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Synth Users ?

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luknfur

Jan 14, 2004
5,801
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#1
I started to post this in an exisiting synth pedal thread but didn't want it to take the thread off track so.....................

regardless of what you got these pedals for, have you been able to cop instrument tones using them or get the impression you could if you tried - piano, sax whatever? Seems one of them is supposed to have a piano preset but my guess is it sounds like the synth bass stuff, not a piano.

I ask cause I figure if you can get passable instrument tones from tweaking, you can probably pull off most stuff.
 
#3
luknfur said:
have you been able to cop instrument tones using them or get the impression you could if you tried - piano, sax whatever?
Click to expand...
Heck no in a hand basket!

A real keyboard synth struggles to cop those tones, with the exception of piano maybe.

Man, the holy grail for a lot of us is to cop Stevies clav tone, but despite years and years and hundreds of people trying, nobody has really even come close.

Yeah, synth pickups are cool, and you can do a lot with them, but in the end it never sounds or feels as natural as the real deal.
 
#4
yeh, I'm not talking equal quality by any means, just passable in a mix. You know P tone from a J bass kind.

Not just piano, any instrument. For example, I've got a bass podxt and so far I've pulled a fairly passable sax tone. Not Bird but Tequila style. I know I can get a passable harmonica from it - a variety in fact. Stevie Wonder to Fingers Taylor.

Most guys have played a synth tone and noticed it sounded at least similar to another instrument, at least in a portion of the fingerboard - which is often the only place it works any way.

By the way I've had a V Bass - you won't get piano and very few other instruments from a V bass that I'm aware of. Also had a GR 20 which essentially is just instrument cops, including decent piano but, unlike the V bass, there's tracking issues on the GR 20 cause it's a real synth.
 
#5
to do what your saying, you would need to get a Roland-style pup which you would hook up to any of the Roland G-Synths or the V-Bass and the Roland would become your controller unit that gets hooked up to a Synth or Sampler module. that is just the way that i would do it.

btw, could you PM me a detailed description of how you get a Sax tone out of your POD?
 
#6
My GR-20 does that exactly, but you were talking about using pedals to change the timbre of a bass such that it sounded like other instruments, yes?

Well, your best bet is to get a Boss Slow Gear or some copy and an EQ pedal and do your best to mimic the attack and frequency range of the instrument. Also, the EHX POG may be of some use, at least in terms of organ sounds and whatnot. Otherwise I have no idea how to make a synth pedal sound like anything other than an analog synth.
 
#7
moogboy said:
to do what your saying, you would need to get a Roland-style pup which you would hook up to any of the Roland G-Synths or the V-Bass and the Roland would become your controller unit that gets hooked up to a Synth or Sampler module. that is just the way that i would do it.

btw, could you PM me a detailed description of how you get a Sax tone out of your POD?
Click to expand...

Yeh I had 3 Roland pups (actually 2 and a Yam) thought about incorporating the real synth route with it but just didn't want to deal with the tracking issues (beyond just the right note at a given rate). The instrument tones thing is really just a preoccupation/curiosity not a primary concern.

Will do on pod.
 
#8
Swimming Bird said:
My GR-20 does that exactly, but you were talking about using pedals to change the timbre of a pass such that it sounded like other instruments, yes?

Well, your best bet is to get a Boss Slow Gear or some copy and an EQ pedal and do your best to mimic the attack and frequency range of the instrument. Also, the EHX POG may be of some use, at least in terms of organ sounds and whatnot. Otherwise I have no idea how to make a synth pedal sound like anything other than an analog synth.
Click to expand...

Yep had the GR 20. I did learn that tracking from one is what I expected and that the instrument thing is more a curiosity but not major - even regardless of tracking.

Yeh, I was talking about using pedals, modelers to pull it off. Just checking to see if I'm missing anything cause I'm new to the stuff.

Yeh I forgot organ sounds. Those are among the more easily simulated tones. Especially Booker T type on the pod. What is that hammond B8 or something?
 
#12
luknfur said:
yeh, I'm not talking equal quality by any means, just passable in a mix. You know P tone from a J bass kind.
Click to expand...
Well, you won't get much passed me, put it that way!

I'd say you've got a better chance of making your bass "pass" for a saxamaphone or an angry chicken than you do making a J sound like a P. The difference is too subtle to pick for your average punter, and anyone who knows what they're listening for is too clever to be duped.

I dunno man, it's just such a grey area. What you think is passable sounds laughable to others. My and my g*#tarist use synthed horns when we write tunes, but despite having used them a lot in the last six months I still laugh everytime I hear those cheesy tones on playback.
 
#13
niftydog said:
Well, you won't get much passed me, put it that way!

I'd say you've got a better chance of making your bass "pass" for a saxamaphone or an angry chicken than you do making a J sound like a P. The difference is too subtle to pick for your average punter, and anyone who knows what they're listening for is too clever to be duped.

I dunno man, it's just such a grey area. What you think is passable sounds laughable to others. My and my g*#tarist use synthed horns when we write tunes, but despite having used them a lot in the last six months I still laugh everytime I hear those cheesy tones on playback.
Click to expand...

I hear what you’re saying and there’s always the guys who would rather haul their 400 pound Hammond B3 around than play on some inferior electronic cop machine. And I do understand, respect, and appreciate that take. To date, I for one don’t think you can take the hum out of a single coil without taking other desirable aspects of tone with it. Doesn’t mean I only play single coils.

Bottom line is, nobody’s trying to put anything past anybody cause what the sound is really is irrelevant. All that matters about music is that it generates something worthy to the listener. So whether it’s Omar Hakim smacking a real trash can lid or some rapper spitting into a mic, all sounds are fair game.

The criteria of a passable instrument cop I stipulated to provide a framework for this thread. I'm not asking for what's passable to me. You have no way of knowing that. I'm asking what's passable to you - and gather you’ve nothing to contribute in that respect. Which is to say, you haven't heard any that are passable to you.
 
#14
Hey, If I may ask opinions of the experienced users??
I have a Japanese Tobias where I plan to install internal Roland GK-3B type thing,.. The bass plays great, but sounds just decent, so it is the one in my collection that makes most sense to do a bit o' drilling and routing if need be.
I'm leaning toward the GK-20 with the bass upgrade,.
Or maybe the GI-20 converter and just get a module
If you had the money (one or two thousand bux max) what would be the best synth set up for best tracking and good sounds:help: ? Thx BFB
 
#15
BooFooBass said:
Hey, If I may ask opinions of the experienced users??
I have a Japanese Tobias where I plan to install internal Roland GK-3B type thing,.. The bass plays great, but sounds just decent, so it is the one in my collection that makes most sense to do a bit o' drilling and routing if need be.
I'm leaning toward the GK-20 with the bass upgrade,.
Or maybe the GI-20 converter and just get a module
If you had the money (one or two thousand bux max) what would be the best synth set up for best tracking and good sounds:help: ? Thx BFB
Click to expand...

FWIW:

really a seperate thread (or search) but the bump worked. I've voiced my take on above. I've researched it at length. My conclusion is you can have a bass that plays like a bass or you can have a bass that sounds like a synth - just can't have both. Peavey used to make a synth bass with sensors in the fretboard that probably was the best attempt to date - G bass or something like that.

You don't have to route anything for a GK pup. In fact for 250 you can get an internal pup that's the same pup but the controler is in pots form. That external pup is as functional as any and gets the job done but it's not desireable otherwise.
 
#16
luknfur said:
Not just piano, any instrument. For example, I've got a bass podxt and so far I've pulled a fairly passable sax tone. Not Bird but Tequila style. I know I can get a passable harmonica from it - a variety in fact. Stevie Wonder to Fingers Taylor.
Click to expand...

luknfur said:
Yeh I forgot organ sounds. Those are among the more easily simulated tones. Especially Booker T type on the pod. What is that hammond B8 or something?
Click to expand...

I would love to know how you got a hammond B3 sound out of a Bass Pod XT (even a vaguely passable one) ... and the sax sound too for that matter.

luknfur said:
Also had a GR 20 which essentially is just instrument cops, including decent piano but, unlike the V bass, there's tracking issues on the GR 20 cause it's a real synth.
Click to expand...

Tracking issue on GR-20 ? I just tried a GR-20 combined with a Yamaha BB-604 bass and GK-3B pickup. Seemed to track fine to me, no latency that I noticed (though I wasn't playing in a band setting), and tracking was pretty accurate on single notes and fifths, though it addmittedly it got a bit innacurate when I started playing minor triads.

Tell us more about your experience ...
 

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