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Double Bass NS BassCello (now OmniBass) megathread

#121
Jazzdogg said:
Thanks for your reply. :)

Any other observations or comments you'd like to share? How do you like the stand? In what context do you use your OmniBass? How high do you have your strings set above the fingerboard? Do you find the electronics effective? What kind of amplification do you use?

:D
Click to expand...

The stand is ok. Sometimes I feel that it can be a little "shaky". I don't have much to compare it to, though, as I've never played any other upright instruments.

I use the OmniBass only at home and with my teacher at the moment, as I'm not comfortable playing it in front of an audience (with the bow) yet. Hopefully that'll happen in a not too distand future :D

The strings are set pretty low, probably much lower than a typical double bass player would have set them.

The electronics are very effective, and you can switch from a typical bass-guitar sound to a pronounced arco sound (that yields more of a percussive thump when played fingerstyle). I guess in a live mix it could provide a fairly believable double bass sound, but does of course not sound exactly like the real thing.

At home I use a simple Ampeg BA115 combo amp, and with the tweeter plugged out I get a quite pleasant, deep, sound.

Feel free to ask more questions.
 
#123
I use the 5 string fretted NS Bass Cello (Omnibass) as one of my main instruments. It is a very cool instrument and has its own sound and personality. I am not a traditionalist and so I like a modern sound. If you are looking for the acoustic double bass sound then you should invest in one of them to truly achieve the sound you are after.

I use it mainly for solo performances using loops and laptop and with experimental groups. I have also used it for more traditional jazz gigs and have only had compliments on its sound. It is portable and easy to transport.

I have never felt comfortable with bass guitar type instruments and prefer an upright instrument. I also prefer high action so I can really dig in. (Its very easy to change the height settings). Having the option to play pizz or bow , makes it the ideal instrument for me. I use the boomerang strap and play it while seated. It takes quite a bit of trial and error to find the sweet spot where you can bow all five strings. But it is possible. I have never used a stand with it.

I have my 5 string set up (e-c) as I like use the higher register - going up 2+ octaves on the c string putting you in cello range (hence the bass cello name) I also play the viola da gamba (and the electric Ergo viola da gamba) and use the gamba bow with traditional underhand technique. Developing tone in the higher register is challenging and even though it’s a fretted instrument, intonation can also be challenging, because like the viola da gamba (which traditionally has gut frets) you need correct technique and to be right on the fret to achieve accurate intonation. This requires a lot of dedicated practice. I enjoy the bowed sound of the instrument ranging from the baroque bass violone to flute like sounds in high register. And there are many different options you can dial in for pizz sound.

The main thing for me is the instrument has the sound and the features that help me to make the music that I hear in my head. It is in my opinion not a substitute for double bass and it is its own instrument in its own right. Therefore it is not for everyone- and is also expensive – and thankfully well made!! However if it fits your needs you will find this to be an excellent instrument. There are many recordings made using the instrument on my website – see my profile.
 
#125
JPBass said:
I also play the viola da gamba (and the electric Ergo viola da gamba) and use the gamba bow with traditional underhand technique.
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JPBass,

That Ergo instrument made me very curious*, do you have any samples of it on its own? (I listened to some of the samples on your website, and while they are very cool, I feel that it might be a little bit too much going on in terms of effects and overlays to really get an understanding of the "plain" sound of that instrument.)

Also: would you say that the traditional bow is similar in grip to a German bass bow? (That is what I use for my BassCello.)

Thanks!

*) Note to self: I don't really need *another* instrument that I can't play properly... :ninja:
 
#126
eyvindwa said:
JPBass,

That Ergo instrument made me very curious*, do you have any samples of it on its own? (I listened to some of the samples on your website, and while they are very cool, I feel that it might be a little bit too much going on in terms of effects and overlays to really get an understanding of the "plain" sound of that instrument.)

Also: would you say that the traditional bow is similar in grip to a German bass bow? (That is what I use for my BassCello.)

Thanks!

*) Note to self: I don't really need *another* instrument that I can't play properly... :ninja:
Click to expand...

Eyvindwa,

I put a recording of solo Ergo viola da gamba on my website. I hope it helps you to get an idea of the "plain" sound of the instrument.

The bow grip is underhand and so kind of similar, but the technique is pretty different!! (There are 7 strings for a start!!) Check out the Viola Da Gamba Society of America website - vdgsa.org. Under resources there are videos and I believe quite a few are on bowing.

Good luck with it!!
 
#128
Hallo everybody,
could somebody send me a sound sample of this instrument? I might buy one someday, but i don´t know if it is the right joice for me.

There are two things that make me hesitate:

1.I like the traditional sound of acoustic bass and acoustic cello (especially arco).
It seems like most people use the omnibass for modern music.
Is it possible to create a natural sound? ( I think i need to listen for myself to answer this question...)


2. I would like to have a great range on the instrument. What about the sound of the highest possible notes? I would love to hear some tones on the high c string!

I like this sound:
Is it possible to play in this range with the omnibass?
I really like cello but i don´t want switch between the 4ths and 5ths tuning!

Thank you very much!

(sorry for my bad english)
 
#129
Regarding 2: The range of the OmniBass is (roughly) the same as a normal 5-string bass. You could string it with a high C instead of a low B, and get well into cello territory, so I suppose most of what you see in that video would be playable.

The arco sound in the video is similar to what I get with my omnibass, though my omnibass seems to be 'fuller' or 'fatter', probably just because of the thicker strings. Also worth noting is that the video recording seems to be using effects quite heavily.
 
#131
Lamadrion,

I play whatever my teacher tells me to :D

I have no real previous experience with upright (or bowed) instruments, so I have not played it in front of an audience yet. At the moment I struggle with, among other stuff, Bach's 1st Cello Suite, and while it is certainly a tough one to master, I am enjoying the process immensely.
 
#132
is it very hard to get it right with the intonation?
I have no experience with upright, bowed and even fretless instruments...
There are dots on the neck, but wouldnt it be better if there were stripes or lines on it?
Just like this one: Invalid Link Removed
 
#135
I've had my omnibass for almost a year now. (A 5-string, low B fretless.) Before I did not have any experience with upright or fretless, but in the past year I've become quite confident on this instrument, though I have as yet not played it in front of an audience. I have been taking it with me to lessons with my teacher regularly. He primarily plays bassguitar, but he is also proficient with the upright, and he is quite envious of my omnibass.

@eyvindwa and lamandrion: It's true that Matthew Schoening uses effects in his video. I have found it to be essential to use a reverb/hall effect (preferably with stereo equipment) with this instrument to get a better 'natural' sound.
And even with dots or lines on your fretless you have to learn to listen for the right intonation, although the dots have helped me considerably in learning to play this bass.
 
#138
@lamandrion: I ordered it from thomann.de as there were (are?) no stores in the vicinity that have this instrument on sale. The only setback was they ship it with the high C setup, and at the time they didn't sell a single B string, so I had to order a whole new set of strings with it. So didn't try it before I bought it, but one of my bandmates has a 6-string cello from NS, with which I was very much impressed.
 
#139
I got an Omni Bass 5 string this summer - a freak deal on Amazon.com for $1450 with free shipping. I was skeptical that it was a legit deal until I actually got the bass. But I guess every dog has his day, eh?

It came with E-C set that I played for awhile (very supple strings BTW), but I play low B 5-string bass guitars, so I got a set of BEADG Thomastic Infelds and had the nut reworked. There is some minor intonation problem on the low B string - that evened out after the strings settled in, but the bridge for the low B could probably be about a quarter inch longer.

I have played the heck out of this wonderful instrument, and it is to DIE for. I had a bad repetitive strain injury in both wrists in 95, so there is NO way I could play a regular upright bass. While it took about 2 months to adjust to the fretboard radius, the Bommerang strap doo hickey is really clever, and makes the transition much easier as you can rotate the bass towards you as you work the higher strings. The Omni bass is a joy to play and my vibrato is better than ever.

It sounds great too. I usually blend the arco with piezo about halfway and it gets a fairly good acoustic bass sound - it depends on which strings the part hangs at where I set the blend. Two-note chords sound especially heavenly. Unless you are a uber cork sniffer or pro upright player, I doubt you could tell it's a smaller scale bass in a mix. I do not bow the instrument, so can't comment on that aspect, but it sure does what I hoped it would do - give me access to a reasonable emulation of acoustic bass sound and upright growl.

If you are an electric basssit who is looking for the crossover instrument (and you can afford it), this one is worth spending some time with.

:bassist:
 

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