| This came from the Internet, the author is ex-DECcie Brian Markey.
COPYRIGHT (C) 1993: Brian D. Markey, Permanent Wave Productions
This information may be freely distributed, in any form, as long
as the text is not altered in any way, and the above copyright
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This review covers the Peavey Midibase. It is VERY LONG. If you're not
interested, hit (n)ext now.
To begin, I think a little disclaimer is appropriate. In general, I do
not use Peavey gear, but I'm making an exception for the Midibase. I'm
not interested in contributing to the debate over whether Peavey gear
is good or bad. If you like it, buy it. If not, don't. Whatever. I've
owned Peavey in the past and concluded that it did not meet _my_
requirements. Your requirements are assumed to be different. I would be
glad to answer any questions anyone has about the Midibase, but please
be patient: I'm already way behind responding to e-mail.
The Midibase is a new item from Peavey. It is a 4 string "analog" bass
guitar and a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) controller in
one package. I've been waiting for this combination for a long time.
I've got my own reasons for using a MIDI controller, which are probably
different from other people's reasons for using one. I need MIDI
because I use a sampler in my setup. The sampler provides
- sounds (some of which are bass-like tones, some of which are not)
- the ability to play non-well tempered scales.
The Midibase must be used in conjunction with a synthesizer module of
some type (sampler, PCM module, etc.). Peavey offers two modules that
are optimized for use with the Midibase: the Midibase Module and the
Spectrum Bass Module. I tried the Midibase Module, but I will not be
covering it in this article (I chose not to purchase the Midibase
Module at this time since I already have other modules in my setup).
I use the Midibase in three modes:
- as a "normal" (analog) bass (without MIDI)
- as a MIDI controller (with the analog output shut off)
- as a combination analog bass and MIDI controller
The Midibase is, as far as I am concerned, "the only game in town". I
had been looking around for a MIDI controller/bass combo for several
years and came up dry (NOTE: MIDI guitars did not meet my require-
ments). Prior to the Midibase, I had to decide whether I wanted to use
bass _or_ MIDI. Bass parts got played on bass; MIDI parts got played on
a keyboard. If I needed both at the same time, I "tapped" the bass part
with my left hand and played the keys with my right hand. This had
obvious limitations, such as, "how do I slap with only one hand?".
Since I also play Chapman Stick, I tried the MIDI controller version of
that instrument, but found it to be too problematic. So for me, the
Midibase represents emancipation.
The Midibase looks like an ordinary bass, except that it has an LED
display on the upper horn of the body, and an 8 pin connector for the
special cable that comes with the Midibase. The instrument is based
(loosely) on Peavey's DynaBass. As a regular bass guitar, I find the
instrument quite playable. It reminds me of a stock Fender of the 80s;
functional and dependable, but nothing earth-shattering. The action is
set at a moderate height; not high enough to make it hard to play, and
not low enough to cause fret buzz. Adjusting the action is tricky, as
the MIDI pickups also need to be adjusted. A tool is provided to
accomplish this, should the need arise. The intonation is easy to set,
with a separate saddle on the bridge for each string. The strings
provided on the bass are medium-gauge round wounds. Although any string
can be used on the Midibase, I've decided to stick with the originals.
This is a complicated bass to set up and I'm not inclined to futz with
the truss-rod or the bridge on a regular basis. I'll find out how easy
it is to get the Peavey strings when I have to replace them for the
first time. Two humbucking analog pickups, with volume, balance, and
tone controls, are provided. The analog pickups are "active" types:
they require a 9 volt battery. However, this is not an active preamp.
The tone and balance controls use the usual "passive" RC network found
in most basses.
The analog portion of the bass, off the shelf, gave me a few problems.
First, the store did not install the 9 volt battery. I just assumed
that it came with the bass when I tried it out. The lack of battery
produced a very odd effect. The output was low, which is expected, but
the function of the pickup balance control was also screwed up. With
the control in the full clockwise position, only the E and A strings
could be heard. With the control turned fully counter-clockwise, only
the D and G strings could be heard. The sales droid at the store
insisted that this was a "feature". I called Peavey and talked to one
of their support people who told me the pickups must be bad. This
didn't sound right either, so I decided to check under the hood. I
opened up the battery compartment and VOILA, no battery. Installation
of the battery corrected that problem, but highlighted others. For
starters, the tone control pot is very noisy. Turning it full to either
position causes the bass to produce "rice crispie" type sounds. And, to
make matters worse, yet another problem surfaced. There are two jacks
on the bottom of the Midibase: one for the special cable, and one for a
standard 1/4" jack-to-jack cable, for when the bass in used in
analog-only mode (the special cable also carries the signal from the
analog pickups). The 1/4" jack was very noisy, so I removed the back
cover of the bass. (I'll be getting to what's under the covers in a
moment, after I finish with the analog section). I discovered that
about one inch of insulation had been removed from one of the internal
wires, and the wire was touching against the tip of the plug when
inserted into the 1/4" jack. The store has promised to correct these
problems.
A special cable (provided) connects the Midibase to a 19" rack module
(also provided). The module splits the analog and MIDI signals and also
supplies power to the Midibase. I found it odd that Peavey designed the
Midibase to use a separate battery for the analog pickups, but I would
guess this was done to isolate the pickups from the "digital"
components (for noise immunity).
It's time to move on to the MIDI features. The first thing I must warn
you about is that if you've never used a stringed MIDI controller
before, you may be in for some unpleasant surprises. Your playing has
to be impeccable to make the Midibase (or any MIDI controller) work
correctly. Every person who tries the Midibase for the first time will
conclude that it does not track well. However, as an experienced MIDI
user, I've found the Midibase tracks better than any other stringed
instrument controller. In order to get the most out of the Midibase when
you try it out, I suggest the following radical plan: Read The Manual.
Seriously, I would have saved myself some grief if I had done this, so
I'm telling you from experience!
The three-way MIDI system on the Peavey is unique (and it is also
patented, so don't expect to see "clones" of the Midibase in the near
future). As with most MIDI instruments, the Midibase has "pickups" for
the MIDI signal located close to the bridge. In addition, the Midibase
uses a "wired fret" system, whereby the frets are divided into four
zones which correspond to each string. The strings are conductive;
i.e. they must make electrical contact with the frets. Each fret is
scanned, like a computer keyboard, so that the Midibase controller
knows what note is being played on each string. This is infinitely
better than the typical frequency-to-voltage converter system used by
most MIDI guitars (trust me). The bridge pickups on the Midibase
determine when a string is plucked, or when a note is bent.
The fretboard of the Midibase also acts as a MIDI parameter selection
grid. A parameter is selected by fingering the appropriate fret on the
finger board. The parameter and current value are then displayed on the
LED display. The value is changed via the toggle switch on the body.
There are two types of parameters: global parameters, which effect all
patches, and "performance parameters", which effect only the currently
selected patch. The E string is used to set the global parameters, which
include: memory lock, MIDI input channel, pickup sensitivity for each
string, bend range for each string, and MIDI parameter dump. The A
string controls the performance parameters for each patch; they
include: MIDI mode (mono, poly, etc.), MIDI output base channel,
program number assigned to each string (each string can access a
different program in the synthesizer module), transpose, pitch bend
(on/off), dynamics (velocity sensitivity), velocity range, bend range,
playing style (plectrum or finger), foot switch function, note off
message control, and storage functions. The performance parameters may
be organized as twenty-four user programmable "patches". Patches are
selected using the D and G strings.
Now, it's time to cover some of the idiosyncrasies of the MIDI
controller. The Midibase tracks slides and bends very well, but to do
so, the synthesizer module requires a few capabilities.
First, and most importantly, the module must allow for a bend range of
+- 24 semitones. I've found that about half the modules I've tried
support this range. Unfortunately, my sampler (an Akai S1000) does
not. Not to worry though, the Midibase will limit the bend range to 8
semitones when using such controllers. [As an aside, I'm going to call
Akai and find out if they offer a software update which supports the 24
semitone bend range.] Of course, the Peavey modules offered for use
with the Midibase support the proper bend range, but apart from that, I
could find nothing special about them.
The other useful feature to have in a module is MIDI mapping capability
for note on/off and velocity sensitivity. The note on/off mapping is
useful in order to play notes outside the range of a normal bass guitar
(as mapped onto the 127 MIDI note numbers). The velocity sensitivity
mapping is useful so that you can play synthesizer patches that do not
map well to the dynamics of a bass guitar.
Of course, all of the real-time processing for MIDI requires a
computer, and the Midibase is no exception. Under the back plate of the
Midibase lies a large, and very packed, printed circuit board. It's a
little odd to open up the back of your bass and find ROMs and other
chips. It's like finding out you've married a woman from Stepford, if
ya' know what I mean. On the other hand, we're not talking about your
typical bass. In the past, when my bass sounded like a crashing 747, it
was purely unintentional. Now, my bass can sound like just about
anything I want it to - providing I have a sample of the sound I'm
looking for.
The coolest use of the Midibase, in my opinion, is to combine the
analog sound with other bass-like tones, such as samples from a Moog
synthesizer. However, like any good creative tool, the possibilities
are endless. I give the Midibase a hearty thumbs up, despite its flaws.
Peavey Midibase:
List price: $2200
Purchase price: $1600
Price included: Midibase
"splitter module"
power supply
20 foot cable
hard shell case*
* Peavey lists the case an an option ($119), but in my case, it was
included in the purchase price.
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| Brian D. Markey Permanent Wave Productions, Inc. |
| P.O. Box 276 M.O. Shrewsbury, MA USA 01545 |
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