3Sigma Upright Bass IR's

[roscoe5]

I just picked up the new 3Sigma Upright Bass pack.  I plan on using it with the Barcus Berry Piezo Bridge signal on my old Kay URB, blended with the dry Schaller Mag pickup on the Kay on a separate Helix input and path.  Should be pretty sweet.  Will post clips when I get it hooked up. Cant wait to get that bowed sound too.  Nice job 3Sigma!!!

 

Just the 3Sigma clips comparing the URB piezo DI dry and with the IR sound great.  Looks like they used a Fishman Full Circle pickup.

 

http://www.3sigmaaudio.com/items/category/upright-basses/

 

[roscoe5]

I haven't really had any time to dig in or make clips since I got the IR pack yesterday, but just took a quick lunch break with them.

 

I used the IRs with my Yamaha TRB5P fretless bass with piezo bridge it it was a very nice effect, even with just the mags. Bridge mag + piezo blend was really good.  I last put stainless roundwounds on it so I could play slap and finger style on it (dont worry, the ebony fingerboard is tough).  I think it would sound much more like a URB with flatwounds or tapewounds.

 

The IR's enhance A LOT of string noise on the electric bass, so get ready to lower the highs.

 

Now it doesn't make your electric bass sound like a 4/4 double bass, BUT it does give it a some air with some woody thump.  They do make your piezo equipped solid body bass sound much more acoustic bass guitar (ABG). I had a Tacoma Thunderchief fretless 5 string at one time, and it reminds me a lot of that (wish I still had it). It's even a nice acoustic enhancement for mag-only basses.  

 

Anyway, I highly recommended it for bassists using Helix.  

[roscoe5]

Oh yeah, on another note (maybe a new thread)...I messed around with my JTV-69 yesterday trying to get a good acoustic/upright bass sound for my acoustic duo gig, and I found the Jazzbox guitar model with strings an octave down (or Helix octave pedal) with the Tuck N Go amp/cab gave a really nice bass sound.

 

I keep switching out instruments on that gig since it's so casual (acoustic guitar, 6 string electric bass, double bass), but I want to take the JTV next time and try to cover all basses.

[amsdenj]

See that Dean ABG in the background of the video? What we need is IRs that make that ABG (especially a fretless version which I have) sound like a standup base. 

 

If you already have a standup bass and can play it, its not clear these IRs add that much. But being able to have IRs that convert an electric bass or ABG into a standup bass would be very interesting.

[roscoe5]

See that Dean ABG in the background of the video? What we need is IRs that make that ABG (especially a fretless version which I have) sound like a standup base. 

 

If you already have a standup bass and can play it, its not clear these IRs add that much. But being able to have IRs that convert an electric bass or ABG into a standup bass would be very interesting.

 

 

Oh these will be super useful for my URB live to give me a mic'd sound, especially in a full band, when I cannot use a condenser mic.  The piezo only isnt too inspiring, and the Schaller mag is a bit dull, although punchy.  Makes me want to pull out the bow again, which my singer/guitarist has been bugging me to do.  Can't wait to use them live.

 

I've been meaning to make some myself of my mic'd Kay bass deconvolved with the Barcus Berry Piezo Bridge.  But that bass is plywood and I'm sure that solid wood German Bass is much sweeter.  3Sigma has a better studio and gear anyway.  They can have my $10 on this one and save me days of experimentation and frustration.

[roscoe5]

See that Dean ABG in the background of the video? What we need is IRs that make that ABG (especially a fretless version which I have) sound like a standup base. 

 

 

 

Oh, now these IR's may make a piezo acoustic bass guitar sound more like a URB.  I don't have one anymore to test.  

 

Even if it didnt take an ABG all the way to URB territory, I bet it would make the piezo signal sound much better.

 

Dang I'm missing my old Tacoma now!  I just went to playing URB for acoustic gigs and never took it out.

[hideout]

Wow! This is really great news, roscoe5! Thanks, man.

[GFine]

On 1/18/2017 at 3:22 PM, amsdenj said:

But being able to have IRs that convert an electric bass or ABG into a standup bass would be very interesting.

 

Yes it would.  Is there any way for the Helix to make an electric sound like a stand up?

[frequency440]

I know this is an older thread, but...

I have an NS Designs NXTa that I've been using with my HX Effects (and now the Stomp more recently), and I picked up all three 3Sigma upright IRs last weekend. They seem like a totally worthy purchase, but I've only tried the Hawk IR so far due to being busy with other stuff... and because that's the "jazz" one. lol. Definitely want to check out the other two particularly with bowing!

 

I was pretty happy with my previous patch that had compression, a smidge of delay (15ms, 35% mix) to somewhat mimic having the upright body, and the 10-band EQ block for some tone shaping (low frequency cut at 31.25Hz and 62.5Hz, and some mid "honk" cut at 250Hz). The Hawk IR seems like quite an improvement, and will almost surely replace my delay/EQ combo when I get a chance to try it out with my jazz combo and an amp.

 

I haven't had a chance to use them in a live setting, but here's a couple of direct clips for your auditory comparison. I'm pretty happy so far, and I've only tried the Hawk IR (because that's the "jazz" one lol). The IR seems a touch bright at the moment even with the tone knob rolled all the way down, so I may bring the 10-Band EQ block back into play with some high frequency shaping.

 

The Setup:
NS Designs NXTa with NS Traditional strings > Stomp > PC

Two clips, one dry with just some compression and one using the Hawk IR and compression.

Cheers!
F440

 

NXTa - Dry.mp3

NXTa - 3Sigma Hawk IR.mp3