Love is Alive- Gary Wright

FatCity · #1 08-09-2007, 06:10 AM

Do any of you old timers remember this song? Very cool bass line :-)

My band has decided to decided to do it and I am trying to figure out what effect is being used on the bass. I think it may be some sort of auto wah but am not sure. Any suggestions?

FC

KarateKid25 · #2 08-09-2007, 06:34 AM

hmmm... I guess 26 isn't old enough

sonicvi · #3 08-09-2007, 06:40 AM

I think it was a synth. There's a video of him playing it on the Midnight Special and he's playing what looks like a remote keyboard version of a Minimoog. An Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Syntheszer might get you kinda close.

fishtx · #4 08-09-2007, 08:16 AM

I saw Gary Wright back in 1976 (I think) when he was popular (he opened for Frampton). His band was like 3 keyboard players and a drummer...no Bass...it was all synth...

squarewave · #5 08-09-2007, 08:41 AM

In this youtube video, Gary plays (fakes playing) the bass part on Synth. I think this tune was recorded when the band was entirely synths.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCc7XJRDD74

Try an octave-down pedal and a little distortion if you want to fake it, playing higher on the neck so the sub octave isn't too low. You might also play around with a filter, but I don't think you would need one to get a cool synth sound in this case. Also, you should try playing with a muted style to emulate the quick decay of the synth (in parts of the song).

I'm sure there are other versions of this song, but my comments only apply to the you tube version above, since I haven't heard the tune in 15 years.

svtb15 · #6 08-09-2007, 08:46 AM

It was a mini moog...
I actually opened shows for him back then in another band... everything is fuzzy to me.. it was 1977 or 78 or so.. a long time ago.... but it was a mini moog. I was in a band American Tears on Columbia.. my keyboard player chopped his Mini moog too.. the damn things sounded great but never stayed in tune.. they drifted out.. from voltage swings and thermal heat from stage lights... not like todays keyboards that lock in tune

Joe P · #7 08-09-2007, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squarewave

...Try an octave-down pedal and a little distortion if you want to fake it, playing higher on the neck so the sub octave isn't too low. You might also play around with a filter, but I don't think you would need one to get a cool synth sound in this case. Also, you should try playing with a muted style to emulate the quick decay of the synth (in parts of the song)...

Yup - I get a nice synth-tone like that with OC-3 to ODB-3, or Diesel Dawg to OC-3 to ODB-3, or CS-3 to OC-3 to ODB-3. Oh - for that one I'd probably turn-up the NS-2's (Remote-sense downward expander) sensitivity ('down' on the knob = CCW) for a nice, 'squelch' action on the note cut-offs.

Joe

bassbrad · #8 08-09-2007, 05:43 PM

I have a sound very close on my Akai Deep Impact but it would be hard to get the right sustain and decay without a real synth like a mini moog.

FatCity · #9 08-10-2007, 04:16 AM

Thanks for all of the replies, I appreciate the help!

PilbaraBass · #10 08-10-2007, 05:07 AM

by the way...that tune brings back memories...great song...

FatCity · #11 08-10-2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squarewave

In this youtube video, Gary plays (fakes playing) the bass part on Synth. I think this tune was recorded when the band was entirely synths.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCc7XJRDD74

Try an octave-down pedal and a little distortion if you want to fake it, playing higher on the neck so the sub octave isn't too low. You might also play around with a filter, but I don't think you would need one to get a cool synth sound in this case. Also, you should try playing with a muted style to emulate the quick decay of the synth (in parts of the song).

I'm sure there are other versions of this song, but my comments only apply to the you tube version above, since I haven't heard the tune in 15 years.

Man...humping that keyboard around like that must have sucked.