01:45 PM

I have it and it broke in 4 months, huge piece of #$)*$*$

bassbully · #17 10-22-2008, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgash

I have it and it broke in 4 months, huge piece of #$)*$*$

Gee ...must of had a bad one. I have a 4-5 year old CD model and its had the crap kicked out of it and it still works. I have dropped it several times and had it knocked off tables etc ...works like a champ. I use mine weekly hours of use and have expected it to die...nope.

Chickencha · #18 10-23-2008, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suitlandkid2005

WOW!!! Thanks a lot for the responses. Everything sounds good. The effects and being able to learn song parts sounds cool; but does help you in being a better bass player as well? I know it's not a learning dvd from a teacher or anything like that; but I was just wondering does anyone get any cool insight or better dexterity from learning the songs while using it? Or it just like playing tab but electronic?

I think maybe you're expecting too much from this thing. It doesn't tell you how to play a song -- you still have to figure it out for yourself. It does make things easier, though, by slowing songs down, enhancing certain frequencies, or looping over certain parts of songs.

I wouldn't say the bass trainer makes you better directly. You get better when you practice and the bass trainer may help you practice.

That's not to say it's not a great product, but you have to know what to expect from it. It's really just an MP3 player/headphone amp with some special bass-related features.

theshadow2001 · #19 10-23-2008, 09:24 AM

It doesn't seem the have flash memory expansion which would have been a really great feature.

My question would be how is the rewind feature on it? Is it slow to respond or does it start rewinding quickly. Thats something that used to annoy me about playing with mp3 players. Although the loop function could compensate for slow rewind.

Edit: I don't mean the speed of rewind, but how quickly the system realises that you want to rewind when you hold the skip back button, i see in the manual the time can be lengthened or shortened.

ctbass · #20 10-23-2008, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

Let me say this. No, i have not tryed the new MP-BT1 Trainer but if it is half as good as the old CD one... go get it now! This is one of the best learning materials i have ever used that was advised to me a few years back right here on TB by a TBer.
Of course its way better then the old CD one i still use all the time...what are you waiting for go get it now

+1000