The iOS bass player thread. (Jamup XT, Audiobus, Multitrack DAW and more)

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by PrietoBass

Here is my signal chain in JamUp.

I think you should cut the bass a tad, boost the treble .
I'm not sure which tone you are after. I use the BDDI with the B15 for my P bass when I want a gritty tone (like my Kings of Leon clip).
If you want cleanish tone you could try the B15 with gain about as you have it now (even though I would put it on 75% ), treble about 70% bass on 50% or less.

As Rip say, you could try an other amp for this kind of tone if you wants more lows which are tight and clean, the GK is a good plane to try. the Ampegs will become more boomy then the GK when both the bass and the drive is on higher settings. The GK will stay tighter.
Seem to me like you guy (Adam, Rip and Prieto) have much in common regarding the tone you are after. You 3 play fingers and are after a tone with nice clean tight lows. Me? Well, I guess I'm a bit different/ odd.... I play with a pick and mostly goes for the leaner lows, and rather more high mids and gritty type of tone. Well, not sure if gritty is correct, but I'm for sure not really after a very clean tone.

[Duke21]

Yesterday I posted two clips here and on Soundcloud.
The clips are of the Tube Power (with a booster in front) and the B15 with MuTron and the Rat.
As you have noticed the volume on this tracks were much lower then usually. I've notices that yesterday after I've listened to the recorded clips. This is I think one of the minus's of not using AudioBus. These two clips been done by using the "PrietoBass loophole" on my iPad 1 without AudioBus. So, Jamup XT in background mode, and MT DAW in front. I've noticed then that while I play or record stuff in the MT DAW my volume was normal, but the clips had much lower volumes.
When I use the AudioBus the volume when I play the clip or when I listen to the clip is the same. SO, it seems like AudioBus takes care of this volume issue.

[Duke21]

Btw, this thread is so popular, we might have part two before Christmastime...
Very nice to see so many new "faces" visiting this thread (thus not only lurking around )

[Duke21]

But, am I the only one in the right side of the Atlantic???

[steve_rolfeca]

Originally Posted by steve_rolfeca

You're missing the point. Apple sets the standard for MFI devices, and their engineers and lawyers are not just concerned about your audio project. There are clock signals in there, Bluetooth and cellular radios, etc., and strict RF noise emissions regulations for portable devices.

Sorry, I was running on about 3 hours sleep in the previous 48hrs when I wrote that. Not very articulate...

Inside your iDevice, it's fairly buzzing with various digital signals- square waves at small amplitudes and high frequencies. In order to work reliably, and in order to not radiate electrical interference out into other electronic devices that might be nearby, circuit paths have be kept very short, and the whole device has to be well-shielded.

If the device is well-designed, then plugging a 20-foot guitar cable into an analog I/O port (like the headset jack on your iPhone), is no big deal. The port is bandwidth-limited to the audible frequency range, and no nasties can leak in or out.

However, the 30-pin (or Lightning) connector is a whole different animal. Connecting the internal busses to an external DAC, means that you're extending the insides of your iPhone out into a noisy and unpredictable world. If you've ever had a GSM phone in your pocket radiate bursts of computer noise and hash into your guitar signal, you know what I'm talking about.

If that interference upsets someone's pacemaker or causes your phone to drop the connection in the middle of a 911 call, people tend to get upset. Hence, Apple's strict rules about what kind of bus extensions can be plugged into the butt end of your iDevice, and still meet their standards.

This explains some of the odd posturing you see from vendors like Apogee and Focusrite. On the one hand, in order to get Apple certification, they've got to ship the product with expensive, short, stiff well-shielded cables that meet the spec. OTOH, in order to please the customer, they've got to at least point the consumer in the direction of affordable extension cables. Those cables might or might not cause RF interference problems, depending on the environment and the application. Thus, the disclaimers about Apple certification in company literature, in case your cheap extension cable crashes your $400 device, or takes out your neighbour's cable TV feed...

This also explains the problems people run into when they substitute an approved $40 adapter from Apple for a cheap bus extender off eBay. This is particularly true of Apple's "overpriced" Lightning adapters, that actually contain active micro-electronics...

The eBay product is quite likely made in a sweatshop by un-interested labourers, and fashioned from tinsel wire. Gee, I wonder why it doesn't perform as well?

[Duke21]

Excellent tech lesson Steve, as always.

[steve_rolfeca]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

My suggestion would be that you're using the wrong amp model for the job. The B15 is cool, but is kind of a one trick pony. It sounds great for just what you're trying to avoid!!

...The GK model really has a nice tight low end, so does the Blueline.

...Keep in mind these are only suggestions. I've yet to use any of them with a drummer, so I don't know for sure which amp will work best for me.

This is why I ended up with Pocket GK going into a JamHub at rehearsal the other day. PGK sounds kind of meh for headphone practice at home, but it cuts through nicely in a live situation. OTOH, that B15 tone with a touch of delay that sounded so nice at home, turns out to be way too "wet" on stage...

This is not unusual. When I listen to my amp settings at home the day after a big gig, it's amazing how nasty they sound. Ditto when I listen to solo'd bass tracks off my favourite CD's. Who knew that John Myung's parts had all that buzz and fret rattle, after they were dropped into a dense studio mix?

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by Duke21

I think you should cut the bass a tad, boost the treble .
I'm not sure which tone you are after. I use the BDDI with the B15 for my P bass when I want a gritty tone (like my Kings of Leon clip).
If you want cleanish tone you could try the B15 with gain about as you have it now (even though I would put it on 75% ), treble about 70% bass on 50% or less.

As Rip say, you could try an other amp for this kind of tone if you wants more lows which are tight and clean, the GK is a good plane to try. the Ampegs will become more boomy then the GK when both the bass and the drive is on higher settings. The GK will stay tighter.
Seem to me like you guy (Adam, Rip and Prieto) have much in common regarding the tone you are after. You 3 play fingers and are after a tone with nice clean tight lows. Me? Well, I guess I'm a bit different/ odd.... I play with a pick and mostly goes for the leaner lows, and rather more high mids and gritty type of tone. Well, not sure if gritty is correct, but I'm for sure not really after a very clean tone.

Also, forgot about this. Did you turn on the compressor in the mastering section and boost the input to about noon? That also raises the volume.
Hmm.. Once again we're all trying to find ways to tweak AT to make it work. Deja vu.

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

Also, forgot about this. Did you turn on the compressor in the mastering section and boost the input to about noon? That also raises the volume.
Hmm.. Once again we're all trying to find ways to tweak AT to make it work. Deja vu.

Yes, deja vu... and now the volume is even lower so even more tweaking!!!

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by Duke21

Yes, deja vu... and now the volume is even lower so even more tweaking!!!

Not for me. I've moved on. I'll keep AT on my phone just in case a use for it pops up, but "my sound" is in Jamup. Well, my soundS. I've got a whole bank of presets for different uses.

AT is pretty well useless to me, especially after all the headaches.

[3234718]

Do any of the irig apps have a fingerboard with light up notes corresponding to what you're playing? I'm still not 100% on the location of every note so I want to see a fingerboard that lights up the notes as I play.

[Duke21]

I've deleted AT from both my iPad 1, and iPad mini. I will re-install it and re-load all inn app purchased stuff only when a major update is happening. Until then, 200MB of non-used space!

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by 3234718

Do any of the irig apps have a fingerboard with light up notes corresponding to what you're playing? I'm still not 100% on the location of every note so I want to see a fingerboard that lights up the notes I'm playing.

No, but there ARE several free apps that act like fretboard trainers. I've got one that helps teach the notes AND different scales. It was free, and works like a game.

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by 3234718

Do any of the irig apps have a fingerboard with light up notes corresponding to what you're playing? I'm still not 100% on the location of every note so I want to see a fingerboard that lights up the notes as I play.

Can't recall, maybe Garage Band on the Midi instruments. But then, you should learn at least how to find the notes on a bass. I do not know the location of every note on each string on the fly, but I can find it out in a seconds if I need to.

Otherwise while playing the bass, no app show the notes you play, even the tuner will struggle to show the notes if you play fast or if you bass is not intonated properly, and even then... the tracking can be quite slow.

[3234718]

Originally Posted by Duke21

Can't recall, maybe Garage Band on the Midi instruments. But then, you should learn at least how to find the notes on a bass. I do not know the location of every note on each string on the fly, but I can find it out in a seconds if I need to.

Otherwise while playing the bass, no app show the notes you play, even the tuner will struggle to show the notes if you play fast or if you bass is not intonated properly, and even then... the tracking can be quite slow.

I can find the note quickly, but I think something like that would help. Garage Band doesn't do it. It's such a simple function. One of the apps has to have it.

[Rip Topaz]

Which comp is everyone using in Jamup? There's the CS-3, the La-2A, and the Red Comp. Which does everyone prefer?

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by 3234718

I can find the note quickly, but I think something like that would help. Garage Band doesn't do it. It's such a simple function. One of the apps has to have it.

A "bit" diversion from the topic. But, you should learn scales and modes. Scales and modes really help of figuring out hand position on the neck while playing, even without knowing the notes.
Otherwise:
from http://www.cyberfretbass.com/first-f...ames/index.php


And as Rip say, there are several apps for learning notes on the neck such as
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trai...443265532?mt=8


I'm not sure if is really an easy function while you play on a real analog bass, even a tuner needs a bit time so pinpoint your note.

[Rip Topaz]

You could always go the "analog" route and get some of those fretboard stickers till you learn the notes.
http://www.fretdaddy.com/bassguitarproducts.php

[Robert McVey]

Anyone ever try playing the bass through ThumbJam???

I'm using an iPad with Apogee Jam and my Fender Jazz. I just run it direct in ThumbJam and push the button with the microphone to musical note symbols and the button above that to hear my jazz bass. I can select any of ThumbJam's instruments and control them with my bass. Almost like playing a midi synth bass!!!

Two issues though. ThumbJam will react to what you are playing monophonically, so single notes in response to chords and double stops. The other issue is that from the low C position down to low E no response.

I mentioned those things on the ThumbJam forum and received a quick response mentioning that more emphasis will be put into correcting that.

[Rip Topaz]

Dang, now I just GOTTA try it!!

And Soundprism. I'm dying to play with that one.
I keep pushing MT DAW back on my mud-have list cuz new apps keep popping up with Audiobus support!!

We now have Kaossilator!!