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Variax Bass??

#41
XO-Bionic said:
Also, am I right in thinking the the Variax system (at least in the guitars) is basically a piezo bridge connected to some complex electronics internally, no wired frets or anything like that? If that was the case, I dare say the system could be transplanted into a nice custom bass body...

Russ :bassist:
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Line 6 was asked about this (when the guitars came out), and the answer was that the modeling software was written to sound right with their guitar and wouldn't sound the same if installed in another guitar. The sonic qualities of the guitar were allowed for in the modeling. I assume it would be the same with their bass.
 
#42
Showdown said:
Line 6 was asked about this (when the guitars came out), and the answer was that the modeling software was written to sound right with their guitar and wouldn't sound the same if installed in another guitar. The sonic qualities of the guitar were allowed for in the modeling. I assume it would be the same with their bass.
Click to expand...

Theoretically then, assuming the models were made for, say, an alder-bodied bass with a rosewood fingerboard (as the Variax Bass seems to be), if you were to get a nicer body and neck made up of the same, or similar materials (say, pau ferro instead of rosewood for the fingerboard, etc) and of similar mass, then it'd not make a lot of difference if you installed the system in another instrument. And I would imagine that, say, fitting a maple top to the instrument would only have, if anything, the same effect it would have on a regular bass, ie, brightening and tightening the tone.

Russ :bassist:
 
#43
it will be interesting to see what the modeling software will do w/ these basses.
The variax guitar has aftermarket necks and parts your can install (warmoth makes replacement bodies and necks) and I haven't read from users that its changed all that much of the model guitars tone.
As a Roland Vbass user, I can tell you that whatever bass you've hooked the GK-2b or midi pickup to has zero impact on the tone of the modeled bass sound, ergo and henceforth, I would also assume since the variax bass appears to use similar components and potentially similar modeling technology, that the physical parameters of bass will have little impact on tone of the modeling.
Infact if you read the line6 info on the variax bass you'll see they included a function knob on the controls which allows you to change the modelled sound based on "moving a vitual pickup on the modelled bass to closer or farther away from the bridge" (similar to Rolands Vbass -build your own bass models). Variax has what appears to be a great modelling editor program (guitar workbench) and hopepfully they'll have the same for the bass as well. I'm looking forward to this bass as the vbass has some limitations i'd certainly like to get past (like a huge floor unit, Gk p'up.)
 
#44
FCM3 said:
it will be interesting to see what the modeling software will do w/ these basses.
The variax guitar has aftermarket necks and parts your can install (warmoth makes replacement bodies and necks) and I haven't read from users that its changed all that much of the model guitars tone.
As a Roland Vbass user, I can tell you that whatever bass you've hooked the GK-2b or midi pickup to has zero impact on the tone of the modeled bass sound, ergo and henceforth, I would also assume since the variax bass appears to use similar components and potentially similar modeling technology, that the physical parameters of bass will have little impact on tone of the modeling.
Infact if you read the line6 info on the variax bass you'll see they included a function knob on the controls which allows you to change the modelled sound based on "moving a vitual pickup on the modelled bass to closer or farther away from the bridge" (similar to Rolands Vbass -build your own bass models). Variax has what appears to be a great modelling editor program (guitar workbench) and hopepfully they'll have the same for the bass as well. I'm looking forward to this bass as the vbass has some limitations i'd certainly like to get past (like a huge floor unit, Gk p'up.)
Click to expand...
Its totally different.

The vbass converts the analog sugnal to a midi signal and then spits out the coresponding midi signal from the patch that matches that note.

The Variax takes the sound and shapes it to be something else.
 
#45
Nickman-
really my vbass works off of midi? (for real?) theres no midi output from the vbass pickup, you have to buy a special convertor to get midi signal to drive say a synth. Both the Vbass and variax can use piezo output to trigger
I really think the vbass unit and the variax is pretty much the same stuff. To me the major difference is variax made the electonic component small fit into a guitar body, roland didn't.
 
#49
thats what I though too....
It still looks to me that the roland Vbass technology is very similar to what the variax tech is as well. I know my vbass didn't make midi, since you can drive the vbass w/ a piezo equipped bridge (and a 13pin output) but you need a convertor for any midi instrument to work.
Anyway, it still looks like the variax bass will be cool to play as long as i can eventually mod the bass; like change the neck and maybe drop the hardware into a another better playing bass. Kinda like what that guy did when making the modified tele-ax, strato-ax, and PRS-ax.
Regardless of what Line6 says it appears that droping the hardware into an existing body doesn't change the dynamics of the models all that much
 
#52
Ingemar said:
Does this mean that it's possible to "detune" a Variax Bass just as you can with V Bass?
(or even tune each str. separatly)
Click to expand...

If they get the Variax Workbench working for this thing as well (it's been announced for the guitar Variaxes), yes.

Looking at the other pictures I've seen, they have a setting on the knob for 8 & 12-string. That'll be interesting to hear.

The advantage to the Variax Bass over the V-Bass is that it's infinitely more portable. It's just a bass - you plug it into any old amp and it works (provided you have batteries) - there's no outboard unit to deal with or any of that...it's funny to me, because the discussion is almost identical to when guitarists were trying to wrap their heads around Variax when it was announced, with the understanding that the VG units don't use the pickup to send MIDI signals, will the body/neck combo change the tone much... Just so you all know, with the guitars it didn't...as long as you get good pieces of wood (meaning resonant ones) and build it well it shouldn't be a problem. I've heard many Variaxes with replacement bodies and they almost sound identical. "It's the electronics, stupid." ;)

Tripper
 
#53
not sure about "Detuning" being included, but i don't see why they couldn't. they just have priorites and prolly less onboard memory space then the Roland unit
IIRC line6 is stating that the variax bass will contain a fretless model, some form of an Upright sound, and 8 & 12 string models in addition to the standards. You also get the modelling knob which moves that virtual pickup.
it will be interesting to hear what these things sound like

Tripper... thats exactly what I mentioned above, it appears the technology is similar enuf to the vbass to imply that the players bass has little impact on the models. W/ my vbass i played the same models thru either a Hamer cruise bass or my Dingwall and the models sounded identical, so it is the electronics
 
#56
I'd rather several things about this bass (personally):

I'd rather a vintage P bass model with round wounds and flatwounds rather than the nebulous "P-J" they describe.

And for it to be useful for ME, I'd much rather a McCartney-like 4001 with nylon taped flatwounds model rather than what I can almost guarantee in advance will be an ultra-bright Rickenbacker with roundwounds model.

But bottom line for me will be how convincing the upright model is (including a realistic sustain modelling... or lack of same I should say!)...
if it's real enough to retire the V-Bass then that alone is enough to make this a must have.
But only IF it's that good.
 
#60
I've not played the Variax, i have a v-bass.
If the modeling technology on the variax is equally as good as rolands, then we can have an interesting discussion. Thats said
Pro- vbass
Works on almost every bass (I use it on my dingwall w/ little problem), tracks flawlessly, great assortment of instrument models, ability to create new instrument models, a dozen or more bass synth models, amp models, pedal effect (distortion, compressor, wah, flange, delay etc).
even w/o a GK you can use a wide assortment of Pedal effects
Con-
GK-2b pickup is big/ugly/obtrusive, Gk-internal kit requires guitar modification, or piezos ($$). lots of tweaking required to get "great" sounds. no computer model based editor, large floor unit, requires 13pin cable in addition to 1/4" instrument cable.
 

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