Muse Bass Sound

[AM1]

Aloha

How do Muse get that "digital" sound on the bass, is it a bass synth??

If so, how do they work, I haven't seen one. Do you just plug it in then choose a sound???

Rgds
AM

[Stan_da_man]

From what I've heard, he used an Akai Deep Impact.

[Protium]

A multitude of effects and a tri-amp system I believe.

[url="http://www.musewiki.org/Bass"]http://www.musewiki.org/Bass[/url]

[AM1]

[quote name='Protium' post='360385' date='Dec 21 2008, 06:26 PM']A multitude of effects and a tri-amp system I believe.

[url="http://www.musewiki.org/Bass"]http://www.musewiki.org/Bass[/url][/quote]

Thanks for that link, I've never seen that before!!

I saw Muse at Wembley, it seriously, seriously rocked.

Happy days

Cheers
AM

[BIG.J]

A BIG MUFF pedal should do the job i believe!

I have been after this sound myself. I use a Boss GT6-B unit which has a MUFF sound within the Distortion/Overdrive menu.

It sounds ok but not quite the sound we are looking for!

Cheers

Justin.

[Finbar]

His sound is MUCH more complicated than just a Big Muff. I wish I knew where to start That wiki is the best Chris-resource I've seen, but I haven't seen anything that actually goes into his signal chain etc in any kind of detail. I'd like that.

[Jateca]

The best results I've had for emulating his synth-like sound (I'm assuming you're talking about Hysteria and Time is running out here) have come from a gated, fuzz face style fuzz (e.g. Zvex Woolly Mammoth) combined with a bit of pre-amp EQ trickery.

An octaver doesn't hurt either.

[JJTee]

MXR Bass Blowtorch does a great gated synthy-fuzz sound when you push it to the more extreme settings. Can get a great sound for both Hysteria and Starlight.

[AM1]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

Is a bass synth the same as a MIDI keyboard synth? Can you actually create sounds for example using sine and square waves??

Or is the bass synth pre-programmed and you just select a sound?

Rgds
AM

[Starvolt]

I assume you're talking about the Digitech jobbie?

It's basically a stompbox with settings of differnet synthyness, and you can control all the aspects like the sensitivity.

I can get a pretty Hysteria-y sound with my Big Muff, Synth Wah (but fairly subtley) although something to make it a little more springy would help.

His sound is really varied though, so there's stuff like Escape, where it's not hugely effected, but then on the flip side, there's Easily, which is really fuzzy,with a really slow Auto-Wah ('least I think so).

[gafbass02]

I nailed hysteria just using an old korg pandora, much to my surprise!

[bobbass4k]

I can get a perfect TIRO sound with my cherry pop (its quite a gated synthy fuzz) and the envelope filter patch on my xp-100 set heel down, that gives it a really bassy subby kick. Can get a a good hysteria sound with the cherry pop, fuzz intensty higher and tone at mids and some mild chorus, occasionaly use one of the other autowah patches on the xp-100 to give it a synthy edge. The cherry pop does an overall good synthy fuzz, and the envelope filter on the xp-100 set at heel down gives a really great bassy tone, fits in a lot of muse songs

[cheddatom]

I prefer his earlier sounds. You can find out all about them as the set up was rather more simple!

[captain black]

+1 for the MXr blowtorch. Good for hysteria.
Gaf, what settings did you use on the Pandora? might give it a try.
Either way I know that Chris wolstenholme is a serious pedal freak and owns a multitude which he uses in all sorts of combinations (when recording). It's just a case of getting it as close as you can with what you've got or you'll spend a fortune chasing down the exact sound.

[peted]

My old band used to cover TIRO and I used just a Big Muff pedal. Similar enough sound live for people to recognise the intro.

[fatrabbit]

[quote name='AM1' post='360504' date='Dec 21 2008, 09:33 PM']Hi, thanks for the replies.

Is a bass synth the same as a MIDI keyboard synth? Can you actually create sounds for example using sine and square waves??

Or is the bass synth pre-programmed and you just select a sound?

Rgds
AM[/quote]

I believe on the record it is a mixture of real bass and synth playing the same line.

As for your question about bass synths* - it's a question with an open answer. Any synth could be used as a bass synth (ie. play in the C1 range or whatever). Some synths are more suited for basses though.

Moog Little Phatty (or most other Moog synths such as the Minimoog). The Little Phatty is also good for lead lines:
[url="http://www.moogmusic.com/littlephatty/?section=product&product_id=227"]http://www.moogmusic.com/littlephatty/?sec...;product_id=227[/url]
[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9hufwMENvhI&feature=related"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9hufwMENvhI&...feature=related[/url]

Moog also made a dedicated bass pedal synth: Taurus : [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=frRx-AOZYvg"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=frRx-AOZYvg[/url]

A great site for exploring classic synths: [url="http://www.vintagesynth.com/index.html"]http://www.vintagesynth.com/index.html[/url]

There are a million software synthesisers too. There is a whole niche that replicate hardware (ie. the Minimonsta is based on the Minimoog). Some people say the sound doesn't compare the hardware, but the quality of softsynths has got to a point where it's pretty amazing and hard to tell (mostly depends on your settings and mixing of the track to get a good sound).
Try sites like [url="http://www.kvraudio.com"]http://www.kvraudio.com[/url] or [url="http://www.soundonsound.com"]http://www.soundonsound.com[/url]


* Remember there's a difference between a hardware synth (makes sound) and a MIDI keyboard controller (which often doesn't make sound itself but can be used to play softsynths or hardware synths - ie. rack versions like my Nord Lead 2X synth).

Edited December 23, 2008 by fatrabbit

[Finbar]

Agreed - Showbiz has some awesome tones, but ask about Chris' tone, even from that era, and people will always assume you mean the Hysteria tone for some reason ¬_¬

[quote name='cheddatom' post='361684' date='Dec 23 2008, 08:47 AM']I prefer his earlier sounds. You can find out all about them as the set up was rather more simple![/quote]

[Starvolt]

[quote name='Finbar' post='362190' date='Dec 23 2008, 05:49 PM']Agreed - Showbiz has some awesome tones, but ask about Chris' tone, even from that era, and people will always assume you mean the Hysteria tone for some reason ¬_¬[/quote]


I suppose it's cos it's one of the really well known Muse tracks. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the right sound for Muscle Museum.

Also, I do want the distortion that he uses on Futurism. Sounds epic!

[Protium]

[quote name='Starvolt' post='362738' date='Dec 24 2008, 12:15 PM']I suppose it's cos it's one of the really well known Muse tracks. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the right sound for Muscle Museum.

Also, I do want the distortion that he uses on Futurism. Sounds epic![/quote]

Sounds to me like seperate clean and distorted tracks, I can get a tone very similar with a Boss ODB3

[Finbar]

I believe he was running a Peavey Bandit for his dirty channel on Muscle Museum. You can find articles about his Showbiz era setup on the internet - doesn't explain it in its entirety, but it mentions a few of the pedals he was sticking in to dirty things up too.

[gafbass02]

[quote name='captain black' post='361769' date='Dec 23 2008, 10:31 AM']+1 for the MXr blowtorch. Good for hysteria.
Gaf, what settings did you use on the Pandora? might give it a try.
Either way I know that Chris wolstenholme is a serious pedal freak and owns a multitude which he uses in all sorts of combinations (when recording). It's just a case of getting it as close as you can with what you've got or you'll spend a fortune chasing down the exact sound.[/quote]

It's just called fuzz but I dunno if it was programmed by it's original owner, it's the old red pandora. Everyone just looks at me gone out when I play it as it sounds so close. I've yet to rtfm tbh but I'll try and figure out the settings for ya.

[AM1]

[quote name='fatrabbit' post='361892' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:37 PM']I believe on the record it is a mixture of real bass and synth playing the same line.

As for your question about bass synths* - it's a question with an open answer. Any synth could be used as a bass synth (ie. play in the C1 range or whatever). Some synths are more suited for basses though.

Moog Little Phatty (or most other Moog synths such as the Minimoog). The Little Phatty is also good for lead lines:
[url="http://www.moogmusic.com/littlephatty/?section=product&product_id=227"]http://www.moogmusic.com/littlephatty/?sec...;product_id=227[/url]
[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9hufwMENvhI&feature=related"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9hufwMENvhI&...feature=related[/url]

Moog also made a dedicated bass pedal synth: Taurus : [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=frRx-AOZYvg"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=frRx-AOZYvg[/url]

A great site for exploring classic synths: [url="http://www.vintagesynth.com/index.html"]http://www.vintagesynth.com/index.html[/url]

There are a million software synthesisers too. There is a whole niche that replicate hardware (ie. the Minimonsta is based on the Minimoog). Some people say the sound doesn't compare the hardware, but the quality of softsynths has got to a point where it's pretty amazing and hard to tell (mostly depends on your settings and mixing of the track to get a good sound).
Try sites like [url="http://www.kvraudio.com"]http://www.kvraudio.com[/url] or [url="http://www.soundonsound.com"]http://www.soundonsound.com[/url]


* Remember there's a difference between a hardware synth (makes sound) and a MIDI keyboard controller (which often doesn't make sound itself but can be used to play softsynths or hardware synths - ie. rack versions like my Nord Lead 2X synth).[/quote]

Hiya thanks for the replies, I like all the "synth" sounds but my favourite stuff has got to be Origin of Symmetry.

I have to be honest, I'm not that interested in software (possibly with the exception of 1 or 2 examples) and I prefer hardware. Nothing beats racks/sound modules, I used to use a K1 and Roland sound module/TR rack and have yet to hear some of those sounds matched, let alone surpassed.

I have been told the Muse sound is cultivated using custom build pedals, just not sure how true this is. Just would love to know if it's done using bass synth or otherwise.

Also, I have heard there was a sonic scientist hiding at a few gigs using sequencers and synth stuff, would love to know if this is true!

Regards

AM

[Tracer]

[quote name='AM1' post='363461' date='Dec 25 2008, 11:47 PM']Also, I have heard there was a sonic scientist hiding at a few gigs using sequencers and synth stuff, would love to know if this is true![/quote]
That'll be Morgan Nicholls. You can see him skulking around in the back of [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyLx0qc_gKc"]this video[/url]. As far as I know he's only been on the more recent tours though.

[Starvolt]

Yeah, the Supermassive Wiki and the Muse Forums are pretty hanfy in finding out gear and settings, though I don't think I can afford his rig!

I might have to nick my mates OBD3 and have a go at Futurism then, cheers guys!

[AM1]

[quote name='Tracer' post='363565' date='Dec 26 2008, 11:38 AM']That'll be Morgan Nicholls. You can see him skulking around in the back of [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyLx0qc_gKc"]this video[/url]. As far as I know he's only been on the more recent tours though.[/quote]

Thanks for the info!

Laughing at "skulking" - that's exactly right!

I had a go on some pedals yesterday and can see how *totally* easy it would be to get carried away on effects.

Oh dear.

Equipment intensive hobbies are NOT cool

MUST......BE......STRONG.....

Hehe!