BassPimp66 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I pluck my strings. They vibrate on top of a magnet. That makes an electrical signal and it is converted into sound. It's been like this for over 60 years now... I recall being intrigued and a bit exited when the light-beam technology pickups came up. But, it never really took off. They are somewhat expensive and make bass settings difficult. MIDI pickups are also not very common. Let's jump 60 years in the future. Do you think we'll still be using magnets for pickups, or do you anticipate something totally different? I wonder.... Are you following any new technology at the moment that you think will change the way we play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterfire666 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I want me a nuclear bass. For that fear of irradiated balls everytime i wear it. And ultimate tone if course. I live to live on the edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 We live in a state of technological flux that has created the belief that technolgy is always progressing and taking us forward into new and innovative places. But this is a falsehood. A lot of technological improvements are not about improvng the product but improving its marketability, cheaper production methods etc etc. The obvious example is the mp3; it is not as good as a lot of aother versions but, because it can be move around easily and 'transported' for minimal cost, it has found its way to the top of the tree. But there are plenty of examples of technological 'perfection' that have never been improved upon (other than aesthetically); the piano, the saxophone, the double bass etc have all been tweaked but are fundamentally unchanged for a hundred years or more. Or the three-legged stool. Or the knife, fork and spoon. If you think about it, technological 'progress' 'is not all its cracked up to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 The knife, fork and spoon have since been supplanted by the "spork"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 The precision will still be the best bass but amps and cabs (made of carbon nanotubes) will only weigh 3 oz each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I have a 4 legged stool.Clearly superior to the wobbly 3 leg stool.Can't see instruments changing,recording technology has,any breakthrough technology is likely to be amps rather than instruments.Parker Fly,anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Not on cobblestones, Spike. The three-legged milk stool was designed because cobblestones are always uneven. It doesn't matter how uneven the surface is, the three-legged stool remains stable where a 4 legged one is all over the place. It is perfect for the job it is required to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 My respect for the 3 legged stool has increased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1350119129' post='1834706']...Or the three-legged stool. Or the knife, fork and spoon. If you think about it, technological 'progress' 'is not all its cracked up to be.[/quote] ^ Nice post Bilbo. I try to keep in touch with music tech, but I don't see anything on the horizon that will replace the strings/pickups set up. The materials used for pickups and strings will no doubt change. But the essence of bass playing is down to the very tactile process of plucking, bowing, slapping and otherwise twanging strings. Otherwise it's a different skillset/artform. Until technology can replace strings with something that replicates that - some kind of solid holographic lazer?? [yeah I've got the Patent] - then I think strings and pickups will rule the day, just as acoustic stringed instruments have for over a century. That's not to say that other instruments won't emerge catering for the low end of things. There's a growing resurgence of live performance in dance music that is starting to throw up lots of interesting new ideas. But I think the general rule here is that "If it ain't broken, don't fix it!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 This thread is infested with luddites, call the exterminators! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 The wheel?? Of course this would be nothing without another wheel and an axle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 And a sodding great big V8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dincz Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I'm waiting for the cranial midi interface so I can let out all of the brilliance my hands can't deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassPimp66 Posted October 13, 2012 Author Share Posted October 13, 2012 I was thinking along the lines off dropping the good 1/4 inch jack for instruments with usb/HDMI or whatever, that can connect/send HD sounds on whatever platform. How many thousand of years do we need to use 1/4 inch jack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero9 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 (edited) I believe there will still be a place for magnetic pickups, real wood and double basses for that nostalgic 'analogue' reality. I also think that there will be more available in a virtual domain, where we can put on a headset and some fancy gloves and play any 'virtual' bass we like, be it a 50s Fender, 16C double bass or a 21C Parker Fly. It certainly won't be dull . Edited October 13, 2012 by zero9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 60 years in the future? There won't be any bass players or basses because there won't be any live music any more. Sounds will be generated by machines as background music only, nobody will have the attention span to really listen to anything or any one. The Electric Bass will be one of those obscure musical instruments that's only popular for 100 years or so. It's started already: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f6ZSZbNfSpk"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f6ZSZbNfSpk[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 IMO a bass guitar is what it is. And so is a bass guitarist. I suppose it's quite noble to try to improve the bass guitar or to push bass performance in different directions, but I think the reason most people don't care for it is because they don't see it as being bass guitar any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 It's here already.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 The 'Lightwave' pickups have always been a bit pump, really. I never thought they were going to change the way basses were made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassPimp66 Posted October 13, 2012 Author Share Posted October 13, 2012 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1350157474' post='1835350'] It's here already.... [/quote] Excellent. Do they also have a model for heterosexuals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kongo Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Well, musicians aren't always for change, are they? I mean, digital recording has made the process a LOT easier and clearer, yet some still prefer the sound of analogue. Also, in terms of instruments, as soon as they started adding more strings than normal a lot of musicians started clawing their faces off. Imagine if the pick up magnet WAS actually replaced completely? X-D TBH though, I'm fine with how it is at the moment. If it ain't not broke, don't fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 (edited) The Charles III Museum at South Kensington will have several examples of the instruments of the late 20th century, including some of those quaint bass things they used to play. Edited October 13, 2012 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr M Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Just as the design of brass and woodwind instruments have been unchanged for some time, I think there's always going to be a place for the fundamental technologies in electric guitars and basses. Magnetic pickups are a beautifully simple and cheap solution. Of course, manufacturing methods, materials, etc. might move on, (just as they have done for 'classical' instruments) but I don't think there's any reason to expect magnetic pickups to be superseded any time in the near future. On the other hand, with wood stocks going the way they are, I wonder if we are going to see more unusual construction methods and synthetic materials involved. A guitar or bass built around organic composites would certainly be interesting. [quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1350128240' post='1834855'] I was thinking along the lines off dropping the good 1/4 inch jack for instruments with usb/HDMI or whatever, that can connect/send HD sounds on whatever platform. How many thousand of years do we need to use 1/4 inch jack? [/quote] Actually, from a technology point of view, the 1/4" jack is superior to HDMI and USB if all you want to do is transmit audio. 1/4" jack (and associated cables) carry an analogue signal - they pass (more or less) exactly the signal the pickups receive to whatever's next in the signal chain. HDMI and USB are both digital technologies. You'll need an analogue to digital converter between the pickups and the cable. A to D [i]always[/i] loses some information (but it is possible to make those losses so small that they can't be noticed by our senses.) Essentially, unless there's something else you want to do with the system (such as in the Variax or the Firebird X) moving away from 1/4" jack would be more difficult and expensive for inferior results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassPimp66 Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 [quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1350230168' post='1836023'] On the other hand, with wood stocks going the way they are, I wonder if we are going to see more unusual construction methods and synthetic materials involved. A guitar or bass built around organic composites would certainly be interesting. [/quote] Good point. I tried one of these luthite bass some years ago (a Cort Curbow), and it was pretty fun. It would be good if it was possible to purchase luthite (or other synthetic material) bodies separately for projects. I checked online and I couldn't find anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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