Pitch Shifter

[barkatozz]

well there you have it. unfortunately i havent got the money to move on from my ibanez sr400 atm. maybe one day when im famous ill get a modulus or something!

Musicman has a S.U.B. bass which is a cheaper version but still made in the U.S.A. They retail for $699 & sometimes can be found on Ebay for cheaper. They feel & sound very close to the higher end models. Beware, though, that there is an active & passive version---you don't want the passive one.

 

[Tedintheshed]

Actually I got used to the tracking right away. I know the older pedals w/ the Whammy were off badly but the BNX3 isn't that bad at all.

While I've seen many pedals with relatively excellant tracking, I haven't found one that can keep up with all styles and techniques. There are just some things that human hand can do that can't be followed by these devices as of yet. This is why I think it would be better for him to find a non-pedal related solution.

Besides, what would happen if one night at a gig his pedal goes kaplooey? (I think that's the technical term). My experience is that I agree with what is previously said- technique is usually the answer.

Ted

 

[barkatozz]

While I've seen many pedals with relatively excellant tracking, I haven't found one that can keep up with all styles and techniques. There are just some things that human hand can do that can't be followed by these devices as of yet. This is why I think it would be better for him to find a non-pedal related solution.

Besides, what would happen if one night at a gig his pedal goes kaplooey? (I think that's the technical term). My experience is that I agree with what is previously said- technique is usually the answer.

Ted

Well luckily for me A) I don't use it on that many songs B) My C-G-C-F songs are in the last set so if it quits on me before then I can tune my back-up bass to that tuning(the few other songs I use it on can just be skipped) & C) It's not like any of the songs require a whole lot of technique to play(Godsmack, SOAD, Puddle Of Mudd, Disturbed, etc.)

 

[barkatozz]

While I've seen many pedals with relatively excellant tracking, I haven't found one that can keep up with all styles and techniques. There are just some things that human hand can do that can't be followed by these devices as of yet. This is why I think it would be better for him to find a non-pedal related solution.

Besides, what would happen if one night at a gig his pedal goes kaplooey? (I think that's the technical term). My experience is that I agree with what is previously said- technique is usually the answer.

Ted

On a side note........when you play 3 sets a night like I do and have a song here & there throughout the sets that is detuned or whatnot, it's a lot easier to hit a button than to pick up another guitar.
If I were to be playing a full set detuned then I wouldn't mind using a guitar tuned properly but switching guitars to play one or two songs & having that down time in between songs would seem rediculous to me. I mean the medley MP3 I posted couldn't happen if I didn't have that pedal.

 

[Tedintheshed]

On a side note........when you play 3 sets a night like I do and have a song here & there throughout the sets that is detuned or whatnot, it's a lot easier to hit a button than to pick up another guitar.
If I were to be playing a full set detuned then I wouldn't mind using a guitar tuned properly but switching guitars to play one or two songs & having that down time in between songs would seem rediculous to me. I mean the medley MP3 I posted couldn't happen if I didn't have that pedal.

Well, you don't have to pick up another guitar- he doesn't have the money to buy a second one to begin with, or so I think he said. My point was (and perhaps a few others, although I won't presume to speak for them) that it is usually better to adjust your technique or instrument to solve the problem than to rely on a processed solution- and the learning experience is pretty cool too.

I play every weekend- my experience has been different than yours. Tone is much better with an alternate tuning, using a 5 string or just by hitting a Hipsot. We have a half a dozen tunes or so that require a quick detune, and I am done by the time the frontman is done scmoozing it up, or I de-tune on the fly before the next tune kicks in my part. My experience is that there is just too much comprimise when using units such as this- either in tone or the limitations of the effect itself.

Call me a purist, I guess.


EDIT: I wanted to add, that I'm not trying to argue with you, just sharing my experience with him. If a pedal fits the bill for him, then I think that's great!

Ted

 

[barkatozz]

I won't disagree with you. My problem is I've tried 5 strings in the past & could never get used to them. Before the BNX3 I used to have a bass strung B-E-A-D but switching the guitar for 1 song got old quickly. I also had one strung D-G-C-F. I play cover tunes & while my guitar player doesn't have to tune as much as I do, I seem to be playing in all different tunings at times. I have a Hipshot on all of my guitars. My personal preference is to learn a song & play it the way the original bass player plays it. For example: Walk from Pantera is played with all the strings a whole step down. Now my guitar player plays it in STD . tuning with a drop 'D' while I play the song w/ the pedal detuned a whole step. It is a little difficult to play the solo part in just a drop 'D'. Also only having to bring 2 basses to a show(one as a back-up) is nice too.
Also we play a lot of Korn. Well he plays a 5 string bass tuned down one whole step. Even if I had a 5 string, I'd have to tune up & down between 2 tunings to play the songs correctly. I've seen other people play the songs & adapt a different way to play them BUT it just doesn't sound the same.
In a nutshell, for me, without this pedal our shows wouldn't go as smoothly as they normally go now.
You say what if the pedal craps out?.....well what if I break a string? Should I bring 6 guitars with me? One back-up for each tuning? Um.....no!

 

[Tedintheshed]

I won't disagree with you. My problem is I've tried 5 strings in the past & could never get used to them. Before the BNX3 I used to have a bass strung B-E-A-D but switching the guitar for 1 song got old quickly. I also had one strung D-G-C-F. I play cover tunes & while my guitar player doesn't have to tune as much as I do, I seem to be playing in all different tunings at times. I have a Hipshot on all of my guitars. My personal preference is to learn a song & play it the way the original bass player plays it. For example: Walk from Pantera is played with all the strings a whole step down. Now my guitar player plays it in STD . tuning with a drop 'D' while I play the song w/ the pedal detuned a whole step. It is a little difficult to play the solo part in just a drop 'D'. Also only having to bring 2 basses to a show(one as a back-up) is nice too.
Also we play a lot of Korn. Well he plays a 5 string bass tuned down one whole step. Even if I had a 5 string, I'd have to tune up & down between 2 tunings to play the songs correctly. I've seen other people play the songs & adapt a different way to play them BUT it just doesn't sound the same.!

Well, my band tunes down a whole step also because that's my vocalist preference. If we play a tune that's in standard 440 tuning, I don't play it from the 2nd position just so the tune is "tonally correct". Very few bands tune up/down a half or whole step if the original tunes was done in that manner. If I did that, I would be retuning my bass practically ever song.

Now if one likes the sound of a 5 string but can't handle the neck width, then you really don't lose much by going B-E-A-D. All you have to do is, for the most part, learn the songs and adjust where you hit some notes on the very highest register from..

In a nutshell, for me, without this pedal our shows wouldn't go as smoothly as they normally go now.
You say what if the pedal craps out?.....well what if I break a string? Should I bring 6 guitars with me? One back-up for each tuning? Um.....no!

That's why most people bring an extra set of strings with them.

Anyways, all these solutions are great for him to experiemnt with. He may like a 5 string or the tonal discrepencies from a pedal may not bother him. What ever work for you or me not not work for him. Hopefully, he can learn a bit from our discussion.



Ted

 

[barkatozz]

Well, my band tunes down a whole step also because that's my vocalist preference. If we play a tune that's in standard 440 tuning, I don't play it from the 2nd position just so the tune is "tonally correct". Very few bands tune up/down a half or whole step if the original tunes was done in that manner. If I did that, I would be retuning my bass practically ever song.

Now if one likes the sound of a 5 string but can't handle the neck width, then you really don't lose much by going B-E-A-D. All you have to do is, for the most part, learn the songs and adjust where you hit some notes on the very highest register from..



That's why most people bring an extra set of strings with them.

Ted

When a bar is paying you $1000 to entertain for a few hours they kinda frown on down time.
Very few bands do tune down.......we are an exception. It makes us unique.
Have you listened to Ozzy or Sabbath live lately? They tune down a whole step on everything to accomodate Ozzy's voice....and everything sounds like it's dragging. Same goes for the opposite........tuned down songs played tuned up sound like they are being played too fast.
You are playing originals.......it's a whole different ballgame around my area.

 

[Tedintheshed]

When a bar is paying you $1000 to entertain for a few hours they kinda frown on down time.

What down time? I've never broken a string, but when they do either one of our guitarists are up and going in less than a minute, and usually done when the frontman's done schmoozing. The possibility of breaking a string is always there though. People break strings mid song- does the club frown on that? Seems like a part of the territory.

Very few bands do tune down.......we are an exception. It makes us unique.
Have you listened to Ozzy or Sabbath live lately? They tune down a whole step on everything to accomodate Ozzy's voice....and everything sounds like it's dragging. Same goes for the opposite........tuned down songs played tuned up sound like they are being played too fast.
You are playing originals.......it's a whole different ballgame around my area.

Yes- I've listen to Ozzy. They've tuned down for a while now. But I disagree- many bands tune down, and don't seem to drag. Maybe Ozzy's back on the bottle and that's why they "drag". Anyways, tuning down a whole or half step isn't new by any means.

Ted

 

[Joe P]

Musicman has a S.U.B. bass...
...Beware, though, that there is an active & passive version---you don't want the passive one.

Why? (MM has always been known as an active bass, right?)

Thanks,

Joe

 

[barkatozz]

Why? (MM has always been known as an active bass, right?)

Thanks,

Joe

They make a Musicman S.U.B that is passive.