How do I limit to 4 string bass, low E

[SteveDouglas]

Can I change a setting that would limit the tracker riffs created to a typical 4 string, with no notes lower than bass E?

thanks, just starting to learn the ins and outs tonight

Steve

EZbass version: 1.0.5
Operating system: macOS High Sierra (10.13)

Topic

[Erik]

Hey Steve,

There’s no functionality like that at this moment.

If you find notes that are played too low, you can either use the chord wheel to move all notes in a block one octave up, or you can open the grid editor, select all notes below E and transpose them one octave up (keyboard shortcut Cmd+Shift+Arrow Up).

Erik Berglund — Toontrack

[SteveDouglas]

Thank you, yes I knew I could do that, but it would not end up being a natural way to play a progression, you really should figure out a way to choose 5 string or 4 string in the bass selection, as there are far more 4 string than 5 string players out there Hopefully that is something you can consider in future versions, or adding a note range selection where I could limit the dynamic range of the pitch from E on up… Thank you for your quick reply!

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Thanked by: LooneyTune

[Erik]

Thanks Steve,

I’ve forwarded your feedback to our designers, let’s see what the future holds : )

Erik Berglund — Toontrack

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[James]

SteveDouglas wrote:

Thank you, yes I knew I could do that, but it would not end up being a natural way to play a progression, you really should figure out a way to choose 5 string or 4 string in the bass selection, as there are far more 4 string than 5 string players out there Hopefully that is something you can consider in future versions, or adding a note range selection where I could limit the dynamic range of the pitch from E on up… Thank you for your quick reply!

Forgive me if I am missing the point here Steve, but it sounds like you’re asking that all the MIDI can be limited to a low E – apart from not being sure why you would want to do this; if you did move the low B to Eb notes up an octave so they could be played on a 4 string bass why would that not be a natural progression for a 4 string bass to play? If you’re playing a riff in keys like E or B starting on a low chord tone would be perfectly sensible place to start, and then search higher for the next notes.

The worst that could happen would be that some of those low notes might double up their octaves higher or have a smaller interval than was originally drawn in the MIDI but that could sound even better.

I’d be interested to know why you would want to do this.

[SteveDouglas]

It would be fine in some keys and styles yes, but I do not just write Bass parts in upward motion from the tonic , say you were in A , in that case I may go to the b7 on a G below, or an open E For the 5Th on the string below, or the 6th F# below etc, mixed in with notes above the tonic,

[James]

SteveDouglas wrote:

It would be fine in some keys and styles yes, but I do not just write Bass parts in upward motion from the tonic , say you were in A , in that case I may go to the b7 on a G below, or an open E For the 5Th on the string below, or the 6th F# below etc, mixed in with notes above the tonic,

So why can’t you do that on a 5 string bass? Forgive me if I am really missing something here but nothing about having that low B stops you playing it like a 4 string. You can just play it like a 5 as well.

[LDG]

I also think it would be cool for a preference to exclude the 5th string, to force to only 4, basically a note filter.  Id even rather see that on the Bass tab image too.

The reason for a 5th string is great and i think totally makes sense when designing and recording this software, but many of us are use to 4 strings, so no need to argue about it, its just a simple feature request, don’t use it if you don’t want it.

I really dislike it when users try to convince others that their way is wrong, maybe try to just explain how you like to work, but don’t expect that thats how others want to work.

Honestly when i look at a 5 string, as I’m not use to it, i often get tricked as to which note i’m looking at!   not a big deal, but hey, limit to 4 strings, great preference to have in the future.

 

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[James]

Luke if you’re suggesting that I’m trying to tell Steve that his desire for a 4 string bass is wrong I’m afraid you’ve misread my posts. I’ve stated both time my apologies if I am being naive or an idiot and missing a really simple point about this but I’m trying to understand why for a MIDI controlled instrument you would want to limit it.

Of course playing a 4 string bass will be different to playing a 5 string instrument, but programming MIDI or auditioning grooves from the library? I don’t get it it at all. I’m sorry.

[LDG]

Hey James,  I understand your pov, I’m thinking this idea would be more for tracker, recording in bass lines from guitar or bass, and therefore forcing it to translate the performance to only the 4 strings so that the notes can’t be accidentally interpreted below bottom E.  Or even better for me  to exclude the string completely and translate only to the 4 strings.   I think of this as just a midi filter preference, not unlike changing the dynamic range, velocity range, etc. we are talking pitch/frequency.  If i could i would just select a preference called “4 string mode”, see just a 4 string bass, for me, i’d really like that as it matches my real bass/guitar i’m using to capture the performance and visually would make more sense for me.

Im not saying that it needs to be a new toontrack EZX, but maybe a feature to select mode. don’t get me wrong as i think its better they recorded the Bass’s as 5 strings for extra low note options!

There’s many apps that limit notes that can be played on purpose. chord generators, arpeggiators etc.

As you say Auditioning midi from the grooves would make no sense to limit the strings, and performing from a midi device you get what what you play so its not necessary there, unless you hit a low E and would rather it appear as an open E string than the 5th fret of the B, even though its my understanding that these notes are using the same samples.

honestly though, it’s not really that big a deal. what we have is amazing.

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Thanked by: SteveDouglas and James

[James]

Aahhhh thanks Luke – now I get it.

I guess I look at this from the other side and value software like this giving me ideas where I can play at different points on the neck: Much like the days when there was no YouTube and no digital recordings and we just had to transcribe our favourite records by ear I would often audition notes and licks on different strings to see what was most comfortable for me – maybe not the way the artist recorded it – but that’s how you find your own voice on an instrument I find.

Of course back in those days there were no 5 string basses so I’d never go down that far – or that high up the neck I guess – to figure out a lick.

Thanks for persevering with my guitar addled brain.

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Thanked by: LDG

[SteveDouglas]

That was exactly my point Luke, it only makes a difference in tracker, I write all out bands songs and our bass player only plays a 4 string and even though I could raise anything below a low E an octave, it may not be the most natural way to play it, or maybe an entirely different riff would make more sense for a four string, that being said it does provide a starting point that I can utilise parts of and rewrite the rest. Happy with the product but was wondering initially if there was a way to switch to 4 string limitations that I was missing.

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Thanked by: LDG

[James]

Steve do you have to tab out your bass players parts – can’t he just come up with a groove from charts you provide – maybe with a few melodies form EZBass for good measure?

Again, please forgive my ignorance but I’ve never played in a band where we’ve had more than a few chord charts or even just a 1-4-5 in Bb nod from the keyboard player.

[LDG]

Export song track to bass tab , how about that for a feature

[James]

LDG wrote:

Export song track to bass tab , how about that for a feature

Then you would have people complaining that it had tabbed it out on the wrong strings – sorry could’t resist

[SteveDouglas]

James, because we are a very big band, sometimes 9 members, parts are arranged very tight and specific for chordal voicing, but yes I hear what you are saying

[Author]

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