Buying a bass is definitely a long-term goal, but for financial reasons I can't yet do that. (Same with guitar, which I would like to buy but can't yet.)
Basically I have a tiny little studio in my bedroom, with a MIDI keyboard and a couple of mics, and that's all I've got to work with right now. So I have to figure out the best way to get my MIDI setup to sound like real instruments.
Thanks for the suggestion though!
I can see I'm going to get more of these kinds of comments, despite what I said about not being able to do a real bass. So I've amended my original post, to hopefully filter out these comments.
They're good comments, and well-meant, but they're not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for MIDI suggestions only. Thanks!
I can see I'm going to get more of these kinds of comments, despite what I said about not being able to do a real bass. So I've amended my original post, to hopefully filter out these comments.
They're good comments, and well-meant, but they're not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for MIDI suggestions only. Thanks!
Well...you have to accept the fact that everyone is saying what they're saying for a reason...that there really aren't any special suggestions to making a MIDI synth bass sounds like a real bass. You just hack at it and try to get something close, which is what you've probably been doing already, and you find it's just not quite right.
Also realize that we've all been where you are...and we've at one time had our reasons why we just couldn't (at that time) go the real bass or real guitar route, same as you...and we kinda lived in denial up to a point, often using our lack of budget to legitimize it...but eventually we all had to face it.
I'm only saying that because you maybe seem to think that we're derailing your thread somewhat, and by clearly stating you only want the MIDI/synth advice, somehow new suggestions that work will surface...but I don't think they will.
You're always going to get kinda close, but never quite a real sounding bass....and then you'll probably go the next route (which many here have), and you'll try to mask that not-real bass sound with other elements in the mix...etc...but it always keeps nagging at you!
Really...we've all been there...and where just trying to help you get over that hump and on the path that will work....and no one is looking to derail your thread or anything like that.
yeah. sometimes a thread can go off on a tangent.
and besides, playing bass is so much fun....
I had to smile so much when I read the posts above. Are we really suggesting that somebody who has never owned a real instrument should BUY one and use that, even a cheap one, because that will sound better? The people who can play a real bass will understand the fact that a real instrument, even a poor one, can sound great with a bit of treatment, but the key feature in this approach is being able too play the damn thing well - and if you can't or have never tried but maybe, just maybe, have the talent for it - you might discover you are a terrible bass player. When you are a reasonably good musician, then key switch sample control is an excellent system, but some people cannot do it properly.
I've found the scarbee bass useful for a few songs, but it's strengths are for funky bass with octaves and high twiddly bits where the mod wheel works brilliantly. It's not going to ever sound very bass guitar like outside the funky, high area.
There are some useful bass sounds in my Kontakt package in the band section that work for me better. The really important thing is to just try to emulate what actually happens when you play a real bass guitar rather than a keyboard - as I mentioned in post 2 or therabouts. It's the gaps, the differences in tone between notes in a phrase and I know that as a finger player rather than pick, I can change between mellow and hard notes one after the other sometimes. One of the first bass tracks I did that didn't sound like a pretend bass was a cover of "Final Countdown" years ago. The bass part is a rhythmic piece that has few real different notes but loads of accents, pushes and what sounds like quantise but isn't. Well worth looking at if you want to practice a keyboard vs real bass. In fact, this is the only one I can think of where my real bass sounded worse - with fingers or a pick (not that I've ever been good with a pick).
yeah. sometimes a thread can go off on a tangent.
I'd say for now make music that is within the range if the current skills you have and equipment.
Have fun with that and save up money. Then get a real bass, real guitar, etc.
Wasting time to get midi to sound like a real bass is just that. Wasting time. No matter how close you think you can get, 5 years down the line you'll cringe at how unrealistic it sounds.
Do some electronic music that your gear is capable of and have some fun.
Oh ps, quit being so stubborn. Open your heart and soul to the magic of stringed instruments
Cool man. I wish I had better idea for you. I just don't do that kind of stuff myself.
Sorry if we misunderstood and jacked your thread.
Cheers!
That's my view too. I can play bass, but not brilliantly, perhaps not even "well". I think this backs your argument to a small extent. Sometimes, I'll play the bass, covert to midi and then tidy up the errors and it does the job. Other times, I write the midi directly with no "pre-playing". When doing the latter, I use my knowledge of actually playing bass to rule what I do. So not three octave slides, no notes the bass can't play, hammer ons and pull offs and short slides etc etc.
So far as the midi is concerned, it helps to have a really good bass sampler, my go to being Trilian.
And the result. The bass player I admire most, a man who has played Upright/double bass on thousands of world hits heard one of my tracks and tweeted to me that there's nothing he likes better than a good tune with nice mandolin and a "really well recorded double-bass".
I told him it was Trilian, and he said he'd have to be more careful in what he said.
I wish - no, the guitar and vocals were somebody else's problem. the bass is a kind of driving force in that song, but if you listen carefully the dum-duma-dum rhythm is not exactly the same all the way through, and while you can play the notes, and play the rhythm, getting the two together to sort of lock in is surprising tricky.Thanks, Rob: I feel like you get where I'm coming from, and I appreciate your useful tips.
Just out of curiosity: did you cover the entire song (Final Countdown) all by yourself, including the vocals and guitar solo?
---------- Update ----------
A bit late I know, but Just Buy A Bass LOL, so then you automatically become a bass player LOL.
It's not like everyone has the luxury of always bringing in session players for everything.
A bit late I know, but Just Buy A Bass LOL, so then you automatically become a bass player LOL. I know what I'll buy a grand piano and just become a classical piano player, or a Strat and become Jimi Hendrix LOL. I have played bass for 46 years, only studied bass and only really play bass, with a bit of average keyboard playing, I have no interest in playing guitar. I get very annoyed when a guitarist picks up a bass and thinks they know how to play it straight away, I can always tell if it's a guitarist playing bass.
Anyway back to midi bass, would it improve the midi bass in any whey by which actual keyboard you were putting the bass down with? I am thinking along the lines of the Novation Bass Station type keyboard? The attack and decay and the way it relates to the playing could change the way the midid is written? I know my keyboards with midi seem to have their own characteristics.
Alan.
Interesting story, Coquet-Shack!
How did this world-class player hear your track? Had you posted it on Twitter, and he was following you?