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Bass Synth Instruments

#163
no, it's a modelling synth. It can trigger a PCM synth, but PitchToMIDI is not one of it's strong points.

I was just laying out yet another wrinkle to the concept of "bass as a synthesizer". Connect the individual outputs of a divided pickup to multiple monophonic synths or processing devices.

It should be possible to use 4 UniSyn pedals to trigger a single multitimbral synth by merging the 4 outputs into a single MIDI port, and assigning individual MIDI channels to each Unisyn, with a corresponding PCM voice matching the selected channel numbers. Whether this would work better than a GI-20 driving a tone module I don't know, but we'd need a lot more hardware to test it out. And the UniSyn pedal appears to be out of stock now....
 
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#164
I have both VB99 and SY1000 , both have their strenght and weakness.
VB99 is still my "Go To" unit 13 years later......

IMG_4935.png
 
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#166
bass.slinger said:
Perfect Circuit has the Unisyn back in stock.
Click to expand...

Great news! I find the Unisyn fascinating, but still struggle a little with the implementation.
As it is monophonic, what specific use would it be best for, and that cannot be done well (on stage!) with existing bass synth pedals?
Pads? Percussion? 80s pop bass synths? (FI can approximate most of what I need, but not all.) Wind instruments?
 
#167
AlexanderB said:
Great news! I find the Unisyn fascinating, but still struggle a little with the implementation.
As it is monophonic, what specific use would it be best for, and that cannot be done well (on stage!) with existing bass synth pedals?
Pads? Percussion? 80s pop bass synths? (FI can approximate most of what I need, but not all.) Wind instruments?
Click to expand...
Flexibility seems to be what it offers over things like the C4 or Future Impact- I haven’t seen anything to suggest that it has some magic tracking algorithm that would be any significant improvement over what these already have (in fact I very much doubt this is the case given you are actually adding the inherent latency of MIDI to the equation), so it’s main offer is being able to trigger sounds from outside synths that may be subjectively better than what the proprietary internal sounds of those pedals offer (I do also like the option of having access to a full synth’s control panel while playing, which is a short-coming of all the current available pedals).
 
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#168
sunbeast said:
Flexibility seems to be what it offers over things like the C4 or Future Impact- I haven’t seen anything to suggest that it has some magic tracking algorithm that would be any significant improvement over what these already have (in fact I very much doubt this is the case given you are actually adding the inherent latency of MIDI to the equation), so it’s main offer is being able to trigger sounds from outside synths that may be subjectively better than what the proprietary internal sounds of those pedals offer (I do also like the option of having access to a full synth’s control panel while playing, which is a short-coming of all the current available pedals).
Click to expand...
The FI does have a very tailored tracking algorithm.

Firstly it locks onto the last-detected pitch until it receives new pitch information. This means it triggers faster than other such devices on repeated notes as it can trigger without having to wait for the new pitch information.

Secondly, after a note has been triggered there’s a window where the tracking circuit will still respond to pitch variation (for bends etc), but after that it locks the pitch. This means that long held notes do not go flat as the string energy dies away like they do on other pedals (such as the C4). (It’s several years since I had the Squaver which uses Brian’s ACO chip and that has a similar issue with pitch detection if I recall correctly.)
 
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#169
I never had any tracking issues with the FI, I just felt the synth engine only sounded ok (same issue with the C4 and other bass pedals). My main reason for trying out the Unisyn is that I also have synths - a couple of Moogs and multiple soft synths that would be fun to play with my bass (especially fretless). I know comparing a $400 pedal to actual analog synths is not fair, but once going to good synths, it is tough to go back.
 
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#170
AlexanderB said:
Great news! I find the Unisyn fascinating, but still struggle a little with the implementation.
As it is monophonic, what specific use would it be best for, and that cannot be done well (on stage!) with existing bass synth pedals?
Pads? Percussion? 80s pop bass synths? (FI can approximate most of what I need, but not all.) Wind instruments?
Click to expand...

you would need to connect a MIDI tone module to produce sounds of that nature

I just looked at the Perfect Circuit and Second Sound websites - they still say "out of stock"
 
#171
bass.slinger said:
I never had any tracking issues with the FI, I just felt the synth engine only sounded ok (same issue with the C4 and other bass pedals). My main reason for trying out the Unisyn is that I also have synths - a couple of Moogs and multiple soft synths that would be fun to play with my bass (especially fretless). I know comparing a $400 pedal to actual analog synths is not fair, but once going to good synths, it is tough to go back.
Click to expand...
It's not that unfair. Check these clips. one is the FI, the other is the Moog Subsequent 37. Can you tell which is which?

 
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#177
bass.slinger said:
Also depends on the type of sounds you are looking for - the example you have is pretty close. For pads, strings, and good brass sounds I think the difference is greater. To each their own.
Click to expand...
It wasn’t me who said what you quoted there.

If I get time, perhaps I’ll do some patch matching for the other categories you mentioned. Lots to do at the moment though. The clips I posted earlier are ones I did a year or more ago.
 
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#179
Quatschmacher said:
Funny just how many thought that first time I posted it, more than half.

A is the FI!
Click to expand...

I was torn - I originally went with A as the FI (attacks sounded different on some notes) but then listened with better headphones and picked A as the Moog due to more low end. You certainly have put the time in with the FI getting it to sound good.

I also am much faster designing a new patch on the Moog than I was using the FI interface. I think the FI is best of breed for an all in one solution (I still have my Korg G5 which I love but it is really a one trick pony).

I am curious to see how the tracking on the Unisyn compares running into my Moogs.
 
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