Help! Oh great pitch shifting experts....

[tallboybass]

Is there a pedal that will allow me to go from EADG tuning to BEAD tuning and sound like a real bass? I'm just wanting to leave the 5-string at home, but still have access to the notes.

Thanks, Alan

[fretlessman71]

A DigiTech Bass Whammy will get close, but you're going to notice some latency; there's no way around it. Thought of BEAD tuning?

[Unrepresented]

Not an expert, but no.

[manutabora]

I know that guitarists who use modeled guitars can do that. My host dad is a guitarist and he uses a GL Asat modeled guitar in conjunction with a PODxt Live and he can switch to different tunings without altering the actual tunings of the strings. Maybe the BassPODxt Live could do something similar? I'm not sure.

[tomhanzo]

Ive never heard of such a thing.

[rratajski]

Tune your 4 string to BEAD, then kapo it at the 5th fret hahahahahahahahahaha.
Worst idea ever.

In theory, you could do this with the EHX HOG or POG (which would take long time to get it perfect), but honestly, it's just easier to either tune down or bring two basses. There was just a thread on here about using two basses into one head using an A/B in reverse.

[atheos]

It's the Line6 Variax guitars & basses that have the tuning feature, PODs have never had any pitch shifting. Variaxes are based on special pickups that allow such effects, you can't achieve the same with normal ones. And the only way to "mask" the pitch shift effect is to put overdrive/distortion/modulation effect after pitch shift.

Best would be to have a 4-sting bass with BEAD tuning.

[tomhanzo]

you could get a double neck bass

[Swimming Bird]

Well, you could just use an octaver to drop everything down a whole octave and play up on the neck. That's what I do when I use my double neck guitar/bass (the bass is a 4-string). I usually play 5-ers otherwise.

It won't sound right to you, and maybe not your band, but live in a mix there's no way the audience will notice except for a difference in tone, maybe. To help that, I usually add dirt or blend the clean signal some. Boss OC-3 seems about perfect for doing it this way.

[Nyarlathotep]

If you have a 5er.....????

Why you not want to take it to gigs?

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by DanielTulip

If you have a 5er.....????

Why you not want to take it to gigs?

Because Jaco only needed four.

[Gasman]

Digitech whammy, but it won't sound as natural.

[KarateKid25]

Can you use a Hipshot D Tuner tuned to B?

(I have no experience with one, so im only having a guess)

[JohnDavisNYC]

ummm... maybe I am in super curmudgeon mode tonight, but just bring the 5 string... if you need the notes, just bring the bass that has them!

john

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by KarateKid25

Can you use a Hipshot D Tuner tuned to B?

(I have no experience with one, so im only having a guess)

No, I've never gone more than a step and a half (to C#) let alone all the way down to B with the Hipshot. Plus you'd really put yourself in an awkward position to play stuff in first position as all the notes that would be on the E on a 5er would have to be played past the fifth fret of the detuned string.

Originally Posted by JohnDavisNYC

ummm... maybe I am in super curmudgeon mode tonight, but just bring the 5 string... if you need the notes, just bring the bass that has them!

john

That's pretty much always the answer. This question has come up a couple times and the answer is always that there isn't a pedal that will do a credible job for what the OP wants. Tune your 4 stringer BEAD or bring the fiver to the gig.

[tallboybass]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm an OLD guy, and realized that even after playing 5-ers for 15 years I don't feel 'at home' on them. However, I do occasionally need the lower notes.

I demoed a Whammy pedal yesterday and it will do what I want....if I tune it to drop a perfect 4th when kicked in. It actually sounds pretty good! I just noticed that the Bass Whammy has this built in as an interval, and they're discontinued (and sell for over $600!!!).

[tallboybass]

Could one of the pitch shifter pedals do this? Boss PS-3/5 etc.?

[Jared Lash]

I actually just tried this with the Boss PS-3 in mode 11 with an expression pedal. With the balance all the way wet and the second pitch set a fourth down it sounded better than I thought it would, but not close enough to where I'd use it at a gig.

Very digital sounding, which is especially noticeable if you play anything faster than 1/4 or 1/8 notes depending on the tempo. I think the Whammy would do a better job, but again, I wouldn't use that as a substitute on a gig either.

Hope that helps.

[rratajski]

Originally Posted by tallboybass

Could one of the pitch shifter pedals do this? Boss PS-3/5 etc.?

On the PS-3, you'd have to dial in the pitch perfectly...It's not just as easy as turning the pitch knob(s) all the way to left, 12:00, or all the way to the right...It's much easier w/ the EHX HOG or POG.

It's also WAY much easier play it on the fiver .

[tallboybass]

Originally Posted by rratajski

It's also WAY much easier play it on the fiver .

Yes I know....I'm trying to get by with a four-string because I've played one for 36 years. Got a really sweet 5er, and can play it....just not as well as a 4.