Upright and FX - any views?

[fatback]

I haven't experimented with FX on upright at all and I'm wondering if any of you folks have.

Any thoughts or youtube examples?

As if I haven't got enough to worry about just playing the thing. Could be fun though, i think.

Edited May 7, 2012 by fatback

[jdizzle]

Miles Mosley is one name that springs to mind. Extensive use of effects on an upright. Decent singer too.

[media]http://youtu.be/Va3TRZ08L6o[/media]

[media]http://youtu.be/R0mk1W9HWew[/media]

[Jimryan]

The bassist from the John Butler Trio used a load on a live gig, I'll try and find it.

[Jimryan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2srXz6JfUeI

about 4:45

[bassace]

Not really fussed about the more extreme effects, such as on these clips, but a chorus can do wonders on a ballad solo up the fingerboard.

Edited May 7, 2012 by bassace

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1336404816' post='1645111']
Not really fussed about the more extreme effects, such as on these clips, but a chorus can do wonders on a ballad solo up the fingerboard.
[/quote]

Whilst I'm no expert, I'd agree with this, and perhaps suggest that in some cases a nice (light, airy) reverb or some subtle delay might be appropriate?
Have you a multi fx unit or can you borrow one to try things out? Might be worth a go. I'm assuming you're using either an EUB or some kind of bridge transducer that can connect directly to such a device...

[Owen]

FX a-go-go!

http://www.myspace.com/schizoidbass

Most of it is DB or EUB in various disguises.

[fatback]

Ooh I like these a lot! Being an amazing player seems to help a bit too. I didn't know about Miles Mosley or Vincent Guerin.

The John Butler stuff makes a db solo downright acceptable (I normally loathe bass solos). Brings it to the fore without having to be the whole time in thimb position. Not that I'll be trying solos any time soon, but I can see how interesting it could get just from a texture point of view.

We've got a new ballad that just might benefit from a spot of chorus. I feel a multifx unit coming on. Slippery slope.

Edited May 8, 2012 by fatback

[Bilbo]

Not a great fan of effects on electric bass. On double bass it really is gilding the lily.

[thisnameistaken]

I like what Miles Mosley's doing up there. I've got a lot of effects that I use on BG but I've never run my DB through them, I think because I like the sound of DB plenty already, but those clips above are really nice.

[51m0n]

No mention of Lamb yet?

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt1Ef_ai_C4&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=AL94UKMTqg-9A3smZ_xx-PtuYilNpWWpNg[/media]

Edited May 8, 2012 by 51m0n

[51m0n]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1336472801' post='1645990']


Not a great fan of effects on electric bass. On double bass it really is gilding the lily.
[/quote]

Nope, just open vs close minded perhaps?

[Hector]

I think effects on double bass are super-cool ([media]http://youtu.be/D7KXq6RJ0PA[/media] awwwww yeahhhhh), but think that they have to be used with taste and caution. Hooray for loopers though: http://youtu.be/tudxUEuLf28

Effects pedals can sap tone, so better to blend with a clean signal perhaps? Never actually used any on bass. Personally would rather spend most of my time working on solid acoustic tone and feel at the moment, mostly because I have no gigs where I might need effects rather than being closed to the idea of them , but might dabble in the future.


Oh by the way Fatback: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173793-line-6-bass-floor-pod-xt-live-for-trade/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173793-line-6-bass-floor-pod-xt-live-for-trade/[/url]

Edited May 8, 2012 by Hector

[Bilbo]

Henri Texier used effects at one time. I think Chris Wood (Medeski, Martin and Wood) may have. He certainly plays 'prepared' bass (sticking things between strings etc).

51mon - 0pen minded is one thing. Undiscerning another

The day I hear an effect that improves the sound of a double bass, I will applaud it. Until then..... :bleuuuch:

PS I am not alone....

[51m0n]

Its official, I'm undiscerning. Cool! Can I have a badge and everything please

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1336487623' post='1646291']The day I hear an effect that improves the sound of a double bass, I will applaud it. Until then..... :bleuuuch:[/quote]

I suppose you could bin all effects on all instruments if that's your justification.

[fatback]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1336487623' post='1646291']

The day I hear an effect that improves the sound of a double bass, I will applaud it. Until then..... :bleuuuch:

PS I am not alone....
[/quote]

I prefer to think that an instrument sounds best when it's right for the context and the job it has to do. What's the difference between changing strings for a different genre and using an effect?

I'm loving what I'm hearing.

[51m0n]

Yeah, I love hearing statements like:-

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1336487623' post='1646291']

The day I hear an effect that improves the sound of a double bass, I will applaud it. Until then..... :bleuuuch:

[/quote]

Because so much of what you hear is treated in some way (eq, compression, tape compression, microphone artifacts) and you are saying you dont like the sound of recorded upright, or an upright with anything creative done to it after the fact.

Which is why I mentioned close minded.

I also enjoy "I am not alone" line too, the Wehrmacht weren't alone, they weren't right either....

[TheRev]

I'm loving those E.S.T. tracks - I'm off to Amazon...

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1336488887' post='1646318']
I prefer to think that an instrument sounds best when it's right for the context and the job it has to do.
[/quote]

Agreed. Back when I actually still played electric bass, I used to use a shedload of FX in a folky acoustic duo. I just looked on the bass as being my preferred mechanism for producing the sounds, (i.e. the FX), that we wanted for the songs. The fact that it wasn't 'right' or traditional wasn't the point. The bowed sections in the E.S.T. tracks above don't sound anything like double bass, but who said that they had to?

[Owen]

The EST thing is excellent, and they are TOTALLY feeling it

[paul_5]

[quote name='Hector' timestamp='1336481729' post='1646169']
I think effects on double bass are super-cool ([media]http://youtu.be/D7KXq6RJ0PA[/media] awwwww yeahhhhh)
[/quote]

First thing that I thought of when I read the topic of this thread - this album in particular is amazing.

[Owen]

As it happens I have just started to plug my DB into Mainstage on my laptop to mess with delays and stuff for one of the numbers I am doing. The possibilities are just endless, and that is just using presets. Once I can work out how to get a filter to open and close (and it cannot be that hard) using bow pressure I will be able to achieve total world domination.

[fatback]

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1336513709' post='1646904']
As it happens I have just started to plug my DB into Mainstage on my laptop to mess with delays and stuff for one of the numbers I am doing. The possibilities are just endless, and that is just using presets. Once I can work out how to get a filter to open and close (and it cannot be that hard) using bow pressure I will be able to achieve total world domination.
[/quote]

Gwan, talk dirty ta me

Edited May 8, 2012 by fatback

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1336489091' post='1646322']
Yeah, I love hearing statements like:-



Because so much of what you hear is treated in some way (eq, compression, tape compression, microphone artifacts) and you are saying you dont like the sound of recorded upright, or an upright with anything creative done to it after the fact.

Which is why I mentioned close minded.

I also enjoy "I am not alone" line too, the Wehrmacht weren't alone, they weren't right either....
[/quote]

I agree with the philosophical point. How do you know whether what you are hearing has been processed or not? And if it has, in what way?

As for the Godwin's Law thing, never did I think it'd happen on the DB/EUB part of the forum

[noojb]

There is some really cool music being posted in this thread! Especially Lamb and EST but all the videos posted have been fantastic.
think i'm gonna have to try sticking my upright through my ehx micro synth after listening to all this stuff.

Edited May 8, 2012 by noojb