How to make your bass not sound like a bass?

[Spaceee]

I've been messing around with effects for a while now. And my target is to make my bass sound like something else than a bass.


Can anyone reccomend som psyked-out pedals?

[Swicked]

Devi-Ever. The only pedals you need. that and a phaser.

[Bish42]

Roland GK-3B and a Roland VB-99.

[superdick2112]

Boss Bass Synthesizer pedal, Moog ring modulator, and any good envelope follower. Throw a bass fuzz in front on these, and you can get some pretty wild non-bass sounds.

[dlenaghan]

Besides things like the EHX Micro Synth, which I think might be a tad bit overrated (but still cool, just, you know, saying) and the lineup of Pogs and Hogs, which are really useful in getting a different sort of attack out of your instrument as well as accessing octaves generally unknown to a standard-tuning of a bass guitar, check out something called the Gristleizer made by Endangered Audio Research. It'll cost you nearly 400 bucks, but it's practically an instrument unto itself. I'll let the video show you what's up, because it's difficult to describe. For great use of the Pog, check out Yeasayer's 'Ampling Alp' video, especially if you can find the live version they played on Jimmy Fallon's late night show. That high-register melody you hear in the beginning and end? That's a bass.
I would also look into ring modulators, along the lines of EHX's Ring Thing, which seems like a good buy especially for the money.
I'm also a huge fan of parametric EQs just to be able to jump between drastically different ranges at the push of a pedal. Thin with lots of sizzle and drenched in fuzzy harmonic overtones one measure, and the next, deep and gritty with lots of bite. It certainly helps provide a great measure of dynamics to a song, to basically sound like you have three or four instruments on hand.

[Swicked]

Also the Subdecay noisebox and Catalinbread Helitrope are good with this. Ordered some in and can't wait.

[gricko]

http://wmdevices.com/

[aledeville]

Cathedral reverb with no dry signal.

[kevteop]

Fuzz, envelope filter, sample rate reducer. Get your 200ft killer robot on.

[4001]

[jpTron]

Listen to the Talkbass Noise Comp and see the list of effects we all used.

[chadhargis]

Get a Mac, and M-Audio interface, and fire up garage band. Use any of the hundred of midi sounds, pile on effects, and you can sound like just about anything.

I actually think it's pretty fun to pull up the synth midi and play bass. Killer sub keyboard bass tones, only with slides and such.

[DiabolusInMusic]

I like using my Boss SYB-5 and ODB-3 in combo (with a 6) to re-create the coach/trash talking sound from mike tyson's punch-out.... If that helps.

[plangentmusic]

Originally Posted by chadhargis

Get a Mac, and M-Audio interface, and fire up garage band. Use any of the hundred of midi sounds, pile on effects, and you can sound like just about anything.

I actually think it's pretty fun to pull up the synth midi and play bass. Killer sub keyboard bass tones, only with slides and such.

You beat me to it. Why bother trying to get certain sounds that are so easily obtained (with better quality) by playing simple lines on a mini keyboard?

[Diddii]

EHX POG2 = organ sound
you could add a rotary speaker effect and mabe a little drive and the you have a nice rock organ sound ))))

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by plangentmusic

You beat me to it. Why bother trying to get certain sounds that are so easily obtained (with better quality) by playing simple lines on a mini keyboard?

Actually he didn't beat you to it. His point was to use synth sounds using the bass as the trigger.

[Kromwarp]

Originally Posted by Diddii

EHX POG2 = organ sound
you could add a rotary speaker effect and mabe a little drive and the you have a nice rock organ sound ))))

yeah, the POG2 and the new Tech 21 RotoChior

[plangentmusic]

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

Actually he didn't beat you to it. His point was to use synth sounds using the bass as the trigger.

That's one way. But the keyboard will provide a cleaner signal in general.

[thesilence]

this is sacrilege you have been voted off the island you should never not won't to sound like a bass.






that being said a synthesizer pedal (boss has a pretty good one) will work, or do what I did and get a keytar and just switch to it when you don't want to sound like a bass

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by plangentmusic

That's one way. But the keyboard will provide a cleaner signal in general.

Sure. But if the point is to expand what you can do in terms of sound manipulation while still playing bass, then it's a bit of moot point.