Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

[ugly_bassplayer]

I would venture to say on many sessions I do in Nashville, if I brought a P bass with flats, no one would ask where my other basses are. I only own one P bass and I rarely take it to sessions
I usually bring 3 electrics and my 1948 Epiphone B4 upright. The electrics are usually
A Tbird, just because I like the sound and they are more versatile than they get credit for.
My ‘65 Hofner Beatle bass, which doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s a beautiful thing.
My 1987 MusicMan Sabre. It plays great and gets the most use when I do a more modern country session. I would never use it on my own projects because it sounds ‘good’ but has very little personality, if any. Perfect for modern country as they want a really safe sound that provides cushion but stays out of the way, so I give em what they want and play my best, then never have to hear it again

As long as you keep getting calls.
You're doing something right I think.

 

[HotelX]

Any suggestions for soft synth vst?

Always looking to expand.

I just bought The Arturia Buchla Music Easel soft synth yesterday. Check out the demo.

 

[lordradish]

I just bought The Arturia Buchla Music Easel soft synth yesterday. Check out the demo.

I have that whole collection, it's pretty amazing.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I once saw a documentary, and it said that back in the day, there were like only 3 or 4 people who could really program DX7's, and one of them was Brian Eno.

...and I'll bet the others were Bo Tomlin and Michael Boddicker...and maybe Ian Underwood?

The cool thing about Brian Eno (in the context of DX-7 programming) was that his patches really did sound completely out-of-the-box compared to everyone else's! Dude really did understand how to get under the hood of FM programming and come up with some unique sounds. I have no idea what records he used them on, but when he published some DX-7 patches in Keyboard magazine circa 1988 (?) I programmed them into my synth and was astonished at how not Whitney Houston/bell piano they were....nor how static/boring they were. FM synthesis is remarkably capable of long evolving ambient textures...and so few DX programmers bother exploring that it's a freakin' crime!

i think a lot of the problem with the dx/tx stuff was the ui, which made things neigh impossible. with analog stuff, you could twist some knobs and get tactile/sound feedback.

There was a German company who made a one-knob-per-function DX-7 programming interface...I think it was called Jellinghaus? ...that was stupidly expensive, but turned the whole DX paradigm into almost an analog synth paradigm. If that had been supplied with every DX-7, we'd have been hearing a whole lot less of this "Waaahhh, UI is hard!" whinging.
[edit: yes, it was the Jellinghaus ]

 

[steubig]

There was a German company who made a one-knob-per-function DX-7 programming interface...I think it was called Jellinghaus? ...that was stupidly expensive, but turned the whole DX paradigm into almost an analog synth paradigm. If that had been supplied with every DX-7, we'd have been hearing a whole lot less of this "Waaahhh, UI is hard!" whinging.
[edit: yes, it was the Jellinghaus ]

i had one of those two-slot tx racks. i bought the third-party programming interface that was like a dx panel.

didn’t help enough.

and that jellinghaus thing is huge.

 

[Bob_Ross]

i bought the third-party programming interface that was like a dx panel.

Was that the Beetle PR-7?

that jellinghaus thing is huge.

IT HAD TO BE!!! ONE-KNOB-PER-FUNCTION!!!!!

 

[steubig]

Was that the Beetle PR-7?
QUOTE]

yes

 

[dukeorock]

Granular, Wave Table, etc.....
I reallly dig Moog stuff.
.....ill skip FM for now.

Coward!
I have several iPad synth apps, but just can’t bring myself to use the iPad. Maybe I just got a crappy iPad but I can’t stand doing music on it.

I have a couple VST (AU) soft synths that are pretty good.
Izotope Iris 2- seems pretty great so far. I have an artists deal with Izotope, so I’m not sure it would’ve occurred to me to look into it otherwise. This little jam was done completely on Iris 2, and mangled with Izotope BreakTweaker and Stutter Edit



I got the Waves Flow Motion dirt cheap and think it’s very cool/quirky. Things get weird fast.
There was recently a sale on the Waldorf Largo for $29, so I snapped it up and it’s very nice too.

I rarely use soft synths for some reason. Just much much prefer hardware, but there’s a lot of great stuff out there

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Coward!
I have several iPad synth apps, but just can’t bring myself to use the iPad. Maybe I just got a crappy iPad but I can’t stand doing music on it.

I have a couple VST (AU) soft synths that are pretty good.
Izotope Iris 2- seems pretty great so far. I have an artists deal with Izotope, so I’m not sure it would’ve occurred to me to look into it otherwise. This little jam was done completely on Iris 2, and mangled with Izotope BreakTweaker and Stutter Edit



I got the Waves Flow Motion dirt cheap and think it’s very cool/quirky. Things get weird fast.
There was recently a sale on the Waldorf Largo for $29, so I snapped it up and it’s very nice too.

I rarely use soft synths for some reason. Just much much prefer hardware, but there’s a lot of great stuff out there

100% agree that hardware is the most fun/creative way to go.
For example I can't stand software samplers, Either on computer or iPad. Even if they are more advanced and "better".

The soft synths are due to budget constraints.
And also why I have zero credit card debt.

 

[Spectrum]

...and I'll bet the others were Bo Tomlin and Michael Boddicker...and maybe Ian Underwood?

The cool thing about Brian Eno (in the context of DX-7 programming) was that his patches really did sound completely out-of-the-box compared to everyone else's! Dude really did understand how to get under the hood of FM programming and come up with some unique sounds. I have no idea what records he used them on, but when he published some DX-7 patches in Keyboard magazine circa 1988 (?) I programmed them into my synth and was astonished at how not Whitney Houston/bell piano they were....nor how static/boring they were. FM synthesis is remarkably capable of long evolving ambient textures...and so few DX programmers bother exploring that it's a freakin' crime!




There was a German company who made a one-knob-per-function DX-7 programming interface...I think it was called Jellinghaus? ...that was stupidly expensive, but turned the whole DX paradigm into almost an analog synth paradigm. If that had been supplied with every DX-7, we'd have been hearing a whole lot less of this "Waaahhh, UI is hard!" whinging.
[edit: yes, it was the Jellinghaus ]

So I followed your link to the Jellinghaus and saved off this image of it. Why? Because I recognize most, if not all, of those knobs represent a parameter in the Volca FM, and just having that photo makes it all easier to visualize. Why can't the manufacturers just give us diagrams? I can't imagine ever figuring anything out on a DX7 in the 80s before the Internet was around.

 

[HotelX]

Anyone got the Sensel Morph yet with the Buchla Thunder overlay? Looks like it would be fun to use with the soft easel.

This is the first non-iPad soft synth I’ve bought. Interesting to compare it to the hardware version.

 

[steubig]

Anyone got the Sensel Morph yet with the Buchla Thunder overlay? Looks like it would be fun to use with the soft easel.

This is the first non-iPad soft synth I’ve bought. Interesting to compare it to the hardware version.

it’s on my list of things to do when i have money for such things. mpe and hydra? yes please.

 

[lordradish]

...and maybe Ian Underwood?

Hmm, I don't know, but that's interesting to me, simply because I know nothing of what Underwood did after Zappa. What's the connection?

 

[dukeorock]

100% agree that hardware is the most fun/creative way to go.
For example I can't stand software samplers, Either on computer or iPad. Even if they are more advanced and "better".

The soft synths are due to budget constraints.
And also why I have zero credit card debt.

That’s a very good thing!
There are some really great soft synths out there. You also use Ableton which is a much better midi sequencing tool than Logic at this time. I’m seriously considering getting a trial version of ReNoise to see if I can wrap my tiny brain around it

 

[monsterthompson]

I’m seriously considering getting a trial version of ReNoise to see if I can wrap my tiny brain around it

It is free. It could be a good primer for the Tracker.

 

[dukeorock]

It is free. It could be a good primer for the Tracker.

didn’t you get it? How’s it going?

 

[monsterthompson]

didn’t you get it? How’s it going?

I tried it for a bit. It was interesting. However, went back Ableton out of comfort. I think I’ll revisit it again though. It has some fun features. It has some confusing ones too.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

That’s a very good thing!
There are some really great soft synths out there. You also use Ableton which is a much better midi sequencing tool than Logic at this time. I’m seriously considering getting a trial version of ReNoise to see if I can wrap my tiny brain around it

I think my favorite soft synth (for now) is the Moog Model D.
How can such a phat sound come out of such a tiny thing.,...??!!!

Ya, I probably use ableton at 20% of what it’s capable.....but hey....it works.
Lately I’ve been recording everything with my 4 track (overdub mode let’s you stack tracks, awesome feature) then dumping into ableton, makes it easy to move around my mess of cables and paper notes that I forgot what they meant with 20 weird chord changes covered in tangled XLR adapters.

Oh, stepping on the temporary mini pedal set up you forgot about from last night is like stepping on lego......
Boss pedals are especially punishing of the soft foot of Dad pre coffee.....

ReNoise....you’re a glutton for punishment I tell ya.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I know nothing of what Underwood did after Zappa. What's the connection?

Ian Underwood had a successful career as a synth player/programmer for Hollywood film scoring sessions after leaving the Mothers.

Partial list of soundtracks he's worked on here. (He's on Blade Runner!)

 

[lordradish]

Ian Underwood had a successful career as a synth player/programmer for Hollywood film scoring sessions after leaving the Mothers.

Partial list of soundtracks he's worked on here. (He's on Blade Runner!)

I did not know this, but I'm not surprised, given the stellar track record of a lot of Zappa alumni. Thanks!