Harmonizer questions..

[MrSuperstar]

So its looking more and more like I will be doing "double Duty" in the band. If its possible.

We have a guitar player either about to quit or flake out or what have you. And we need the tone color of the Guitar. But not so much it being a melodious instrument, as we have a Keyboard player and a flute player.

But instead of me either playing up the octave on my bass, and doing a Y Split, signal to my amp, and then Signal to the bands guitar stack... I'm wanting to keep the low end. in my octave.

Are there any effects processors out there that can, when fed its own signal, take the sound, and basically put it up into guitar player range, with say Octave up from what I'm playing, and harmonize with the fifth? Be a dirty power chord, but we just need the sound, not the technical ability to shred.

Any help appreciated, and if you have a question as to what I'm trying to do, we've got 3 songs on the my band thing in my sig, just give it a listen and that'll give you an Idea of what I'm trying to do.

Also use a 5 string Tuned to BEADG, if that makes any difference on what I'm using it on.

Thanks
Anthony

[kevteop]

So you want an octave up plus a fifth?

I suppose the EHX HOG might do it. Split your signal before it and you can effect the "guitar" and bass signals independently.

[MrSuperstar]

can the HOG handle say, open B?

[Rhino Rob]

I do the same thing with an Akai Uni-Bass pedal. It tracks well but you have to play cleanly. If your string has some fret grind then it will give a false reading. The only problem is that they are discontinued.

Another alternative is to use a Roland V-Bass or a Roland GR-20. Both of which require the pick up installation. The V-Bass tracks better. Neither will do the fifth, unless you play A chord on the bass, but the sound quality is better.

[Swimming Bird]

Grab two of these three: Boss PS-5, EHX Micro POG, Digitech Whammy IV.

Previous suggestions: this is the Akai's exact purpose but is rare and the HOG doesn't track that well on low notes. As a GR-20 user I will tell you that that isn't the sound you want.

The Boss and Digitech can each handle the fifth up harmony or the octave up and the POG does a wonderful octave up. Run the resulting sound through whichever OD or distortion gets you the closest to the guitar you want.

(Perhaps) unfortunately, this will sound closest to a guitar's timbre if you use a pick. No matter what if won't sound like a clean guitar and it'll be a little noisy/have digital artifacts.

[anechoic]

Heh, we just had a thread about doing the opposite - shifting a guitar down to the bass range.

I've done the Unibass + guitar trick in a three piece. Sounded decent, when the Unibass wasn't flaking out (it may have been a power supply issue, though, I don't think the one I had was original). A just running crunchy distortion through a guitar amp (and keeping the bass amp clean) works pretty well, too, and there are no tracking issues.

I also play a 12 string on some songs as well. It's not appropriate for everything, but it definitely fills the space. Although you can't switch it off (as with the Unibass), you can play using all upstrokes with a pick to get just the low string.

[kevteop]

Originally Posted by MrSuperstar

can the HOG handle say, open B?

You won't find an octave/harmoniser pedal that will cope with an open B.

You best bet would be to shift your playing an octave up - pretty much all good octavers can cope well with B1. Then sub your bassline with a synthesised octave down.

If that solution isn't appropriate, then I think you need a guitarist. Incidentally the EHX HOG will do an octave down as well as a fifth up, an octave up, and an octave+fifth up. I think it's the only pedal that will do them in unison, and also track polyphonic playing.

[Green Mind]

I was just watching the Vh1 rock honors for The Who and there was a clip showing John use something that sounds exactly what you are describing. He used purple rackmount effect that created a guitar range distortion tone as well as his original bass tone.

Lot of from me seeing as I don't know what it was but just throwing that out there.

[coreyfyfe]

Originally Posted by MrSuperstar

can the HOG handle say, open B?

My HOG starts to flutter around the low E range, but as said above if you shift your playing up a little you can stay in its good range. That and the HOG goes from -2 to +4 in octaves with the option of adding fifths and thirds above so you can add in a whole guitar power chord above your note and an octave down for some added beef (I have this setting as one of my pre-sets actually).

The Whammy (assuming you use a Whammy IV and not a bass whammy) doesn't do well below A, and if you have one like mine, even A was usually pushing it.

[95svtcobra]

The Digitech bass whammy (if you can find one) does it along with the old Digitech bass harmonizer rack peice (although I can't testify to it's tone). BH-3 or something?

PM and I'll check this weekend when I get back up to the studio....