tascam mp3 bass trainer or boss micro br

[steve]

I'm going to be getter a phrase trainer in some form soon, and was wondering which one was more appropriate.

Has anybody had experience of both or either one? Are there any alternatives?

I've used a Korg Pandora before which was great, but I'd like something that stores the backing tracks.

cheers

[The Burpster]

Not tried both, but have and use a BR. Its a top bit of kit!

Bear in mind that the Tascam is a guitar model and not yet a Bass specific, so the effects will be all guitar stuff. It will probably NOT cut out teh correct frequencies for the bass as the CD BT Mk II does either. My advice is if you desperately need to evaluate teh Tascam wait unitl the Bass specific MP3 comes out.... or......

get a BR now....

[steve]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='69955' date='Oct 5 2007, 12:35 PM']Not tried both, but have and use a BR. Its a top bit of kit!

Bear in mind that the Tascam is a guitar model and not yet a Bass specific, so the effects will be all guitar stuff. It will probably NOT cut out teh correct frequencies for the bass as the CD BT Mk II does either. My advice is if you desperately need to evaluate teh Tascam wait unitl the Bass specific MP3 comes out.... or......

get a BR now....[/quote]

the bass one is out now - check out [url="http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/33308"]this link[/url], if they're that new then maybe no-one's tried one yet. If someone would buy my boss looper I could get one

[steve]

[quote name='finnbass' post='69968' date='Oct 5 2007, 12:57 PM']Doesn't that same argument apply to the BR? I have one, and it's great, but as far as I'm aware it's not bass-specific?[/quote]

that's why I'm not so sure about getting the boss one

[gilmour]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='69955' date='Oct 5 2007, 12:35 PM']Bear in mind that the Tascam is a guitar model and not yet a Bass specific, so the effects will be all guitar stuff. It will probably NOT cut out teh correct frequencies for the bass as the CD BT Mk II does either. My advice is if you desperately need to evaluate teh Tascam wait unitl the Bass specific MP3 comes out.... or......[/quote]

Tascam do make a bass specific one, in fact i'm using it ATM, I don;t know how to post links in here, but there's a thread on it in the amps section (called headphone practice amp)

Basically I'm really chuffed with it, top piece of kit, sounds good, the bass can sound a little nasal but it has built in effects and EQ so you can sort that out. It also slows down MP3s without changing the pitch which is v useful.

I highly recomend it.

[The Burpster]

Take your point, but the BR DOES have bass stuff on it if you look through the menus enough.

Pays your money and takes your choice..... if you ONLY want a tranier go for the Tascam, for a few squid more you get an AWFUL lot more with the BR. It wont cut out or enhance the bass track but will do the other stuff and has effects.....

Will the Tascam act as a 4 track recorder?????

Will it record your tracks and then convert them into MP3?????

Will it record your drum machine and you playing over it???????

If the Tascam was £50 cheaper it would be superb but for (almost ) the same price as the BR ???

No contest. Sorry.

[Guest]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='71803' date='Oct 9 2007, 08:20 PM']Take your point, but the BR DOES have bass stuff on it if you look through the menus enough.

Pays your money and takes your choice..... if you ONLY want a trainer go for the Tascam, for a few squid more you get an AWFUL lot more with the BR. It wont cut out or enhance the bass track but will do the other stuff and has effects.....

Will the Tascam act as a 4 track recorder?????

Will it record your tracks and then convert them into MP3?????

Will it record your drum machine and you playing over it???????

If the Tascam was £50 cheaper it would be superb but for (almost ) the same price as the BR ???

No contest. Sorry.[/quote]


I have to agree, awesome bit of kit, i almost sold mine but it's just too useful. It can do the cutting bass thing, can't remember how at the moment. It's it's just packed full of features, the user interface takes a bit of manual time but having had the cd version of the tascam its in a different league. I take mine to gigs, use the built in drum machine to jam along, record my self playing while pissed slip the sd card in my laptop and send it to my drummer ooops!.. The cab/amp simulation effects for bass are good enough for casual demos.
The other way i use mine is plugged in to my amp either feeding the aux in with a tune/drum loop/metronome or using the DI out into the BR

The list of features just goes on and on, tuner , metronome etc Really if you are prepared to RTFM its a no brainer

Edited October 9, 2007 by steve-norris

[steve]

[quote name='steve-norris' post='71915' date='Oct 9 2007, 11:33 PM']I have to agree, awesome bit of kit, i almost sold mine but it's just too useful. It can do the cutting bass thing, can't remember how at the moment. It's it's just packed full of features, the user interface takes a bit of manual time but having had the cd version of the tascam its in a different league. I take mine to gigs, use the built in drum machine to jam along, record my self playing while pissed slip the sd card in my laptop and send it to my drummer ooops!.. The cab/amp simulation effects for bass are good enough for casual demos.
The other way i use mine is plugged in to my amp either feeding the aux in with a tune/drum loop/metronome or using the DI out into the BR

The list of features just goes on and on, tuner , metronome etc Really if you are prepared to RTFM its a no brainer[/quote]

steve - are you talking about the Boss Br here?

[Sean]

I'm also using the Tascam MP-BT1. Superb piece of kit, I was really impressed with the build quality, aluminium chassis and very high quality plastics. The on-board effects are superb and very usable. It's so handy to be able to take with me when I'm working away or want to be in a different room or just need to check stuff at rehearsals. Built in battery like a mobile phone too.

The Korg Pandora PX-5D is out soon too and that would be worth checking out as it has tons of extra features over the PX-4 versions. This was in the Korg magazine that came through my door on Saturday.

[The Burpster]

[quote name='steve' post='74606' date='Oct 15 2007, 02:45 PM']steve - are you talking about the Boss Br here?[/quote]


Yes I do believe he is......

'specially like the send it your drummer quote..... I do worse, record drum machine and my bass line and send it to my guitarist!

[steve]

[quote name='Sean' post='74750' date='Oct 15 2007, 07:48 PM']The Korg Pandora PX-5D is out soon too and that would be worth checking out as it has tons of extra features over the PX-4 versions. This was in the Korg magazine that came through my door on Saturday.[/quote]

I had a look at this, but it isn't really what I'm looking for. I've arrived at the conclusion that the tascam is.

I think I'll pull the trigger when I'm back of me hols

[martinbass7750]

so has anyone researched the cheapest place to buy an mpbt1 from?

[steve]

best I've found is [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-TASCAM-MPBT1-MP-BT1-MP3-Bass-Guitar-Trainer_W0QQitemZ170165243392QQihZ007QQcategoryZ15199QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]here, on ebay[/url], I'm gonna pull the trigger on one once my bass-changing frenzy settles down

[martinbass7750]

[quote name='steve' post='84815' date='Nov 7 2007, 10:49 AM']best I've found is [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-TASCAM-MPBT1-MP-BT1-MP3-Bass-Guitar-Trainer_W0QQitemZ170165243392QQihZ007QQcategoryZ15199QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]here, on ebay[/url], I'm gonna pull the trigger on one once my bass-changing frenzy settles down[/quote]

I think I ended up paying £135 including postage.

I could have bought one for £119 from the tascam stand at music live at the weekend - not sure if that included vat though.

It's a brilliant tool - sounds great - thoroughly recommended.

[steve]

I ordered a tascam yesterday on ebay, it arrived this morning , on first try it seems like an excellent piece of kit

[simon1964]

[quote name='martinbass7750' post='84835' date='Nov 7 2007, 11:26 AM']I could have bought one for £119 from the tascam stand at music live at the weekend - not sure if that included vat though.[/quote]

That's what I did - £119 including VAT at the Tascam stand. For what its worth, the sale was actually through Sound Control, so it may be possible to haggle them down to that price.

Excellent bit of kit. Its actually much more intuitive to use than the CD version which I used to have.

[andyonbass]

Can you drag songs from your i-tunes library onto one of these?

(apologies for a probable dumb question from a technophobe

[steve]

[quote name='andyonbass' post='89889' date='Nov 17 2007, 02:28 PM']Can you drag songs from your i-tunes library onto one of these?

(apologies for a probable dumb question from a technophobe [/quote]

isn't itunes an odd filetype and not mp3?

[andyonbass]

[quote name='steve' post='89910' date='Nov 17 2007, 03:31 PM']isn't itunes an odd filetype and not mp3?[/quote]


i'm thinking that you could probably use songs that have been ripped from a CD using i-tunes but you can only play songs downloaded from them on an ipod. I guess you could connect an ipod to an auxillary input on the tascam if it has one

[martinbass7750]

[quote name='andyonbass' post='89954' date='Nov 17 2007, 05:42 PM']i'm thinking that you could probably use songs that have been ripped from a CD using i-tunes but you can only play songs downloaded from them on an ipod. I guess you could connect an ipod to an auxillary input on the tascam if it has one[/quote]

I think you are right, only songs ripped from cd could be used.

However there are probably tools which do a better job of ripping cds to mp3 than itunes - I use audiograbber (it's a free download) plus a third party mp3 encoder that audiograbber give links to.

[The Burpster]

Thats right^^^ it actually rips them in AAD but itunes will run a convert programme to MP3.... downloading form iTunes store will not allow to you convert to MP3 as they are protected.

[The Burpster]

[quote name='andyonbass' post='89889' date='Nov 17 2007, 02:28 PM']Can you drag songs from your i-tunes library onto one of these?

(apologies for a probable dumb question from a technophobe [/quote]


as long as its not a download form itunes store. If it is ripped from CD then you have the option to convert to MP3 which you can them copy onto may compatible MP3 player.

[simon1964]

[quote name='andyonbass' post='89889' date='Nov 17 2007, 02:28 PM']Can you drag songs from your i-tunes library onto one of these?

(apologies for a probable dumb question from a technophobe [/quote]

You have to convert to MP3 format. I've not had any problems, but I'm told you can downlaod free (or at least very cheap) software to do this.

[The Burpster]

[quote name='simon1964' post='90333' date='Nov 18 2007, 04:24 PM']You have to convert to MP3 format. I've not had any problems, but I'm told you can downlaod free (or at least very cheap) software to do this.[/quote]


You dont have to download anything.... There is a "convert to MP3" option in the drop down menues of iTunes.....!

[simon1964]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='90360' date='Nov 18 2007, 05:27 PM']You dont have to download anything.... There is a "convert to MP3" option in the drop down menues of iTunes.....![/quote]

So there is! Just found it!