Pitch changing - does this exist?

[Bruce B]

What I want is to be able to shift the pitch on the fly by a preset amount. It would be nice if you could program several presets. For example, playing a 4 string tuned standard I want to be able to hit a button and switch to BEAD. Can any of the multi units do this? If so how is the sound?

Thanks

 

[tplyons]

A Digitech Whammy does this. I find the sound to be pretty good but the tracking to be a little delayed.

 

[MidnightLamp]

I don't exactly understand the tuning you're talking about, so I'll just give you the general idea on pitchshifting. To say make your whole bass go like 4 steps down, then it's doable. As far as making one string go down 1 and another say 1 and a half...AFAIK....that can't be done. I know that DSP based effects can do the pitch shift thing accuarately (as in shift everything up a fifth etc...) but until you can get string per string output (ie. Gibson "Magic" digital guitar) you can't control each strings pitch.

Good examples are the digitech whammy ones...the boss pitchshifter etc...

Cheers,

Nish

 

[ole Jason]

Yeah, you'd be better off just tuning your bass that way if that's what you're wanting to do. I mean it will never respond and sound the same as a bass actually tuned lower.

 

[Bruce B]

That's what I meant, shifting everything by a set amount. I realize you couldn't do it per string unless you isolate the signal from each string. Going from EADG to BEAD is mainly what I was looking for. Down two and a half steps. So something like the Digitech multi units could do that?

Thanks

 

[Lockout]

Possibly, but it wouldn't sound very good. Honestly, I think you'd be better off buying a cheap second bass and tuning it BEAD.

 

[Bruce B]

Yeah, I figured if it were easily doable than everybody would be doing it. I thought I'd ask anyway. I think a five string is in my near future.

 

[xan]

search "pitch shift" for more info

 

[tplyons]

Long story short, a second bass would cost less and sound better than a pedal that does this.

 

[David Wilson]

Long story short, a second bass would cost less and sound better than a pedal that does this.

yup, it's a great idea but unfortunately the reality is lacking

 

[ladros2]

i used to use my zoom708II to change mine to a tenor bass, it's doable, loss of some tone, and annoying if you can hear both the bass and amp, but still possible.

 

[Bruce B]

I wanted to do it to avoid having to switch between 4 strings but not at the expense of tone. I guess a 5 string is the way for me to go.

 

[craigb]

I'm really only comfortable playing skinny necked 4s (and only some of those) so my solution to wanting more range is use of an octave pedal. It doesn't shift the whole thing down but I just play the parts a bit higher and get the extra lows and thickness from the octave. When I had a Deep Impact I had 2 patches set up for octaving - one mixed with the dry signal and one with only the octave down. It sounded a bit "synth-ey" but nice.

This lets me stick with my favorite 4s but get extra lows when needed (not the same as a 5 or BEAD 4 but it works for me). Something to try if you haven't already.

 

[Bruce B]

That might be worth a shot. An octave pedal would be fun to have even if I don't wind up using it that way. Cheers.

 

[pdusen]

You could also get a 4-string and use the 4 thickest strings from a 5 set...

tune it BEAD...

 

[Bruce B]

Yeah, but my intent was to not have to switch back and forth.

 

[PhatBasstard]

Long story short, a second bass would cost less and sound better than a pedal that does this.

Maybe, but I saw a demo of the Roland V-Guitar system where it could do exactly this function. It was mind boggling how convincing it was. If the V-Bass has this function (and I don't know if it does), that would be the answer.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I must be missing something.
This effect is call a pitch shifter and most multi-effects, even the cheapest ones incorporate it.
I used my Korg AX-1B for a long time to do just this, switch to a low B when I needed one.
Tone requires a bit of work because it's not true to the original, also there is a slight tracking delay you need to take in account, but it's pretty easy to do.

 

[David Wilson]

I must be missing something.
This effect is call a pitch shifter and most multi-effects, even the cheapest ones incorporate it.
I used my Korg AX-1B for a long time to do just this, switch to a low B when I needed one.
Tone requires a bit of work because it's not true to the original, also there is a slight tracking delay you need to take in account, but it's pretty easy to do.

On every pitch shifter pedal I've tried, the tone change and tracking delay have made it basically unusable for using all the way throughout a song. For a note here or there, sure.

 

[TheBassBetween]

I saw something (I forgot where, and what's it called) that's a little switch that you put on your tuner, you flick it and it gives your string an extra something of length, or shortens your string to give you a higher/lower pitch. This can't be very good for you neck, or string or...probably anything, but sounds like something cool to do. Maybe you're doing a completely solo thing, then you wanna drop your E to a D, just flick the switch, play, then when you're going back to original tuning, just flick the switch back.

It was also really expensive, if I remember correctly.

edit: Here we are: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
^that page is cool. Has bass tremolos too!