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THE SYNTH BASS THREAD

#21
I've been using a Novation Bass Station II in the last month or so and it sounds massive. Really easy to program, super light and portable. Just perfect. I tried a Novation Mininova first, but the small keys and virtual analog engine was not really want I wanted to hear (although a really mighty synth it is). So I went for real analog and really glad I did. You can really feel the difference. I wanted the Sub Phatty, but the extra weight and size was not ideal in my busy gigging situation.

Sadly, although the keyboard is small and light, it means carrying at least 2 more pieces of gear (stand, more cables and keyboard) and setup time is longer - which makes my life just a bit more miserable when picking up after the gig. Add this 2 cabs, amps, bass, cables. . . and it becomes a freakin' all-out move, so I'm still not 100% sure I'd want to keep doing it all the time. It sure is fun to play it, though. No synth pedal can really do what a keyboard does.

BTW, for those synth bassist our there who double on electric, I found this really handy mixer, which let's me mix in both signals into my bass amp.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...g&matchtype=&gclid=CLb63YbKjb0CFcFlOgodCVAAxQ

I found that having both electric bass and synth go through the same amps and channel at the PA is the best way to go - especially if you are a working stiff, do-it-yourselfer. Ideally I would have a sub and monitor taking care of the synth bass, but I usually don't have that luxury. Also, it feels really disconnected when amplifying the bass synth through monitors and the electric through a bass amp . . . best to have both come through the bass amp, which also means, make sure you have at least a 4x10 or bigger setup.
 
#22
thiocyclist said:
I honestly think we (bassists) are misguided to want to make a bass guitar sound like a synth or vice-versa. Part of what makes these instruments sound like they do is not only the built-in ADSR differences but also the way we interact with the strings or keys... A lot of bass lines played on synth "feel" different and people end up coming up with different things on a keyboard than they would have with strings. Also remember the way keys are all lined out in half steps and on a bass we have another layer of interval thinking that shapes the intervals we prefer. When I solo on the keyboard, I get different ideas and I really like them. It is liberating. They are different instruments. This is a good thing. Besides isn't it great to know a little keyboard? Makes you a lot more versatile.
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I agree 100%. That's one thing I love about switching, the feel changes. I had a mishap a couple weeks ago, and my synth acted like it wasn't working. I had to play a couple songs on bass that I normally play on keys. It was weird, and the feel was different... not bad, but definitely different.
 
#23
lefty007 said:
BTW, for those synth bassist our there who double on electric, I found this really handy mixer, which let's me mix in both signals into my bass amp.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...g&matchtype=&gclid=CLb63YbKjb0CFcFlOgodCVAAxQ

I found that having both electric bass and synth go through the same amps and channel at the PA is the best way to go - especially if you are a working stiff, do-it-yourselfer. Ideally I would have a sub and monitor taking care of the synth bass, but I usually don't have that luxury. Also, it feels really disconnected when amplifying the bass synth through monitors and the electric through a bass amp . . . best to have both come through the bass amp, which also means, make sure you have at least a 4x10 or bigger setup.
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I use a simple A/B box to run them both through the same amp. Also helps by keeping whatever you're not using muted. Had more than a few drunk chicks try to play the keys while I was on bass!
 
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#24
This video was the first time I saw/heard synth bass that I was aware of. Chuck Wild in the back rocking the bassline with his left hand and melodies with the right. Not being a musician at that time I had no idea how he was able to play two synths with different parts at the same time!

 
#25
Our new singer does a bunch of dance type stuff, so this works pretty well for a lot of it.

When you need a big phat bottom sound:
100_0862_zpsc5487a09.gif
 
#26
I was a keyboard player before I was a bass player, and owned a number of classic synths. But nowadays, if I need a synth at all, whether I'm controlling it with a keyboard, MIDI guitar, MIDI bass, or a wind controller (yes, I have one - my very first instrument was sax), I find software synths to be vastly more interesting than anybody's purpose-built hardware. If one has to buy a laptop just to run them, it's an expensive proposition, but once you've got a laptop with an audio/MIDI interface and a controller that suits your technique/taste/budget, the incremental costs of the soft synths, typically $50 to $250 each, are so low as to make it pretty compelling. I love AAS' Tassman physical modeller and its variants, Virsyn's Cube additive, the insane things that you can do with Native Instruments' Reaktor. Most of these have free demo versions that one can download. Invalid Link Removed is a fabulous resource for this sort of thing, their forums being something of the TalkBass of the computer music world.
 
#27
Great thread!

I did a gig with a band recently playing lot's of newer pop material (Lady Gaga, etc) with keyboard bass. I can cop a pretty close sound with octave and filter pedals (especially on SR5) but wanted to see if I could develop some skills around keyboard bass. I like the idea of increasing my value proposition to gigging bands (have also bought a new mic and working on back-up vocals)

After messing with a midi keyboard and iPad for a while decided to go for a dedicated bass keyboard and got a Novation Bass Station II. There are sweet deals for these on eBay all the time.They can be had for mid $300s.

I'm really digging it and trying to find the best way to develop some rudimentary keyboard skills. I've been in a real Stevie Wonder mode these days so have been listening to and trying to cop some of his popular lines. It's not had to hear a line and then tap it out on the keys but to be able to do that consistently, in time over a 4 min song - I can see this will take some time.

If anyone has some tips for getting a Stevie Wonder Moog bass type patch please share. Also, any tips or resources for developing keyboard skills greatly appreciated.
 
#29
Britbonic said:
If anyone has some tips for getting a Stevie Wonder Moog bass type patch please share. Also, any tips or resources for developing keyboard skills greatly appreciated.
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Maybe a bit childish to say so, but if you want a Moog sound: get a Moog. That's the same thing I've been thinking. I have the iRig keyboard and iMini app on my iPad, and that sounds pretty decent, but I want that real Moog sound. I've been talking to a few guys who know a thing or two about synths and they all say: if you want a Moog, get one. A Bass Station will do some pretty cool stuff but especially the filter just isn't a Moog one. Sorry:D
 
#31
BassAgent said:
Maybe a bit childish to say so, but if you want a Moog sound: get a Moog. That's the same thing I've been thinking. I have the iRig keyboard and iMini app on my iPad, and that sounds pretty decent, but I want that real Moog sound. I've been talking to a few guys who know a thing or two about synths and they all say: if you want a Moog, get one. A Bass Station will do some pretty cool stuff but especially the filter just isn't a Moog one. Sorry:D
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Understand Moog is the gold standard just like SVT amps - that's why there are so many models/emulations/patches etc. Telling me I should buy a Moog after I just said I bought a Bass Station II doesn't really help me or anyone else here looking for a similar sound. Ideas/suggestions on how to build a patch for one would.
 
#32
That's why I said it's maybe a bit childish, and I said sorry ;)

What you could do is see how people setup their Voyagers and Minimoogs for different sounds and see if you can recreate that on your Bass Station. Same waveforms, ADSR settings etc.
 
#35
Mini Moogs seem to be the gold standard when comes to synth bass but you better have a lot of cash if you want one. That being said, there are plenty of other synths that can approximate that sound pretty well these days for a lot less $. I'll bet the Bass Station is one of them. ;-)
 
#39
ERIC31 said:
Mini Moogs seem to be the gold standard when comes to synth bass but you better have a lot of cash if you want one. That being said, there are plenty of other synths that can approximate that sound pretty well these days for a lot less $. I'll bet the Bass Station is one of them. ;-)
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I'm new to synths so right now just messing with presets on Bass Station. There's a patch called City Livin' which I'm guessing is supposed to be similar to Livin' For the City bass sound. It sounds decent but if presets on keyboards are anything like presets on stompboxs/multi effects boxes they are typically need tweaking or rebuilding. Yes, I will eventually learn the in's and out's of analog synths but I bit daunting at the moment with so many controls and I'm really trying to focus more on building playing skills than tweaking patches.
 

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