Bass effects pedal

[ppalan]

I know someone had a question about this awhile back but I'll be darned if I can find it with a search. Is it possible to use an effects pedal (designed for an electric bass) on a tuba? Could a microphone attached to the tuba work as the input? I thought it might be interesting to try altering the tuba's sound for some stuff that I'm doing with a band that I work with. I don't play electric bass but I heard my nephew, who plays very well, getting some interesting sounds from his. Thanks in advance for any info you folks might be able to provide.

Pete

[dmmorris]

Running a mic and an amp is pretty straight-forward. Buy a used SWR or Ampeg off ebay, a nice Shure 57 or derivative and your in biz. Running an effect pedal (which kind?) can be very different! Feedback, overdrive, impedence mismatching, loops, echo....you really need to experiment a lot because the sounds you get from bass guitar and electronics, don't always translate to a tuba with a mic and a pedal. Often what you think will sound cool doesn't work so well.....particularly any of the pedals w/ high gain, distortion, fuzz.

It also depends on what you want to use it for. Laying down a bass line over a large loud guitar driven band, or simple texturing of your sound, or developing soundscapes, or just making wacky-noises in the night. All of these can be a bunch of fun.

As noted above, check-out Joe Exley's work, also Brian Wolff (although he uses a Barcus Berry Pick-up), Tom Heasley, etc....

For other disturbing noises in the night, go to Loopers Delight and search tuba.

[Donn]

I saw this band yesterday evening, Tubaluba: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7CvOtYj9oI (the first 30 seconds more or less convey the idea.) Here he has a fairly straight sound dialed up, but of course there are all kinds of effects available. The microphone is installed in something like a big black mute, with a cord hanging out.

[tubatooter1940]

I use a tuba playing stand. A Shure SM57 on a tripod mike stand with a boom works fine because my tuba is stationary.
I tried my Korg effects pedal for guitar with my tuba. I jacked the mike into the Korg and the output into a 300 watt J.B.L. EON self powered speaker with the horn turned down so I wouldn't blow it out. The Korg pedal has at least 60 different sound effects for guitar. I found ten or so effects I liked for tuba.

[Dan Schultz]

I have one of these obsolete 'goodies'... http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Mar02/a ... x1500g.asp



Pretty much unlimited effects!

[tubajoe]

New York City’s own Tubajoe Exley who makes his living
playing though an amplified 186.

Thanks Brian!

I like to talk about it -- simply as it is always a work-in-progress (and the fact that stone-eared soundmen are often my arch nemeses in life!)

The mic is as or more important than the pedal... read on.

I do amplify my tuba a lot, a large percentage of the time I play -- not often even for effects reasons, simply so that it's loud enough to play along with a drumset etc. The band / venue / style of music are all factors in what I choose to use. [plus, drummers understand tuba sound better when it comes out of a speaker versus the bell. No kidding.]

Disclaimer
For me, I lump amplification and effectability into the same situation/setup -- as I am somewhat of a purist... I always aspire to keep a 'natural' (even be it orchestral) tuba sound. I do use effects occasionally but only to enhance and never completely mask the basic tuba sound... and the natural sound is always there, and the effects be turned on or off at will. (for you the natural sound might not be as crucial... which honestly might make your life easier)

I have tried a bunch of stuff...
in a nutshell...

Embedded mic:
For a long time I used a Barcus Berry that was drilled into a mouthpiece. It rocked. I loved it. It worked amazingly well with effects. Sadly, it was just too unreliable in its build quality for professional every-day use. Mine broke several times, the company got sold and stopped making them and no parts are available. A nice gimmick, but not really applicable to use as rigorous as mine, sadly. Plus, soundmen would always whine when they saw it. While it was great when it worked, it was quirky and unreliable.

The dreaded clip on
On a record (one of the larger records I've been on) in France, a German engineer formerly from Deutsche Grammophon insisted on using a clip-on to record me on a live concert recording. I knew better, but contractually I had absolutely no production control, and it was a big live concert and major opportunity for my band, so it wasn't like I could walk out. I took one for the team and hoped for the best... Alas, to me, the recording sounds sub-par and I am embarrassed of the tuba tone. A clip-on lavalier mic will never touch my tuba again. I start to hiss and speak in tongues when I see them.
I avoid clip-on / lavalier situations like they have the bubonic plague. Soundmen will regularly try to force them on you for some stupid physics-defying reason. Fight the good fight!

The Standard
Right now, a good ol 57 or 58 is the key. Works great thru effects, and treated well works good for amplified live tone too. PLUS, soundmen with not-as-many-braincells-left wont have kittens about a good ol 57 / 58. Plus, they are cheap, indestructible and infinitely replaceable. You can go with a fancier boutique setup as some do, but in some live performances I am jumping all over the stage etc etc. Stuff breaks and the show must go on...so I have learned to go for reliability as a factor almost as important as tone.

As far as effect processors go -- it's absolutely hit or miss from brand to brand, model to model. The type of amp is a huge factor in this equation too. Do this: Take the tuba to Guitar Center, and plug it in to everything you can find. Experimentation is the key (and often cheap stuff might be better than expensive stuff!). The tuba deals with effects remarkably well, it's absolutely viable sound and does not have to just be a gimmick. Treat your amplified/effected tuba sound just as you would your natural acoustic sound -- it's another aspect in what the audience hears, make it part of what your concept is. Experiment and have fun with it.

[PhilGreen]

Is this amplified or using an an effect pedal or not - can't decide!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN2_itMXRF8" target="_blank" target="_blank

Either way I wish I could do it!

[ppalan]

Wow! Don't log in for a few days and see what happens? Thanks for all of the info. This, to me, is what makes TubeNet valuable. Ask the right questions then share in the benefits of all of you knowledgeable folks. Global Brainstorming. Let's keep it going.

Pete

[tubajoe]

Is this amplified or using an an effect pedal or not - can't decide!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN2_itMXRF8" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Either way I wish I could do it!

That's Oren Marshall. I can almost guarantee he's using a Barcus Berry pickup into an *envelope filter* pedal (a common type of guitar pedal which is a wah-type effect that responds to the velocity of the attack)

[iDot2K3]

Very interesting stuff! I play every weekend for a few hours using a Yamaha silent brass mute using a very high end house sound system with a massive sub. I don't know much about the sound system, but I know that the silent brass mute for the tuba is outstanding. I really like that I can isolate the sound from the tuba allowing only the digitized sound to be heard. I can emulate an upright or a bass guitar fairly well with technique alone, but I would am looking to expand on that very soon.

I ordered a Positive Grid JamUp interface that will connect to an iPad or iphone. Also the software is very extensive. I has immense capabilities to produce the sounds of hundreds of setups (various effect boxes/amps). It even interfaces with a Griffin Stompbox or wireless AirTune box. http://www.positivegrid.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank I should have everything working this weekend. I'll get back to you on the experience.

Andy Geiger
Chicago