My new project is indie pop/rock and there are some synth leads and other parts that when we finally perform live, Im going to have the pain/pleasure of playing. It will be a mix of backing tracks, parts assigned to pads that I will trigger, a little bit of playing a 49 (possibly 61) key keyboard and of course playing live bass most the time. Playing live bass and having synth bass over parts of songs along with it makes the bass sound HUGE when in studio, talk about low end...I imagine it will sound even better live in places with big quality PA systems. Anyone else do this in a band? What type of music and what kind of set up do you have?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
Welcome to TalkBass! Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Playing bass while also keyboard/synth?
- Thread starter mbell75
- Start date
-
- Tags
- and bass playing playing bass
Will check those out but Im not looking to have a laptop and controller. I don't ever see bassists using synths with a laptop on stage. Was hoping to hear from those who actually do this and what kind of set up they use. Most bands Im interested in with a similar sound are using Wavestations and other similar synths and also something with pads thats a stand alone like a Native Instruments or Akai unit, like the MPC or Pro Force.
Last edited:
I think drummers usually start off the backing tracks since they dictate the rhythm. But ymmv.
AngelCrusher
Supporting Member
- Sep 12, 2004
- 5,145
- 5,904
- 5,067
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie, Tech 21, Taylor
Have you considered sequencing your synth bass parts? Not sure the musical style but thats a common way to do it in some genres.
Saw a bar band in NYC recently where the bassist was playing the bass line to Rosanna fretting his bass with his left hand while playing the synth leads on a keyboard with his right hand simultaneously.
It was awesome to watch.
It was awesome to watch.
I am a keyboardplayer and I am switching between bass and keys in my current band. Our rhythm guitarist plays the bass on some of the more keyboard-demanding songs, so I can focus on the keys.
On some songs I play keys in intros, interludes, etc., filling in bass notes with my left hand, and then I switch to the bass guitar for the rest of the song.
On other songs, like Summer of '69, I pick the open A and D strings (using drop-D tuning) with my left hand (I play lefty bass), while playing the synth/guitar-theme with my right hand on the keyboard.
On Another Brick in the Wall, I have to play the keyboard-chords during the guitarsolo while playing the bass guitar at the same time.
I trigger the chords by pressing just one key on the keyboard (for example, I programmed the keyboard to play a Dm7 when I press a certain D-key, etc.)
I use my left hand to change the chord, while at the same time tapping the low D on my 5-string with my right hand.
It takes a bit of practice to get the timing right, but it can be done.
I have thought about getting a set of foot pedals for my keyboards, so I can play keyboard sounds with my feet while playing the bass guitar.
I am old fashined in terms of keyboards, I only use hardware synths. Currently a Kurzeweil PC3X and a Roland FA-06.
On some songs I play keys in intros, interludes, etc., filling in bass notes with my left hand, and then I switch to the bass guitar for the rest of the song.
On other songs, like Summer of '69, I pick the open A and D strings (using drop-D tuning) with my left hand (I play lefty bass), while playing the synth/guitar-theme with my right hand on the keyboard.
On Another Brick in the Wall, I have to play the keyboard-chords during the guitarsolo while playing the bass guitar at the same time.
I trigger the chords by pressing just one key on the keyboard (for example, I programmed the keyboard to play a Dm7 when I press a certain D-key, etc.)
I use my left hand to change the chord, while at the same time tapping the low D on my 5-string with my right hand.
It takes a bit of practice to get the timing right, but it can be done.
I have thought about getting a set of foot pedals for my keyboards, so I can play keyboard sounds with my feet while playing the bass guitar.
I am old fashined in terms of keyboards, I only use hardware synths. Currently a Kurzeweil PC3X and a Roland FA-06.
You may not think you've seen laptops in use, but it may just be that they're somewhere out of sight.
I'm not very digitally savvy and don't use samples on stage, but to fill out Six Cowards' sound there are a number of tricks I use - my guitarist says I'm trying to be three or four band members in one (I also sing), and... he's pretty much right.
One thing is to bi-amp my bass signal, with an octave-up signal going through various pedals (including a C9 organ pedal or a distortion) to a guitar amp. That gets a "rhythm guitar" (or organ) playing in unison with the bass line.
I do have a keyboard on stage, a pretty inexpensive 61-key Yamaha MM6. There are songs where I let bass drop out and switch to keys for a bit, and songs where I can loop the bass line and then just play keys over it.
Another thing I've played with is a McMillen 12-step MIDI controller, running to the Yamaha keyboard. Unfortunately the Yamaha has only limited MIDI input capabilities so I haven't been using it too much lately. I tried it because Billy Sheehan uses one in the Winery Dogs. It's really more made to run a laptop MIDI, though.
I was in a Rush tribute band for a long time. My setup evolved over the lifespan of that band, but at the end it was two keyboards (Alesis Ion and a Roland Fantom X7 with some expansion cards) and a set of MIDI pedals (the Roland PK-5A). These days it would probably be one keyboard, pedals, and a laptop or something like that.
Figure out what sounds you need and have to play - is it pads or sustained notes? Trigger a sample/sequenced line while playing bass? Something like the PK-5A + a sound source can do that.
EDIT: I also played around with a bass to MIDI pickup for awhile, but it just didn't suit my needs. It could work for you again depending on what you're trying to accomplish.
Figure out what sounds you need and have to play - is it pads or sustained notes? Trigger a sample/sequenced line while playing bass? Something like the PK-5A + a sound source can do that.
EDIT: I also played around with a bass to MIDI pickup for awhile, but it just didn't suit my needs. It could work for you again depending on what you're trying to accomplish.
I doubt this will be of much practical use to you, but I'm still hauling a hardware sampler around.
It has 8 discreet outputs, which works out as up to 3 stereo sub-mixes / 6 mono outputs to FOH, 1 mono output to my A/B box (for any sounds that I want to play through my pedals & amp), and 1 mono output to the drummer (for any click tracks that may be required - though none of the current playlist requires them).
In previous bands, the drummer would also have their own sampler, as would the guitarist, so everyone had their own triggering method (be that keyboard, drum pads, MPC etc), and a Philip Reese MIDI merge box was also used.
Currently just using a single MIDI keyboard, and depending on the song, I might play intro/outro, breaks, or chorus on the keyboard, and be switching back and forth between keys and bass throughout the song.
One PITA at the moment is I'm playing synth bass / samples on some songs, and the other bass player is playing synth bass / lead lines on other songs ; so we're having to structure the set so that all my keyboard songs are together, then drag the keyboard across the stage, and do all the songs where he uses keys.
Currently thinking about switching over to a laptop, with 2 mini keyboards on USB - which has a bunch of advantages, not least of which is the size and weight of the equipment, and also particularly with regard to collaboration, and reducing my workload as being solely responsible for managing samples, keyboards etc.
There are a few drawbacks to going that route, in terms of robustness, and in order to have the same output capability, I'm either looking at no real reduction in size / weight, or several new purchases...
Many years ago, I was in a band where on a small number of songs I would play bass and keyboards at the same time and on a few songs I would play bass and trumpet at the same time.
When I would do “double duty”, I played simplified parts on both instruments.
When I would do “double duty”, I played simplified parts on both instruments.
That’s true regarding the laptop offstage and some good info there, thanks. This is the kind of setup I was leaning towards and this project I’m doing has a similar sound to these guys. Bassist also has a pedal board down there too. He rarely plays the keys, mostly samples from the pads and then they have backing tracks going. Drummer also has pads and the guitarist will ocassionally play something.