I was wonder what is the best synth effects unit there is for bass. I've messed around with the Boss one and I liked it alot, though I also heard some stuff with a Electro Harmonix Bass Micro Synth and that was very good to. Whats your all personal opinions on any bass synth thats rather good.

They both take some getting used to. Since there are so many options for tone coloration, you really have to find the one that works with the way you like to work. I like the Electro Harmonix better because there are vertical faders for every parameter- BOSS' Synth has the standard issue Boss rotary knobs and I feel like it's as little more difficult (especially at a quick glance) to tell where you're at and how you're going to get to the next place.....)

Akai has a new Bass Synth coming out (I think at this new NAMM show) that might be worth waiting for. I believe it will be called the Deep Impact. This one seems like it has the most user friendly set up of all of em, but I can't really tell from a magazine review.

Enjoy!

Hey thanks, heh I'll try looking at Akai when it comes out. I Korg also makes one that is kinda old. It was on ebay for a while but I didnt have the cash for it. Speaking of synth type things, Roland makes a Synth Bass, kinda like Amir's G-synth. The thing looks weird as hell but it looked like it would be perfect for the stuff I like.

I think the Roland synth bass you are refering to is the fret-wired midi bass?
They are great, no tracking delay. There is a
guy named John Turner on these boards you should talk to. He has his basses set up to run midi using a piezo synth converter. I'm sure he could explain it more clearly. From what I understand, he has a bridge mounted piezo pickup that runs to some sort of interface that changes the voltage produced into a midi controll signal.Sounds interesting. Supposed to be just as fast as a fret-wired instrument. As far as the bass synth pedals go I like the boss. I cant wait to see what the akai synth can do.

I was also wondering about bass synth pedals, and I was looking for a specific tone. I don't know if any of you have heard Chameleon by Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters, but that bass tone sounds a lot like a synth pedal to me and I was wondering how I couold get my bass to sound like that.
Thanks

Just be sure you understand how fast you are going to play with the synth. I tried the Boss and the sound was very cool, but it tracked HORRRIBLY!. I could only play 1/4 notes at best.
I bought the Electro-Harmonix and I love it. It tracks absolutely perfectly and I love the sounds it gives. It takes a while to get used to the sliders, but they are very intuetive once you get used to them.

I recommend the EH

-KB

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bassline1414:
I was also wondering about bass synth pedals, and I was looking for a specific tone. I don't know if any of you have heard Chameleon by Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters, but that bass tone sounds a lot like a synth pedal to me and I was wondering how I couold get my bass to sound like that.
Thanks<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's a tough one. Herbie used an analog synthesizer for that bass line. Most pedals I've come across don't sound that phat or track that well.

The Boss does a good imitation of the chameleon bass sound.

So does the Electro-Harmonix


-KB

The E-H does an excellent job of replicating the ARP sound on "Chameleon." I saw a local fusion/funk band and their bassist used one, and he hit the tone perfectly.

One nice thing about it is that if you take off your shoes, you can adjust the sliders with your feet. Don't try it in Docs, though.

Well while not directly a synth effect, the boss hyper fuzz gets some really synth distortion sounds I thought were cool but you gotta play with it to get a good sound. As for the Boss Bass Synth pedal, I f***ed with it at one place and I had horible tracking problems. But then I used a good (expensive) peavy and didnt have much tracking problems at all, I allso went to anouther store and used it with a plain old fender p and had no tracking problems whatsoever so I'm not to sure whats up with that. Anywho, I'm out for now.

Resurrecting this thread.
 

This thread came up on a google search for synth bass, so i decided to recussitate it and see if anyone kan comment on this ibanez synth bass pedal.

http://www.thomann.de/thoiw5_ibanez_..._prodinfo.html
(It's an Ibanez SB7.)

Sorry. I can't comment constructively, but HOLY OLD THREAD BATMAN!!!

yeah, it's weird to think that the Deep Impact came out, became insanely popular, was discontinued, and became a $500 collector's item since this thread was started....:eyebrow:

Yeah but it got discontinued THEN became popular.
6 years is an awful lot for a thread.

I wonder why akai don't re-issue the deep impact, they'd get a whole lot of sales wouldn't they?

Unlikely. It's a niche market.

I checked out that one, and as never satisified with the tone. It sounded too digital to me (which if you are into that, go for it!) I had the same problem with the Digitech BSW and the BOSS SYB series..

A couple of previous posters have noted that the EHX uses sliders to adjust the parameters, instead of knobs. With a Synth Pedla, you're rarely going to use the same settings song to song, since you can do so much with them. ina live setting, adjusting sliders quickly between songs (or even part way through a song) isn't all that difficult...

unless your price break is in the $75-125 level, I'd go for the EHX on this one.. it's great.. it's pretty intuitive, and yes it takes some practice to use, but it's a great pedal with some freaking amazing sounds.

EHX all the way.
The tracking is very good.
Plus, it's a synth, envelope filter, octaver, etc...

bass microsynth is the best i've tried. and it sounds all crunchy and sweet... like delicious granola or something. but also smooth. and also jagged. and also deep. and also wailing. and also....



man, i love the melvins.

(sorry. just listening to "stoner witch" and really diggin' it.)