KVR Audio

Markleford · Post by **Markleford** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 1:07 pm

geoffkhan wrote:I was planning on letting people just EQ out the highs to get a deeper bass, but there actually is a different way you play the bass when you want it to sound deeper.

Yes! I play with the meat of my thumb, sideways, towards the first (octave, 12-frets up from left hand) harmonic. Maybe a bit like George Benson strumming.

Anyway, I'm on board for the SF. Great stuff. I almost want to try to convince you to raise the price!

- m

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:55 pm

Markleford wrote: Yes! I play with the meat of my thumb, sideways, towards the first (octave, 12-frets up from left hand) harmonic. Maybe a bit like George Benson strumming.

Yup!

papatomany · Post by **papatomany** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:28 am

This is beautiful, Geoff. (And thanks for the Corea.)

peanut · Post by **peanut** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:57 am

can't argue with that price

dusted william · Post by **dusted william** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:22 am

I made 2 more quick demos, and in both the bass is left completely dry:

Holy shit, I should be so lucky to come up with something like that in a lifetime.

you got my 20 dollars:)

dw

neverwhere2012 · Post by **neverwhere2012** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 2:22 am

just read through this whole thread. for $20 you can count me in, amazing stuff... now if only i had the patience to program basslines like in those demos

duncanparsons · Post by **duncanparsons** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:11 am

THis sounds super Geoff. I really like the UGK (used it in my last two Monthly Comp Entries..), and look forward to this one, and at $20, that's a pittance for the work you've put in.. But I suspect you'll be getting rather a lot of units moved!

ATB
DSP

Paul G · Post by **Paul G** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:37 am

Geoff:

This sounds amazing!

Count me in

Paul

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 2:31 am

Okay, I finished the Victor Wooten-style slapping soundfont. Demo time!

http://herculeaneffort.adventuredevelop ... icslap.mp3

It's about 42 megs. The soundfont, not the demo, that is.

So left I have to make those deep bass soundfonts. I'm thinking there'll be one or two of them -- one played with the thumb and one played normally. Any more requests for more articulations? And then I'm going to go through all the soundfonts and make sure they're all in tune. And then I'm going to work on the looping in the samples (the samples are usually around 10 seconds long, with subtle looping at the end).

And then... happy days are here again!

I can tell you guys will love the soundfont set.

neverwhere2012 · Post by **neverwhere2012** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 2:50 am

jeeze... that was the best sounding demo yet, i think. when can i send you my money for these soundfonts????

MRT · Post by **MRT** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:16 am

Any chance you would bundle your fonts with a collection of midi's that showcase each variation? Similar to the demos. Which I find amazing.

Landphil · Post by **Landphil** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:16 am

I can't wait!

Hell, these sound so good I'm gonna buy them twice!

tombuur · Post by **tombuur** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:48 am

More requests? Well, can't you borrow some real vintage P-Bass and add to the collection? Also I wish you could record through my RME Fireface to get better AD-conversion (and 24bit). If you lived around the corner I would definately invite you to come and use my equipment.

Anyway, if you add those deeper thumbed samples I think I will be on the list of purchasers.

WoJ · Post by **WoJ** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 9:26 am

Heh, i will be buying it for sure, $20!? thats only about £10-15 uk! How would you accept payment? paypal?? something similar?

As someone said it would be great if you could include midi demo's with it, would realy show it off.

WoJ

Markleford · Post by **Markleford** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 1:44 pm

geoffkhan wrote:And then I'm going to work on the looping in the samples (the samples are usually around 10 seconds long, with subtle looping at the end).

It's been my theory as a samplist (especially for guitars) that if your samples are long then *don't* loop the ends. It's best to just get that "release" noise at the end no matter where it may fall.

Specifically in this case, there is no "important" reason for a bass player to hold a note for 10 seconds! The bass's role is one of two, 1) provide a fundamental tone to imply chord structure for higher instruments, and 2) rhythm and groove. Holding a note for 10 seconds generally defies these two, as, 1) The volume of the tone will decay to a level where it's no longer prominenent or the chord has changed since then, and 2) 10 seconds doesn't make for a good rhythmic pulse!

As such, the utility of a long note will typically come as the end note of a song, and in that case you'd *want* the release fret sound.

(Okay, I'm also omitting role #3, bass as a solo instrument, considering all the players you're emulating!

But they also play more than one note every 10 seconds, even with an open pedal point.

)

Though I guess making a set of note releases for each fret would be okay if you insist on looping!

And I forget, have you already sampled string-squeaks?

Also, I haven't asked specifically: did you sample muted/damped string thumps and pulls? Sounds like vicslap demo does some of that, but I don't know if it's particular to your double-thumb articulation set.

Otherwise, muted percussion stuff is great for slap lines where you're fretting your traditional octave slap-pull notes and then release the pressure on the frets to where your left hand is just muting the strings to get thumpy sounds from the same pattern as before, but with the added sometimes-bonus of harmonic overtones. (This also works better when you're sampling all the notes per string, so the harmonics are more aligned with where your hand is.)

Heh, after I wrote all that, I realise how unnecessary it probably was: you've already shown yourself to be a bassist that thinks so much along my ideas and love of the instrument!

I guess it's just my ideas as a samplist that I want to convey: always good to share some tricks and theory to bring an already superlative sample-set into orbit in terms of playability!

And keep those original samples archived (even ones that don't make it into the SFs): maybe we can turn it into a kick-ass virtual instrument someday with articulation and modwheel zone switches and all that!

- m

Ultimate Bass Kit