Members Jayesskerr Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 Using real bass or some such thing like a midi pedal or something? I'm seriously looking into one of these; http://www.keithmcmillen.com/12step/overview But if someone else has something they use, please let me know. I like playing with a real drummer, and I can't always find a bassist, so I started playing my Boss DR880 with my feet. Trouble is... the pads are too damn small, makes it hard to play with shoes on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sgt. Rock Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 I tried to do that. I played guitar and used a Roland pedal board and sang, almost. Very hard for me for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jersey Jack Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 I learned to play the organ when I was a kid, so I could probably work with this thing. Since I do country stuff with a lot of simply 1-5 bass lines, it would be perfect. And the price isn't too bad. Hmm.... But how about the sound? If it emulates an acoustic, that would be great. But if it's synthy...not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 Tried to play the organ pedals a few times, not at all easy - at least for me. A long ago I saw a country artist using bass pedals, sounded really good coupled with his drum machine. I currently know a solo artist in town that plays bass pedals. He's mainly blues and such. IIRC his pedals look like portable B3 pedals. Seems to work well for him. I guess the one thing is that most of the guys I've seen playing bass pedals prefer or need to sit down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 Use a set of Moog Taurus pedals, along w/ a digital derum machine at some gigs...it's ok for what it is, but keeping it all together (vocals, guitar, racked harmonica, bass pedals, drum triggers) does take concentration...and it's a lot to haul to a gig. Prefer the Fender-Rhodes version, but they're pretty rare: One of these. the MTI Auto-Orchestra, is a touch cooler, but even harder to find: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 About 20 years ago I bought a beat up organ at a swap meet. The keyboard part didn't work, but I took the bass pedals off, put them into a homemade box and figured out how to rewire my Yamaha keyboard and plug it into the bass pedals so I could play the automatic bass/chord/rhythm accompaniment with my feet. I worked a solo act this way for years, playing electric guitar, singing, and playing harmonica on a holder while doing all the accompaniment with my feet. It was actually pretty easy since I didn't have to move around to play actual bass parts, just hit the major, minor or seventh chords using my toes to push down one or two pedals. It finally bit the dust about five years ago and I haven't bothered to resurrect it. I might work on it after I retire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jayesskerr Posted October 30, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 Cool. Yeah definitely becomes a 'seated' sort of thing. I'm just looking to put together a project where I actually play, no canned tracks. It feels really wierd jamming with my ipod. Lonely too... Thanks for all of the posts. Very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 Cool. Yeah definitely becomes a 'seated' sort of thing. I'm just looking to put together a project where I actually play, no canned tracks. It feels really wierd jamming with my ipod. Lonely too... Thanks for all of the posts. Very cool. Yeah, the RIGHT seat is key...I went through several before I found one that was the right fit. Back to your initial question: there was a guy hitting some of the same venues I was, about 25 years ago, that built a 2 stringed "floor bass" he played w/ his feet...had a picture of him, but can't seem to find it. I think he tuned it E - B and he held down the note w/ his left large-toe and plucked it w/ his right large-toe...played bare-foot and did very effective simple R-5th parts to back up his guitar and voice. Had the most ancient drum machine I'd ever seen, but he made it all work to his advantage. Wonder whatever happened to him, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 I hum basslines into a Boss OC2 and then loop it. Excuse the ghetto setup for recording this: [video=youtube;mxh_m9E2s1c] Live I use a mixer and separate mic for vocals. I also use a stompbox for added bass drum sounds. The pros of this set-up are I can create a bass part for anything I can sing. The con is I have to sing it in pitch 100% 100% of the time. Also, there are issues with creating new sections, but I've found workaround for most of those. In my man-cave, when recording this, the bass is really loud in the mix. However, on a computer, it is hard to hear. If you have decent speakers, it sounds solid...but the harp and vocals are really higher in the mix than they were in the room. I am new to this and working out kinks for how to record quickly at home. PS. My man-cave needs a bigger TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 Live I use a mixer and separate mic for vocals. I also use a stompbox for added bass drum sounds. The pros of this set-up are I can create a bass part for anything I can sing. The con is I have to sing it in pitch 100% 100% of the time. Also, there are issues with creating new sections, but I've found workaround for most of those.In my man-cave, when recording this, the bass is really loud in the mix. However, on a computer, it is hard to hear. If you have decent speakers, it sounds solid...but the harp and vocals are really higher in the mix than they were in the room. I am new to this and working out kinks for how to record quickly at home.PS. My man-cave needs a bigger TV. A very interesting take on the one-man-band concept! Sounds good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thanks! I am still working out a lot of kinks, but it has come a long way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jayesskerr Posted November 3, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 3, 2011 Hey that is damn cool Harp Ninja. I just ordered the "12-step" and I'm excited to use it with my other stuff, even if I'm playing keyboard stuff with it in a full band, or as a bass replacement (I'll probably be triggering a Boss DR880 - samples seem pretty good in it...) I'm dying to get out and play so bad, that I'm willing to go to some extremes hahaha I've played with can tracks, I hate the stiffness, I want some flexibility. I never thought of using a looper, though. Hmmmn, maybe I should get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted November 3, 2011 Members Share Posted November 3, 2011 Hey that is damn cool Harp Ninja. I just ordered the "12-step" and I'm excited to use it with my other stuff, even if I'm playing keyboard stuff with it in a full band, or as a bass replacement (I'll probably be triggering a Boss DR880 - samples seem pretty good in it...) I'm dying to get out and play so bad, that I'm willing to go to some extremes hahaha I've played with can tracks, I hate the stiffness, I want some flexibility.I never thought of using a looper, though. Hmmmn, maybe I should get one. Thanks! I wish I had some basic guitar and/or piano skills as it would be much easier, lol. Please report out on the 12-step as it looks very interesting. Regarding loopers, something I don't have access to, which might be nice, is midi-sync. One disadvantage of looping is that if you want to use isolate loopers, they will always drift unless synched. I think Boss and Digi Tech stuff can do that. Right now, I am working on a bluesy version of E.T. I think I found an arrangment that will work, but in my mind, it would be way easier with two loopers (one for vocals and one for instruments) that had midi-sync capabilities. Right now, I run everything into one looper. The M13 has a looper too, but I can't midi-sync as the Boomerang won't let you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted November 4, 2011 Members Share Posted November 4, 2011 Another way of creating a "bass" for a solo fingerpicker is to put a magnetic p/u lengthwise under only the Low E and A strings, and run that signal through an octave divider, then into a bass amp (or a channel of the PA tuned very "dark")...saw Steven King (the picker, not the writer) perform this way and it sounded fairly convincing. http://www.guitarbystevenking.net/instruments.html (See "Bass Expansion") [video=youtube;-cgn1az_A_c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cgn1az_A_c&feature=related [video=youtube;kQ9H8Fzyc88]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ9H8Fzyc88&feature=relmfu [video=youtube;8atsCm5-49k] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jayesskerr Posted November 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 16, 2011 That guy is beyond good. I pretty much feel like I don't deserve to play after hearing/seeing that. Crazy good musician.Rant time:Oh, and about the 12step; Ordered it (Paid for on the 30th) and was put on a waiting list. I guess technically it was a "pre-order". Now it advertised that if I bought one I'd get free shipping, but I ended up getting charged shipping, but was willing to put up with it... I got an email saying they needed to wait to get some in and then they needed to be "tested" before they would be shipped. Another week or so at least before they ship it. Alarm bells now going off... So I decided to get a refund (Nov 11th) since it looked like I was not going to see the pedal anytime soon; and when I send an email saying cancel order, I get a reply that was nice enough but 10-14 days before they say they're gonna process it... (My refund) and until then it sits on my visa. Has me wondering if I just got scammed. I think I did...I guess that from now on I'll wait until I see it in a music store before I pay for something. And I usually have such great luck... And the technology looks really cool, I'd STILL like to get my hands on one... Anyways, I demanded that they process my refund ASAP, by email and even telephone to their VP of sales. Nothing so far... I guess we'll see how it goes. I also noticed that the KMI online store link for the 12 step on the website appears to be down, and there's a link to Amazon to purchase the 12-step. I may have just donated 400 bucks to Keith MacMillen Instruments. I sent an email asking when i might see my refund, but I don't know that I'll see a reply. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Good or bad... Who knows, maybe they're just really busy and I'm just a lowly customer from butt{censored} Canada who's just been overlooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jayesskerr Posted November 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 16, 2011 And now there's this.... lol it's getting better and better... Already discounted, and no longer available from their own website. Off to VISA to cancel my order. http://www.amazon.com/Step-Chromatic-Keyboard-Foot-Controller/dp/B005THAYPA/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1320960075&sr=1-3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dug dog Posted February 8, 2012 Members Share Posted February 8, 2012 Any update on the 12step? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cephus Posted February 9, 2012 Members Share Posted February 9, 2012 Another way of creating a "bass" for a solo fingerpicker is to put a magnetic p/u lengthwise under only the Low E and A strings, and run that signal through an octave divider, then into a bass amp (or a channel of the PA tuned very "dark")...saw Steven King (the picker, not the writer) perform this way and it sounded fairly convincing. Ya know, I just was playing around with this last weekend. I have a lawrence soundhole pickup that just picks up the E and A strings if you rotate it. I found that the octave box just couldn't track it very well. I wasn't playing fingerstyle, but I do alot of pick strum roots music that I thought would work. I just find that it's not possible to add bass on a couple songs. The next song that doesn't have bass in it sounds like it has a pothole in it. The contrast just makes the guitar-only stuff seem lacking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted February 10, 2012 Members Share Posted February 10, 2012 I just find that it's not possible to add bass on a couple songs. The next song that doesn't have bass in it sounds like it has a pothole in it. The contrast just makes the guitar-only stuff seem lacking. Good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitarman63 Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 Like this guy?[video=youtube;-2lo5Iz3gRY] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 That's pretty cool. I like how he rigged up the partial upright bass with the pedals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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