The infinite note

[AngusHasBass]

Hey there Talkbassers I've been reading the site for years but never felt the need to post; until now

I play in a pop/funk/rock band (think; Prince/No Doubt) w/drummer, synth player, & guitarist/singer. Lately we've been knocking out some cool Drum & Bass jams...

So my question is; what pedal (or rack effect) will give my bass that infinite sustain you hear on Drum & Bass tracks?

I've done a search and seen a lot of talk on compression but I don't think this is enough. Would a loop be what I'm looking for?

Also; where would I add OD/Fuzz to this?

I play Yamaha TRBs through an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro if it helps

Cheers

 

[FeuerFrei]

http://www.sustainiac.com/

That's one way

 

[Jay Corwin]

infinite sustain? You want hit one note and call it day?

 

[chubbyjackson]

How about an E-BOW?

 

[WaldoNova]

You may need to look at some filters especially ones with attack/decay control that with the combo of fuzz/octave should get plenty of sustain. BTW I have the Qballs Enigma which has attack and decay knobs and I love it.

 

[heavyfunkmachin]

boss multi effect me-50b i believe has a "sound hold" for this,

and behringer has a distortion pedal that allows you to "feedback" any note forever, although you have to put up with the distorted sound...

if you find anything better, keep me posted.

 

[ehque]

The EHX HOG has the capability of holding an infinite note.

Other non-effect methods are the sustainiac. Touching your headstock to your amp works too, and its something i used to use.

Re: the sustainiac, i always wanted to build a bass solely for sustainac use.

 

[MooseLumps]

loopers sound like the way to go for a clean, eternal note that does not increase noise. several pedals have short loops which would work, you don't have to get one of the big loopers for just carrying a single note.
Try looking at delays. line 6, boss, Akai all have delay units with some sort of infinite loop function

 

[chroma601]

I used to get all the sustain I needed with the old EHX Low-Frequency Compressor. I miss that pedal.

 

[Spacelordmother]

loopers sound like the way to go for a clean, eternal note that does not increase noise. several pedals have short loops which would work, you don't have to get one of the big loopers for just carrying a single note.
Try looking at delays. line 6, boss, Akai all have delay units with some sort of infinite loop function

A looper can indeed work, but it can be tricky to "catch" the note. If the volume isn't consistent throughout you will hear the beginning and the end of the loop. I have had much more luck using a real looper for this than a delay pedal with sample and hold.

I am looking to try out an Ebow at some point.

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

You could also try a compressor that can do heavy squash, like the Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone.

 

[4StringsEnough]

The new Electro Harmonix Catherdral has an infinite mode which will give you sustain for as long as you hold the footswitch down. Some Boss pedals (SYB-5?) also have a hold function but the Cathedral really does it well as it's constantly reverb-ing (is that a word?!!) the sustained note rather than it just turning into an annoying drone.

 

[DeluxeRed]

A well-set-up and resonant bass with a good amp and a bit of volume have always worked for me. Prolly ain't gonna happen with an SX, and I don't know about Yam's, but the 3Pro should be enough to push the backside if the bass is any good. A hint of compression doesn't hurt; I use the one in my MB-50, but like last night at rehearsal I didn't take my pedal board and was ringing right through slow 4-bar sustains.

I usually have to stop notes with my setup. YMMV.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

A looper can indeed work, but it can be tricky to "catch" the note. If the volume isn't consistent throughout you will hear the beginning and the end of the loop. I have had much more luck using a real looper for this than a delay pedal with sample and hold.

I am looking to try out an Ebow at some point.

What I've found works best for this is to make a really short loop with no sound in it, and then put it into overdub. When it's in overdub, pluck a note with your volume off and then turn it up over the course of a second or two- it usually gives a smooth, solid note.

Using an E-Bow in combination with a looper is the best thing though, as the volume and attack are static so you can start and stop recording the loop at any point and it will usually come out solid. I just did this on a song I'm uploading to YouTube now.