Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the
The “job” of a bass player is to be the glue that holds a band together. As the link between rhythm and harmony, the bass guitar is a powerful instrument in a supportive role. Unfortunately, developing the skill and instinct needed to be a great bass player usually only happens while supporting a band. The
The B-DEC 30 has two kinds of loops:
Performance Loops: These are song examples that outline various styles. Each loop has an “A” section and a “B” section. The idea is to refine your instincts not only of what notes to play, but how to feel or anticipate the change from one section to the next. This is one of the most important attributes of a great bass player. These loops also provide a tone that should inspire you in the direction of the music style being played.
Teacher Loops: These are virtual lessons utilizing a bass track and a drum track to illustrate things like warm up exercises, scales, arpeggios, slap lick ideas and rhythmic drills.
Follow along with your method book!
The
What about the bass track?
Each loop has individual control over the bass, drums and other instruments. Push the "DRUMS" button to bring up the drum menu. The first item in the menu is "Bass Track On/Off." Turning the large Data Wheel will toggle the bass track on and off. With the bass track off (muted), you can fill out the space with your own bass lines.
The bass track also has three different modes, indicated as "B TRK Mode" in the "DRUMS" menu. The factory default alternates the bass track on/off each time the loop repeats. The bass track can also be set to play continuously or play once through, then mute.
Since you can turn any of the tracks on or off, another great practice tool is to turn down the volume of every track except the drums. This will give you a “digital drummer” complete with a changing feel (“A” section to “B” section) and drum fills to play off of.
You can also develop bass solos while the
What else does it do?
Bass Amp Types: Sometimes the right tone makes all the difference. With the
Effects: Used sometimes for taste and sometimes for fun, there are plenty of cool and inspiring onboard effects that really add to your sound, including overdrive, fuzz, compression, chorus, flanging, phasing, envelope filter, reverb, delay, and more.
Song Mode: A virtual hard drive onto which you can save your favorite MIDI files, so they're available to jam along with at any time and any place.
Phrase Sampler: Lets you to record what you're playing so you can listen to your performance with a critical ear. A great way to quickly improve your playing.
Read this manual and the accompanying method book to learn just how cool this amp is!
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