mcgraham

No that was really helpful! Cheers I'm asking so as I can figure out how to experiment with getting various synth tones using the pedals I've already got (e.g. whammy, distortion, compressor, etc).

[quote]From thefreedictionary.com/integer Integer 1. (Mathematics) any rational number that can be expressed as the sum or difference of a finite number of units, being a member of the set …-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3… [b]2. an individual entity or whole unit[/b][/quote] Help a brother out I'm trying to learn.

I'm not a huge fan of effects on bass, but I'm curious about the world of synth sounds as it seems to be more like an alternative bass sound than an effect (if that makes sense?). It also seems that the term 'synth' has a very fluid and varied definition in different people's minds and in different manufacturer's products. For example, the MB Supersynth seems to have octaver+filter+some element of fuzz to it. The Copilot Orbit (although technically being a uniquely glitchy fuzz) seems to sound like a squelchy, glitchy synth to my ears. Certain BC'ers seem to run an octaver (such as the OC2) with a fuzz pedal (such as the Woolly Mammoth) to achieve their fuzz sound. So... for you, what does a 'synth' bass sound encompass?

[homer simpson-esque voice] SwwwweEEEeeeEEEEeeetuh [/homer simpson-esque voice]

+1 deathpanda.

I've not tried either of those, but if you're looking for a hugely muscular tone with a P sound hidden in there, I would recommend the DiMarzio Model Js. I took the plunge on these years ago and never looked back. They are P style pickup arrangements in J housings. The neck pickup is remarkably P like when solo'd. Together they sound massive. The review on TB says 'you are a crushing glacier, nothng will stand in your way'... that isn't far from truth. Apologies for not answering you question, I just thought these pickups deserved a mention.

I'm not so sure how doable that would be SP. My guess is that they are using Fourier transforms to identify frequencies, but then they'd also have to correctly group the corresponding fundamental and nth order harmonics together to identify all frequencies being emitted by a given string. Given that there will be six sets of such frequencies (for a guitar say), the Polytune has to correctly identify which frequencies are which order harmonics from which string. As such, I can imagine the maths involved in distinguishing overlapping/neighbouring frequencies of harmonics from different strings must be heavily dependent on interrelationship of the pitch intervals between strings (hence why it can do drop tunings with the same interval interrelationship between the strings). If that is the case, I can definitely see why they've started with standard tuning just to get the product out in the marketplace. Nevertheless, I would supposit that it the future they might offer support for alternate tunings to make it more comprehensive. This is all guesswork so feel free to disagree if you think I'm wrong

[quote]Would you please give both Jon and Richie a big basschat snog from me![/quote] I can only see that going well.

[quote]yeah, i'm a recent convert. plus, i don't like having to step over pedals when playing live, so having them all in a row is safer!![/quote] I'm the same. As much as I love the sounds that numerous different pedals achieve, I've never been one for having to operate lots of pedals - I like it plug'n'play. I need a picture of my PT Mini to show you guys. It's usable for both guitar and bass though I use it almost exclusively for guitar. At present it's: Polytune-->Boss GEB7-->Zvex Box of Rock-->Malekko Ekko 616-->Boss RC-2-->Sansamp California (for guitar sim). Once I get my new amp (I'm talking guitar here) it'll be an even simpler setup with just the delay in the effects loop and the tuner plugged into a tuner out. I'm thinking about getting a dynamic delay like the TC Nova Repeater so that I don't even have to alter my delay settings when doing different songs.

I love the PT Mini! So sleek and svelte, and forces you to be economical with your pedal choices.

The single biggest improvement I ever did for my Geddy was to stick a set of DiMarzio Model J pickups in it. Completely transformed the bass and is usable in every gig I've ever done. There are other great pickups out there for sure, but I'd like to give a big thumbs up to the DiMarzio Model J pickup set.

I'd agree with the sentiment that a lot of the cheap stuff gives a bad rep for the good sounding digital modelling gear. I also agree that not everyone needs digital modelling, like me. For bass AND guitar, I like plug'n'play. EQ a little to suit the room, vary the tones with my hands, volume/tone knobs, and pickup selection. For guitar I do tend to use a boost or two together with delay (w/ modulation on it), but my new amp will solve the boost issue with having switchable channels. Ultimately, I like simplicity too much and (at present) have no need for digital modelling live.

Precisely! Because I'll always be out of tune anyway Naw, it's perhaps even more important to keep it in tune to ensure that your muscle memory takes you to the right note rather than one that's slightly sharp or flat due to tuning issues.

I can confirm that this guitar is an incredible amount of fun. Muscle memory means the transition isn't too bad, but still needs a lot of work on upper register intonation at speed and also tweaking my setup to get a good tone. I'll also try and take some pictures when the weather is better, and I intend to do a few simple clips at some point in the future.

+1 Urb. I tend to jump through their music shows in 3-4 minute intervals til I find something I like. Jools usually has one, maybe two acts I want to watch (like when they had the Foo Fighters, or Metallica, or Bobby McFerrin)... and I generally find the live mix to be pretty poor on Jools. I do like the BBC's archive footage though, like guitar heroes live on the BBC. The last one had Hendrix at the start and AC/DC right at the end. They also had Fleetwood and Thin Lizzie in the middle. Some glorious moments in rock history there

I heard an interesting discussion with Guthrie Govan, who was emphasising the importance of tone and working on understanding how to get different tones from the instrument. He then very quickly explained that this didn't mean investing in lots more gear, but instead understanding how to utilise the gear you've got to it's full potential. For those who are more concerned with making music (like Vic), their main concern might not be the 'best' gear, but merely acceptable gear that allows them just to get on with it, and the good base sound and international availability of Hartke gear would certainly seem to fit those criteria.

[quote]I've not really improved on guitar in the last 4 years but have significantly on bass.[/quote] My skills on both tend to increase proportionally with one another, but sometimes one tends to improve at a vastly increased rate over the other at random points. For example, since last September I've spent more than half my time working on guitar, and have improved massively. This has had a knock on effect on bass and am starting to swing back round to bass again with renewed fervour. It's definitely my preferred instrument.

I can relate to that statement though, but disagree that it's at all valid - it seems that bands that have one too many guitarists, the extra guitarist is demoted to bass duties. Whilst physically the bass is strikingly similar to a guitar tuned one octave lower, it serves a totally different function and is used in a totally different way, and I love it's versatility. So in answer to your question, I actually started on bass, and I'm really glad I did.

I was thinking Ron Thal's solo on Guthrie Govan's 'Rhode Island Shred'? Or perhaps some Dave 'Unpronouncable' Fiuczynski pieces from Screaming Headless Torsoes?

Another thumbs up for Bass Direct from me! Mark really does his best to make every customer feel valued, and at the same time does his best to give you the benefit of his experience. If there's a particular bit of gear I'm interested in, I always check to see whether there is any way I can give Mark my business first, before I look elsewhere.