Alternatives to microkorg for synth bass?

[Chrismanbass]

Hi guys i've been asked to play synth bass for an artist i'm playing for and i'm looking for a synth to use for bass sounds i love the sounds i can get out of a microkorg however i find that the keys are too small for my fingers anyone have any alternatives that they like the sound of with full size keys?

any advice is welcomed

[xgsjx]

If you like the sounds you get out of a microkorg, why not just get a larger remote keyboard & plug the microkorg in to it?

DV247 are doing some good deals on [url="http://www.dv247.com/news/Alto%20Controller%20Keyboards%20for%20Crazy%20Prices/133181"]these![/url]

[Wooks79]

Not sure how much bigger the keys are cos I've never used a microkorg, but I use a novation bass station, gonna flog it soon, cos I only use it for one song

[EskimoBassist]

The Novation is a great unit, but does have similar sized keys to the MicroKorg.

[Beer of the Bass]

The old Novation Bass station is a good option, one of the few bits of kit I really regret selling (along with the Space Echo I had - what was I thinking?). The keys are full sized, but you only get two octaves, which some may find limiting.

[oggiesnr]

Korg Prophecy. They come up fairly often on Ebay, going rate looks to be around £250.

Steve

[WalMan]

I use a [url="http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=1094#.T7fvPsWi18E"]Roland A300[/url] & a [url="http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/mopho/"]DSI Mopho[/url]

Looking at the DSI site they doe a [url="http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/mophokey/"]keyboard version[/url] but I got the A300 to use as a controller on the PC at home

[BassTractor]

+1 on the MIDI keyboard, but if you want another synth, then the Alesis Micron / Akai Miniak is a _beast_ of a synth, both if you just wanna use the 1,000 or so pre-programmed sounds and if you wanna program new sounds.
It's like a travel through the history of synthesis, meaning it will do synth bass à la 60s just as convincingly as a synth bass à la 90s. Like the Microkorg, it's a virtual analogue synth.

If you have the money, then the Miniak version is the best bet. It addresses some technical issues the Micron had, and also has an updated, better sound set than the Micron. Opinions on the keyboard vary, but I like the Miniak's slightly better than the Micron's. Three octaves keyboard if memory serves.

Mind ya, programming new sounds should be done through a computer, as the tiny display is a huge drawback.



If you have more money, I'd go for the 4 octave Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard. A lot easier to program without computer software, with a delightful display and more knobs than the Miniak. Virtual analogue as well, but has so much its own character that some tweaking is needed if you want a historic approach. Will do everything though, and sounds more like the fantastic but very expensive Waldorf Q than even the Waldorf Micro-Q does.


Just let me know if you want to know more.

best,
bert

[xgsjx]

Oh, another option if you have funds. Moog Little Phatty or MiniMoog.

[Chrismanbass]

cheers guys thanks for the advice i'll work through all the stuff n may be back with some more questions but in the mean time cheers

[Faithless]

Having used Microkorg for lots of pop stuff in a past year - as far sounds go - yes it's great but those small keys and programming just pissed me off.
If you want to stick with Korg and want bigger keys you might wanna go for Microkorg XL - which has 'regular' size keys.
Other options are going for MIDI keyboard + module, like Virus ir DSI.

I myself went straight to Moog Little Phatty from Microkorg, and haven't looked back since the moment I switched.

L

[WalMan]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1337469729' post='1660648']
Oh, another option if you have funds. Moog Little Phatty or MiniMoog.
[/quote]...or indeed a Slim Phatty + a master keyboard. That was on my list of possible before I picked up the Mopho on eBay. All in one is probably easier in many ways, but I was looking for a slightly better master to use at home for recording with the computer.

[Kiwi]

I suggest you define very precisely what sounds each song needs.

If you need mostly saw waves you could get away with a Mark bass pedal. If you need squares and saws you might consider a Deep Impact. If you need squares, saws and sines you might be looking at an Eventide Pitchfactor. The latter two have the best tracking. The Deep Impact has more recognisable sounds.

If you need the full gamut of patches on any keyboard then MIDI bass is the way to go. But you'll pay BIG money unless you score a Peavey Cyberbass and pitch to MIDI unit.

[BigRedX]

Nord Lead - any version depending on what you can afford.

[Faithless]

Thing is an interesting thing regarding 'synth pedals' and Midi pups .
Having seen quite a few major pop acts in the past I can't name ONE player that uses pedals or Midi pickups instead of any sort of keyboard (synth, module, etc).
The problem I think is that some bassparts (especially those that are originally played on synth keys) can't be replicated on bass guitar - for example, try replicating bass synth part on B Spears - Toxic, using bass guitar, and playing those 10ths and 11ths...

Another thing is - I'm guessing that even a Akai Deep Impact doesn't have as much sound modelling options as does have, for eg. Moog Little Phatty? And the last bit is that - pedals are sitting on pedalboard, which means you cannot adjust Filters and other important bits on the fly, that is -during the song, right.

[BigRedX]

Playing "synth bass" from a keyboard or by a bass fitted with a MIDI pickup or through pedals all have their various strengths and weaknesses, depending on what kind of bass line you need and what kind of bass player or keyboard player you are. There is no right answer, but equally there is no one way that will cover all the requirements for all synth bass parts. The trick is to know when to use a keyboard, when to use a bass with MIDI or effects and most importantly of all when to use a sequencer instead.

Someone times synth bass needs to have the absolute precision of timing and tone that only a sequencer can achieve. Think of Gorgio Moroder's programming on "I Feel Love" or DAF's Der Mussolini" or "Rez" by Underworld where the individual timbre of each note is just as important as the note itself.

From a feel PoV some things work best when played on a keyboard and some best when played on a bass guitar. Then there's the controllability of the sound to consider. Most of the time a well appointed synth with plenty of controllers and knobs for the sound parameters will be best here.

I think there is a tendency for the fact that now technology allows you to do something to get in the way of the fact that it might not actually be the best, most accurate or most efficient way of doing it. I can remember a player at bass day some years ago demonstrating what he could do and the sounds he could create with a floor full of pedals. Very impressive until you consider that each "patch" took several minutes to set up and some of the control over the sound wasn't as accurate as it could have been. A very average keyboard player with a decent programmable synth could have achieved everything faster and played and controlled the sounds themselves far better.