Play guitar as a Bass

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rscheffel2
Posts: 15
Joined: 25 Oct 2017

25 Oct 2017

Very simple: I don't have a bass, only a guitar. I want to lay down a bass line ... but don't want to lay it down using midi (keyboard) instruments like ID8, etc. because I want to use the guitar, as it's a more natural way (for me) of making a bass line.

Is there a way in Reason to play the guitar as I would a bass, but pump the guitar notes out as if they were played on a bass?

I can't seem to find any YouTube videos on this ... can't even get a good answer in google.

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QVprod
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25 Oct 2017

Results can vary, but one way would be to record your guitar baseline and then pitch the recording down an octave.

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emilng
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25 Oct 2017

You could play your guitar as you would your bass and record that.
Use the pitch editing functionality in Reason 9 and above to bring it down an octave then run that through Softube bass amp.
It's not going to sound exactly like a bass because regular guitar strings and pickups don't have the same timbre, but it will get you close especially if you have a baritone or extended range guitar.

rscheffel2
Posts: 15
Joined: 25 Oct 2017

25 Oct 2017

Thanks for the advice ... I guess that will work (pitching it down) ... the main reason is want to to play it on guitar is that I can get the nuances ...bending and other dynamics ...as is natural when playing a guitar/bass. So pitching down is acceptable and probably 'close enough' ....

I thought I could maybe just run the guitar through the Softube Bass amp and that should output the notes with a bass-like quality ...but it seemed to not be an option ... I don't recall why ...

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Zac
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25 Oct 2017

I've tried it myself and the best results I got was using the Polar Re, but I think I had to re-adjust the timing due to latency. I ended up getting a Very cheap bass guitar.

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stratatonic
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Location: CANADA

25 Oct 2017

rscheffel2 wrote:
25 Oct 2017
. the main reason is want to to play it on guitar is that I can get the nuances ...bending and other dynamics ...as is natural when playing a guitar/bass.

I thought I could maybe just run the guitar through the Softube Bass amp and that should output the notes with a bass-like quality ..
You could demo the pitch shifter by KiloHearts
https://shop.propellerheads.se/product/ ... h-shifter/

Bring it down 12 semi tones, put the grain setting as low as you can before it starts messing too much with the sound and full mix.

There;s some latency, but you can always nudge the clip back a touch. Put it through the BassAmp to get tone and you get your bends and all...

YRMV

And there may be a VST pitch shifter as well out there as well...They all have some degree of latency though.

rscheffel2
Posts: 15
Joined: 25 Oct 2017

15 Nov 2017

Thanks everyone for your very helpful answers ...

I am wondering though ... along the lines of my previous impression ... is it actually impossible to run a guitar through the Softube Bass amp???

Does this bass amp allow only low bass frequencies ... as output from an actual bass ... as input to the amp? .... or would it take a guitar signal (higher frequency) as input?

The reason I ask is because it seemed to not work when I tried running a guitar through the Softube bass amp.

THANKS.

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esselfortium
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15 Nov 2017

A bass guitar doesn't exclusively output low frequencies, it just plays very low notes.

You can input audio from any source into the Softube Bass Amp or any other audio input in Reason.
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normen
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15 Nov 2017

A bass guitar puts out bass notes because of its strings, not because of the amp. Technically theres not much difference between a bass amp and a guitar amp, really.

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Vince-Noir-99
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15 Nov 2017

Done it many times, and after some tone and/or pickup selection tweakings before recording, I got tracks that worked very well in the mix.

*Just a curiosity: aside from pitching it down 1 octave, would playing/recording your bass lines at a slower speed, and then speeding it up to the required BPM after pitch shifting, improve the timbre? (I just don't have an electric guitar anymore or I'd try that myself).

rscheffel2
Posts: 15
Joined: 25 Oct 2017

16 Nov 2017

Thanks again EVERYONE for your responses. It seems I am good to go with just playing the low strings on the guitar, but to get them down to "bass string" level ... I would have to pitch them down an octave after recording them.

I.e., I can not expect that the bass amp (Softube) ... will be able to output notes from a guitar as if they were played on a bass ... yes ... no ...?

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normen
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16 Nov 2017

A completely different idea - use MIDI Guitar and play a sampler or synth based bass with your guitar :)

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NekujaK
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16 Nov 2017

Not exactly what you're looking for, but many times I've recorded bass parts with my guitar, then use Reason's audio-to-MIDI function to convert to a MIDI sequence. From there, I can apply the MIDI part to any number of sampled basses out there (my current fav is Modo Bass from IK Multimedia). Yes, you will lose bends and slides, but if you don't mind rolling up your sleeves and digging into the MIDI file, you can "re-create" some of that with automation and key switches (if your bass library supports them).

Keep in mind, you'll probably need to spend some time cleaning up the initial MIDI file that Reason generates. Stray notes and missed notes happen.
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Noplan
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17 Nov 2017

Very simple: You have no bass. Get a bass! They are cheap as fuck today. Cheaper than plugins. No skiving!

strangers
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18 Nov 2017

I've unfortunately done the whole guitar pitched down an octave to fill in as a bass and was never thrilled with the results. You can make it work and end up with a mix that most probably wouldn't even realize. Like others have mentioned, you'll still be lacking the meaty low end that a thicker gauge of strings and a lower register produces.

Playing a guitar through a bass amp is completely doable. A lot of guitarists still go ham for Sunn bass amps. To think you can only use a bass amp with a bass guitar is like thinking you can only fill a coffee mug with coffee.

rscheffel2
Posts: 15
Joined: 25 Oct 2017

26 Nov 2017

normen wrote:
16 Nov 2017
A completely different idea - use MIDI Guitar and play a sampler or synth based bass with your guitar :)
Thanks normen ... I think this is a really good option

rscheffel2
Posts: 15
Joined: 25 Oct 2017

26 Nov 2017

THX everyone ... I think the two best options are
1 get an actual bass
2 A completely different idea - use MIDI Guitar (it's the name of a product) and play a sampler or synth based bass with your guitar :)

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Marco Raaphorst
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26 Nov 2017

dampen the strings while playing. then pitch down the track an octave.

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