Why All the Hatin' on the Boss SYB-5???

jokerjkny · #1 11-24-2009, 12:43 AM

i got one, and yea, i like it. sure, its glitchy, and i found maybe half the settings usable, but its still fun, and heck, that glitchy quality is kinda cool.

pdubya · #2 11-24-2009, 12:55 AM

u can get an ibanez that doesnt glitch and trax semlessly 4 half the price

theunknowndude · #3 11-24-2009, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdubya

u can get an ibanez that doesnt glitch and trax semlessly 4 half the price

I think this was compared before, SB7 is mroe for funky stuff where as SYB5 is meant for proper synth/pop simulation sounds...

FWIW I don't think its TOOO bad,... just have SB7 that works for me and the SYB5 I only liked maximum 3 sounds which I can't justify for the price...

BassBrass · #4 11-24-2009, 05:30 AM

Somehow the words "disco duck" comes to mind. (not the song) It struck me as being Really dated as well as glitchy. But if you do Stevie Wonder covers and don't have a keyboardist, it could work. I also wouldn't be surprised if Behringer's copy was better.

René_Julien · #5 11-24-2009, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdubya

u can get an ibanez that doesnt glitch and trax semlessly 4 half the price

I'm assuming you mean the Ibanez SB7.
The Ibanez doesn't track your signal so it can't be glitchy.

The Ibanez SB7 is the "bass synthesizer pedal for dummies".
That's why I like mine, very awesome in sound.
It's not a real synthesizer. It's a synthesizer emulation with a filter.

rratajski · #6 11-24-2009, 07:11 AM

I wish the thread title looked like this: WhY aLl ThE hAtIn' On ThE bOsS sYb-5???

People "hate" on it b/c the dudes (including me for a long time) on this forum tend to use Deep Impacts, BMS', etc. Every pedal has a use for someone somewhere...

BassBrass · #7 11-24-2009, 07:20 AM

I know where it's still being used: Bolliwood! All them cheesy effects are reborn in Bombay pop! If only Esquevel's bass player had one for his Space Aged Bachelor Pad songs!

MakiSupaStar · #8 11-24-2009, 07:42 AM

I use it and I like it. People complain about the tracking but I don't think it's that bad. I run a clean blend with it so I've eliminated any tracking issues. It's not leaving my board anytime soon.

bigchiefbc · #9 11-24-2009, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jokerjkny

i got one, and yea, i like it. sure, its glitchy, and i found maybe half the settings usable, but its still fun, and heck, that glitchy quality is kinda cool.

Weird that you start a thread asking why people put down the SYB-5, and then you bust on it yourself twice here with the back-handed compliments. Is this actually a ninja hater thread? I really hate to have to take up the mantle of the Great SYB Defender, but someone has to spike the hateraid.

1.) I don't find it as glitchy as everyone else does. And I do NOT have flawless technique. So I really don't get why everyone else has such a damn hard problem with this pedal. It only glitches when I change strings and I let the first ring out (and any pedal that tracks notes will glitch in that situation).

2.) Saying only half the settings are usable is ridiculous. 3 of the settings are just pure synth waveforms (saw, square and pulse), 3 are those same waveforms with an octave down added, and 3 are those same waveforms, but modulated by an LFO. I don't see how any of those can be considered useless. The last 2 are fuzz + filter settings just like the Ibanez model. I don't particularly like those, but I know other people do.

3.) I actually do prefer the Behringer model after having tried both. I felt the freq and decay knobs had a slightly different range, and I like having each pot separate, rather than the stacked concentric pots like Boss uses.

jokerjkny · #10 11-24-2009, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

Weird that you start a thread asking why people put down the SYB-5, and then you bust on it yourself twice here with the back-handed compliments. Is this actually a ninja hater thread? I really hate to have to take up the mantle of the Great SYB Defender, but someone has to spike the hateraid.

1.) I don't find it as glitchy as everyone else does. And I do NOT have flawless technique. So I really don't get why everyone else has such a damn hard problem with this pedal. It only glitches when I change strings and I let the first ring out (and any pedal that tracks notes will glitch in that situation).

2.) Saying only half the settings are usable is ridiculous. 3 of the settings are just pure synth waveforms (saw, square and pulse), 3 are those same waveforms with an octave down added, and 3 are those same waveforms, but modulated by an LFO. I don't see how any of those can be considered useless. The last 2 are fuzz + filter settings just like the Ibanez model. I don't particularly like those, but I know other people do.

3.) I actually do prefer the Behringer model after having tried both. I felt the freq and decay knobs had a slightly different range, and I like having each pot separate, rather than the stacked concentric pots like Boss uses.

nono, not at all...

but pretty obvious that yes, you are the its great defender!

if anything, while some of the sounds seem unusable at first, i'm realizing that dialing in just the right amount of both the effect and original bass really makes it all more musical. even the more ridiculous sounds can be made palatable just by fiddling w/ the dry/effected knobs.

and again, the glitch is great for using as a percussion element! i'll run my mxr bass deluxe into the syb5, and tap on various parts of the neck, loop those sounds, and BAM, instant percussion track.

Bob C · #11 01-08-2012, 04:05 PM

Old thread, but it covers my current questions.

I just watched two SYB5 demos on Youtube (one from Boss and one from some music store). The tracking and synth sounds seemed excellent.

Granted, the guys in the videos have excellent technique and they're not in a band setting.

So again, is this pedal getting a bad rap, or does it totally "lose it" in a real-life setting? I mean, almost EVERY thread that compares synth pedal options and pros and cons ALWAYS states the Boss SYB3 and 5 sound okay, but have terrible tracking. I'd like to hear more first-hand reviews.

Also, something I don't quite get: People insist on pointing out that the Ibanez SB7 is analog and thus doesn't "track" your playing. BUT whenever analog octavers are discussed, the credo is that you should expect poor tracking from them.

CHILDISHGAMBINO · #12 01-08-2012, 04:45 PM

I have an SYB-5 and I like it. It sounds awesome with an OC-2 running into it. It tracks the OC-2 pure octave down signal no problem. It also tracks my less than stellar playing without the OC-2 on really well too. I think it tracks as well or better than my OC-2. I've only ever used it with just me and a drummer so I can't comment on how it sounds in a full band setting. An expression pedal makes it a lot more fun.

RickenBoogie · #13 01-08-2012, 04:53 PM

I have an SYB-5, and I think it's a fine pedal. Does exactly what it's supposed to do, and as far as "synth pedals" go, it's no better or worse than any of them. Just different. But, if you expect it to make your bass guitar sound like a synthesizer, you will be disapointed. Same goes for ANY bass synth fx pedal.

BassManStan · #14 01-08-2012, 05:54 PM

ive been using the syb5 now in a live band setting for about 6 months. some great sounds but some really pointless one's aswell. i think about 3 songs in the current set have the syb5 on them now. not the quickest to change settings during a gig though. would have been much faster with more of an automised/automated version where setting can be recalled. also, some sounds do have slight inconstancies and depend either on very careful and precise finger work or sometimes on absolute randomness. so it is not always easy to achieve same sound time and time again when playing a heavy funk riff. i also bought the roland V5 expression pedal but havent really used it with the synth as couldn't get it do any particularly nice sounds. the change in LFO rate happens to quick. some nice filter sweeps but nothing too amazing. apart from a very simple wah type effect.. anyhow - on the grand scale a good over all pedal with 3-4 good sounds and about 6 kinda crappy ones. now that i have it, considering the price i don't think ill recommend it.

bigchiefbc · #15 01-08-2012, 06:46 PM

I stand by everything I said in my previous post from 2+ years ago, although I have fully moved over to just using the Behringer and I sold off the Boss.

In my covers band, I use it in 3 songs currently, all of them using the same setting (mode 5).

In my electronic/industrial group, I use it on at least 4 tracks at this point, using modes 2, 5, 6 and 9.

I will say that it tracks better when I put my bass in passive mode, and turn the bass and treble knobs down a ways. When I do that, I have almost no tracking problems at all.

Hector_G · #16 01-08-2012, 07:09 PM

I absolutely love my SYB-5. As I've always stated in these types of threads, I have no tracking problems with this thing. With my active Carvin, just crank the bass and mid knobs a little bit and send a fatter signal to it.

SYB-5 Jungle Sounds - YouTube

I love the sounds I get from this thing.

JimmyM · #17 01-08-2012, 08:37 PM

I only have an SYB 3 so yours are two better than mine.

Honestly, I think I can get just as convincing a synthy bass sound by using the OC-2 into an envelope filter and a distortion pedal, and it tracks quite a bit better. But the SYB 3 does have some wacky sounds in it that can't really be duplicated that way so I get it. I just wish someone could make a synth pedal for bass that actually tracks well and doesn't sound fakey digital.

bigchiefbc · #18 01-08-2012, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I only have an SYB 3 so yours are two better than mine.

Honestly, I think I can get just as convincing a synthy bass sound by using the OC-2 into an envelope filter and a distortion pedal, and it tracks quite a bit better. But the SYB 3 does have some wacky sounds in it that can't really be duplicated that way so I get it. I just wish someone could make a synth pedal for bass that actually tracks well and doesn't sound fakey digital.

It depends what kind of "synth bass" tone you're going for. If we're talking old school 70's moog synth, than I agree with you that you can sort-of cop that with the oct+fuzz+filter combo thing (although I think triggered filters like the EHX BMS are better than envelope-following filters). But if you're trying to do a more modern electronic/techno/synthpop tone, then the SYB/BSY really is quite good at doing that.

J2Kbass · #19 01-08-2012, 09:29 PM

It's been interesting reading this thread. I love bass synth sounds. What do you guys think of the mark bass synth?

Also, I'm new to talk bass so please excuse any improper etiquette.

JimmyM · #20 01-08-2012, 09:40 PM

I thought the Markbass synth was very cool until I found out that you couldn't completely get rid of your clean bass signal if you wanted. Now this was when it first came out so I don't know if they've updated it since then, but for me that was a deal breaker back then, and now I've kind of lost interest in synth pedals.