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

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by Duke21

I didn't use the Loopy so much yet to have much kind of negative or positive issues.
So far it is usually the Jamup with the MT DAW.

Are you having any problems with Jamup+MT DAW? Any distortion in your tracks?
Audiobus is still very much new, so we should expect it to not be perfect. Everyone should remember this, because we are essentially the first group of users (since we're all on boat at the release).

We need to be sure to document these problems because we know these threads are being watched. There's also an Audiobus forum. The Audiobus guys are as attentive to detail as the Positive Grid guys, and really listen to feedback.

[Duke21]

No issues with Audiobus and MT DAW on iPad mini.
I have sometimes minor issues with Audiobus and Jamup on my iPad 1, but then they actually work together as long as I do not use Audiobus to navigate between the two apps.
I had more strange issues between DM1 and Loopy or DM1 and MT DAW, where the drum track got distorted under the export / import process.

[Rip Topaz]

I'm sure these issues will eventually be worked out. Remember that this is the first version, I'm sure we will see some bug fixes soon.

[Duke21]

I've no doubt that these issues will be fixed. I actually didn't give some of the glitches very little thought namely because Audiobus is so young etc. actually I think Audiobus function very well for bing first edition.
I remember after I've tried Amplitube for the first time on my iPod gen.2 I had quite many issues with performance and stability, and noise. But IK multimedia came after a while with an update which improved things a lot.
Audiobus and the other Audiobus compatible apps works in comparison much better for being so "young" in development.

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

Now I know why I liked your tone so much. It's IDENTICAL to my Blueline preset!!

That is what is nice about bass playing. You and Prieto use the same preset, yet you sound quite different. Rip have more attack on the string which leads to more treble and definition. Prieto have softer attack and which leads to mellowed tone with less top end grind and more low mids.

[Rip Topaz]

I just wish I had a way to share some examples of what I'm doing!!
I made the mistake of adding Loopy to my collection first, instead of MT DAW.

Loopy doesn't have a really good way of exporting right now, hopefully my issues will be fixed in a future update. I'm getting some awesome tones and have done some really cool recordings with Loopy but they are stuck on my iPhone right now until I get an app that will allow me to export them.

Unfortunately the wife out her foot down and told me no more new paid apps until after the holidays.

[drews.anderson]

Kinda disappointed with MTDAW. No flexibility at all to work with drum loops: you can't extend them, no possibility to change the tempo of the song... Despite the incompatibility with audiobus, therefore worse bass tone, I'm going back to GarageBand, which is much more friendly to work new ideas...

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by drews.anderson

Kinda disappointed with MTDAW. No flexibility at all to work with drum loops: you can't extend them, no possibility to change the tempo of the song... Despite the incompatibility with audiobus, therefore worse bass tone, I'm going back to GarageBand, which is much more friendly to work new ideas...

What are you using with MT DAW to get your bass sound?

Using Loopy you can tweak your loops, and with Audiobus and Loopy you'll be able to record your loops. Just use Loopy for all controlling of your loops instead of trying to do it in MT.

[drews.anderson]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

What are you using with MT DAW to get your bass sound?

Using Loopy you can tweak your loops, and with Audiobus and Loopy you'll be able to record your loops. Just use Loopy for all controlling of your loops instead of trying to do it in MT.

JamUp => Audiobus => MTDAW

Yes, I can use loopy. thing is, in Garage band I just pull the loop from the library to the track, then use my fingers to extend them, move them, can do most anything with them; if the song is too slow, just change the tempo and the drum loops adjust themselves. For a quickie, is much easier. Too bad for the bass tone, but, you know, just to throw some ideas, or even a demo, it's good enough, and much easier...

[drews.anderson]

What I want the most now is to be able to use JamUp and GarageBand.
Then I'll be HAPPY!

[SolarMan]

Originally Posted by drews.anderson

What I want the most now is to be able to use JamUp and GarageBand.
Then I'll be HAPPY!

That would be nice.

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by drews.anderson

What I want the most now is to be able to use JamUp and GarageBand.
Then I'll be HAPPY!

That would require Garageband to add Audiobus support.

[Duke21]

I'm not really missing GarageBand even though I've played with it as well.
While lots of midi instruments are nice, the software always gave me less Pro feeling and I prefer a drum machine as the DM1 then touch drums as on GarageBand.
MT DAW is what it is, and I find it a nice tool for creating an idea with several apps. The only thing I really miss with MT DAW is that the bass track is recorded as it is so you can not re-amp the track. There are better and more expensive recorders out there if someone must have one.

[PrietoBass]

Originally Posted by Duke21

As Rip say, nice tone. I'm not sure which tone you are after. Usually when I play a cover I try to find a tone which merge into the song. But I do not know Snow, will have to look it up.

Anyway
On a Jazz bass, neck pup soloed gives you the P bass tone and lots of low-mids and lows, try to roll back the bridge. Usually both pups on 100% give a tone which is a bit mid scooped.
So, put the bridge pup on about 75% to bring back some tighter mids and lows. You can actually try to rub the bridge on 100% and the neck on 75-80% for even tighter tone.
Regarding your amp setup here is what I would try (the red marks.. ):

Your overall volume (up to the right) seem to me to be a bit too high. How are the color readings while you play? This slider is functioning as the output gain, so it should be kept a bit lower for the SVT BL. Well, at least for my experience.

Btw, you roll of your tone on the bass, but use the bright mode, why? The bright mode will bring more hiss. I usually have my tone control on my bass on full open(but I go for totally different tone!). Now, I love the bright mode, but not with the tone knob on the bass off. Put the tone on 50%, the bright mode will sound much nicer then regarding clarity.
In addition, if you cut the low (all the way to the right) your tone will be way more defined. To me this cut-low knob seem to cut the very lows, kind of like the ultra lows switch on the B15R. When you are not cutting the lows you will need to raise the output gain to compensate for volume loss, and by doing that you add boominess and hiss.

Well.... I need an other cup of coffee!! Prieto, your tone is nice and very vintage like. My suggestions are only base on what I would try, but it is not necessary what will work for you!!
In addition I play with a pick, which makes things a bit different.
Happy tone hunting
Otherwise

Hi, thx for your suggestions; I'll play around with the settings.

I thought I was not using the ultra-high mode... and that I was actually cutting back on the lows. But, the darn screen is so small that it is hard for me to see, even with my reading glasses.

I never saw the red clipping light on JamUp, or my interface or Reaper while I recorded. I'll check again.

On this bass (JV) I don't like having both pickups on full. The SX sounds good with both pickups on; it sounds good in parallel mode.

I like the attack that playing with a pick adds, but I am not very skilled yet, and constantly switching between my two Squawiers (TM), 4 and 5 strings, and my Ursa 6, all with different string spacings makes it a bit more complicated to learn.

Yes, I do play with a soft touch. My son says that his girlfriend, who is the bassist on their worship group, digs in harder than me.

With the neck pickup soloed I play in front of the neck pickup, and pluck with the meat of my fingers. With the bridge soloed I play right on top of the bridge pickup and more with the tips of my fingers. Any other pickup blend combination I vary hand position.

There are so many possibilities! The cool thing is that with amp/stomp sims you can try different things with much less money than it would take if you had to actually buy all of that hardware.

On another note, I moved my Saffire 6 USB from my crappy old laptop to our family PC which is a bit more modern... now I can get a better input level on the interface without noise.

I can record in MTD no problem, but I actually like having a bit more screen real estate so I use Reaper on a desktop instead. Still evolving.

[PrietoBass]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

Now I know why I liked your tone so much. It's IDENTICAL to my Blueline preset!!

Great minds... ejem!

[drews.anderson]

All afternoon playing the Dolphin through JamUp. Sound so good it hurts... don't eve have to mess with the settings so much! Those are definitely the best sound amp emulations I've ever heard. They're so good I can't care less to find out if they sound like the real amps.

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by drews.anderson

All afternoon playing the Dolphin through JamUp. Sound so good it hurts... don't eve have to mess with the settings so much! Those are definitely the best sound amp emulations Ive ever heard. They're so got I can't care less to find out if they sound like the real amps.

We got another one!

[Rip Topaz]

drews.anderson: What's your favorite amp in Jamup?

[drews.anderson]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

drews.anderson: What's your favorite amp in Jamup?

well, at first, the K sounded very good (think I've even posted something about it a few day ago, uncertain if it was that good or if it was my ears missing the eighties an my GK). Now, I really can't tell. playing along with Beatles and Stray cats, the B15, Playing heavier tunes, the blueline, playing straight rock, the red... all of them have their place, or time, or whatever.

[Rip Topaz]

Yeah, that's how I approach them as well. I've got presets saved for each amp, and a couple different effects chains, too. There's just so many good things about each amp.

For instance, I didn't really warm up to the Redhead until just yesterday. I had used it only through headphones up till then, but finally plugged into my PA and was amazed how good it sounded, how clear the mids are and the low end is just right.

Every time I open Jamup, I end up saving a few more presets.