DIGITAL MODELING — a technology that can emulate the sound of a wide range of instruments and amplifiers — is nothing new to guitarists. Amps, preamps, effects, and even guitars have had modeling capability for more than half a decade. While other manufacturers focused on amps and effects, Roland, with its COSM technology that powers the VG-8 (and its progeny, the VG-88), went further, modeling all the elements of the guitar sound, from the wood to the pickups to the tuning. You could turn any guitar equipped with a Roland GK-series pickup into a virtual blank slate, capable of complete sonic transformation.
The Roland V-Bass system is the first to offer a complete modeling package for bassists. When mated to a GK-2B divided pickup, the V-Bass can dial up a virtual warehouse full of bass sounds ranging from acoustic uprights to vintage electrics to fretless and synth, in addition to an equal number of amps and effects. The V-Bass can even take you into guitar territory.
START ME UP
A complete V-Bass system consists of two elements: the GK-2B pickup, which reads the vibrations of each string independently (thus abetting the V-Bass's more advanced modeling features), and the floor-mounted V-Bass “brain,” which houses the sounds and controls (see Fig. 1). Although the V-Bass looks like a guitar synthesizer and does produce some synthlike sounds, it's not a synthesizer. It creates sound by processing the vibrations of your bass's strings, not by triggering samples or creating electronic waveforms.
Controls include four pedals (labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4) used to select presets (or toggle effects on and off in Manual mode); the Control pedal, which can be mapped to any number of functions; a built-in expression pedal; and a bank of editing keys. The generous LCD helps you see what you're doing at all times.
Most functions have their own edit key. If you want to edit a bass model, for example, hit the COSM Bass key; to tweak an amp model, hit the COSM Amp key. When you enter an edit mode, you not only see a page with the current set of parameters, but you also see tabs showing how many other pages are available. That feature is very handy if you need to make last-minute changes at a gig.
If you take the time to read the instructions, installing and setting up the GK-2B pickup is relatively painless. You mount the pickup to your bass near the bridge using either screws or two-sided tape (both of which are supplied).
The GK-2B is hardwired to a controller panel, which also mounts to the bass. It provides the jack for connecting the pickup to the V-Bass brain (using a multipin, GK-compatible cable) and an input jack for the bass's standard pickups (which can be blended with the GK-2B's sound). It also has a Volume control; a Select switch that toggles between GK-2B, magnetic pickups, or both; and a pair of switches (S1 and S2) that you can configure to change presets, activate the onboard tuner, and more. Roland-ready basses, which have the GK-2B built in, are also available from select manufacturers, such as Brian Moore Guitars.
The GK-2B works with four-, five-, and six-string basses; that's both good news and bad news. You can use one pickup for any bass in your collection, but the pickup is so wide that it was a crowded fit on my Yamaha test bass. A set of switches lets you optimize the GK-2B to suit your bass's string spacing. A handy template helps you find the right settings.
Once the pickup is mounted, you can adjust the V-Bass's sensitivity to the individual strings. The LCD shows you a set of level meters, indicating the relative level of each string — nice.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Thanks to a complete set of rear-panel connections, the V-Bass is equally at home in the studio, feeding a house P.A. system, or connected to a traditional bass amplifier. In addition to the input for the GK-2B pickup, there's a high-impedance, ¼-inch analog bass input (see Fig. 2). Although you can use the V-Bass as a processor on standard bass pickups, you lose the advanced bass-modeling features that require the GK-2B. Outputs include a pair of XLR line outs, a headphone jack, unbalanced ¼-inch line outs, and a ¼-inch bass output jack that bypasses the internal processor.
I tested the bass two ways: connected to a mixer through the XLRs, and connected to a Gallien-Krueger amp through a ¼-inch jack. In the latter case, I got the best results when I patched the V-Bass in to the amp's effects return jack, bypassing the amp's tone controls. If you prefer, you can also use the V-Bass to feed an amp's main input.
SOUNDS ABOUND
Once you have the pickup mounted and adjusted, you're ready to dig in to the V-Bass's generous assortment of sounds. The V-Bass stores 200 Patches — 100 factory-programmed Preset Patches and a duplicate set of User Patches. Patches are organized into banks of four. Each Patch consists of a bass model, an amp model, and an effects chain. You can mix and match basses, amps, and effects as you see fit.
Bass models include Acoustic, Electric, and Fretless basses. COSM types also comprise more esoteric fare such as Wave Synth, OSC Synth, and Crystal (which let you create some very expressive synthlike tones); instrument simulations such as Pipe, Organ, and Brass; and Pedal Pitch Shift (which uses the expression pedal to create whammylike effects). Another COSM type, Vari Bass, lets you set the pickup, body, and pitch of each string. Three polyphonic models — Poly Octave, Poly Distortion, and Poly Slow Gear (which produces swell effects) — apply processing to each string individually.
Each model offers a large array of parameters. The Electric model lets you choose from nine bass types, each with its own pickup settings. The Acoustic models offer three pickup options and enable you to control body size, attack, sustain, resonance, and more.
As for modeling realism, the Electric models are excellent, ranging from mellow vintage tones to aggressive funk and slap tones. Many Presets make excellent use of the onboard effects; some of my favorites combine distortion and wah. The Acoustic models are acceptable in the context of a complete arrangement, but the factory presets sounded somewhat artificial when isolated (they improved, however, when I added reverb and turned up the bass EQ). The Fretless model has the trademark growl, but on a fretted bass, you still hear the sound of the frets when you slide up and down the neck.
The nontraditional models were a pleasant surprise. The V-bass's synth sounds were effective for playing the role normally reserved for a synth.
Some of the synths and all the Electric and Fretless bass models let you create new tunings without touching your tuning keys — just the thing when you need to tune down to accommodate a new singer or when you want an eight-string sound for Cheap Trick covers.
Each bass can be routed to an amp model; a range of tube and solid-state emulations is available. Like the bass-guitar models, the amps offer a huge array of parameters, including the type of speaker cabinet and microphone selection. If your gig calls for a variety of classic sounds, you'll be happy to note that there's an appropriate amp for every bass on the roster. You can even go against the grain and assign a synth bass to an overdriven tube amp, for example.
The excellent effects provide EQ, overdrive/distortion, wah, compression/limiting, delay, chorus, reverb, noise suppression, and modulation (which offers several effects, including a key correct harmony effect). A tap-tempo feature can sync effects to your material's tempo. You can store effects as part of a Patch or switch to Manual mode, in which pedals 1 through 4 turn individual effects on and off. Although the expression pedal is generally used as a volume or wah control, it can be mapped to virtually any parameter.
ACES FOR BASSISTS
I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb by calling the V-Bass the most powerful bass processor you can buy. When set up properly, it tracks quickly, so you feel as if you're playing your own bass. The interface is dense (with lots of controls) but remains relatively user-friendly. The presets are generally good, but it does take some time and effort to make the V-Bass's sounds and response your own. But isn't that the case with any instrument? If you need to cover a lot of territory on the gig, or you simply want to break out of the constraints of the traditional bass role, the V-Bass is worth a serious audition.
