Just for the sake of argument, what keyboard synth would you recommend I get? Considering I'd be playing it on a small minority of songs in a given night's performance.
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changing direction--to synth
- Thread starter scottfeldstein
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Funny, I've been looking for a small bass-centric synth myself. Then again I'm debating if I should have a split-keyboard synth instead as I might as well use the right hand at the same time. A lot of contemporary music is pretty much bass synth centric so I suspect more and more cover bands will start using bass synths on-stage.
So I don't have a good answer. I could always take one of my multiple controllers and use Logic/Mainstage but I'm always hesitant to take expensive MacBookPros to bar gigs... Then again I would have millions of sounds available from all the plug-ins I use in the studio.
If money is not a big issue I would look at any of the Roland Junos as they are pretty flexible, not so expensive and a used one could maybe be purchased for $500 or so. And Roland gear handles gigs, don't crumble under stress. They also have split mode.
I'll keep you posted.
I agree that all of the pedals that are just fuzz and filters in different combos sound nothing like a "real synth". But the Boss, the Behringer, the Chunk OS, and the Markbass are all "real synths". They don't just fuzz up your sound, they have actual VCOs inside them that are triggered and filtered in various ways. Unless you have another definition of a "real synth", then I'm gonna have to question your point.
I did wonder about that. It seemed so to me. That these units had the same electronics (in principle) inside them that keyboard synths have. Just that the signal isn't being triggered by a keyboard but by the electronic signal of an electric stringed instrument.
They really aren't the same as keyboard synths. The sounds don't even come close. I'd recommend a Dave Smith Mopho. Great analog synth at a fantastic price, sounds that you can tweak and customize and it's very portable. The Moog Minitaur looks cool also but has a smaller range of sounds than the Mopho and if I'm not mistaken, doesn't have any presets. The Moog Lil Phatty is a bit too buggy and all the others are probably beyond what you'd want to spend price-wise.
Someone just posted a sampling of the synth sounds from the new ZOOM B3 on another post and to my ear, these sound way better than the MarkBass, EHX BMS, Behringer, etc. I've owned them all and ended up with a keyboard but I may have to try out this pedal, run it through a Moog MIDI MuRF and see how the synths sound then.
Sorry for all the posts but another thing you may want to try is a MacBook Pro with Reason or some other software and a keyboard or pad controller. I've been using Reason for a few months now and the range of sounds you can get (especially the sub bass tones) are amazing. When I saw Dub Trio a couple of moths ago Stu Brooks gad some sort of mini keyboard controller for his sub bass tones and they were earth shattering.
I do have an iPad 2 and GarageBand. Or I could use other software. I don't own a computer, otherwise. Except my iPhone 4S.
You know what I'm thinking right this minute? Sell my MXR M82 Bass Envelope Filter and replace it with a new Digitech Bass Synth Wah. I could probably even get revenue neutral on the deal.
It's true that the MXR is better at what it does (traditional EF) and probably has better build quality, but what it does is more limited than the BSW. The BSW could substitute for the MXR in a pinch--if I wanted that envelope filter sound--but can also get me just about any bass sound on Thriller if I wanted them.
Does that make me craaaazy? Possibly.
You know what I'm thinking right this minute? Sell my MXR M82 Bass Envelope Filter and replace it with a new Digitech Bass Synth Wah. I could probably even get revenue neutral on the deal.
It's true that the MXR is better at what it does (traditional EF) and probably has better build quality, but what it does is more limited than the BSW. The BSW could substitute for the MXR in a pinch--if I wanted that envelope filter sound--but can also get me just about any bass sound on Thriller if I wanted them.
Does that make me craaaazy? Possibly.
I had the Digitech pedal and thought that out of the standard bunch of synth pedals that it was one of the most useful. Inexpensive too. But what I was looking for was more of a true synth sound and since I've been learning digital synthesis it's become fairly obvious to me why pedals can't get that sound. The wow moment for me was discovering that the synth sound I was hearing in my head needed a sine wave to produce it, something that pedals can't/don't do. Most all of them are all saw, square waves. That and how you modify the wave with oscillators and filters. I spent a year experimenting with pedals and thousands of dollars to discover this so every time I read a post where someone says how they want that "synth" sound from pedals I try to tell my story so that they can learn from my trial and error. Luckily I managed to sell off all the Moogerfoogers, etc. and actually make a profit.
I'm gonna take the story and file it away somewhere for future reference, jbednarski. Meantime, it's good to hear that you liked the bass synth wah. I have high hopes for its usefulness in getting me one or two wacky sounds for the bass guitar. Which, after all, is all I really expect from a pedal--especially a small and inexpensive one.
So, who wants my MXR M82? I'll probably put it up in the classifieds for $115 shipped. I have the box, the manual...I might even have the rubber feet. It'll come velcroed (scratchy side).
So, who wants my MXR M82? I'll probably put it up in the classifieds for $115 shipped. I have the box, the manual...I might even have the rubber feet. It'll come velcroed (scratchy side).
Empirically speaking, I guess I'd agree. But I still think I'm going to get rid of mine in favor of the BSW.
Seriously. If you are bored and have 10 minutes, watch this guy go through the seven preset sounds.
DEMO DIGITECH BASS SYNTH WAH (Bass Envelope Filter+ Synth+Octaver) - YouTube
DEMO DIGITECH BASS SYNTH WAH (Bass Envelope Filter+ Synth+Octaver) - YouTube
I wish voltage triggering would be the same when playing keyboards or bass but the attack is different. Also, for a fat bass synth you need two slightly detuned VCOs.
I'm myself looking at the new Casio XW-P1 that comes out end March. Nice analogue (VA) circuits, layering and the organ/piano/electric piano et rest sounds if I need access to those on-stage. $499 street price, supposedly.
