I like Animoog, quite a beast! iPad + cheap USB controller + Midi interface for iPhone/iPad. Pretty portable setup. Oh, it's $30 now, I got it at the introduction price of $5 some time ago.
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changing direction--to synth
- Thread starter scottfeldstein
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I like Animoog, quite a beast! iPad + cheap USB controller + Midi interface for iPhone/iPad. Pretty portable setup. Oh, it's $30 now, I got it at the introduction price of $5 some time ago.
I flipped my MXR BEF too. I also got rid of my SA BEF & MWBD pros but if I was making electronic style music I'd be all over them.
First impression: the Bass Synth Wah is pretty amazing. The envelope filter (setting 1) is just OK. Serviceable. It gets way more interesting on setting 2 when you get an octave down with it. Love it.
The next four settings--the two synth ones and the two "SynthTalk" filter ones--seem promising, but it's clear that they get a whole range of unusable sounds mixed in with a few gems. But those gems are gonna make me passable in the synth bass department, I think.
The last one, setting 7, is an octave down with an adjustable synthy filter sweep. Probably this will be most useful just with the octave down.
When you think about the fact that this little bugger costs $100, I don't know why everyone doesn't have one. At least everyone covering pop music or doing any electronic styles.
Heck, for $100, It's already occurred to me that running a second one on the board might not be crazy.
Here's the one problem so far. How on earth does one control this beast? The signal out of this thing is so hot and there's no level control. I hate the idea of getting a volume pedal just for this purpose, but I might have to. I'm also unsure about whether trying to use my compressor to help tame it, or giving up and putting the compressor before it.
I might open a new thread about these issues ...in the fullness of time. I haven't even had this thing up to volume at rehearsal yet.
The next four settings--the two synth ones and the two "SynthTalk" filter ones--seem promising, but it's clear that they get a whole range of unusable sounds mixed in with a few gems. But those gems are gonna make me passable in the synth bass department, I think.
The last one, setting 7, is an octave down with an adjustable synthy filter sweep. Probably this will be most useful just with the octave down.
When you think about the fact that this little bugger costs $100, I don't know why everyone doesn't have one. At least everyone covering pop music or doing any electronic styles.
Heck, for $100, It's already occurred to me that running a second one on the board might not be crazy.
Here's the one problem so far. How on earth does one control this beast? The signal out of this thing is so hot and there's no level control. I hate the idea of getting a volume pedal just for this purpose, but I might have to. I'm also unsure about whether trying to use my compressor to help tame it, or giving up and putting the compressor before it.
I might open a new thread about these issues ...in the fullness of time. I haven't even had this thing up to volume at rehearsal yet.
Honestly, the BSW is a toy in my opinion. A fun toy but unusable onstage. Sure it makes a lot of different sounds but the real tweaking that I need on a synth pedal isn't on that pedal.
Well, this is my first foray into this kind of effect. For $100, I'm impressed. And maybe after using it a while I'll have a better idea of what I really want to invest in later.
That's what I did too
Mine's not noteably louder than bypassed, but some patches have an octave down that can't be dialled out.
If you need to tame it, the Boss LS-2 is an excellent tool for that and many other uses.
Compression after BSW would also help, but not before. It might do interesting things to the attack and decay of the filter (or bad things) but it won't address your volume issues.
It's not a toy. I use it live to great effect, and there are plenty of serious players using it, too.
It may help to put it in front of your compressor to tame the peaks a bit (also what I do, but my compressor is set very mild.....I like those peaks...).
-JV
It may help to put it in front of your compressor to tame the peaks a bit (also what I do, but my compressor is set very mild.....I like those peaks...).
-JV
Well the first thing I noticed about mine was that it was lighting up the peak-o-meter on my amp's input. Pushing the dB pad for active instruments settled that, but in the end I decided to flip my SansAmp to INST rather than LINE where it had been. Probably a bad idea to have it set that way anyhow. No idea how I'd been getting away with it in the first place. But it made me think that I was gonna have a problem with the compressor. I haven't tried it yet. I think it's going to max the -dB meter with every note if I put it before the compressor. But if I put it after, the compressed signal may not trigger the filter sweeps as well.
I'll experiment.
Hey great thread, thank you OP and 'repliers'... Not trying to hijack the thread, but I'm also after synth pedal, so....
What are alternatives then
Markbass super synth (supposed to have awful pc-software), Soundblox's Multiwave Bass Distortion, Akai's Deep Impact (out of production, used over-priced imo)?
Are there any other good synth pedals out there with programmable presets?
What are alternatives then
Markbass super synth (supposed to have awful pc-software), Soundblox's Multiwave Bass Distortion, Akai's Deep Impact (out of production, used over-priced imo)?
Are there any other good synth pedals out there with programmable presets?
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.
TalkBass' resident Bongo + cowbell player
Just curious: Are all synth pedals supposed to behave like that, or is there something out there that works fine with the entire range of a 5-string bass?
I have been using the EHX BMS for a couple years now and love it. I use a 5 string bass all the time and never have a problem but the BMS isn't really meant to handle notes that low. It's an analog pedal and I don't think there are any analog pedals that track that low. If you know how to use the BMS and understand its range it's great.
On the other hand I just received a DIGI BSW today and so far am very pleased. Definitely a great little pedal with some good sounds and a great bargain. I will be using both synth pedals on my board for very different sounds. The BSW is great for modern synth sounds whereas the BMS is great for vintage analog synth sounds. I'm using an exotic X-blender and that seems to really fatten up and slightly tame the sounds of the BSW. I can't wait to explore the settings further.
On the other hand I just received a DIGI BSW today and so far am very pleased. Definitely a great little pedal with some good sounds and a great bargain. I will be using both synth pedals on my board for very different sounds. The BSW is great for modern synth sounds whereas the BMS is great for vintage analog synth sounds. I'm using an exotic X-blender and that seems to really fatten up and slightly tame the sounds of the BSW. I can't wait to explore the settings further.
Anything that's working off an octave down generator is gonna be sol on any note below B on A string. The fantabulous triggered ones might do it with a five string. Expensive, but if you really need it you can get one on approval from the online shops.
The software is fine. That's been blown way out of proportion IMO. You save the setting to a "soft" list and then apply one of those to the actual pedal presets. That way you don't lose presets when you run out of slots on the pedal.
It's got quite a wide range. I have used it for both a Sledgehammer and Enjoy The Silence. And it has presets w/ foot switch control so it's great for live use.
The only annoyance is the lack of external control over the cut freq/tone. Considering it costs over £200 they could have at least put in a socket for an expression pedal. As it is, it sweeps back and forth automatically, which is a bit limiting in my opinion.
I have a ton of synth effect sound clips on my pages (see sig below), including some created with the new Zoom B3.
