Who has made the switch to keyboard bass?

[emilythemartian]

I'm a longtime bass guitar player. I incorporated keyboard bass into my recordings about 20 years ago and have ended up having much more success with that. I've toured the world playing key bass instead of bass guitar, even though bass guitar is my original love.

Something just clicked with using a Moog synth in my songwriting and recording. It was also easier to mix as I was just learning to mix. I started using a Moog Little Phatty and I've upgraded my studio rig to a Moog Matriarch for more vintage tones and modular possibilities.

How about you? Would love to hear stories about how and why you started incorporating keyboard bass.

 

[SteveC]

I use a synth for a few songs in my cover band. I just use a Yamaha MODX6. Sounds decent. Has a nice screen for live use and naming patches. I sometimes wish i had a Moog Sub37.

 

[Sam Evans]

I think I've mentioned my garage band trip: my spouse on drums, a pal on guitar, and me on either bass guitar or keys (mainly my Roland RD-2000 right now) with left hand bass.

My biggest revelation is how different the keyboard bass tones sound in isolation vs. the band context. I usually hate what I'm hearing when I'm playing by myself, but many of the tones sound damn good with everyone else. I suspect the samples were tweaked with just that in mind. It reminds me to trust Roland a bit more before judging them without the larger context.

 

[emilythemartian]

My biggest revelation is how different the keyboard bass tones sound in isolation vs. the band context. I usually hate what I'm hearing when I'm playing by myself, but many of the tones sound damn good with everyone else. I suspect the samples were tweaked with just that in mind. It reminds me to trust Roland a bit more before judging them without the larger context.

That's a great point! I find a similar thing with bass guitar tones too, and almost every instrument.

 

[Sam Evans]

That's a great point! I find a similar thing with bass guitar tones too, and almost every instrument.

Indeed! But for some reason, I find discussions with keys players seem to miss that point ...

 

[Mister Magic]

I have a Minimoog and a Moog Messenger. Had a Subsequernt 37, but sold it when I moved a few years ago. I also play keys and left hand synth bass on my Nord Stage 3 (or 4?).

I often prefer synth bass (ala Stevie Wonder) to electric bass. Nobody is ever going to play Boogie on Reggae Woman on an electric bass as funky as the original synth line. Of course, nobody is going to play the synth bass like Stevie, either, but a Moog just gets nastier than a bass.

I also prefer to play left hand synth bass while playing keys as opposed to playing with *most* bass players. Playing just a few gigs on keys made me a better bass player instantly. You will get irritated very quickly playing with a busy bass player. It has actually made me cringe realizing how obnoxious I must have been playing bass on some gigs in years past.

 

[pbass2]

I've done lots of electronic music in various genres since the late 80's, so synth bass has always been an important element for that. Have produced tons of dance music over the years, so it's always in there unless it's more of a disco house vibe where I love to get the live bass in there for a little of that retro appeal amidst all the synths. In the studio I use synth bass a ton for TV composing work, etc.
I haven't used one live much in recent years as I'm not working for many artists in genres that really call for it (heck, I have a hard enough time with several artists I work with if I walk in with a five string).
Late 80's I played bass guitar, a Roland SH-101, a Juno 60, and Taurus pedals as my live rig. In retrospect I can't believe I didn't mind hauling all that around!

 

[Adjectives]

I've been tossing around the idea of picking up a microkorg for some time.

 

[Ellery]

I'm a longtime bass guitar player. I incorporated keyboard bass into my recordings about 20 years ago and have ended up having much more success with that. I've toured the world playing key bass instead of bass guitar, even though bass guitar is my original love.

Something just clicked with using a Moog synth in my songwriting and recording. It was also easier to mix as I was just learning to mix. I started using a Moog Little Phatty and I've upgraded my studio rig to a Moog Matriarch for more vintage tones and modular possibilities.

How about you? Would love to hear stories about how and why you started incorporating keyboard bass.

For context, what kind of music do you play?

 

[FretRiff]

If you're playing at home and want to play into your ocmputer get a decent controller keyboard and dive into softsynths (some excellent free ones), which will get you multiple useful bass synth sounds (808 bass, detuned saw wave Reese bass, wobble bass, etc).

Best affordable, venerable monosynth options are the Korg Monologue and the Novation Bass Station 2, and if you already have a keyboard the Roland SE-02 or maybe a used Moog Minataur.

 

[emilythemartian]

For context, what kind of music do you play?

Kinda alternative pop music? I tend to collaborate from my home studio with other people in their homes. The people I play with tend to do a little bit of everything like bedroom producer/songwriter/singer/multi instrumentalist kinda of thing. That means I find myself playing a little bit of a lot of different instruments. Bass is my favourite thing though!

If you're playing at home and want to play into your ocmputer get a decent controller keyboard and dive into softsynths (some excellent free ones), which will get you multiple useful bass synth sounds (808 bass, detuned saw wave Reese bass, wobble bass, etc).

Best affordable, venerable monosynth options are the Korg Monologue and the Novation Bass Station 2, and if you already have a keyboard the Roland SE-02 or maybe a used Moog Minataur.

Love me some soft synths! Things like Serum are pretty amazing and can do a whole lot more than most hardware I've come across. But I really like hardware synths that have a cool feel and vibe. One of my favourites is the Haken Continuum which has a strip of wetsuit material as the control surface, kind of a fretless synth?

 

[Iristone]

I've always wanted to do a pedal bass, Taurus style. But I'm just too attached to the tactile response of acoustic and electro-acoustic instruments, that I've never saved enough music money for such a pedal (I'd get a new bass or drum instead). I sometimes play with a bass synth type effect, but it doesn't track as well as a real synth.

 

[pbass2]

I've always wanted to do a pedal bass, Taurus style. But I'm just too attached to the tactile response of acoustic and electro-acoustic instruments, that I've never saved enough music money for such a pedal (I'd get a new bass or drum instead). I sometimes play with a bass synth type effect, but it doesn't track as well as a real synth.

I did the Taurus thing ages ago as I mention above. I had the Taurus V2, the one with the synth module on a stand sticking up from the key/foot board. Was pretty cool to stomp on some big low sounds a la early Genesis, etc. I also used it to play higher stuff at times, but this is long before the ease of everything having presets like we're all used to now, so lots of fiddling ensued. And holy cow did that thing weigh a ton.
There's definitely better ways to do it now. Something like the Keith McMillin would be the way to go: 12 Step USB MIDI Bass Pedal Foot Controller | Keith McMillen Instruments

 

[Iristone]

I did the Taurus thing ages ago as I mention above. I had the Taurus V2, the one with the synth module on a stand sticking up from the key/foot board. Was pretty cool to stomp on some big low sounds a la early Genesis, etc. I also used it to play higher stuff at times, but this is long before the ease of everything having presets like we're all used to now, so lots of fiddling ensued. And holy cow did that thing weigh a ton.
There's definitely better ways to do it now. Something like the Keith McMillin would be the way to go: 12 Step USB MIDI Bass Pedal Foot Controller | Keith McMillen Instruments

Definitely considering this model - it's also the most affordable option I've found (short of going DIY). Unfortunately it's out of stock as of now, hopefully it'd come back before I need it.

 

[J Wilson]

Actually I made the switch from keyboards to bass. I can still do keyboard bass if asked.

I prefer something touch sensitive. Key/synth bass presets can have a far bigger sound than bass guitar, just entirely different way the sound is created. I'd tend to use it on things that were synth bass originally, and would far prefer it to a bass guitar through some sort of synth pedal/box, though that would be fine if I only needed it once or twice a night, and on fives/sixes you can go as low as keys usually.

 

[I´mTheUrbanSpaceman]

I started on keys and later moved to bass and then back and forth again. Bass can be a very dynamic instrument and it can play many roles, but keys are perhaps even more versatile, especially so for songwriting purposes. Many bass players prefer guitars instead, naturally. I like synths for the sub-bass content, the more unconventional effects you can't achieve with most pedals and some key instruments just sound great. Rhodes or Wurlitzer have these dreamy tones i seem to love. And Clavinet is pretty badass too. I'm using Korg Monologue, Wavestate and Roland SE-02 plus some other synths that are mostly being sequenced.

 

[JRA]

i played some keyboard bass parts back in the '80s in one band (mini moog IIRC, or some variation of moog). and i've played them in the studio for folks, over the years.

i don't play them currently, and wouldn't, for the type of gigging i'm doing, or with my main band. if i need 'that sound' (i usually don't) i have a small pedal board with a synth bass pedal. these days: it would just be too much trouble for the few tunes that have that sound in the bass part.

 

[john_g]

I dont do it exclusively, but i do play synth bass on a bunch of songs in my cover band. I really enjoy it. I use my midi keys into Apple Mainstage. I did have a Moog Slim Phatty and IMO, that sounded SO good. The computer sounds great but the analog synth in the mix of the band was amazing.

I also play stuff with my feet using the Keith McMillen 12 step while playing bass too. I love the cost and size of the 12 step but would prefer an "organ-pedal/Moog/Roland" type but they are twice the price and 4 times the size.

 

[logdrum]

Yep I use it live. They are a different flavor. But I enjoy analog synths rather than digital patches or samples. I have a Moog Matriarch, Korg-MS20 , Moog Mother 32 and DFAM, and Minimoog Clone , Aturia Brute- mono synths . The MS-20 probably has the nastiest synth bass, However I also like FM type synths even if they are Digital - so like an OG DX7 and now the Korg Opsix

But not a complete switch. If I did I might not be in this forum (besides the othe reasons - I won't discuss for now ) Besides fo bass work, gigs and jams I am doing more than 50% upright bass. My desire is to be a good B3 player but the ship probably already sailed. I hope my son sticks with it. He got it down when we both took some instruction - and we have a double manual and a rotary speaker.

 

[rodak]

I dont do it exclusively, but i do play synth bass on a bunch of songs in my cover band. I really enjoy it. I use my midi keys into Apple Mainstage. I did have a Moog Slim Phatty and IMO, that sounded SO good. The computer sounds great but the analog synth in the mix of the band was amazing.

I also play stuff with my feet using the Keith McMillen 12 step while playing bass too. I love the cost and size of the 12 step but would prefer an "organ-pedal/Moog/Roland" type but they are twice the price and 4 times the size.

If you're comfortable with electronics and computer programming, you can build a MIDI pedalboard for cheap. Find a "granny organ" on Craigslist or Facebook for cheap (or free!), pull out the pedals and bring the rest to the landfill. Build a box to house the pedals. Build an interface box using an Arduino. I did this (ok, I happened to have a set of Farfisa Compact bass pedals and matching connector), and it works great - total cash outlay about 50 bucks. If you're interested I'd be happy to share the code I used and help you figure out how to wire it up. I did a youtube video, but it's just a rudimentary demo, doesn't get into the build or programming. I've used it several times on gigs, and it works great. I use it for string parts while playing my bass - the trickiest part is figuring out how to not fall over while doing it!