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Akai Unibass - anybody gigging with it?

MrDOS

MrDOS

Gold Supporting Member
Jan 4, 2006
911
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Colorado Springs, CO
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#1
I am in a three-piece, and the online demos of the Akai Unibass are pretty impressive. But the cost is getting to the point where we could hire a rhythm guitarist for 3 gigs for what one of these is going for!

I'd love to hear some real-world thoughts. And I'm probably looking for an excuse to not bring a separate guitar rig to fill out our sound on club dates! LOL
 
#2
I've been using a UniBass for several years with satisfying results and most often I do not bring a separate rig for it. A compressor and having the input set to the right level keeps tracking in line for me. I use if for a pseudo 8 string, to punch a bass solo or melody part, to double a bass part a guitar octave up and occasionally adding the 4th/5th power chord sound. The overdrive is okay used in small doses with the tone turned way down but mainly I use it clean or with some other od or distortion pushing the UniBass.
Using a separate rig does sound better and offers a lot of options but since i am too lazy to haul a 2nd amp however i do record that way from time to time.
 
#3
I used one for years. It's a very straightforward unit, super easy to use make sound good.
I'm pretty sure they don't sell for as much as some sellers are asking.
People apparently try to get into the tracks of the Deep Impact with this one, whichis ridiculous.
This pedal is great but not that highly sought after.
 
#5
Jazz Ad said:
I'm pretty sure they don't sell for as much as some sellers are asking.
People apparently try to get into the tracks of the Deep Impact with this one, whichis ridiculous.
This pedal is great but not that highly sought after.
Click to expand...

concerning prices for the great Unibass ... i track prices here (scroll down and check the chart below the audio samples): Link Removed
 
#9
I bought both of mine,used but like new, for $99 each at music stores. Sold them both for $200 each. One recently sold for $220 on Ebay. No idea what Deep Impacts go for, I could have bought one of those for $99 when they were on clearance but hated it. That was a pretty stupid decision.

After a while I got tired of the Uni's sound. Seemed to me to be more of a synth sound than the virtual rhythm guitarist some people hear; then again I don't think a BDDI sounds like a tube amp, so something's clearly wrong with my ears. The Unis I had functioned flawlessly, never had any problems tracking, and the noise gate was superb. Liked it better on fretless, but really no use for that sound in what I was playing. I couldn't pass up the chance to sell i for a 100% profit. Twice.
 
#10
for me my Unibass is a love hate love relationship ... the tracking of the UB1 is fast and great, but what i hate is the dirt/overdrive section of the pedal ... but when using an "external" overdrive (Box of Rock, Z.Vex clone) + WahWah plus mixing/blending 60% clean signal into the sound i really love it.

Alternatives:

1) For an all-in-one pedal the sound is ok but for simulating/ sounds i prefer using my old blue Bass Whammy + Overdrive + WahWah.

2) Another interesting way to nearly emulate the Unibass sound is the "UniBoss" method with the Boss CEB-3.
 
#15
thx I find I allways have to have the distortion at 50-60% and the input level at 50-70% for the effect to trigger properley if it is below that the low end comes through strong but the hight end is very quiet and cuts out. I find when I solo the unibass the sound is very thin but in the mix it sounds great am gonna mess arround with it next practice to hear it in the band context
thx for the info
 

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