Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: rv_bass on June 20, 2018, 06:16:43 PM
-
I thought I would set up this page to document my adventure into the world of midi bass, which I currently know nothing about :)
I’ll start with the equipment list:
1. Alembic Series I bass with RMC saddle pickups and poly-drive 1 preamp
2. Roland GI-20 GK midi interface
3. Yamaha Motif Rack XS midi sound module
4. Alembic F-1X preamp
5. QSC GX7 power amp
6. Various speakers
7. Computer and software TBD
I’m reading through the Roland and Yamaha manuals now, it could take a couple of months to get up and running...
-
I have a GI-20, it's a cool unit.
Setting the sensitivity for each string is key,
but it's really easy.
Sounds like fun is just around the corner :D
-
I'm in... :)
-
Elwood; which pickup are you using, and what sound module? I've been doing lots of research, but haven't yet determined how I should proceed.
Like Rob, I do want to go with saddle pickups. I've found two; the RMC's that Rob got, and Graphtech.
The simplest thing after that would be to go with a Roland GR-55; but there are other options that are intriguing.
The Yamaha Motif Rack XS that Rob got is one; and another is the Roland Integra 7. With both of them, there needs to be a converter like the GI-20, which apparently is no longer being made.
I think a midi setup would go well with the type of music I'm playing, but I'm concerned that the technology for basses and guitars is a bit dated.
I'm also concerned that, while there are lots of youtube videos (all around 8 years old) showing the GR-55 in a good light, including some with basses, there are some reports that tracking in the lower frequencies can be problematic.
-
For guitars the GK-2, and a GK2B on a bass.
The only midi 'modules' I have are the Yamaha CS6X keyboard
and a Roland VG-88 guitar synth....oh, and the Voce V-3 organ :)
Mixed with the dry analog signal makes for some nice thick textures.
The GI-20 makes it easy to expand the possibilities, that and a 13 pin splitter.
-
Thanks for the initial comments!
David, perhaps the Line 6 Helix would fit what you would like to accomplish...
https://line6.com/helix/
-
Good idea to document this journey.
I can’t wait to hear what you create! 8)
-
Rob; unless I'm mistaken, the Helix isn't significantly different from what I'm playing through now, the Fractal AX8. The addition of a midi system in the effects loop of the AX8 would give me access to midi instruments and additional routing options for those instruments.
-
Well, I'm still trying to get the Yamaha Motif to produce sound...it's been a very busy summer and I haven't had any time to troubleshoot. I can see the light blinking when I play notes, so the signal from the bass is reaching the Motif, just can't get it to make any sound yet. Some quick reading on line suggests that I have to set up the voice path properly in the Motif, I'll work on it this fall.
In the mean time, below are two links to soundcloud with some background music that I will start with. The two tracks are my first attempt (about 12 years ago) at recording tracks using computer software, so they are very rough, noisy, and need to be cleaned up, but they are a start. Mostly percussive, but the one labeled "The Marsh" has a guitar track. I played all parts through, no looping. Instruments include guitar, drums, slit drum, egg shaker, drum machine, old wind up clock, metal bowls with water in them, and reverb springs. I'll clean up the sound and add bass and midi tracks as soon as I figure out the midi connection.
Please see links in post below.
-
Well, I'm new to soundcloud and can't seem to get that to work either...stay tuned.
-
OK, I figured it out, had to convert to MP3 files. Try these links:
"The Marsh"
https://soundcloud.com/user-503957741/the-marsh-1/s-i28Yv
"Night Scape"
https://soundcloud.com/user-503957741/night-scape-1/s-01Fyg
-
I have a GR-1 but it hasn't seen much use lately. I don't play guitar much since getting the Alembic. I as thinking about trying to run my keyboard through it as a midi controller, but i'm not too sure how that would work. Or, if I should just try and use it to control the midi instruments in Cubase. (haven't tried that either) >.>
-
Nice rhythmic patterns and percussive sounds!
I recently download, installed, and played with Jam Origin Midi Guitar II. I haven't paid for it yet, so I can't do much actual music with it because of the nag screens. And I haven't yet downloaded any midi instruments, just using what little comes with the software.
After setting the midi clocks so that everything is the same, and making a bunch of other adjustments, I did get it to work; which was encouraging. However, I need to do some additional work to more fully integrate it with my setup to see if it's going to do what I would like. And I haven't done enough yet to have an opinion on it one way or the other.
The software didn't seem to have a lot of routing options; for instance, I didn't see where you could run multiple instruments at the same time.
In my researching of Midi Guitar II, it seemed that a lot of people think this is the future of midi guitar; that software alone is sufficient for good polyphonic tracking, with no need to modify a guitar or bass. (However its abilities are very dependent on how good one's computer is.) I did it get it to track, and I was playing chords; so it does seem promising.
However, I don't know that this particular piece of software is the answer. It seems that much more should be possible.
And I too am finding that life has been giving me many other things that seem to require my attention; and large chunks of time to work on stuff like this seem rather seldom.
-
I'm still fooling with it trying to figure it out, but here's a sample of the string bass sound....recorded on an iPhone: Alembic Series I bass with RMC pickups and midi preamp, Roland GI20, and Yamaha Motif Rack XS...it's a mixed output of midi and magnetic pickups...looks like you have to log into soundcloud to hear it...
https://soundcloud.com/user-503957741/bassstring/s-DbZ9Y
-
“Track not found”
???
-
Pauldo, I just tried the link, looks like you have to sign into SoundCloud to gain access to the track.
-
Updated link...
https://soundcloud.com/user-503957741/bassstring/s-DbZ9Y
...just noodling around.
-
The string bass sound is nice, and tracking seems good.
-
Very nice.
-
That's quite a remarkable 'upright-ish' sound, Rob... is this just the piezo saddles only, or the Series pickups blended in too? Assuming you're doing this using 75-174, (looks like him in the pic!) but I would LOVE to try that with a fretless!
-
Greg, it’s just the magnetic pickups played along with a synthesizer-created bowed bass sound. No piezo blend on this track.
-
I've been fooling around with two different synth hardware pieces: the Yamaha Motif-Rack XS, and a Moog Sirin.
I can control everything in the Motif from the bass, and it provides a larger variety of instrument and non-instrument sounds. And I can isolate to synth only, mix-synth with bass, or bass only, and select sound patches, all controlled from the bass.
I can trigger sounds from the Moog Sirin, but I cannot control the sounds (e.g., volume of the Moog; or isolating synth and bass -right now it is synth and bass all the time). So, I'm not sure yet how usable the Moog triggered from the bass would be live, but it will be fun to use it on tracks when recording. It is still cool to be able to trigger the Moog from the bass and modify sounds with all the Moog settings, so hopefully I'll be able to figure out how to isolate the Moog and bass and control the Moog volume for live use. Those analog synth sounds are pretty cool. I will explore signal splitters and foot switches and see what I come up with.
Steep learning curve for all of this, which takes time in this busy world.
Fun stuff though!
-
:)
-
How much latency do you have with your setup? I have done the hexe pickup thing in the past, I found the older Axxon gear (or Yamaha G-50 which was made by Axxon) to have a lot less latency on bass than the Roland.
I currently have a Peavey CyberBass which is an actual bass Midi controller - there are 4 sensors in each fret so it knows exactly which note you are playing and it gets velocity information from piezos. This same technology is available now in Industrial Radio basses https://industrialradio.com.au/ (all developed by Steve Chick). I would like to upgrade to an Industrial Radio bass from my Peavey at some point.
-
I haven’t had any problem with latency, it tracks nicely. There is a link in a post above with a sound bite of me just fooling around with a bowed string bass sound mixed with the Alembic pickups.