Surely this is possible.

[arthurhenry]

With software like Amazing slow downer which can slow down a recording without changing pitch, surely it would be possible to plug into some kind of device which could change your pitch live on a standard tuned bass. Very useful if you joined a band who tuned down a semitone and you didn't want to adjust your set-up and string guages. You could also "tune down" to BEAD whilst playing an EADG bass or any other combinations. Can't believe there's not something which does this. Wouldn't work too well on acoustic instruments though!

[Happy Jack]

In theory, this would work. You'd just need a laptop on stage and God knows there are enough bands that do that these days.

Not sure if you'd be happy with the EQ or the tone, or with the control you'd have over them.

[chris_b]

It's called a midi.

[crez5150]

a midi what?

[ShergoldSnickers]

midi-gital device that allows me to slow down time when I play live.

[Happy Jack]

Oh yes ... and don't call me "Shirley".

[paul h]

It's called a pitch shifter.

[ThomBassmonkey]

Look up the Roland V-bass units, they'll do it with midi.

There's a couple here: [url="https://www.roland.co.uk/advancedsearch.aspx?s=v-bass&f=b"]https://www.roland.co.uk/advancedsearch.asp...=v-bass&f=b[/url] You'd need a pup too.

It is possible to do it just using a pitch shifter pedal too, never used one for bass myself, but they are terrible with chords and they sound very synthy even on single notes on guitar. There's references to people on this forum using octave pedals then playing an octave up so they can get the synthy tone for dance music.

[arthurhenry]

What about a stand alone stomp box that did this though?

[LukeFRC]

line 6 variax? can also sound like anything you want!

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='arthurhenry' post='1045048' date='Dec 2 2010, 01:35 PM']What about a stand alone stomp box that did this though?[/quote]

You can get pitch shifters as stomp boxes.

[url="http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=147"]http://www.rolandus.com/products/productde...p?ProductId=147[/url]

It'll change your tone a fair bit though, as I said about octavers (which are basically just pitch shifters with a few different options).

[Doctor J]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1045054' date='Dec 2 2010, 01:38 PM']line 6 variax? can also sound like anything you want![/quote]
Indeed. The variax guitar does digital retuning on the fly, just tell it what you want each string's pitch to be and off you go.

I can't see it working as a pedal though, you'd need to be impossibly precise with your playing so there aren't any fluffed notes or two strings ringing out at once, chords, etc would be hugely problematic. The piezo pickup for each string is the key to it on the guitar.

[pete.young]

[quote name='arthurhenry' post='1045048' date='Dec 2 2010, 01:35 PM']What about a stand alone stomp box that did this though?[/quote]
Digitech Whammy does it.

[Owen]

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1045351' date='Dec 2 2010, 05:01 PM']Indeed. The variax guitar does digital retuning on the fly, just tell it what you want each string's pitch to be and off you go.

I can't see it working as a pedal though, you'd need to be impossibly precise with your playing so there aren't any fluffed notes or two strings ringing out at once, chords, etc would be hugely problematic. The piezo pickup for each string is the key to it on the guitar.[/quote]

Does the Variax bass do that? Could I go down to bottom F sharp? Now I'm excited!

[pete.young]

[quote name='owen' post='1045766' date='Dec 2 2010, 10:36 PM']Does the Variax bass do that? Could I go down to bottom F sharp? Now I'm excited![/quote]
Sorry, but no. In order to retune the Variax you need the Variax Workbench, which only works with the guitars..

[TomKent]

[s]Live autotune has been happening for a while (for the rubbish bands/artists out there), it's getting far too good though.[/s]

Ha. Wrong kind of auto-tuning haha.

Edited December 2, 2010 by TomKent

[Owen]

[quote name='pete.young' post='1045833' date='Dec 2 2010, 11:38 PM']Sorry, but no. In order to retune the Variax you need the Variax Workbench, which only works with the guitars..[/quote]

Phew! That is another bass I need off the list

Edited December 3, 2010 by owen

[Doctor J]

They've just overhauled the guitar with James Tyler, the new one actually looks quite decent. Here's hoping they do the same for the bass model and perhaps give it the same features.

[Owen]

[url="http://line6.com/community/thread/42570"]http://line6.com/community/thread/42570[/url]