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Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

#17,621
monsterthompson said:
I’ve been checking his stuff. He’s almost talked me out of and into the Polyend Tracker a few times.
Click to expand...

He’s pretty honest about hardware and I appreciate that. There is no one machine that will suit everyone. At a certain point you gotta embrace some limitations and get to work!
I was on and off the fence about the Polyend for a long time. The M8 made me pull the trigger because I wanted a full featured, but small portable thing for traveling. The M8 also seems a bit more ‘fully featured’ for what I wanted to do. Both companies seem keen to keep updating and improving and Polyend is likely easier to learn as it’s a bit more basic in some ways, but has way more buttons to take you straight to where you want to be. More odd button combos to memorize with the M8, but they are consistent and make a fair amount of sense over time.
Had I played hand held video game devices as it kid it might be easier still :)
 
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#17,624
dukeorock said:
Are you hitting on me?!
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yeah-snoop-dogg.gif
 
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#17,627
lucas303 said:
What's the simplest way to create synth-type pads or drones, and maybe some really simple little riffs? Do I need an actual synth keyboard? Is there a good software option? Something else I'm not even thinking of? I'd want to maybe run it through effects pedals and/or my Line 6 unit.
Click to expand...

do you want to do it with your bass? If so, one of the synth pedals—Enzo, C4, etc. With your computer? There’s a world of cheap or free software synths and samplers, but you’ll need a sound card.
Or get a drone synth for more hands on and run it through your pedals. The Grendel Drone Commander is my favourite.
 
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#17,628
@dukeorock your account makes it really tempting. Not sure I need a tracker but the portable factor is interesting. I will watch some videos and follow your progress.

Dusted off the Octatrack this morning. I figure I should start with the sampler I have. I loaded a single sample and went nuts. I forgot how much fun — and fast it is — to FSU.

Now to load up samples and set up a couple templates.
 
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#17,630
JES said:
@dukeorock your account makes it really tempting. Not sure I need a tracker but the portable factor is interesting. I will watch some videos and follow your progress.

Dusted off the Octatrack this morning. I figure I should start with the sampler I have. I loaded a single sample and went nuts. I forgot how much fun — and fast it is — to FSU.

Now to load up samples and set up a couple templates.
Click to expand...

Yep, Octatrack is the best :)
 
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#17,631
JES said:
do you want to do it with your bass? If so, one of the synth pedals—Enzo, C4, etc. With your computer? There’s a world of cheap or free software synths and samplers, but you’ll need a sound card.
Or get a drone synth for more hands on and run it through your pedals. The Grendel Drone Commander is my favourite.
Click to expand...
Not with the bass, with something else (though I'm not 100% sure what that thing should be). That Drone Commander seems like lots of fun, but I was thinking I might want to play the occasional melodic bit. Does that mean I'd have to get some kind of keyboard, or is there another option I'm unaware of?
 
#17,632
Do you want to play the melody in real time? If not, you could sequence (again, computer is cheapest, hardware is more fun). Keyboards work but I’m partial to Linnstrument. It was a big turning point for me because I could finally just play a synthesizer. Not cheap though, and you still need the synth (can be hardware or software). There are tons of options. Polyend poly gets you a grid and a synth.

If you have an iPad and don’t mind playing music with a touchscreen, Animoog and Thumbjam could be good starters, or something like Borderlands. Lots of apps are on sale right now too.

If you thought there were a lot of options with pedals.....

as with anything else, seeing what gear your favourite musicians use can be enlightening.
 
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#17,633
JES said:
Do you want to play the melody in real time? If not, you could sequence (again, computer is cheapest, hardware is more fun). Keyboards work but I’m partial to Linnstrument. It was a big turning point for me because I could finally just play a synthesizer. Not cheap though, and you still need the synth (can be hardware or software). There are tons of options. Polyend poly gets you a grid and a synth.

If you have an iPad and don’t mind playing music with a touchscreen, Animoog and Thumbjam could be good starters, or something like Borderlands. Lots of apps are on sale right now too.

If you thought there were a lot of options with pedals.....

as with anything else, seeing what gear your favourite musicians use can be enlightening.
Click to expand...
It doesn't have to be in real time. And I'd prefer to keep it fairly cheap, so that seems to rule out the Linnstrument (at least if what I saw when Googling is the same thing you're talking about).
 

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