bnt

I still have the Xiosynth 25 and it has its place, but struggled with the programming and ran in to some limitations. (I couldn't get envelopes to retrigger correctly in mono mode - kind-of important for bass synth - and once I started adding multiple effects and modulators to a patch, the sound quality audibly degraded.) I'm definitely happier with the opsix as a bass synth so far. I set up a custom Favorites bank with the best bass presets I found so far, plus a few of my own. Sounds great (lots of low end), lots of tonal variety, and very controllable with velocity & mod. Quick changes to the core sound are quick with the faders. Aftertouch would have been be nice, which is why I considered a Hydrasynth, but that would have bumped up the price.

adverts.ie has a proper Basses category, which makes me wonder why this is filed under "Other Guitars"? That's probably why I didn't see this before. There's some interesting stuff in the main Basses category e.g. someone from the Dublin area just posted a nice-looking Sandberg California. I don't know what shipping costs to the UK are like at the moment, and some sellers won't ship. You can buy a bass its own seat on a Ryanair flight, which is probably cheaper than shipping, and have a weekend in Dublin or Cork while you're at it.

Some technical notes: There are specific instructions for Windows, which you have to follow before you can talk to the opsix over USB, involving a specific Windows driver for RNDIS Networking. These are in the manual included with the v2.0 upgrade. Once I did that, communication worked straight away. I upgraded straight from v1.0.1 to v 2.0.1: no problem with that process, but I noted that some of the presets mentioned in reviews were missing e.g. "KONG's Footstep". It looks like the v2.0.1 download includes about 90 fewer presets for some reason. The full preset library is on the website to download, and I could apply it through the Librarian. This overwrites all presets, so I did first have to transfer the few patches I had already created, save them to program files (a good idea anyway), then reload them in to the new preset library. About DX7 patches: I downloaded some DX7 SysEx banks from here and loaded them in to the opsix using MIDI-OX. When the opsix receives patches over SysEx, it stops and asks you where to put them e.g. 401-432 are usually free, so I dumped them there. I've only ever spent time with DX7 factory presets in Dexed and they are a bit bland without effects, which the DX7 really needed IMHO (It wasn't until a few years later, with the Roland D-50, Korg M1 etc. that synths with onboard digital effects became a reality.) From what I can hear they sound pretty close, but I did notice one FX sound that didn't work at all. In general. you can sound like an original DX7 from 1983 if you want to, though I don't particularly want to, personally. A couple of additional notes after a fair bit of playing around: Every program can include a sequence with up to 6 "lanes" of polyphony and 6 lanes of motion sequencing (parameter changes). You can record these in real time or step time and edit the results on screen. It has a transposing key trigger mode for live playing e.g. program it in the key of C, then hold down a G to play the sequence transposed down a 4th. (Chromatic only, no Diatonic key support here.) The Arpeggiator is a bit boring, but the Sequencer makes up for it e.g. where another synth lets you create custom arpeggio styles, here that falls under the Sequencer functions. You can combine the two for added complexity. The opsix can create some truly obscene, headphone-murdering sounds. Watch the levels and think of your hearing. I haven't had it through loud speakers yet, but I imagine the aforementioned "KONG's Footstep" would have the neighbours calling engineers to check the stability of their house's foundations. My first attempt at Karplus-Strong string synthesis would peel the paint from the walls in high registers. Low notes sound like that scene from one of the Star Wars prequels when (IIRC) Jango Fett was trying to kill Obi-Wan in the asteroid field with some odd type of missile that produced shock waves. And that doesn't even use FM at all, but rather a single operator in Effects / Comb Filter mode: I still have 5 more operators to play with if I want to, in a single patch. Not very musical, but of course you can dial back the madness with more programming, filters and effects. The opsix is not a workstation, it has only a 3-octave keyboard and doesn't do workstation-style splits or layers of multiple programs. But programs do use layering of different tones as standard, up to 6 layers if you don't stack the operators e.g. organs have up to six variable "manuals" with the faders as drawbars. You can use the operator keytracking at its limits to create splits e.g. one preset uses three operators for an electric piano and the other three for a bass sound.

You might not need to replace the socket, it might be enough to re-solder the connections. PSU joints tend to be larger, the main risk IMHO would be applying too much solder and causing a short. So some solder removal braid would be good to have handy.

Personally, if all else failed, I’d be willing to experiment a bit in an attempt to save the amp. It’s a tiny SMD resistor that had quite a voltage going to it, so I’d start with a high value such as 1M. Using a pot to dial in a value might be an option too, in series with e.g. a 1k to limit the possible current.

V2.0 did introduce some stability issues, I saw that Korg put out 2.0.1 as a fix for those. I upgraded to that straight out of the box.

On the question of programming, just playing with the basic sound is a doddle, with the six knobs and sliders controlling operator ratio/frequency and levels respectively. So you can quickly change the fundamental tone, even live. More detailed editing & tuning means some shallow menu diving. There’s a drawbar organ patch that can be “voiced” live with the controls. PS if you’re going to check out YouTube videos, on the opsix, be aware that most don’t cover the new Effects operators that were introduced with v2.0 software about 3 months ago. These significantly expand the possibilities for non-FM synthesis methods. Look for videos by Oscillator Sink (yes, with a K). Those are what gave me the final push towards getting one.

The Opsix definitely appeals to the maths geek in me. It can load DX7 SysEx files but doesn’t promise to play them perfectly, since there are differences in the operator envelopes (simpler ADSR instead of the DX7’s multi-stage envelopes. My previous experience of FM is mostly through the Synclavier Go app on the iPad, which is an enhanced emulation of the Synclavier II. That uses up to 4 “partials”, each a carrier/modulator pair i.e. 8 operators total but no flexibility. The carrier is an additive oscillator, so you can get more complex tones that way. Last night, for fun, I programmed the famous Galactic Cymbal sound from Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” intro. I just copied the numbers from the app, and it came out a close match, despite having to skip the 4th partial.

Just arrived today from Thomann after resisting for some weeks. My only other actual synth is a tiny Novation Xio that is OK in a pinch, but it’s hard to use and program and doesn’t sound that great. I like bass synth and wanted something I could potentially use live as well as for sound design. The opsix is a kind of hybrid design: the sound engine defaults to a 6-operator FM structure close to that of the Yamaha DX7, but then expands on that in three major ways: A full filter section and effects section, unlike the DX7, which is more user-friendly than FM usually is. Operators are not limited to sine waves only, they can produce other wave types too. (Others have done this too, including Yamaha.) Just playing around with a sawtooth wave and the unison/detune voice modes, it was a doddle to make a fat “supersaw” with just one operator. An operator is therefore like an oscillator in other synths, but each also has its own envelope section, rather than all feeding in to a single common envelope. Between that and the filter, you can emulate other analog synths, and there is a decent selection of YouTube videos on this. Operators also have other modes of operation that are not FM at all, which opens up other possibilities too. There are Effects operators that can alter their own sound as well as sounds fed in from other operators. There’s one guy who figured out how to use a comb filter to generate plucked or bowed string sounds from white noise, which sounds amazing. So there’s a lot of potential there, I think.

There are also forums at KVR Audio, though I can’t say much more. https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/

My favourite fretless players are those who don't do the clichéd fretless things. The early 80s UK players are a big part of that for me, such as Pino (natch), Percy Jones, Mick Karn, and Paul Webb of Talk Talk, an unsung bass hero IMHO. Listen to Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer, that's Tony Levin on fretless through an octave pedal with a plectrum. I converted my Tune TWB43 to fretless last year and it still needs a bit of work but it's very playable. I used a dark wood filler in the fret slots to give me lines, but found they're basically useless at the moment, since in sanding down the fretboard, the rosewood grain came out lighter and obscures the lines. When I play standing with a strap, I can only see the edge of the fretboard anyway, and the side dots are tiny. So I'm basically playing by ear unless I bend over and squint. 👓

Reddit could be another option, there are subreddits for just about everything under the Sun e.g. I just ordered a Korg opsix, so I'm joining /r/Korg.

I have thought about this, you know, and read some pickup specs ... in the case of 6-string multiscale basses, there aren't any standard sized pickups that would fit, and fully cover all the strings, at the required angle. The EHB1506MS uses Nordstrand Custom Big Splits, not a standard size, off-the-shelf model. Now, I know that Nordstrand don't charge a lot for custom orders - the website says $20 or $40 - which may be a factor in why Ibanez use them. (I haven't ruled out the EHB1506MS for myself. ) So If you're going to replace angled pickups in a 6-string multiscale, about the only off-the-shelf option I can find with the required coverage would be an EMG 45P or PX (split-P) with the reverse option, which would have the bass and treble coils placed about correctly. With their other single or dual coil models, at least one string would be outside coverage of at least one coil. Bartolini offers the similar H66P and others, but they say all H6 series pickups are special order with long lead times. So I don't fault Ibanez for doing their own thing when it comes to pickups for EHB1006MS, since it was either that, use the same Nordstrand Custom Big Splits ($$), or investigate other custom - low volume options such as the Bartolinis I mentioned ($$). I expect there are other options, but good options? PS: Dingwall uses pickups custom made to their specs, not a standard size either.

What Ibanez is doing with the T1 pickups is something I've thought about before: to me it makes total sense for multiscales to have two humbucker coils in separate housings for flexibility in mounting. Standard housings look awkward to me and custom pickup housings add to the cost. So the EHB1006MS could become my first six string bass.

Since bass monitoring wasn’t the primary use case here, but rather a bonus, I didn’t feel the need to research this heavily or spend more on a “professional” setup. Philips’ dongle method means that they handle both ends of the link transparently, so I didn’t have to worry about how they achieved low latency. It could be aptX LL or something proprietary. But I agree that the current situation is a mess e.g. Apple’s approach to low latency is very hit-and-miss.

I was looking for some new Bluetooth headphones for use with my PC and iPad, and got a set of Philips TAH6206BK headphones. These are actually work in two modes: as standard Bluetooth headphones, with all the latency you expect, or in a “TV mode” for low latency with the supplied dongle. When the dongle is plugged in to a computer or smart TV, the combination works as a standard USB audio device with low latency = good for games, movies etc. The dongle can also work standalone when plugged in to any USB power source (such as a charger), and it has an aux input, and so this is where it gets more interesting. For example, I just had my tc SpectraDrive preamp’s headphone out going in to the dongle, and a long cable in to a bass, and while I expect there was some latency, it was not audible. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked as well as it did and sounded as good. I wouldn’t call the Philips headphones “road-ready”, being light plastic as they are, but for home practice, I’d call them pretty good.

Having neck-through multiscales is interesting to me, certainly. Only certain custom builders and IIRC Cort & Schecter before this,and neither of those with 37” scale on the B.

If you want to get deep in to synthesis, there’s a series of articles here that starts from the basics of sound. The way I see it, just making a sound is easy, but making that sound musical is why synths can get quite complex.

I watched bits of a video podcast that included a comparative spec sheet: Looks like balanced TRS outputs. The USB Audio is 8 in / 8 out = I'd want to see examples of just how you would make use of that. ("Re-amping" multiple audio channels?) It will be a shame if this goes head-to-head the Line6 HX Stomp for nearly the same price but two years later. Hopefully, Thomann gets stock at a competitive price.

Thanks - wasn't aware of that one. It's got the basic shape, but of course I'm thinking of something a lot more upscale. 💰💸

This might be weird, but here goes anyway ... I've always liked the look of the Yamaha SG-2000 guitar, and have sometimes wondered why they never made an equivalent bass, a SB-2000. So I would spec out a 5-string (SB-2500?) with a body of similar size or slightly larger, and a small headstock with lightweight tuners (since neck dive would be a risk). For electronics, I would want their nicest TRBX pickups, simple passive volume & tone for each , then to split outputs as on the Attitude. For woods and finish, I would look for something lighter than the SG-2000, maybe a quilted maple top or a light green tint. PS I might want to spec EMG soapbar pickups, such as the 40DCX at the neck and 40TWX at the bridge.

I’ve never owned a signature bass and probably never will. I have ideas of my own about signal chains and processing that I would rather spend my money on. The one in which I was most interested was (of course) the Rickenbacker 4001CS, which others have mentioned, but it’s way beyond my budget and there’s a risk I wouldn’t like it. I would consider a Stu Hamm Fender Urge because it’s a true signature bass, built to his specs from the wood up. 32” medium scale is big today, but Stu may have been the first to see the value in that. There is perhaps one I would jump on if I could afford it: a Status Chris Wolstenholme signature. That’s Chris’ “bread & butter” bass these days, only bringing other basses out for particular songs. The way he plays, he’s hard on the instrument, so carbon composite neck through construction makes sense. That thing looks like it would survive a nuclear war.

I’ve talked about mine here before: out of the box, being a passive P is probably what it’s best at, since that pickup is a beast. The other pickup and active EQ, not so good. It’s quite heavy, too, about 10 lbs. I see the Bass Centre does a few P basses, including a Bruce Thomas P and a John Entwistle “Frankenstein”, both for about £500 each.

Do you have any more details about that? I'm curious about what's going on structurally that would eliminate neck bends. (I have some ideas of my own about that problem.)