Bass Synth Collection

[Stick_Player]

Try not to walk into anything with your nose so far in the air.

I'll try to Big Chief... or is that Big Stiff Chief?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Relax Big One!

 

[RickenBoogie]

At some point, you might also consider buying an actual analog keyboard synth. The fun factor is out the door, and the sounds, infinite. A Moog Little Phatty, or Dave Smith MoPho are 2 good choices. I like bass synth too, but these keyboards are badass.

 

[Lindsay]

Cool collection Jazz Ad. I understand the urge.

Nothing new here, but my current collection consists of:

- Akai Deep Impact
- Chunk Systems Octavius Squeezer
- EHX Bass Micro Synth Trapezoidal
- EHX Bass Micro Synth XO
- Korg G5
- Digitech Bass Synth Wah
- Behringer SYB-600

I've been meaning to round it out with the Boss, MB and Ibanez pedals but I'm having a 'loss of interest breather'. I'm also trying to collect interesting phasers and filters - but there are just sooo many.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I'm a former key player so I'm used to full synths.
There is just something magic about synth pedals that you don't always find in keyboards.

 

[bass.bert]

what about the miniark?

 

[fokof]

"The one that rules them all" = VB-99



Serieusement , tu devrais l'essayer , tu ne le regretteras pas !

 

[natw42]

what about the miniark?

that looks... crazy.

Don't let the name fool you. There is nothing tiny about the sound of this device. THE MINI-ARK is in a class of its own in the world of guitar synths and tracking boxes.

THE MINI-ARK is the little brother to the one-of-a-kind AUDIO ARK, SNAZZY FX's super processor. It has the capability to take your guitar input, track it precisely, add an octave of your choice below or above, an interval of your choosing above (or below) and the capability to mix the two in any combination with the original signal or a dirty version of the original signal. This is huge. You can now create chords or thickened notes in thousands of combinations, all by changing the mix knobs and the position of the Interval and Octave selectors.

But that's just the beginning. In addition to the Octave and Interval sections, there is also an Infinite Hold section which allows you to stomp on a second switch and let the note go on and on and on and on.

While the sound is droning, there is an additional octave down effect that you can play on top of the continuous sound. Think of it this way - you could be playing a lead, the lead could be mimicked a 3rd above, and 3 octaves below, and then get mixed with a distorted version of the same guitar. Then, you could step on the infinite switch, and start playing the distorted guitar and an octave below on top of the already holding 3rd above and 2 octaves below. Its really something you have to hear in action.

There is also a Gate/Sustain switch. This allows you to have notes blend continuously into each other as you play or create very artificial staccato effects.

But Wait….That is only half of the action. There is also the Magic Selector. This rotary switch allows you to switch from 8 different presets which come with THE MINIARK. Preset one is the normal mode, where your guitar creates an interval and an octave. But, choose any of the other seven modes and the operation of this device is sent into alien territory with Swells, Crazy Vibrato, Super Fuzz, or even clarinet like sounds, all flying out of the machine.

There is a rich array of CV Outputs. You get an Env Out which is useful for controlling an external device. You can, for example, plug this into the SNAZZY FX TRACER CITY. There is a gate out, for controlling an external synth, sequencer, or Modular Sythesizer, and the special Square Out. Please see the manual for the amazing things this output can do.

THE MINI-ARK features +/- 15 volt rails, similar to the rails found in analog synthesizers, powered by a standard barrel connector 9 volt DC adapter.This means greater headroom which translates into better tone. And like all SNAZZY FX products, it features True Bypass and a Seriously Heavy Duty Box with SNAZZY Graphics that will not only stand the test of time, it will turn heads wherever you take them.

I think I had a mild aneurysm when I checked it out. But me kinda likey.

 

[FilterFunk]

I'm a former key player so I'm used to full synths.
There is just something magic about synth pedals that you don't always find in keyboards.

True. I actually like running my keyboard through synth and envelope filter pedals. That way, I can tweak the tones without changing the fundamental sound, which is what happens when you tweak the parameters on a synth. And even the most versatile keyboards can't make every sound.

 

[DerHoggz]

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[ryognbass]

Taylor at Iron ether is working on a pitch-tracking square wave synth that looks incredibly interesting!

 

[kevteop]

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That sounds really cool on guitar, would like to hear how it tracks on bass though.

 

[wetzelman1]

Link Removed

thing is ridiculously awesome, and not too expensive neither.

check out the rollershifter too, hilarious.

 

[DannDubblewe]

Taylor at Iron ether is working on a pitch-tracking square wave synth that looks incredibly interesting!

uuussshhhuubbababbbaaaabbbaaaaaa YES.

That PK Effects pedal is pretty interesting.

So if you want to use the Syn+The+Si+Zer with a bass, you have to mention it. In this way, we will adjust the module parameters for the bass frequency range

Has anyone heard it on a bass?

 

[Jazz Ad]

I recently got a Korg G5, still incredible after all these years.
Also a SYB-3, sounds very different from a SYB-5 but tracks just as badly.
The MiniArk looks incredible. PK's S+T+S+Z looks like a POG attempt. Their arpeggiator is sick though.

 

[DerHoggz]

PK's S+T+S+Z looks like a POG attempt. Their arpeggiator is sick though.

The POG doesn't do different waveforms, just pitch shifting. The PKE is actual oscillators albeit digital, with different waveshapes.

 

[savinggrace]

I emailed PK and inquired about the S+T+S+Z on bass regarding sound and tracking. My suspicion is that it will track well as it uses Line 6 Tonecore technology. All of those Line 6 tonecore pedals tracks wonderfully on bass.

 

[Jazz Ad]

Freqbox on the way.

 

[Explorer]

I emailed PK and inquired about the S+T+S+Z on bass regarding sound and tracking. My suspicion is that it will track well as it uses Line 6 Tonecore technology. All of those Line 6 tonecore pedals tracks wonderfully on bass.

I've sent an email regarding the note range of the PK Effects Syn+The+si+Zer. My instrument has a note range of E1 through E6, and so far no synth pedal covers the entire range; I'm hopeful that the Syn+The+si+Zer can be programmed to cover it.

If I wind up getting it, I'll post a few review of how it works across the full range of my instrument. And, just because I have a GAS problem, I'll probably have to get two....

I'm being patient on asking asking Taylor about both the synth pedal he's developing, and about the Xerograph.

I've been doing a lot of work recently with the Boss SYB-5, setting the rate knob to infinity and the resonance and frequency knobs to different settings. Who would have thought that wave 8, with the resonance at 7 and the frequency around 8 to 12 noon, would sound so much like a sax, a clarinet, or other reed instruments? Or that wave 10, along with an eBow, would sound so much like a cello?

 

[savinggrace]

Oops I Did get an email back from PK effects On October 22nd and forgot to post it here!

[email protected] to me

Hi,

Thanks for your interest.

The bass version of the Syn+The+Si+Zer is using the same algorithm than
the guitar one. The only difference is that some internal parameters are
set differently to ensure a correct tracking.

The tracking works great with these settings. However, the world is not
perfect. The Syn+The+Si+Zer tracking algorithm encounter the same
limitation as other similar effects:

- It's monophonic. You have to play one note at a time...For a bass player
this is less critical than for guitar.

- It cannot predict the future. This means that the signal can be tracked
only after the first complete period: for a bass, the frequency of the
lowest note is around 50hz. This means that a period has a duration of
20ms. The Syn+The+Si+Zer cannot react faster for the very low frequency. If
you play slowly this small delay is invisible. But when you start playing
fast, it's possible to feel it.

This problem appears with every tracking system.

An alternative used by professionnal is to use lighter strings and tune
them one octave higher.

Best regards.

Laurent Jojczyk
pkeffects.com

 

[Hector_G]

Ok here's my little amateurish collection.

For synth pedals I have the SYB-5, Digitech BSW, Line 6 FM4 and the Zoom B2.1u.

All on my pedal board. I've managed to come up with great sounds with these entry level pedals. There's no way I can afford the Deep Impact or the other high end pedals.

With the SYB-5 I think it's absolutely necessary to have the expression pedal to really unleash it's potential. You can get a really good low pass filter sound with it. Add in a little dirt at the end of it and there are some great jungle sounds. I have no issues with the tracking as long as the signal is hot enough. I just crank the mids a bit on my active Carvin and I have NO issues.

The Zoom... eh... It does have some ok synths. They're mostly fuzz/filters. But it also does have ok square, PWM, and sawtooth waves. Again, gotta play it real slow. Those going into the FM4 filters can create some weird sounds.

The FM4 has provided many hours of knob fiddling. I love the "Synth-O-Matic" sounds going into the Zoom's wah. Dripping funk for days. My issue with it is the enormous volume spikes. Gotta be REAL careful with some of those settings.

BSW... everyone knows about that one.

Then I have the Devi Ever Bit going into the FM4's Tron model. Just funky quacks. I can also then route it into the Zoom's octave for some deep rumbling fuzz.




There's a small video I made for someone a while ago mostly playing with the SYB-5.
I hope that's the link. Can't access YouTube from work so I can't see.