Whammy Effect?

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movingmatter
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Joined: Mon May 04, 2020 10:32 pm

Whammy Effect?

Post by movingmatter » Sun Jul 26, 2020 5:08 pm

Any recommendations for getting my guitar to play at -1 octave, so it sounds like a bass, in real time? Is there any sort of whammy, pitch shift or octave effect that can alter the pitch of an incoming audio signal? Thanks for your insight.

Tone Deft
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Re: Whammy Effect?

Post by Tone Deft » Sun Jul 26, 2020 5:18 pm

I have a Boss PS3 pitch shifter/delay stomp box. it drops the pitch but it still sounds like a guitar, not a bass. bass strings are MUCH bigger than guitar strings, this is like asking a snare to sound like a kick drum. you can get a deep pitch from it, but it's not a kick drum.

the cost of entry for bass is really low.
- a bass guitar can be bought pretty cheaply, I got a new Washburn for $300. used would be way cheaper. entry level basses are much better than entry level guitars, they don't need nearly the precision to make a playable instrument. (my apologies to bass purists.)

- a lot of bass players just plug straight in the console, IOW there's a pretty low cost of entry for playing a real bass. after many years of owning a bass I've only added a Sanamp YYZ pre-amp bass pedal to get a wider range of tones. there's not much more to bass than that, other than running it through guitar pedals.

there are probably youtubes on how to do this. I'd look it up but I already have a bass.
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movingmatter
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Joined: Mon May 04, 2020 10:32 pm

Re: Whammy Effect?

Post by movingmatter » Sun Jul 26, 2020 5:46 pm

Right on, thanks for your reply. I currently have the HX Stomp, which I'm using to create the bass effect, sounds good. I was hoping for an option in Ableton, so that I could automate it, so that my guitar would automatically change to a bass sound, at certain points in the song, as I'm live looping.

I agree on purchasing a bass and running it direct, and that no pedal or effect is gonna make that accurate of a model, but for now, keeping it simple while I learn Ableton and live looping. Thanks.

Tone Deft
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Re: Whammy Effect?

Post by Tone Deft » Sun Jul 26, 2020 5:57 pm

you've piqued my interest so I youtube'd it, no clue which video to suggest
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... +like+bass

I'm curious to see what people do, I'm sure there's an answer in there. or at least by watching them explain their shit it'll show the hurdles to clear as they've already looked into all this.
In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
-Moz

Tone Deft
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Re: Whammy Effect?

Post by Tone Deft » Sun Jul 26, 2020 7:03 pm

I watched the first youtube on the list, I'm sold on it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvqgQZuf0IA

I forgot about Live's amps and cabinets, there are amps for bass guitar.
- play the guitar using bass right hand finger techniques
- drop the pitch by half and use Complex Pro
- lower the formants to clean up the tone
- add an Ableton bass amp and cabinet
In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
-Moz

movingmatter
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Joined: Mon May 04, 2020 10:32 pm

Re: Whammy Effect?

Post by movingmatter » Sun Jul 26, 2020 7:51 pm

Thanks Tone Deft, appreciate the research. I checked out those videos and while they're good ideas for making guitar sound like a bass, after recording as a guitar, I need something that will sound like a bass in real time, while I'm playing. I've been scouring the internet and forums, and haven't found any solutions for a Whammy Effect or Octave Effect that processes the incoming audio signal and drops it by -12 semitones. I feel like this would be a very useful effect, to drop it -2 or -12 or -24, or raise it to 12 or 24, essentially mimicking what a whammy pedal does. I'll keep digging, thanks!

Tone Deft
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Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:19 pm

Re: Whammy Effect?

Post by Tone Deft » Sun Jul 26, 2020 8:15 pm

nothing to add, just banter...

that's the thing. learn from other peoples' examples. it's a tale over and over of trying this and that "so I came up with this..."

there absolutely IS a need for this but you're prospecting for gold where MANY others have already searched, just observe their tracks.

FWIW I've always had a guitar with me for 30 years, computer DAWs etc for 20+ years. internet since day 1 geeking out on looking for schematics for such pedals over telnet. O.L.G.A. was the SHIT! no such thing exists.

please feel free to ignore the old man ranting in the corner about who cares what.
In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
-Moz

TLW
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Re: Whammy Effect?

Post by TLW » Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:05 pm

There are a lot of digital pedals around which can drop the pitch of a guitar by an octave, or raise it an octave. They’re probably a better bet than a plugin for real time low-latency use. They don’t sound quite like a bass guitar but can do the job and are a useful guitar effect generally.

Alternatively, get an inexpensive playable bass such as a Squier or a Mexican-built Fender. Personally I wouldn’t recommend a low priced Washburn as the one I have, and the few others I’ve tried, have necks that aren’t stable on the lower notes - I can hear and feel them “wobbling” around. Which doesn’t mean they all have that problem, but the examples I’ve experience of did.
Live 10 Suite, 2020 27" iMac, 3.6 GHz i9, MacOS Catalina, RME UFX, assorted synths, guitars and stuff.

Lutzbone
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Re: Whammy Effect?

Post by Lutzbone » Mon Feb 06, 2023 12:28 pm

I know this is an old thread but just in case anyone stumbles on it with the same question, check out Aegean Pitchproof - https://aegeanmusic.com/pitchproof-specs

Hope this helps someone!
"Don't look at the trombones, it only encourages them!"

-- Richard Strauss

Jim Lutz
http://www.jimlutzmusic.com

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