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Double Bass NS Design WAV4 megathread part II
- Thread starter Gary Lynch
- Start date
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Just got this and am loving it. Got it slightly used for $650 (canadian) and they took my 14 year old scratched Ibanez sr400fl for a $239 trade-in (only paid $200 for it). Very, very happy!
This is my first photo... hope it works.
Just got this and am loving it. Got it slightly used for $650 (canadian) and they took my 14 year old scratched Ibanez sr400fl for a $239 trade-in (only paid $200 for it). Very, very happy!
This is my first photo... hope it works.
I like your music SebbyNC!
For those interested: I exchanged the tone selection switch with a switch that has a neutral setting in the middle. This way in the middle setting of the switch the sound is only produced by the bass side piëzo. I also removed the capacitor that was switched to the "bowing" setting, and used it to replace the capacitor on the tone control.
The result is an extra sound option in the middle setting that's a bit less woolly and imho sounds better in the higher registers. The new tone control also mainly makes a difference in the higher registers. The cutoff freq for the old one was to low for the higher notes.
I tried to to attach a quick an dirty soundclip, but the site keeps telling me I'm 200 kb over my limit. I removed all other attachments though and the soundclip is only 800 kb. Must be doing something wrong. I'll try again later.
I tested the new options on a band rehearsal and a outdoor bigband/worldmusic gig. I found myself switching mainly between the bowing setting and the new middle setting with the tone control half open.
For those interested: I exchanged the tone selection switch with a switch that has a neutral setting in the middle. This way in the middle setting of the switch the sound is only produced by the bass side piëzo. I also removed the capacitor that was switched to the "bowing" setting, and used it to replace the capacitor on the tone control.
The result is an extra sound option in the middle setting that's a bit less woolly and imho sounds better in the higher registers. The new tone control also mainly makes a difference in the higher registers. The cutoff freq for the old one was to low for the higher notes.
I tried to to attach a quick an dirty soundclip, but the site keeps telling me I'm 200 kb over my limit. I removed all other attachments though and the soundclip is only 800 kb. Must be doing something wrong. I'll try again later.
I tested the new options on a band rehearsal and a outdoor bigband/worldmusic gig. I found myself switching mainly between the bowing setting and the new middle setting with the tone control half open.
Here's the recording. Kind of hastily done without any editing, it gives an idea of the new sound options though. It's done with my zoom h2 and what you hear is the wav strung with obligato's, heard through a fishman platinum and a eden wt330 and diy cab. There's just a little EQ on the higs and lows. The sounds are: first without tone control: the old bowing setting (2 piezo's in fase), just the bass side piëzo and the old pizicato setting. Next all three sounds again with full tone controll. So only sound 3 and 4 are the original sound options, all others are new.
Good work. Sounds intriguing. It would be nice to hear some more extensive demos, though. 
(Maybe create a myspace musician profile for your WAV4 experiments. You can upload all kinds of longer demos there and link to them.)
(Maybe create a myspace musician profile for your WAV4 experiments. You can upload all kinds of longer demos there and link to them.)
Thanks Jason,
So you prefer demo's with actual music on them?
I just had to fit 6 different sounds in as little kb's as possible, so I didn't think of it as making music. Maybe later I record something decent with the wav and put on the net.
So you prefer demo's with actual music on them?
I just had to fit 6 different sounds in as little kb's as possible, so I didn't think of it as making music. Maybe later I record something decent with the wav and put on the net.
Heh I just meant that it would be nice to hear a little more of your solo work. It sounds good but more than 4-5 notes would be a better sample.
And then, since you seem to have had trouble uploading the samples, I humbly suggest a myspace page. They'll let you upload tons of mp3s.
Just trying to be helpful.
It sounds good but more than 4-5 notes would be a better sample.And then, since you seem to have had trouble uploading the samples, I humbly suggest a myspace page. They'll let you upload tons of mp3s.
Just trying to be helpful.
After thinking about it for quite a while, I pulled the trigger on a WAV - I got it used last week.
As a newbie to upright, it's a challenge but I'm having a ton of fun with it.
The original stand didn't last very long apparently - the previous owner came up with this one using a cymbal stand. It's pretty sturdy but I may go for the upgraded NS stand when I have some spare cash.
The neck needs a good cleaning and I'm thinking about new strings but overall I'm really pleased with it.
As a newbie to upright, it's a challenge but I'm having a ton of fun with it.
The original stand didn't last very long apparently - the previous owner came up with this one using a cymbal stand. It's pretty sturdy but I may go for the upgraded NS stand when I have some spare cash.
The neck needs a good cleaning and I'm thinking about new strings but overall I'm really pleased with it.
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Hi Taliesin,
Whenever that spare cash comes in you might consider buying the endpin stand instead. It comes closer to a natural playing position for URB. As you are a new to the URB that might help you in not approaching it as a vertical electric bass and using URB technique.
Whenever that spare cash comes in you might consider buying the endpin stand instead. It comes closer to a natural playing position for URB. As you are a new to the URB that might help you in not approaching it as a vertical electric bass and using URB technique.
Thanks Jason,
So you prefer demo's with actual music on them?
I just had to fit 6 different sounds in as little kb's as possible, so I didn't think of it as making music. Maybe later I record something decent with the wav and put on the net.
Hi Matthijs,
Looking forward to hearing more demos from you. Perhaps upload a video to youtube & post the link here?
Thanks Dbassnut,
I'll see if I can come up with something nice, using my new sound possibilities. Main thing is: I'm not in the habit of recording myself solo and most of my music is in a large, kind of bigband like, setting: not the best way to showcase the subtleties of a new bass sound
.The new sound does help in getting heard. The old options were a bit to fuzzy in the higher registers to my taste. We do some old school latin-american stuff where I really have to cut through with notes between the 7th and 12th position. My URB does that very well, but I like not to have to lug it around all the time.
Making comparisons to my old Czech URB now: Last week I tried bowing on the WAV for the very first time. I just didn't expect it to sound very good, so I kept my bow with the URB all the time. Much to my surprise: compared to the amplified sound of my URB the WAV wins! This might be due to the spirocores on my URB, and maybe I need to upgrade the piezo's (they're a not very widespread French brand). Still, I would have no problem using the WAV live for a bowing part.
Hi Matthijs,
I'm still waiting to see what the difference is between the NXT & the WAV before pulling the trigger. Will probably get the WAV though but would like your opinion on something. How did they ship your WAV to you? One of my biggest worries is damage to the instrument during shipping & buying a hardcase would be nice but can't spring for one just yet.
Hey, don't forget to upload any videos you have playing the WAV. The sound samples were nice but I don't think my laptops speakers do it justice.
Regards,
dbassnut
I'm still waiting to see what the difference is between the NXT & the WAV before pulling the trigger. Will probably get the WAV though but would like your opinion on something. How did they ship your WAV to you? One of my biggest worries is damage to the instrument during shipping & buying a hardcase would be nice but can't spring for one just yet.
Hey, don't forget to upload any videos you have playing the WAV. The sound samples were nice but I don't think my laptops speakers do it justice.
Regards,
dbassnut
So I bought a WAV4 on the BG side. It's compact and a breeze to transport, yet it plays a lot like a DB, just easier because of the lack of a body and lower action. I'm really into that. (It was probably the five strings on the CRM I played previously that hung me up.) Very nice to look at.
I replaced the shot pickup it came with with a new one and played it on a jazz gig last night. I was underwhelmed with the sound, particulalry the G string. I had almost immediately replaced the NS G string with an old D'Addario I had lying around but it still sounded to me like the signal was running through a phase shifter or chorus or something like that.
I turned the tone knob almost all the way down and was flipping the arco/pizz toggle switch back and forth throughout the night, not sure which position I liked better. I got a number of compliments on how it looked, but one friend suggested to me very diplomatically that perhaps the sound I was getting wasn't the best one for that particular gig.
I'm going to tweak some more. But the WAV might not be my Holy Grail.
I replaced the shot pickup it came with with a new one and played it on a jazz gig last night. I was underwhelmed with the sound, particulalry the G string. I had almost immediately replaced the NS G string with an old D'Addario I had lying around but it still sounded to me like the signal was running through a phase shifter or chorus or something like that.
I turned the tone knob almost all the way down and was flipping the arco/pizz toggle switch back and forth throughout the night, not sure which position I liked better. I got a number of compliments on how it looked, but one friend suggested to me very diplomatically that perhaps the sound I was getting wasn't the best one for that particular gig.
I'm going to tweak some more. But the WAV might not be my Holy Grail.
Someone quite knowledgable just told me that my problem is probably that I ran the WAV though an EA Micro 300, a Class D amp with minimal tone shaping capabilities, and that what I need is a bass guitar amp, a Class A/B, with much greater tone shaping possibilities, or a different kind of preamp than what I'm using.
The Micro is fine for upright, which has a rich tone coming in, or for bass guitar with magnetic pickups, with their own rich tone, but not for the WAV, which is just wood with a piezo.
Thoughts?
The Micro is fine for upright, which has a rich tone coming in, or for bass guitar with magnetic pickups, with their own rich tone, but not for the WAV, which is just wood with a piezo.
Thoughts?
I agree that you should have ample tone shaping abilities.
I wouldn't worry about the difference between class D and class A/B. I would stick to a solid state amplifier and the class of amplifier won't make a bit of difference.
If you're trying to sound like Jimi Hendrix, using tube amplifiers with lots of distortion, then the class of amplifier will matter.
Using an additional preamp is probably a good idea as well.
That EA Micro 300 looks like a nice amp but I've never used it. I would suggest getting a Sansamp bass driver DI. It'll boost the signal and, though it's not a graphic EQ, should give you plenty of tone shaping control.
I also play my WAV4 with the tone knob at 0%.
But after you've done all that, a Stratocaster doesn't sound exactly like a Martin dreadnought, and similarly your WAV4 isn't going to sound exactly like an acoustic double bass.
I wouldn't worry about the difference between class D and class A/B. I would stick to a solid state amplifier and the class of amplifier won't make a bit of difference.
If you're trying to sound like Jimi Hendrix, using tube amplifiers with lots of distortion, then the class of amplifier will matter.
Using an additional preamp is probably a good idea as well.
That EA Micro 300 looks like a nice amp but I've never used it. I would suggest getting a Sansamp bass driver DI. It'll boost the signal and, though it's not a graphic EQ, should give you plenty of tone shaping control.
I also play my WAV4 with the tone knob at 0%.
But after you've done all that, a Stratocaster doesn't sound exactly like a Martin dreadnought, and similarly your WAV4 isn't going to sound exactly like an acoustic double bass.
+1 Sansamp. I have the programmable one and it's great for the wav4 and my mtd. Wish I had got the deluxe. Then you can plug into two basses and each have 3 presets. But still any of the versions are fantastic. I would ignore the presets in the manual and just do it by ear.
Bob G. says that in its gig bag it fits in the overhead compartment of a plane. It's longer than what you used to be able to carry on a plane, but it's thin. I don't know what the rule is now. It might depend on the airline. It's really easy to carry.
I'm still agonizing over what to do about tone. Matthijs and SebbyNC, I love the sounds of you're getting and wish I could get something close. What do you use to amplify, Sebby?
I'm not trying to replicate the sound of my double bass. I wouldn't be unhappy if it came out sounding like my bass guitar, which is nice and fat and clean. But instead I get that piezo long-distance sound and I wonder if it's even worth trying to shape it into something I like. I suppose most of you here would say, Yes, but I have to work at it.
I'm not so resourceful that I'm going to make my own modifications. I have used a preamp, albeit the F-Deck, which has no tone controls. I wonder if the Fishman Pro Platinum --which I could also use for DB--would be a good fix, or if I'm still going to be frustrated. As I've said, I'm skeptical about EQ being able to make a bad sound sound good. Part of the problem is that I already play upright and electric and my commitment to EUB might not be all it should.
I'm still agonizing over what to do about tone. Matthijs and SebbyNC, I love the sounds of you're getting and wish I could get something close. What do you use to amplify, Sebby?
I'm not trying to replicate the sound of my double bass. I wouldn't be unhappy if it came out sounding like my bass guitar, which is nice and fat and clean. But instead I get that piezo long-distance sound and I wonder if it's even worth trying to shape it into something I like. I suppose most of you here would say, Yes, but I have to work at it.
I'm not so resourceful that I'm going to make my own modifications. I have used a preamp, albeit the F-Deck, which has no tone controls. I wonder if the Fishman Pro Platinum --which I could also use for DB--would be a good fix, or if I'm still going to be frustrated. As I've said, I'm skeptical about EQ being able to make a bad sound sound good. Part of the problem is that I already play upright and electric and my commitment to EUB might not be all it should.
