Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

[dukeorock]

You didn't. No worries.

I'm in PT right now. It's helping but it's not magical. Fortunately, I'm really not in much pain at all, but that changes if I push too hard for too long.

Part of me wants to dive into something new like an Octatrack or a Make Noise skiff and just start building new ideas from scratch. But that's at war with the part that sees all the gear I've got on the shelf.

I'll bet most of us go through that to a certain degree. It's also a double edged sword with gear, for me. New gear is always tempting and can open up new avenues, but it also adds new learning curves that slow things down a lot at times. For doing 'experimental' music (stuff I do for pleasure as opposed to gigs I do to get paid), my main three 'tools' are
Octatrack
Eurorack
Bass guitar

Octatrack is genius, especially if you like avoiding computers. It's also crazy deep and a bit quirky. I've had mine...18 months? Something like that and I know I'm just scratching the surface of what can be done with it. I just learn new things about it in small chunks these days so as not to get overwhelmed.

Eurorack is its own can of worms. Extremely frustrating if you don't understand how that stuff works (I really don't, but am slowly learning). It can get stupid expensive really quick, though it doesn't have to. But the excitement of learning how to cross patch and hearing sounds in ways you never quite have is very addictive.


The downside of all that gear is I often lose track of what I was trying to accomplish in the first place! I still say a day making music is a very good day

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

I'll bet most of us go through that to a certain degree. It's also a double edged sword with gear, for me. New gear is always tempting and can open up new avenues, but it also adds new learning curves that slow things down a lot at times. For doing 'experimental' music (stuff I do for pleasure as opposed to gigs I do to get paid), my main three 'tools' are
Octatrack
Eurorack
Bass guitar

Octatrack is genius, especially if you like avoiding computers. It's also crazy deep and a bit quirky. I've had mine...18 months? Something like that and I know I'm just scratching the surface of what can be done with it. I just learn new things about it in small chunks these days so as not to get overwhelmed.

Eurorack is its own can of worms. Extremely frustrating if you don't understand how that stuff works (I really don't, but am slowly learning). It can get stupid expensive really quick, though it doesn't have to. But the excitement of learning how to cross patch and hearing sounds in ways you never quite have is very addictive.


The downside of all that gear is I often lose track of what I was trying to accomplish in the first place! I still say a day making music is a very good day

I'd love to try the octatrak, looks like an awesome tool. I've been using Ableton live for the past 12 years. Then bouncing my stuff on samplers or Loopers to avoid computers live. I have a phobia with using one live.

 

[Spectrum]

My last challenge cost me 50¢.... finally learning to play with a pick after 25 years of bass playing. Huge challenge, very rewarding.

I played fingers only for many years, finally decided to bear down learn to use a pick. Was teaching myself guitar anyway, so might as well. Very rewarding. I am still more comfortable with fingers and feel more in control of the instrument, but for certain tunes letting rip with a pick is the way to go.

 

[dukeorock]

I'd love to try the octatrak, looks like an awesome tool. I've been using Ableton live for the past 12 years. Then bouncing my stuff on samplers or Loopers to avoid computers live. I have a phobia with using one live.

I had a funny situation doing a live show once. It's was mostly looping bass stuff into the Octatrack as well as playing with samples that I'd loaded beforehand. There were some sections that I wanted to play synth so I hooked up a Keystep to an iPad with a synth app loaded up. After the gig, some dude accused me of just 'pressing play' on the iPad and pretending to do everything else while the iPad played my backing tracks. And hey, I've seen people do it, so it's not a crazy thought. I decided after that I'd never use an iPad or computer onstage. Shallow confession!

But yeah, the Octatrack is pretty amazing

 

[Spectrum]

I had a funny situation doing a live show once. It's was mostly looping bass stuff into the Octatrack as well as playing with samples that I'd loaded beforehand. There were some sections that I wanted to play synth so I hooked up a Keystep to an iPad with a synth app loaded up. After the gig, some dude accused me of just 'pressing play' on the iPad and pretending to do everything else while the iPad played my backing tracks. And hey, I've seen people do it, so it's not a crazy thought. I decided after that I'd never use an iPad or computer onstage. Shallow confession!

But yeah, the Octatrack is pretty amazing

I saw a famous guy recently in Maryland and he used a laptop with all his backing track stuff on it, including his video backdrop. It was funny, when he was selecting new tracks you could see his computer desktop projected on the video screen behind him so you knew what was coming next. But he also played the main keyboard parts manually and sang at the same time, so it was real enough. Would've been cool to see him with a whole band, but it was a small gig, the guy rolled up in his van with his wife and, I presume, his grown boys, who loaded his stuff in and helped him set it up in like 10 minutes. Cool guy, too, really nice.

 

[steubig]

the interesting thing about the "only pushing buttons" complaint is that the people leveling it almost never understand what it takes to program all that stuff—and that many people who do that can really play.

hell, beethoven probably couldn't really play oboe, but he wrote convincingly for it.

(it also reminds me of the anti-pedal people: i don't need that, it's all in the hands. really? tell me when you can get an infinite reverb out of your hands. okay, rant mode off.)

 

[Spectrum]

the interesting thing about the "only pushing buttons" complaint is that the people leveling it almost never understand what it takes to program all that stuff—and that many people who do that can really play.

hell, beethoven probably couldn't really play oboe, but he wrote convincingly for it.

(it also reminds me of the anti-pedal people: i don't need that, it's all in the hands. really? tell me when you can get an infinite reverb out of your hands. okay, rant mode off.)

There's a video out there of a Roger Waters interview from the early days of Floyd where Waters takes issue people saying the machinery does all the work. His response was basically, "You can say what you want, but if we gave you access to all of our gear, you still couldn't figure out how to get what we get out of it and make the same music we do."

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

I had a funny situation doing a live show once. It's was mostly looping bass stuff into the Octatrack as well as playing with samples that I'd loaded beforehand. There were some sections that I wanted to play synth so I hooked up a Keystep to an iPad with a synth app loaded up. After the gig, some dude accused me of just 'pressing play' on the iPad and pretending to do everything else while the iPad played my backing tracks. And hey, I've seen people do it, so it's not a crazy thought. I decided after that I'd never use an iPad or computer onstage. Shallow confession!

But yeah, the Octatrack is pretty amazing

Otcatrak envy.
Me still computer phobia. Fear of it crashing or something.

 

[monsterthompson]

 

[dukeorock]

View attachment 3617284
View attachment 3617283

you buy the skiff?

 

[monsterthompson]

you buy the skiff?

I did. Microsound madness starts soon. Leaning all the modules is going to take a minute. Lots of RTFM.

I figured even if I don't like some of the modules, having the skiff and being able to flip sections will be get my foot in the door.

 

[dukeorock]

I did. Microsound madness starts soon. Leaning all the modules is going to take a minute. Lots of RTFM.

I figured even if I don't like some of the modules, having the skiff and being able to flip sections will be get my foot in the door.

welcome to the dark side! There are some amazing modules in that skiff...yeah, there's a learning curve, but once you get into cross patching, self patching and cross modulation it's pretty addictive. Mimeophon makes for a great looper as well as a very clever delay, congrats!

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

View attachment 3617284
View attachment 3617283

Soon....soon.....I promise. Waiting my return from perfect circuit........new weapon on the way.

 

[monsterthompson]

It is a weird machine.
I'm not even sure I like what it does, but I like how it makes me think. I hate the Doppler shifting sounds, in general. However, it's making the grey matter work, which is ultimately what I want. I'm still quite confused, but in an interested way. It's only been 24 hours.

Tonight, I played some solo cello pieces into it (from my phone). I'm starting to get a feel for some the knobs. I still occasionally turn an attenuverter and expect a result when nothing is plugged in Cone on man, keep it together.

 

[monsterthompson]

@dukeorock
Does your Mimeophone introduce a significant amount of noise? Mine is hissing like a snake. I can bypass it and get a decently clear level. However as soon as I patch it in, even with the mix down, it introduces a noticeable high end hiss. Maybe I need to try a different patch cable.

I'm calling the shop tomorrow, and/or emailing Make Noise. For the price, I'm not happy about what I'm hearing.

 

[dukeorock]

@dukeorock
Does your Mimeophone introduce a significant amount of noise? Mine is hissing like a snake. I can bypass it and get a decently clear level. However as soon as I patch it in, even with the mix down, it introduces a noticeable high end hiss. Maybe I need to try a different patch cable.

I'm calling the shop tomorrow, and/or emailing Make Noise. For the price, I'm not happy about what I'm hearing.

man, sorry you're having problems!

I have read about unacceptable amounts of noise from some folks on Muffwigglers. Some attribute it to 'poor gainstaging,' some claim it's way too noisy and some say it's not noisy at all. I've never had anything I'd call hiss, but I've sometimes hit the input too hard, in which case I just attenuate the signal going in. I'd just swap it out to be safe. Perfect Circuit seem really cool about that sort of thing.

For me, modular has been anything but easy to learn, but like you, I like the way it makes me think. The thing is, those are mostly really deep, quirky and esoteric modules in your skiff and there's just a lot to learn. Maths alone does so many things, it's insane. But I borrowed one when I first got into this and I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. That's just because I didn't know how any of this stuff works. I still don't have a Maths, but I have a Make Noise Function (basically half a Maths) and a Mannequins Just Friends, which puts me in a very similar place. Just Friends is used in every patch I do now, despite the fact that I hated it when I first got it! You should also have a Wogglebug. It's crazy what you can do, but it's got a learning curve for sure. I use Pamela's New Workout for my master clock/clock divider. It's not as crazy or creative in some ways as the Wogglebug, but it's a little more predictable. Trade offs I'm surprised that MN system didn't come with a Tempi. I'd be lost without a stable master clock.

all in all, it's a genius little system you have, though for me it's missing a couple pieces. I'd want a solid master clock that also divides and well as some way to bring in external audio (bass!). There are a bunch of good ways, but I have a Circuit Abbey Axxis and it works pretty well.

I think your skiff has some blank panels, so you could add a module or two, depending on HP. I'd add a master clock like Pam's or Tempi and a small module to convert your bass to eurorack levels. You'll be amazed what you can do with the Mimeophon and Morphagene just playing your bass.

hang in there!​

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

@dukeorock
Does your Mimeophone introduce a significant amount of noise? Mine is hissing like a snake. I can bypass it and get a decently clear level. However as soon as I patch it in, even with the mix down, it introduces a noticeable high end hiss. Maybe I need to try a different patch cable.

I'm calling the shop tomorrow, and/or emailing Make Noise. For the price, I'm not happy about what I'm hearing.

Could you show us a pic of the said machine / module in question???

I'm intrigued.

 

[monsterthompson]

man, sorry you're having problems!

I have read about unacceptable amounts of noise from some folks on Muffwigglers. Some attribute it to 'poor gainstaging,' some claim it's way too noisy and some say it's not noisy at all. I've never had anything I'd call hiss, but I've sometimes hit the input too hard, in which case I just attenuate the signal going in. I'd just swap it out to be safe. Perfect Circuit seem really cool about that sort of thing.

For me, modular has been anything but easy to learn, but like you, I like the way it makes me think. The thing is, those are mostly really deep, quirky and esoteric modules in your skiff and there's just a lot to learn. Maths alone does so many things, it's insane. But I borrowed one when I first got into this and I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. That's just because I didn't know how any of this stuff works. I still don't have a Maths, but I have a Make Noise Function (basically half a Maths) and a Mannequins Just Friends, which puts me in a very similar place. Just Friends is used in every patch I do now, despite the fact that I hated it when I first got it! You should also have a Wogglebug. It's crazy what you can do, but it's got a learning curve for sure. I use Pamela's New Workout for my master clock/clock divider. It's not as crazy or creative in some ways as the Wogglebug, but it's a little more predictable. Trade offs I'm surprised that MN system didn't come with a Tempi. I'd be lost without a stable master clock.

all in all, it's a genius little system you have, though for me it's missing a couple pieces. I'd want a solid master clock that also divides and well as some way to bring in external audio (bass!). There are a bunch of good ways, but I have a Circuit Abbey Axxis and it works pretty well.

I think your skiff has some blank panels, so you could add a module or two, depending on HP. I'd add a master clock like Pam's or Tempi and a small module to convert your bass to eurorack levels. You'll be amazed what you can do with the Mimeophon and Morphagene just playing your bass.

hang in there!​

Found the discussion. Gonna play with the gain staging a bit. Fingers crossed. I'll head over to perfect circuit this weekend and see what they say. Might just be my ignorance.
MUFF WIGGLER :: View topic - New MakeNoise module: Mimeophon

 

[monsterthompson]

Could you show us a pic of the said machine / module in question???

I'm intrigued.

Stock photos. My phone pics would be awful.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Stock photos. My phone pics would be awful.
View attachment 3618512 View attachment 3618513

Sick.