Help! Getting '80s synth bass sounds from Pod X3 Live

John Bigboote · #1 09-08-2010, 09:54 PM

I got my Pod X3 Live in a trade with my brother, hoping it would earn its keep in my '80s cover band. Now it's put-up-or-shut-up time, and I'm having trouble replicating synth bass sounds -- or finding out if they're even possible. The two songs I'm currently trying to nail bass sounds for are:

Take My Breath Away (Berlin)
Take On Me (A-ha)

I've taken (ahem) to playing the bass part for Take On Me on a keyboard, because it's so simple, even a (this) bass player can do it. Not the case with TMBA. My bandmates are cringing at the idea of me switching to keys on certain songs. I'm afraid I'll suddenly forget which little white and black thingies to hit during a gig. Sooo...

Does anyone know which combination of sounds on the X3 Live will approximate (or nail!) either or both of these sounds? Better yet -- maybe you have those patches on your X3, and can mail them to me? Hey, I can dream, can't I?

,

-jb

antonius block · #2 09-09-2010, 03:15 AM

hi guys, Im new here (just registered) and Im having a similar problem with TLW
so I thought I shouldnt open a new thread..

we re setting up a an 80's electro pop cover band and Im wondering if there's any simple pedal to help me emulate electronic bass sounds like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJZomwDhxQ
(new order-blue monday), or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB0pEtKAmmk
(bronski beat-smalltown boy), or even

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN5WEz_aMlc
(Madonna - Into The Groove)

thanx for any answers

David1234 · #3 09-09-2010, 03:41 AM

For Take On Me I just slap it with stainless steel strings and J pickups. The springy bite slap sound is close enough to lend a convincing 80's feel, plus, it's easier to articulate bass with less effects than through any synth I've tried.

gumtownbassman · #4 09-09-2010, 04:33 AM

Probably not much help, but thought i would say, i use the Boss GT-10B and the Roland GR-20 synth (with GK-3B pickup).
So if anyone is interested in listening to the GR-20 synth teamed up with the Boss GT-10B, then here is an example of some of the synth sounds.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...songID=9524439
__________________

John Bigboote · #5 09-10-2010, 06:08 PM

Anyone? Even if you're not using a POD... maybe you use an M9 or M13... I'm looking for an, "Oh, you need to combine a __________ and a ___________ and a little bit of ______________ to get that sound."

Thanks for your helpin's,

-jb

wonderjosh · #6 09-10-2010, 06:11 PM

When I had my X3 Live I was never really able to get a usable synth sound out of it. The synth effects it has are cool for making weird noises, but they do not track well at all.

JimmyM · #7 09-10-2010, 09:51 PM

for take on me, i'd just cop a regular bass sound with maybe a little chorus on it. for take my breath away, i'd get a jaco-like sound with the bass and add any sort of warbly sound you can find in there, like a chorus with only the affected side coming through.

for new order, bronski beat (a cover band really does bronski beat these days???), and madonna, maybe a boss synth pedal would work out, but the madonna song will be tough to pull off because synth pedals won't track fast enough to play that riff that tight. you might get a better tracking version of that sound by taking a synthy sounding octave pedal an octave down by itself and adding a little envelope filter to it, then playing it an octave up on the bass. it won't sound identical, but it would probably track a bit better and be close enough for rock and roll.

Gaetano Paul · #8 09-10-2010, 11:10 PM

Man I want to know? I have a M9 and Gt-10 and want these tones? Gumtown, its me from GT Central and TSB, is there some FX on the GT-10 that can get close with out the GR-20?

gumtownbassman · #9 09-11-2010, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaetano Paul

Man I want to know? I have a M9 and Gt-10 and want these tones? Gumtown, its me from GT Central and TSB, is there some FX on the GT-10 that can get close with out the GR-20?

The internal synths in MFX pedals will only produce a simple waveform sound. From my GT-10 & GT-10B experiances, using the "EZ-Edit" feature to create a nice synth sound, i discovered that some of the nice ones didn't actually use the synth effect, but used (simular to what JimmyM said) Octave down + distortion + and some Wah type filtering (auto wah/Twah).
The best device for the job could be the Roland VB-99, but since the original topic is based on the POD X3, i would try some effect combinations you might not initially think would work.

John Bigboote · #10 09-12-2010, 04:30 PM

Onemoretrybounce.

-jb

BrentSimons · #11 09-12-2010, 04:47 PM

Hi John,
I was goofing off with Bass Pod XT yesterday with the synths actually. I would try using the "synth lead" or one of the other synths, sub octave maybe? or synth strings?. Try adjusting the mix level to more synth than bass. Don't be afraid to experiment and try the different waveforms and filters. Hope this helps,
Brent

ga_edwards · #12 09-12-2010, 05:06 PM

Not wanting to seem picky, but to reproduce New Order stuff faithfully, you really need a synth to cover the actual bass, as Peter Hook's bass guitar is noodling away elsewhere whilst the synth covers the bass.

TBH, if I was forming an 80s electro covers band, I think synths would be the way to go if you wanted to get it right rather than trying to emulate with bass guitar.

However, for the odd song in a regular covers band I can see the point, esp if it's the main hook of the tune.

Otherwise, if I'm ever stuck for what to do with a certain part on a studio recording, I look up live versions on youtube to see how the band themselves tackled it live. Sometimes these versions are truly inspiring. It's REALLY handy for working out live endings for tunes that fade out on the studio version.

TBH, I rarely try to emulate tones and basslines note for note, I kinda don't see the point myself. I prefer to put my own mark on it and sound like me. But that's another can of worms that's best left closed.

kevteop · #13 09-12-2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

for new order, bronski beat (a cover band really does bronski beat these days???), and madonna, maybe a boss synth pedal would work out, but the madonna song will be tough to pull off because synth pedals won't track fast enough to play that riff that tight.

Nothing will. A sharp-sounding gated fuzz ought to be good enough on that tune though. As for the other two, you really need attack/decay settings (triggered *not* envelope-following) on either a filter (as in the Bass Micro Synth) or - even better - on amplitude. I think Pigtronix do a pedal that does it, the Octavius Squeezer does it, I don't know of anything else that does.

Mix that with a filter and a fuzz or preferably an oscillator and you can get those sort of sounds happening. The Octavius Squeezer will do all this in one box (AFAIK no other pedal will) but it's expensive and you have to set up your bass just-so and play very accurately to get it tracking well enough. You might also want to double it up with an octaver or a Micro POG or something.