I like the combination of the Octave-Up with modulation. It brings out the all the parts of a bass guitar's sound that I love. The envelope filter synth pedal you used near 20:00 makes the bass sound great too. That little bubbling it makes toward the end of the phrase is pure delight! It's a real pleasure to watch you demo these pedals because I feel like you know them inside and out, so you're showing elements that actually work in practice. Looking forward to Part Two!
Thank you Patrick, I really like those sounds as well. Especially the octavers, thinking it’s time for an octaver specific video, what do you think? Thank you Patrick, I really appreciate you saying that. I think taking the time with any pieces if equipment is worthwhile and is the only way to really get to know it’s character and how best to use it. So I am really happy you picked up on that. Thanks again for watching, commenting and for supporting what I’m doing on this channel. Thanks Gavin
HI Gav. Brilliant as always so good to hear the different pedals being played that allow various synth sounds and some stunning '70s funk - you really should do an ep with that on it. Now a request - I know that the channel may be for bass players in the know but would it be possible for total novices like myself for you to make a small video on the terms you use? Wet mix, dry mix - paving slabs for building a shed on! Octave up, minus 1, minus -3 - my general maths score! I know you're a busy bloke but something to ponder. Thanks again for the vid really looking forward to CASBwEP part II.
Thank you, appreciate it! I do have something in the works which will heavily use some of these sounds, more info on that coming very soon… Yeah that’s a great idea, I will definitely put together something on these terms and other effect terms etc to explain what they all mean. Thanks for the suggestion. Thanks for the support as always and sorry for the delayed response… something big is in the works to make up for it though … Thanks Gavin
Gavin. You absolute tease. You completely ripped it up at the end and if that is a taster for Part 2 I simply can't wait. Synth bass. Are you after a bass player very definitely making sounds like a synth or the sound of a synth that happens to use a bass as an oscillator? I think at a gig I would love to see the bass player come out of the shadows and wow us with some of the sounds you have shown us here, rather than someone twisting knobs on a black box. Why does the bass lend itself so well to synth sounds? Perhaps guitars are too high for octave up and that's one of your advantages? Perhaps your oscillator starts off much cleaner than a guitar? You have 4 strings. 4 Oscillators. When playing synth bass would you ever tune differently to get your oscillators closer to each other for all those benefits of notes beating closely together? 09:48 with the filter is gigantic. Since a filter takes out particular frequencies can the output volume be a bit unpredictable depending on the note choice? ADSR I never thought of that and how much control you have by playing with hands rather than twisting knobs on an actual synth. 17:30 Tremolo. Divine. When it became delay at 18:18 It went beyond divine and became tiramisu (OK I like a good pudding) 21:33 It's The Sweeny or some other 70's cop show! When is synth bass most appropriate? When should it be avoided? Does it pair with those synth drums or a traditional kit? Thank you for making this video, I really enjoyed it.
Thank you Martin, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You will definitely hear those sounds in Part 2 but with some more detailed modulation uses, sequencer emulation and other synth tricks to get authentic classic synth sounds. For me I’m definitely trying to sound like classic synthesisers or like I’m creating a modular synth with my bass (more on that in part 2). It’s really the blend of both worlds I love- bass and synths. That’s a good question about guitars as they do make good synth sounds too, but I find they don’t have the weight in the low end to recreate the classic Moog “make your clothes shake” power. I love those sounds you mentioned too, the tremolo in particular is one I love using. You’ll see more on using that in part 2 for sure. I find synth bass pairs well with both acoustic and electronic drums, but you have to be careful with the low end to not make things muddy or cluttered. Especially with 808 kicks- those can be subby and synthy enough on their own. But we have tricks like side chain compression which is common in synth heavy bass which will come up in part 2 and that makes a massive difference to the overall mix and power. Also for the filters, they don’t lose volume so much as get a little piercing on some settings which can be hard to tame. Definitely worth spending time finding settings that suit the sound you are after as it can be a very sensitive effect. Thank you so much for watching and for you comments and support, I really do appreciate it! Thanks Gavin
Are there any bass pedals that can provide a more subtle effect such as the synth bass lines in Cherrelle's "Saturday Love" or the Pet Shop Boy's "West End Girls"?
That’s a very good question, I would say an octaver on its own still gives a synth vibe but not as in your face as it is when paired with fuzz/drive. Add in a filter and it would certainly still have synth vibes. The other option is to try shaping the notes differently with your playing technique to achieve the right attack of the notes. A good example is using a pick and palm muting to shape the sound or also using your thumb ( for a different texture). I also recently discovered an octave up (analog gritty octafuzz type octave up (but without the fuzz)) into chorus or other modulations and even a hint of reverb to sweeten it gives a synth sound that isn’t as brutal as the fuzz/drive based versions. Hope those suggestions help. Thanks for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it. Thanks Gavin
Thank you! That’s a good question, it can actually make a massive difference! With fuzz pedals in particular, they can with some designs be very particular about the input they receive and how they react to it. A lot of active basses are just too hot for the way they work. Passive is my preferred set up for these sounds. Another consideration is the strings as I find flatwounds are smoother than roundwounds for aggressive fuzz sounds. I hope the helps! Thanks again for watching and commenting! Thanks Gavin
@@gavinforbesmusic5164 that helps tremendously. I was using my active bass at a rehearsal with my MXR Bass Octave /Source Audio C4 (not at the same time) and it didn't sound good. I was having tracking issues and glitching. It was crazy. I practiced at home with my passive fretless Fender Jazz with flat wounds and it sounded so much better.
@@jamessmith-zk4co I’m so glad to hear that! Sounds like a great rig by the way! But yeah you are so right in your judgement. It’s all down to personal preference of course, but I’m right there with you on the passive bass with flats being the best for that set up. Even with an OC2 or similar octaver, rolling off the top end helps massively in some settings. Have a great time running that rig! And Thanks again for watching! I do really appreciate it!
