Gunsfreddy2003 Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Recently bought one of these and whilst I love the sounds that it can make I am struggling to get a sound that cuts through live with my band. Anyone else using one and got any tips on how to overcome this? I know you can plug it into the laptop and adjust all of the parameters etc but I am not sure this will solve the fact that I seem to be losing bottom end when it is engaged. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I certainly don't find I lost bottoms end with mine. Bear in mind that bass synth often has 'it's place' in music - not the sort of sounds you get backing up electric guitars with distortion etc. Get the band to create dynamic around you. Getting on the laptop will help too as you can tune the oscillates higher or lower as you see fit - changing not only pitch, but also the tonal emphasis. The knob that changes the character of the preset will give you some shift in tone but for the most part, the computer is the key. You can tune the envelope as well to be more subby and less 'wet' which fattens up the sound. I assume you have the gain balanced right as well (with the light just flickering). Shep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 (edited) I love it! The software blags my head a little but i managed to make one simple patch I use for big beefy bits of our songs Edited December 12, 2011 by Ant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 I hear what you say but it you are covering a tune with a synth bass sound then you can't start telling the rest of band to play it differently so that everyone can hear me!! I am having big problems with the clip light on the gain side - it seems to stay on nearly all the time even when turned practically off. I have been using it with the MM Stingray 5 and just assumed that the signal was a little 'hot'? Not sure why this is? Does that affect the tone from the pedal? [quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1323723378' post='1466334'] I certainly don't find I lost bottoms end with mine. Bear in mind that bass synth often has 'it's place' in music - not the sort of sounds you get backing up electric guitars with distortion etc. Get the band to create dynamic around you. Getting on the laptop will help too as you can tune the oscillates higher or lower as you see fit - changing not only pitch, but also the tonal emphasis. The knob that changes the character of the preset will give you some shift in tone but for the most part, the computer is the key. You can tune the envelope as well to be more subby and less 'wet' which fattens up the sound. I assume you have the gain balanced right as well (with the light just flickering). Shep [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 My clip light goes on loads I just ignore it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 Ha ha - same as me then. Can't get the bloody thing to go off at all!! [quote name='Ant' timestamp='1323757504' post='1466549'] My clip light goes on loads I just ignore it [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyP Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I recently picked up one of these and am not regretting it! I'd been searching for a decent, highly-tweakable bass synth pedal since my GT-6B* went kaput... If you're lacking bottom-end there's a few options... ( a ) [b]increase the amount of "dry" signal[/b] Connect the pedal to your computer and, with the MarkBass software, turn the "mix" knob anti-clockwise. Roll-off your instrument's upper frequencies using its tone knob / on-board EQ ( b ) [b]use an octaver[/b] Try shoving a Bass Octaver after the synth. Note that very few octavers that will actually be able to handle this without going schizo! But if you have a Line 6 M5/M9/M13 you're laughing as it tracks like a beast... Even so, this will give really muddy results if the Coarse Pitch of any of your oscillators is set below 0, so be careful - many of the synth presets already include an oscillator pitched at -12 steps (sub-octave), so your extra octave will come out at a bowel-troubling -24 steps(!) ( c ) [b]detune the oscillators[/b] Set up two oscillators with the same Coarse Pitch (e.g. 0 or -12), and vary the Fine Pitch. Don't be afraid to go a bit wild! Greater detuning will give more DnB-style tones. In general, I'm running the synth through a shedload of other FX anyway - MF-101, overdrive, flange/phase/chorus/etc, delay/reverb... if you want it to sound like a synth, treat it like one! [size=2]* the synth on the GT-6B is still the most tweakable I've come across, once you get used to the menus and assigning parameters to the CTRL and EXP pedals... just wish it had more than one oscillator... and was still in working condition!![/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted December 19, 2011 Author Share Posted December 19, 2011 Cheers Andy, some really useful tips there. I have not had the time to plug it into the computer and have a play and to be honest was a little bit daunted by doing this but it sounds like it is the very best way to get the best from this pedal? I was going to go for an Akai Deep Impact but a very knowledgable other BC'er suggested that the the Mark Bass was a much better and cost effective option so I need to stick with it. Problem is that the pre-sets just don't do it for me live! I do have a Boss OC-2 but I am running it before the Synth as that is widely acknowledged as the best place to have it - perhaps I will not just have to get the Aguilar Octamizer that I have GAS for so that I can put it afterwards and run to octave pedals!!! [quote name='AndyP' timestamp='1324297402' post='1472619'] I recently picked up one of these and am not regretting it! I'd been searching for a decent, highly-tweakable bass synth pedal since my GT-6B* went kaput... If you're lacking bottom-end there's a few options... ( a ) [b]increase the amount of "dry" signal[/b] Connect the pedal to your computer and, with the MarkBass software, turn the "mix" knob anti-clockwise. Roll-off your instrument's upper frequencies using its tone knob / on-board EQ ( b ) [b]use an octaver[/b] Try shoving a Bass Octaver after the synth. Note that very few octavers that will actually be able to handle this without going schizo! But if you have a Line 6 M5/M9/M13 you're laughing as it tracks like a beast... Even so, this will give really muddy results if the Coarse Pitch of any of your oscillators is set below 0, so be careful - many of the synth presets already include an oscillator pitched at -12 steps (sub-octave), so your extra octave will come out at a bowel-troubling -24 steps(!) ( c ) [b]detune the oscillators[/b] Set up two oscillators with the same Coarse Pitch (e.g. 0 or -12), and vary the Fine Pitch. Don't be afraid to go a bit wild! Greater detuning will give more DnB-style tones. In general, I'm running the synth through a shedload of other FX anyway - MF-101, overdrive, flange/phase/chorus/etc, delay/reverb... if you want it to sound like a synth, treat it like one! [size=2]* the synth on the GT-6B is still the most tweakable I've come across, once you get used to the menus and assigning parameters to the CTRL and EXP pedals... just wish it had more than one oscillator... and was still in working condition!![/size] [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyP Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' timestamp='1324297837' post='1472629'] I have not had the time to plug it into the computer and have a play and to be honest was a little bit daunted by doing this but it sounds like it is the very best way to get the best from this pedal? [/quote] [b]Definitely![/b] Fear not, as there's nothing you can really "do wrong" (other than making some pretty disgusting noises!) and it's really difficult to accidentally overwrite your saved tones anyway - especially if you can back them up onto your computer. Just be sure to read the manual first because the process for saving presets to the pedal is a little unintuitive (whereas everything else is pretty much a case of faffing about with the various knobs and seeing what happens!) Might help to have a fellow bass player there, or a recorded sequence which you can loop & re-amp through the pedal, so you can effectively "keep playing" while you make adjustments and dial in the sounds you're after. And enjoy the happy accidents which you'll no doubt come across along the way!! [quote]I do have a Boss OC-2 but I am running it before the Synth as that is widely acknowledged as the best place to have it [/quote] I also have an OC-2, but it generally gets confused by the synth sounds if you put it after the MarkBass. Have you thought about splitting your signal? Something I've looked into but not actually got around to trying yet... run the Synth on one chain [A], and a separate dry / OC-2 / overdrive chain [B], mixed together using a Boss LS-2 or similar...? Mind-boggling possibilities if you start going down that route anyway! Edited January 6, 2012 by AndyP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Since that post I have rigged up the MBSS to my laptop and had a play but have to say I was a little overwhelmed! Do you know why the oscillators cannot be altered on some of the existing pre-sets? Agree that saving a sound does seem a little longwinded! Funnily enough, I have just bought and LS-2 and am in the process of trying to work out what to do with my signal, I was going to run my whole board through the loop and then just mix A + B when using the synth to mix in more bottom end with my dry signal. Might try what you suggest though as an idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 You can edit the oscillators on the 'Custom' option in each patch. Each patch has some preset oscillator tunings... 8 I think? It's been a while?? The last position of the knob is custom for you to tune your own. To save, when you are happy with your effect, click and hold the position number at the bottom of the screen. Hold it until it blinks and it's saved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Yeah I have noticed that when you turn the dial around it goes to a menu called User, does that mean that it only dials in your sound when you turn it to that position and when you move off that it goes back to the presets? [quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1325877697' post='1489352'] You can edit the oscillators on the 'Custom' option in each patch. Each patch has some preset oscillator tunings... 8 I think? It's been a while?? The last position of the knob is custom for you to tune your own. To save, when you are happy with your effect, click and hold the position number at the bottom of the screen. Hold it until it blinks and it's saved. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 User - that the one. The user preset is totally adjustable so you can set up the sound you like on each of the 9 presets. Changing the dial from the 'user' preset applies the default 'flavour' I that position to the effect you have set up. So it does not become a totally different effect, just adjusts a few parameters around the sound you have set up. That's how I remember it anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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