TomRandles97 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I'm getting into a lot of electronic music and music that incorporates synth parts such as Snarky Puppy lately and I'm wondering if any of you implements synth sounds on bass and how? Thinking maybe an OC-2 with a drive pedal to get a classic analog Moog sort of sound, or maybe something like a Markbass Supersynth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo0tsy Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 A bit of light drive, an OC-2 combined with an envelope filter will get you there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 (edited) I've had some experimentation with synthy stuff. You'll need the following: - Synthy dirt. Octaves are good for this, also consider gated fuzz. - Filter. I prefer to use a standalone Low Pass Filter - Means to control the filter sweep. This could be built into the filter (envelope filter) or controlling a LPF with an external toy. I have a few toys for this: an expression pedal, an LFO and a Hot Hand (lots of fun!) Here's a little demo of the LFO I did a while back. I have since replaced the expression pedal with a Hot Hand. http://youtu.be/UpdfBUES_XQ Edited June 25, 2016 by Roland Rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 (edited) Budget Zoom stuff such as the B1on and ms60b both have good synth emulators and you can also experiment by adding on filters or chorus to fatten things up at the end of a chain. Excellent demo Roland Rock by the way. Edited June 25, 2016 by pete.young Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 [quote name='ped' timestamp='1466847503' post='3079309'] Nothing I've tried beats the Roland VB99. You can do anything with it. Change signal chain, morph from one patch to another based on dynamics, layer effects, polyphonic etc. You'll be spending a whole day at least making a patch but for me that's heaven! Edit to add the D-beam and expression pad built into the unit. crazy control possibilities. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Looks interesting Ped. Can't seem to find these for sale? Is the pickup included with the system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 [quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1467010753' post='3080331'] Looks interesting Ped. Can't seem to find these for sale? Is the pickup included with the system? [/quote] It depends where you buy it, but normally a pickup is bundled with the unit. One of the reasons they never became 'mainstream' I think is because you have to use that extra pickup - you can clamp the 'brain' part of it to the bass but if you really like the system you can install everything internally which is nice and neat. I did that after a few years of really getting used to the system. Now I wouldn't go back. It's super flexible, probably so much so that it put many players off. They come up for sale sometimes in eBay and on here, so keep an eye open. If you're ever in the York area feel free to have a look at mine. Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Buy a keyboard synth and spend a week learning some rudimentary keyboard skills. Does everything you can do with a bass and a load of pedals, quicker and more accurately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuco Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1467042086' post='3080709'] Buy a keyboard synth and spend a week learning some rudimentary keyboard skills. Does everything you can do with a bass and a load of pedals, quicker and more accurately. [/quote] Fair comment, I have a Minitaur and indeed it does do everything and more , your right. BUT it's not as much fun as plugging my bass into OC2 - Mastotron - Oxide - MF102 & MF101 controlled with an MP201 then into a CEB3 - TC flashback One love x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 I'm a fan of the Deep Impact/Future Impact pedal because it emulates many old school analogue synth sounds. All you need is a touch of chorus, phaser or delay and it's the 70's and 80's all over again. Not sure whether it'll do Snarky Puppy, I'm not into their music but the Future Impact has a USB editor which gives indecent access to control parameters so something might be possible. You can also get software which doesn't require any kind of pickup or pedal. Just plug your bass into the USB sound module and go. [url="http://www.jamorigin.com/products/midi-guitar/"]http://www.jamorigin...ts/midi-guitar/[/url] I've tried the demo - it tracks as well as the Future Impact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westenra Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 My critter and guitari pocket piano arrived yesterday and it's all the synth for the price of a pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 [quote name='Tuco' timestamp='1467095171' post='3081069'] Fair comment, I have a Minitaur and indeed it does do everything and more , your right. BUT it's not as much fun as plugging my bass into OC2 - Mastotron - Oxide - MF102 & MF101 controlled with an MP201 then into a CEB3 - TC flashback One love x [/quote] Having spent most of the 80s putting synths through distortion pedals to try and make them sound like guitars and then in the 90s putting bass and guitars through filters and envelope shapers to try and get synth-like sounds out of them, I'm very much of the opinion that it's a question of using the right tools to do the job, and nowadays that for me means if I want synths sounds it's always quicker and easier and the results are more consistent if I use a synth. Besides you can get all sorts of great synths with decent interfaces for not very much money if you go second-hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 I don't doubt you are right BigRedX but some times there just isn't room on some of the stages we play for an extra keyboard and stand, hence the attraction of a pedal. I suppose I could use my V-Accordion as a Midi controller but the image wouldn't fit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 [quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1467138165' post='3081464'] I don't doubt you are right BigRedX but some times there just isn't room on some of the stages we play for an extra keyboard and stand, hence the attraction of a pedal. I suppose I could use my V-Accordion as a Midi controller but the image wouldn't fit! [/quote] I'd normally agree, but having seen the size of the average pedal board used to produce synth type sounds from a guitar or bass, I'd say that anything but the largest keyboard would probably take up less room. I'd could look at a small 3-4 octave synth or controller keyboard that could be attached to a mic stand with suitable mounting brackets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRandles97 Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Thanks for the help everyone, really interesting stuff! Plenty to research I'd love to buy a synth but as people have said on here, mainly for convenience I'd prefer pedals. Less gear to carry and I'm no Geddy for multitasking so it seems easier to me to do everything with one instrument, if possible. If it did come to buying a synth, can anyone recommend me any that aren't going to cost a fortune? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuco Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 [quote name='TomRandles97' timestamp='1467284716' post='3082487'] Thanks for the help everyone, really interesting stuff! Plenty to research I'd love to buy a synth but as people have said on here, mainly for convenience I'd prefer pedals. Less gear to carry and I'm no Geddy for multitasking so it seems easier to me to do everything with one instrument, if possible. If it did come to buying a synth, can anyone recommend me any that aren't going to cost a fortune? [/quote] A Moog Minitaur Had to be the most cost effective route into the world of Moog synths Just hook it up to a controller keyboard or sequencer and your good to go The vst editor that comes with it is great, you can get under the hood and tweak til your hearts content! Can't recommended this bad boy highly enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I love the look of the Roland TB3 - looks like a great bit of kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I just bought a Microkorg XL a few years back - I still enjoy it. I'm about to venture into synth pedals. Digitech Dirty Robot sound ace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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