What integers make a good synth?

[mcgraham]

I'm not a huge fan of effects on bass, but I'm curious about the world of synth sounds as it seems to be more like an alternative bass sound than an effect (if that makes sense?). It also seems that the term 'synth' has a very fluid and varied definition in different people's minds and in different manufacturer's products.

For example, the MB Supersynth seems to have octaver+filter+some element of fuzz to it. The Copilot Orbit (although technically being a uniquely glitchy fuzz) seems to sound like a squelchy, glitchy synth to my ears. Certain BC'ers seem to run an octaver (such as the OC2) with a fuzz pedal (such as the Woolly Mammoth) to achieve their fuzz sound.

So... for you, what does a 'synth' bass sound encompass?

[Wil]

What integers?

Er... 145?

[mcgraham]

[quote]From thefreedictionary.com/integer

Integer
1. (Mathematics) any rational number that can be expressed as the sum or difference of a finite number of units, being a member of the set …-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3…
[b]2. an individual entity or whole unit[/b][/quote]

Help a brother out I'm trying to learn.

[cheddatom]

a syth sound could be as simple as getting an octave pedal and turning the dry signal all the way down, and the octave all the way up! It all depends on the kind of sound you're going for, as you've described above. Personally, I think some compression (if not fuzz) is a must, as is an octave. Anything else is just an effect! That wasn't a very helpful reply.

when I want a "synth" sound, I roll off all my tone, turn all my dirt pedals on, and turn on an octave down harmony, oh and normally I would turn my wah on and leave it "up" so it's cutting top end.

[mcgraham]

No that was really helpful! Cheers

I'm asking so as I can figure out how to experiment with getting various synth tones using the pedals I've already got (e.g. whammy, distortion, compressor, etc).

[Doddy]

For 'synth' style sounds,I use a combination of envelope filter,octaver and fuzz. Although the Boss OC-2
with the clean signal down can be very synth like on it's own.

[thisnameistaken]

It depends what you're going for, there are a lot of different synth sounds.

Yes octavers and fuzzes are useful, blending two (or more) channels to stack octaves is also useful, pitch-tracking oscillators (square wave esp.) are nice to have but tend to cause technical problems. Don't forget modulation effects - adding a chorus or vibrato or a stepped filter can make a big difference. Using fretless bass can give you a lot of freedom to ape synth players too. Filters, generally, are very important. The more the merrier (unless you have a good programmable one [or two]).

Edited June 16, 2010 by thisnameistaken

[gnasher1993]

[quote name='mcgraham' post='869071' date='Jun 16 2010, 02:34 PM']So... for you, what does a 'synth' bass sound encompass?[/quote]

For me 'synth bass' is: Octave Down -> Gated Fuzz -> Low Pass Filter

[BigRedX]

[url="http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/products/adrenalinn3/adrenalinn3.shtml"]Linn Adrenalinn[/url]

[cheddatom]

Oscillation is something that would be at the front of my mind having played with some synths at uni. However, I really haven't found that much use for it, I suppose because i'm not looking for an extreme sound. What pedals are we working with? If you put your whammy on octave down harmony, then next put your distortion with the gain up and the top rolled off, then loads of compression.

[mcgraham]

That's exactly what I was thinking Great minds... and fools... and all that jazz

[mcgraham]

Well, took my pedalboard along to practice and ran whammy-->boost-->dist (gain full on, tone full off)-->vibe... ohhhh my goodness that is a fun combination! Going between the octave up and octave down harmony setting on the whammy can give some positively HUMONGOUS sounds...

[cheddatom]

oh yeh, I think justin chanccellor does that, I can't remember what song though. I love doing that.