Onox Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Hey Folks, i need your advice. I´m looking for a cool synth Pedal for my board and I don´t realy have an overview about the market and all the different models. I would only play it with 4 String Basses and mostly for funk/soul/disco sounds. Maybe sometimes some Rock-Riffs... The Deep Impact seems to be THE synth for bass. The G5 is also very famous. But whats about the current available Pedals like the Markbass Super Synth? Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Deep Impact is EXPENSIVE, if you can find one! Markbass one sounded cool when I played one, the EHX Microsynth is a great pedal. Or go modular, Wah, Fuzz, Octave etc. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phagor Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 There seem to be three types of bass synth effects: 1. Effects that take your bass sound and distort, octave and filter it (Korg G5, EHX Bass Microsynth, Digitech Bass Synth Wah, Sibob's modular). Because these don't follow your bass's pitch as such (except the octavers), they often track well, but they sound a bit fuzzy and gritty. Good for 70's analog synth sounds. 2. Pedals that track the pitch of your playing and generate a synth waveform (Akai Deep Impact, Markbass Super Synth, Boss SYB 5, Chunk Systems Octavius Squeezer). These have oscillators like those in analog or digital synths that follow your bass's pitch. Tracking is sometimes a problem, especially on low notes or open strings, but these sound more like a real synth, and some can cop 80's 90's etc bass sounds better. 3. Individual piezo pickups on your bass combined with a unit like the Roland GR55 that models the signal into a synth (amongst other) sounds. Tracking is supposed to be very good and you can do many other things - model different basses, amps, effects etc. You can also drive a MIDI synth, but here there is a tracking issue with low notes again. They all have their pros and cons. I have a EHX Bass Microsynth - it's great, fun to use because it has lots of sliders to play with, but it always sounds kinda dirty, and you can't switch between different sounds. I also have the Markbass Super Synth which sounds big and fat and is programmable, but you need to plug it into a computer to edit the sounds. Plus the modular approach Sibob mentioned. I'd try as many as you can in a shop before buying, see what suits you, your songs and playing style the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I have the odd foray into upsetting the rest of the band with a Digitech Bass Synth Wah. Pretty funky and 30 quidness of cheap from ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onox Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 Thanks for the real good advices. Maybe I got a good offer for G5... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I too went down the 'modular' route that Sibob mentioned; I use octaver, fuzz, overdrive, envelope filter & wah in various combinations to create some really nice synthy effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil.i.stein Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 [quote name='Onox' timestamp='1340111473' post='1699229'] Thanks for the real good advices. Maybe I got a good offer for G5... [/quote] if you do go for a G5, make sure to get an expression pedal that works well with it like the Korg kvp 001. .. it opens up this pedal SO much ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepeanmachine Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I used to have a Digitech Synth Wah (sold recently on here). To be honest I found it a bit too 'no nonsense', I struggled to really find a practical use for it without completely taking over the overall mix of the band, seems like you need to spend some serious cash to get anything tameable! Then again, tameable might not be what you want! I'd say you're best off firstly thinking of what songs you're going to use the pedal on, then get a rough idea of what sound you're after then look for that. My main mistake buying the synth wah in the first place was plugging it in, and thinking wow this sounds reeeeeally cool, buying it, then never really finding a practical use for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onox Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 He Guys, i bought a G5. It should arrive next week and I gonna post a little review here. My feeling is that I´ll realy dig the option to save sounds. A synth is such a special effect, i can´t imagine to only have on sound at time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 A lot of it depends on what waveforms you need. Most bass synth sounds are based on square or saw wave forms. Synth pedals will cover one or both of these. Then the rest of it depends on whether patches you like a pre programmed or whether you have the option of tweaking. I've been lobbying Eventide to release a bass synth pedal that uses the tech in their Pitchfactor pedal but without the irrelevant stuff. The tracking is as good as the Deep Impact. But so much potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskimoBassist Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Great choice on the G5, I bought and sold mine on this forum and miss it dearly - wasn't using it though. An incredible pedal though and fortunately the price hasn't hyperinflated like that of the Deep Impact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onox Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 Thanks for the input Guys! Yeah, a Deep Impact would have been cool but its so hard to find and very expensive (and you can´t save any sounds). But maybe someday I got a chance to try one. Had anyone the chance to compare the Markbass Super Synth to the G5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simwells Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 [quote name='Onox' timestamp='1340299020' post='1702565'] Thanks for the input Guys! Yeah, a Deep Impact would have been cool but its so hard to find and very expensive (and you can´t save any sounds). But maybe someday I got a chance to try one. Had anyone the chance to compare the Markbass Super Synth to the G5? [/quote] When I asked this question I was sent the following link; http://www.cgraham.com/chris/music/ Though he much prefered the G5 I liked the sounds I heard of the MBSS and the form factor ended in me choosing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
such Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 does anyone has any experience with Tech21 Red Ripper? Some fragments of youtube clips sound very promising, but mostly they concentrate on the fuzz/distortion aspect of the pedal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil.i.stein Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 [quote name='such' timestamp='1340315343' post='1702896'] does anyone has any experience with Tech21 Red Ripper? Some fragments of youtube clips sound very promising, but mostly they concentrate on the fuzz/distortion aspect of the pedal... [/quote] i had one for a while, it's a synthy/envelopey kind of fuzz with a massive amount of volume boost on tap. sold or maybe traded mine to Shep. i wouldn't call it a synth pedal though, i'd liken it to the 'prunes and custard' (a bit) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
such Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 It may be exactly what I'm after, my dream synthy sound is one in the chorus of Jamiroquai's "She's A Fast Persuader" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onox Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Thanks for the review, real nice reviews! Jamiroquai got cool synth sounds, Deeper Underground is also very cool! I read that Stuart Zender used a Boss ME6B for his synth sounds, mabe ist worth a try too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phagor Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 It's a Chunk Systems Brown Dog fuzz according to their website: [url="http://www.chunksystems.com/users.htm"]http://www.chunksystems.com/users.htm[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I had a G5 for a while but didn't find it too useful. The filter controls are badly designed and the whole thing sounded a bit woolly due to the way they generate the sounds. I also only really liked one sound on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onox Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 A friend of mine said that a EQ-Padal after the G5 helps for "fattening up" the sound. Ed Friedland made a cool review abaou the Brown Dog and Agent Funk, they sound realy cool together: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgjtX5GmonE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgjtX5GmonE[/url] Any thoughts on the Octavius Squeezer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 The O.S. sounds excellent, has a massive pile of options for manipulating the filter (it's only missing external control [exp. pedal / CV]), 50-patch memory, great fuzz, lots of mixing options, the VCO tracking is a bit too quirky to be useful but IMO if you use filters a lot it's a cracking pedal. The main complaint people make about it is that it's difficult to program, and to be fair the interface is fairly arcane but the manual is excellent. And personally I would rather have the fiddly interface in a small pedal than a massive pedal with a better interface. The O.S. and the EHX Bass Micro Synth (the older 24v model, not the new 9.6v one) are my favourite 'synth' pedals. The BMS just sounds enormous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 What are your opinions on the BMS Classic vs BMS XO? Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) [indent=1]ive got a pigtronix mothership for sale if you want that?[/indent] [indent=1]its a mega synth!![/indent] [indent=1]also got a bit of a battered XO BMS that might be a bit broken that id let go for cheap, last time i used it the attack slider didnt work[/indent] [indent=1]other than those, ive found the markbass synth to be really good, but a pain to edit on a PC[/indent] Edited June 22, 2012 by Ant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 [quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1340378387' post='1703760']What are your opinions on the BMS Classic vs BMS XO? Si[/quote] The XO model just doesn't sound as good. If you plug both in side-by-side you won't want the XO model. Also the XO is more difficult to use because the sliders are shorter, and the taper on the Rate slider doesn't seem to be very appropriate. Also the sliders move more easily, which I think is a bad thing. But most of all it's the sound - the old one simply sounds better. I sold my first one to buy the XO, but quickly sold the XO and bought another old one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onox Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Wow, the pigtronix mothership looks like it could clone your pet! My G5 should arrive tomorow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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