Exploring Synth Bass: How can I achieve this effect?

[sifrancis]

Welcome to the great adventure of synth-on-bass.

Dancing On My Own - any digital type delay will cover this. Just keep the feedback to single repeats and tap or set BPM as needed.

Colors - he is using one of the "legacy" synth effects from the HX, the "Attack Synth" originally on the FM4 (also on the M5 which you can pick up super cheap these days - bypass is a bit of a tone suck).

Claws - this very likely is just octave + fuzz + chorus. However, it's worth noting the fuzz will most likely be the 3 Leaf Doom 2, which is a very dynamic, synth-y sounding fuzz, with a harmonic/gain envelope very much like that of an envelope filter, as well as some octavia style octave up harmonics. Nothing else really does exactly what the Doom does, and the fuzz you have I particular is fairly far removed from that sort of sound. Try playing around with a fuzzy/wool-y overdrive if you have one, and blend in a tiiiiiny amount of your dry/dirct tone on the Boss OC-5 in vintage setting.

Truth be told, you may be as well getting hold of a line 6 HX FX or Stomp anyway, as it'll cover all the extra bits you're looking for to get these sounds, and the separate pedals you could end up buying may well come to equal cost.

As far as the futility of this quest... If it sounds good, it is good, and if it brings you enjoyment then I believe that will have a far more positive impact on the "casual listener" than playing a synth.

 

[teej]

Truth be told, you may be as well getting hold of a line 6 HX FX or Stomp anyway, as it'll cover all the extra bits you're looking for to get these sounds, and the separate pedals you could end up buying may well come to equal cost.

As far as the futility of this quest... If it sounds good, it is good, and if it brings you enjoyment then I believe that will have a far more positive impact on the "casual listener" than playing a synth.

The OC-5 is being returned. I didn't care for its octave up sound at all. Either that or the POG goes. Can't keep them both. And truthfully, I've been eyeing the HX Stomp for a while to replace my trusty - but aging - Korg Pandora Stomp.

TalkBass isn't good for my credit score.

 

[sifrancis]

The OC-5 is being returned. I didn't care for its octave up sound at all. Either that or the POG goes. Can't keep them both. And truthfully, I've been eyeing the HX Stomp for a while to replace my trusty - but aging - Korg Pandora Stomp.

TalkBass isn't good for my credit score.

this place can be a true enemy to bank accounts and credit scores everywhere.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The octave call is tough - that Boss octave down can be a real instant portal to synth town for many...
If you do go HX it’s worth noting it dies octave up and down too, and whilst it can approach pog tones, it can’t cover Boss OC sub octave tones.

follow your ears and inspiration.

 

[JimmyM]

Interesting. I’ve only tried mine on guitar and sort of just recommended it above. Then I saw your post! I really do want to do a shootout now. (Not with you. Between the pedals…)

I’ve heard it’s good for a guitar but I never tried it with it. It’s supposed to be a boss T-Wah clone, Which I think was always Thought of as a better guitar pedal than bass. Guess it gives me something to do, too.

 

[JimmyM]

this place can be a true enemy to bank accounts and credit scores everywhere.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I would. I resent every pedal I have bought that I didn’t like, especially the ones that would’ve cost me almost as much to return as I paid for them. And when I find a pedal in a categoryAnd I really like it, I tend to stick with it and not buy any more in that category except on rare occasions.

 

[sifrancis]

I would. I resent every pedal I have bought that I didn’t like, especially the ones that would’ve cost me almost as much to return as I paid for them. And when I find a pedal in a categoryAnd I really like it, I tend to stick with it and not buy any more in that category except on rare occasions.

I appreciate the pedals I hate as much as the ones I love I think... the journey, the experience, and the play of it all is the enjoyment for me I think.
... wish it cost me less though, and there have certainly been some expensive detours I'd prefer to have avoided (a 3 year exploration of compressor pedals, to realise that for the most part I prefer my live tone/sound/playing without, is one I'd have happily not ventured). But it's all play and lessons and learnt... so there's value to be found I suppose. IME/IMHO.... and so on...

 

[Mr. voodoobass]

this place can be a true enemy to bank accounts and credit scores everywhere.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The octave call is tough - that Boss octave down can be a real instant portal to synth town for many...
If you do go HX it’s worth noting it dies octave up and down too, and whilst it can approach pog tones, it can’t cover Boss OC sub octave tones.

follow your ears and inspiration.

well the hx stomp actually can cover that oc sub tone. You just have to dive into the stereo pitch ringmod and tweak it. It’ll get very close.

 

[sifrancis]

well the hx stomp actually can cover that oc sub tone. You just have to dive into the stereo pitch ringmod and tweak it. It’ll get very close.

this is a golden tip!!
I’d never heard of this before - just tried it, and it’s perfect! Thanks so much for the tip.
I’ve used that block a bunch for obvious ring mod tones/sound, but had no idea it was a doorway to that classic octaver tone.
Scratch what I said above then.

 

[teej]

Well.
I did a thing.

An HX Stomp in "Cosmic Grey" is on the way. Sweetwater has a bundle deal they're running right now which includes Helix Native and worship band plugins for the same price as JUST the Stomp. I'm not in a worship band but I figured "hey, free stuff!" They're going to update the firmware on it before shipping. I'm hoping it will arrive Thursday or Friday so I can play with it before heading to New Orleans this weekend (Oct. 30 - Nov. 2).

Along with the Stomp, I ordered the necessary cables to power this off a Cioks DC-7.

Now I need to make up for the purchase. Someone buy my stuff!

 

[NoiseNinja]

The Mooer Envelope is garbage. I have one and it’s one of the very few pedals I’ve bought that I hated. Mooer does make some good pedals but that’s not one.

What I suggested was not the Mooer envelope pedal, but the Mooer Slow Engine, which is the clone of the long gone discontinued Boss SG-1 Slow Gear pedal (and not the Boss T-Wah, which is a completely different pedal with a completely different functionality), for automatic volume swells (fade ins), which was for what the EHX Attack Decay was suggested, which as far as I am concerned would be overkill and a waste of money, even if it is an amazing pedal, if all that one was going to use it for was automatic volume swells.

Yes, both the Mooer T-Wah clone and Slow Gear clone are envelope controlled effects (and that's about where the similarities stops, other than both being Boss clones), but I really don't think that you can just automatically conclude that because the implementation of such doesn't work in one of Mooer's effect pedals, that then that would also be true for all of their other, completely different pedals, with a completely different functionality, partially utilizing a similar, but not identical, type of technique/circuit.

 

[arepa_funk]

I've got a "synth chain" on my board. Ye olde octave, fuzz, filter are included with some variations. Currently, it's:

3leaf Octabvre mini -> Malekko Diabolik -> Mr Black Fwonkbeta -> Keeley Bassist compressor -> Mr Black Gilamondo phaser -> EQD Hummingbird trem

Sometimes I sub the MXR Sub Machine for the Diabolik or the Aguilar Filter Twin for the Fwonk. I use these pedals for other applications too, but typically will queue the first four as my bass synth sound if needed, and would add phaser and tremolo to taste depending on what was going on musically.

I also have a Korg Monologue synth that I use when recording, but some combination of the pedals above are the way I roll when I play with other folks. And when a specific synth flavor may be needed outside of what the Monologue can give.

Hope this helps.

 

[teej]

This guy makes that Mooer envelope filter and the Tender Octaver sound amazing.

 

[9985]

Pardon the slight hijack, this is the newest TB thread on bass synth topic, thought I'd jump in here: my cover band is looking to play Van Halen's Pretty Woman, guitar player just asked if I could come up with the synth part for the "Intruder" intro on bass with my effects. I have a ton of underutilized pedals (HX Effects, 2 x Eventide H9s, and a Zoom B3n sitting on a practice rig) - I've historically never fiddled with synth settings, just not my style, so I am coming in totally clueless - but anything for the team!

Some initial research, the original Intruder synth part was played on a MiniMoog (whole band allegedly recorded it live in studio, in one take!), can't find any patches for HX FX or H9 that claim to do MiniMoog sound - read a few other people that said the B3n did OK job at 80s synth, no specific mention I could find about MiniMoog. Source Audio C4 or EHX Synth9 seem to be capable of doing it, trying to avoid buying & programming yet another pedal for my silly-complex board. Any thoughts on the best way to get there with some combination of those 3 pedals (HX FX, H9, B3n)? This could be the first of many simple bass-synth classic rock cover songs if it comes out OK.

 

[teej]

Hijack away!

EDIT: Having admittedly never heard this VH track before, I took a listen. I've never used the HX Effects but based on sound clips and what I know about those units, I think you could come close to the sound you're looking for.

 

[9985]

thanks for the suggestion, any idea what settings as start point? I use HX FX for simpler things like modulation, noise reduction, compressor, EQ, distortion, wah, volume pedal, it's MIDI functionality to control H9 & loop switching - never dabbled into envelope filter/pitch or synth-like sounds.

For others - this is the song I'm trying to cover Intruder, it's short, 1:41 second instrumental intro:

 

[Nobis17]

I know this thread is a month old, but I am looking for some opinions

So I'm redesigning my board and train, this is what I'm thinking:

Thorpy Field Marshal -> OC-5 -> Meris Enzo -> Triungulo Labs Barbanera -> HX Stomp

I'm thinking it will take care of both 70s funk analog synths, as well as spatial digital synth sounds, and the only piece of gear I would need to buy is the Enzo.

Thoughts?