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Kiwi

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Everything posted by Kiwi

  1. Kiwi
    Yes that's sort of the direction I was hoping it might go in. The ability to route different voices to either one of the output sockets could be handy too - could even make the Future Impact redundant. MIDI connectivity is still a bit of an issue though, without that Disaster Area USB/MIDI interface. Speaking of connectivity, I managed to clock sync the Moment Machine with the Adrenalinn III today. For some reason they were getting on with each other today while they weren't yesterday. So I can adjust tap tempo on the Adrenalinn regardless of audio connections and within about a second maybe two, the Moment Machine adjusts to match. I haven't yet tried to check how well they sound together. Maybe tomorrow if I have a chance. Tom from Cooper FX also replied to an email I sent asking about how to confirm the Moment Machine was sync'd. He mentioned that the BPM display goes blank but needed more information. Before I replied, I discovered the tap tempo LED actually flashes in time. I also discovered the Adrenalinn's clock signal is generated by the drum machine function not by the tap tempo. There is a way of stopping the drum machine from making a sound but I would need to check whether this affects the clock signal also. The one thing that is becoming apparent is how little detail on how to use the deeper features in the user manuals of both pedals.
  2. Kiwi
    I do want to use MIDI clock, the challenge seems to be connectivity when syncing tempo across all pedals. Like...how am I going to connect a USB port to a MIDI port... Change of subject, apparently there is a wet only mod available for the EHX Freeze from a company called Mimmotronics. https://mimmotronics.com/product/ehx-freeze/
  3. Kiwi
    Yes its definitely of interest. I'm just doing a bit of digging around to see how easy it might be to use as a pedal and how it handles tempo when there are no MIDI ports. Am I correct in understanding there are only 6 user defined presets available? The stacked voicings look particularly interesting if I can dedicate one sequencer exclusively to a voice. It looks like it might be able to do the Heartbreak bassline all by itself if that is possible.
  4. Kiwi
    So looking at the user manuals for both, the Moment Machine's MIDI port is input only. The Adrenalinn III has both in and out MIDI. So I set the MIDI clock setting in the Adrenalinn to send (out) and the Moment Machine to recieve (MIDI). Any joy..? No. The Adrenalinn is sending a clock signal as it's possible to test by setting up a clock sync feedback loop by connecting the MIDI in and MIDI out together. So something is up with the Moment Machine.
  5. Kiwi
    I woke up this morning with a bit of a plan - put the Adrenalinn III after the Moment Machine and clock sync them to each other (assuming one can send clock sync messages) then use the Adrenalinn's envelope filter to slice whatever is coming out of the Moment Machine. So long as they are in sync there is no need for the Adrenalinn to be velocity sensitive. So I gave it a go - just proof of concept at this stage without tempo sync as I was impatient. You'll see in the video, I start with the FI using the editor to trigger a patch. Then I engage the Moment Machine for 15 seconds or so, then the Adrenalinn III. It kind of works. But the Moment Machine and the Adrenalinn III are definitely working on a different tempo despite both being set to 120bpm and need syncing via MIDI. 20191015_093510.mp4
  6. Kiwi
    I'd never heard of the FMeron until now. But it is a little limited in comparison to the Future Impact. Also found out that the GR55 DOESN'T do arpeggiation. If it does, there's no user programmable function built in to it. https://www.boss.info/us/products/sy-1/
  7. Kiwi
    Yeah the one thing I wish it had was a pass-through defeat switch so that when the freeze was in effect, the input jack was disconnected. Maybe a nice effect pedal guru will one day develop a hack for it...
  8. Kiwi
    Yeah you're right, I'm sorry. I should have started it a year or so ago but didn't have time. It's been bottled up all this time.
  9. Kiwi
    I don't need the shimmer so have an EHX Freeze pedal too for pedal-tones...more on that in this thread: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/366657-bass-synth-and-the-search-for-an-accessible-arpeggiator/
  10. Kiwi
    A bit more digging around in recent months brought another pedal with an arpeggiator function to my attention - the Adrenalinn III. It's an unusual box of tricks jam packed...possibly over flowing with features including an 8 bar drum machine with 8 sets of classic Linn drum samples, full sounding amp model sims from some interesting amps including Bogner, Peavey 5150 and a Boogie Mk2, plus various modulation and delay related effects. It's a great sounding pedal - everything sounds very warm and analoguey. Some of the amp sims are a little raw sounding but nothing unpleasant or unusable by any means. There are 199 presets available so plenty of storage space and MIDI channels. The primary purpose of the unit is to do beat related effects so if a player wants delays chopped up in time to the music or cycles synced to tempo then this box will do it. It can do that effect at the start of Green Day's Broken Boulevard and John Mayer used Adrenalinns I, II and III for three of his hits: https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Rig_Rundown_John_Mayer So this week I looked into how to set the unit up so that I could do I Feel Love to start with. The sounds in the presets sounded great - there was a definition to the notes that I learned from the user manual, was due to each step having it's own individually definable envelope filter (something I really wished was in the Cooper FX Moment Machine). The user manual also mentioned all sorts of things about programming for drums but I couldn't find how to programme the pitches for each step in a user defined sequence. So I fired off an email to Linn asking for help and Roger Linn himself replied within 24 hours. He said that the arpeggiator was very simple - a flanger where the resonance frequency was controlled by each step. Which in other words meant to me that it wasn't an arpeggiator, it's a sequenced filter. This kind of explained why I was getting clarity on some notes and not others. I have to admit that I was disappointed it wasn't accurately described in the user manual. The pedal sounds so good in all the other ways that I hadn't planned to use it in, it's a little swiss army knife of a thing. So at this point, we are back to the Moment Machine and the journey continues. The FI doesn't have an arp. The Moment Machine doesn't have an envelope filter for each step. The Adrenalinn III doesn't actually have an arp, it's a sequencer based filter. Seems to me like there is a large gap in the market for players who want to emulate arpeggiated synth bass but don't want the hassle of spending days hunched over a small screen scrolling through endless menus and mapping various bits of kit to one another. Right now the Moment Machine, for its lack of an envelope filter, is as good as it gets without the prospect of a company like Panda MIDI including an arpeggiator in a version of the Future Impact.
  11. Kiwi
    So regardless, this is kind of where things are going. There's an H9 pedal which will provide modulation, slap back delay and pitch shift after the Deep Impact. But the story isn't finished yet...
  12. Kiwi
    There was also the problem of how to sustain an arpeggiator while playing other things. A MIDI based solution like Taurus pedals would be relatively simple - there's a sustain function in MIDI. Funnily enough EHX (to the rescue again) came up with an interesting pedal that does pretty much that, like the hold function on a Boss DD7, the Freeze pedal. And it was reasonably priced as well. Basically you set the thing up so that it latches on and off and press the pedal roughly in the first half second of a note for it to capture a micro sample and loop it infinitely. It works pretty well although there are some things to watch out for: 1) For a synth note generated with an envelope, it won't capture the full ADSR characteristics so the pedal has to be placed carefully in relation to the bass synth pedal and the arpeggiator pedal. I ended up putting it between them both which doesn't work out perfectly so it's a work still in progress. It kind of double emphasises the need for an envelope in the arpeggiator section (which we will get to later) to define the note in each step. 2) Once the pedal is holding a note, you can still play through the pedal on top of the note being held. The problem is that if I'm playing through another signal chain at the same time, it's possible to continue triggering notes in the arpeggiator. I wish there was an option to block the audio pass-through function via a micro switch on the side. The EHX Tri Parallel mixer can block off one loop at a time BUT it means that I have to switch that loop back in every time there is a chord change. It's a faff.
  13. Kiwi
    By this time, I had started to look into ways of sustaining an arp bass line alongside a manual bass line. It became clear that I would have to look into separate signal chains within the same pedal board so I started searching for mixers and channel splitters that might do the job. There wasn't really much out there until a few months ago when EHX announced the Tri Parallel Mixer. This looked like it might be what I was looking for, although mono only. So one of those will be on it's way shortly.
  14. Kiwi
    So after a Moment Machine finally arrived, it seemed to work really well. The arpeggiation was accurate and user programmable. The user interface is pretty good for a pedal, relatively easy to navigate and set up. I did notice that if I started both the tap tempo on the Moment Machine and on my Zoom B3 at 120, they would go out of sync after maybe 8 bars or so. This was surprising but I guess the Zoom might be at fault given it doesn't have any MIDI in or out and was built to a budget. I managed to program in the bassline to I Feel Love but... ...and you knew there was going to be a ...'but'... ...when two steps of the same pitch came after one another, they sounded like one note. This is because the notes are sampled as they are supplied. So if they are supplied without an envelope, then the steps will sound like a continuous tone of double the length in duration. I tried emailing the guy who makes them but no reply and apparently he's too busy given he's still finishing university(!!!) So I set the Moment Machine to one side and carried on looking.
  15. Kiwi
    So about 6 months ago I decided to do a bit more research to see if the market had any new products and it turned out that one company, Cooper FX, somewhere in the backwoods of 'Murica had made a pedal called the Moment Machine that specifically functioned as an arpeggiator. So once again I furtively plumped down two hundred and fifty of your finest sterling...twice actually. The first time I ordered from Ebay, I had it shipped via the Ebay Global Priority programme for a heinous amount. Still, you had the best of the best shipping service, right? Wrong. The package was stopped at customs in Guangzhou and I received a request for my passport to prove my identity if I didn't want the package confiscated and destroyed. Given my work visa needed to be renewed later that week, and Customs categorically refused to guarantee either the safety of my passport while in their care or the timely return to avoid being an overstayer, I refused. The package (as far as I know) was destroyed. But not after a complaint to Ebay and a full refund including shipping was provided. Fast forward another month and I bagged another which was forwarded via DHL from a friend in London - it arrived without any problems.
  16. Kiwi
    About 5 years ago I did a bit of research into pedal based arpeggiators, not really expecting to find something so specific but to my surprise Eventide offered an arpeggiator in the Pitchfactor pedal. So I plumped down three hundred or so of your finest English sterling and had one delivered. After getting to know the pedal a bit, it became apparent (and this wasn't clear in the user manual) that the patterns available weren't user editable. Basically they gave you some stuff and it was up to the user to decide whether they were creatively inspired by them or not. There was one guy who actually found a way to hack the pedal and create patterns using MIDI CC messages but it required some fairly deep (and time consuming) digging about in the editor. The disappointing thing that became apparent after using the pedal for a bit was that the thinking specifically behind the Pitchfactor was very fluffy. Lots of features available but they didn't really take things one step further and think about what those features might be used for beyond being 'creatively inspired'. So I reluctantly sold the pedal and didn't much do much else for another 3 years.
  17. Kiwi
    I should have started this earlier but no time to myself with a business and young family going...here goes: I've been interested in synth bass for a long time. It comes out of a enjoyment of dance music generally which goes back to an Abba album 'Arrival' and Jean Michel Jarre's Equinoxe V which then kind of expanded into disco with Chic and then funk/rnb. For the last 10 years I wanted to get a set up that allows me to arpeggiate bass synth. I kind of achieved that in a basic way with an FI pedal and tap tempo slap back delay to produce the bassline to I Feel Love. It's pretty close to how it was achieved by Giorgio Moroder originally also. But I wanted to get a bit more into keyboard bass without being able to play a keyboard. I really like the Freemasons and have wanted to emulate what they do for a long time. Their tracks are satisfyingly bombastic in nature and that includes their bass lines - some great disco influences too. Check out these for example: But the one track that made me go 'hmmm' was this one. It's got layered basslines - one arpeggiated, one a pedal drone...and I guess there's a third in there as well for accented notes. I thought to myself how fantastic would it be to be pumping out something as powerful and immersive at a gig some time...? So my quest began... For what it's worth, I already have a decent pitch to MIDI system using my 6 string Shuker into a Terratec Axon MkII and Yamaha CSR6 synth module. But the latency on low notes makes it next to impossible to achieve anything close to the tightness of modern dance tracks. Yes I could string it with piccolo strings and transpose everything an octave down but that's a load of faff considering the user interfaces are so poor in the stuff I already have. One option would be the Roland VB99 system, it seems to be fairly reliable but the current model is sort of cab/independent stand based and doesn't really work with the other kit. Besides, having plumped for the Future Impact, I really wanted to work with that. Another option would be Steve Chick/Industrial Radio MIDI controller based on his proprietary fret sensing tech. I've met Steve and given an earlier system (when Charles Celia was making his basses) a go. There was virtually no latency and now the basses are made from Warmoth parts, a system works out to about 1600 quid. But to get the best out of it, the bass needs an expert set up which only Steve can do at the moment. Steve lives in Sydney which is a bit of a walk. I could use the fret sensing system with the Future Impact pedal but I have no idea how I would arpeggiate at this point, without some extra gear...which might make the FI redundant. So I decided to look into pedal based options given that they were generally more accessible and I already had a Future Impact and a Zoom B3.
  18. Kiwi
    I sold mine for close to that figure several years ago. It seems very reasonable.
  19. Kiwi
    Ahhhh, THAT one! Nice to see something a bit legendary pop up now and then.
  20. Kiwi
    OUCH! OW OWOWOWOWOWOW!!
  21. Kiwi
    Tell us about the bits of gear you nearly bought but didn't and then regretted it later. Mine: Celinder J Update 5 at the Bass Gallery, sounded phenomenal but I baulked at the £2500 price tag and the colour wasn't blue. I was a fool to pass it up, it had everything I ever wanted in a Jazz bass. 1965 Fender Jazz, just didn't do anything for me. Didn't have The Sound, felt fragile, didn't fancy gigging it either. But what if... Wals...I have always liked them since playing a gorgeous 5 string fretless Mach 2 back in the mid nineties at the Bass Centre Wapping. But could never imagine myself with one...until now.
  22. Kiwi
    A matching pair of Modulus Quantum Sweetspot basses back in the noughties - imported from the US before shipping charges and the exchange rate went insane. The fretted had a treble attack like glass and the fretless had a warped neck because the phenolic fingerboard wasn't stiff enough I lost 500 quid on each bass. Also that Musicman Stingray parts bass with a status neck. Sold it for quite a bit under the asking price of a used Stingray and had my arm bitten off (justifiably, too). Finally - my first 'custom bass', made from parts I specified (hence no name or shame) but it was a disaster. The graphite neck was floppy. The bridge didn't hold the strings against the body. It sounded weedy even with EMG Jv pickups in. I sold it for about 15% less than I paid for it a few months after receiving it.
  23. Kiwi

    Is there a manufacturer who has or still makes self biasing valve bass amps?  The nearest amp tech to me lives in Hong Kong...700km away.

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. Kiwi

      Kiwi

      I remember Traynor did one with LED bias indicators on the back.

    3. LukeFRC

      LukeFRC

      didn't Behringer?

       

    4. Beer of the Bass

      Beer of the Bass

      The Ampeg PF50T also has user-adjustable bias with LED indicators.  Not exactly self-biasing, but very user friendly.

  24. Kiwi
    The current ones are hand assembled from Warmoth parts, not hand made. The electronics both inside the body and in the neck itself are extremely complicated. Each fret is divided into 4 pieces. Each fret piece is electronically isolated from the others and anyone attempting to bugger about would need to know the right way to reconnect everything after disassembly, there are no instruction manuals included.
  25. Kiwi
    Validity based on principle or pragmatism? Traditionally gigging bassists just wanted something reliable and predictable that helped them nail the track as quickly as possible because they're on the clock. Consistency allowed engineers to eq the bass quickly and get predictable results. Fantastic sound creation potential just made things more complicated, especially when a knob might get knocked accidentally while playing...although having said that Alembics were very popular Nashville studio basses for a while in the 80's. I think there is a difference between a player's personal, creative aspirations and the realities of working for someone who is paying the bill for studio time. As Madonna famously said 'time is money and the money is MINE!'. At least according to Nile Rodgers.
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