Moog Music Forum

Hi- this might be a good one for the all of the low-pass filter threads happening lately, but I'll post here for bass guitar and the different effect I'm going for. I'm looking for a sound in which any played note has lots of resonance. Some basses have this overtone naturally if you hit the right note. With the right pedal this would happen with any note played.

Because the mf-101 low pass filter has a resonance knob, I'm drawn to think this would do it, especially if played with an expression pedal to hold the setting, rather than produce the opening/closing filter effect. The main thing I'm going on here is the resonance knob, but a lot of the samples I've heard only use the filter effect without much harmonic overtone. The ring mod. could also be a possibility, although it seems like this would be maybe too strong of an effect.

btw, the title's supposed to read "..resonance - mf101?" ok, cool...that was annoying.


Thanks for any advice you might have!!

moogmoog wrote:Hi- this might be a good one for the all of the low-pass filter threads happening lately, but I'll post here for bass guitar and the different effect I'm going for. I'm looking for a sound in which any played note has lots of resonance. Some basses have this overtone naturally if you hit the right note. With the right pedal this would happen with any note played.

Because the mf-101 low pass filter has a resonance knob, I'm drawn to think this would do it, especially if played with an expression pedal to hold the setting, rather than produce the opening/closing filter effect. The main thing I'm going on here is the resonance knob, but a lot of the samples I've heard only use the filter effect without much harmonic overtone. The ring mod. could also be a possibility, although it seems like this would be maybe too strong of an effect.

this should be an easy effect to create: low values on the amount & cutoff frequency parameters, as well as a higher value on the resonance should get you the sound you're after- minimal envelope following, even resonance through the envelope of the note (no wah, wow, ow, etc.). you wouldn't need the ex ped to hold the envelope open, as the amount knob basically does that for you.

btw, the ring mod is capable of very subtle sounds as well as radical ones- it's all in the mix parameter settings...

hey moogmoog - you didn't start this thread over at the dudepit, did you?

unfortunately, I can't try it out because all my gear is packed up ready to be shipped back to the States. interesting idea though!

Hahaha.. Yeah, a little more of that "rub a dub dub" quality on the bass sound is exactly what I'm going for (in so many words). good link, H!

lg, in the songs I've heard with this sound involved, there is not so much of a wow or ow typical filter sound, but there is what I can only described as kindof a compressed sub-bass sound on the original note, which leads me to think that a lowpass is making the sound.

Since posting this, I've been reading up on the pattern step adaptor for the murf. Not only does it allow for a little more "rhythmic adaptation," but you can also stop on any part of the animation pattern, and each filter has its own freq. range and sound. Not saying this will provide the harmonic overtone (1/2 of the sound), but it might help with the dubby "compressed" quality of the original note. I'll keep you all posted on this one.

moogmoog wrote:Hahaha.. Yeah, a little more of that "rub a dub dub" quality on the bass sound is exactly what I'm going for (in so many words). good link, H!

lg, in the songs I've heard with this sound involved, there is not so much of a wow or ow typical filter sound, but there is what I can only described as kindof a compressed sub-bass sound on the original note, which leads me to think that a lowpass is making the sound.

Since posting this, I've been reading up on the pattern step adaptor for the murf. Not only does it allow for a little more "rhythmic adaptation," but you can also stop on any part of the animation pattern, and each filter has its own freq. range and sound. Not saying this will provide the harmonic overtone (1/2 of the sound), but it might help with the dubby "compressed" quality of the original note. I'll keep you all posted on this one.

i just did a little 'dub' bass experiment with my lowpass, and, exactly, the amount parameter is the key for getting an even resonance; you can dial in the freq with the cutoff, and obviously tailor the amount of resonance and mix with your dry signal (all the way to speaker-cone ripping self oscillation). i'm sure the bass murf can do this as well with the step adaptor (and is plain just a @@**$% cool box, which puts it next on my list, anyway).

one thing i've found to be very nice (especially in consort with a filter) is the valvotronics tube amplified direct box www.valvotronics.com not only is it a great general purpose direct box, it works especially well for bass- has a 'bass tilt' switch that rolls off everything over 1khz- really captures that pillowy dub sound that we all know and luv. plus it's super cool-looking (very important!). my typical chain for bass is: lowpass/valvotronics DI/joemeek vc6 (sometimes i'll use an RNC 1773 if i've got the meekbox dedicated to guitar)...fwiw

I'm hoping the murf step adaptor can put out some of these frequencies- it'll be here soon - it could make for a good weekend project - I'll keep you all posted. It doesn't exactly have the resonance ability of the low-pass, but could open up some new doors.
The valvetronics does look pretty sweet. Would it emulate a bass tube amp?

moogmoog wrote:I'm hoping the murf step adaptor can put out some of these frequencies- it'll be here soon - it could make for a good weekend project - I'll keep you all posted. It doesn't exactly have the resonance ability of the low-pass, but could open up some new doors.
The valvetronics does look pretty sweet. Would it emulate a bass tube amp?

heh. emulation is a relative term. i think there's nothing like the sound of a big tube bass amp & cab, but sometime's that's either not practical (like in one's bedroom at 2am, for instance) or you want the flexibility of a direct tone to blend in. i think any DI device is going to suffer a bit in comparison to a miked cab, but again, it can add something as well, used intelligently...

above, "it" = murf, just to clarify.

lg - so you've got the valvotronics and lowpass...how would you compare the two? from what i've read, it sounds like the DI has more of a built-in low-pass filter, good for achieving one solid tone as a unit, but it seems like you would have more options for tone with the moog lowpass, not to mention it being cheaper...

moogmoog wrote:lg - so you've got the valvotronics and lowpass...how would you compare the two? from what i've read, it sounds like the DI has more of a built-in low-pass filter, good for achieving one solid tone as a unit, but it seems like you would have more options for tone with the moog lowpass, not to mention it being cheaper...

well, they're really two different tools. i look at the MF101 more in terms of a musical instrument, and the DI box as a signal processor, in that i tend more to 'set it and forget it', while the MF just begs to be manipulated (and of course gives you much more in the way of sound-sculpting potential). i originally got the DI because i was unsatisfied with the bass tones i was tracking (in some ways, to make up for less than optimal recording gear, i.e. mackie/roland)- since then i've gotten one of those little summit 2BA221 half-rack tube units: http://www.summitaudio.com/2ba-221-mic-line-module.htm which i love; but find for bass i prefer the sound of the valvotronics, which seems to have been designed specifically for bass guitar. anyway, having both a mic'd sound and a direct sound has allowed for more fine-tuning of bass tones; i picked up the MF101 prior to that for use with guitar, but have found it to be wonderful on bass, percussion tracks, keyboards, and as a signal source on its own (with the CP251 and MF102, it's starting to become more of a mini-modular, which was the idea, i know).

hope that helps.