2009

The vibration of the strings is captured by an electromagnetic pickup. When the string
is vibrating, its steel core affects the magnetic field. The pickups are almost always found
some distance to the side, nearer to the bridge and stop tailpiece. There are different
pickup concepts for electric basses, and often two or more pickups are combined to make
the sound. To avoid getting into too much detail at this point, there is a rule of thumb
that applies:
The farther you move the pickup toward the middle of the string, the bassier the sound
will be and the more hollow it will sound. The farther you move the pickup toward the
end of the string, the more the sound’s overtone content will increase, becoming more
dense and compact. The sound will have more mid-range frequencies, or buzz, and less
bass. If the pickup is positioned at the very end of the string, the sound becomes very
thin. This behavior mirrors the actual playing position of a real string: If you play more
toward the middle of the string, you get a smooth, even, and powerful sound that contains
limited harmonic denseness (overtones). If the string is played at the bridge, the sound
develops a nasal twang and features more buzz and more overtones.
Now to the body of the instrument, and its resonant properties. Almost all electric basses
have a steel rod running through the neck, to strengthen it, and a body made of solid
wood. This construction allows the strings to vibrate relatively freely (sustain), even though
very little direct sound is generated. The pickups and the amplifier and speaker systems
are responsible for the actual sound of the instrument.
The acoustic interaction between body, strings, and external sound sources is much less
complex than with pure acoustic instruments.
The vibration of the strings is, of course, naturally hampered by several physical factors: the
radius of motion of the string (theantinode) is impeded by the left bridge or by the first
fret that’s pressed down upon, and the frets in between. This can lead to the development
of overtones that can take the form of anything from a slight humming or buzzing to a
strong scraping or scratching sound.
In addition, factors such as the material properties of the strings and the instrument, as
well as the softness of your fingertips, also serve to dampen the vibration of the string.
Programming a Basic Bass Sound with Sculpture
This section covers programming of a basic bass sound, which will serve as the foundation
for the different bass sounds you will be creating.
To create the proper working environment for design of your own homemade bass
1 Make sure the range from C 0 to C 3 is available on your keyboard by either transposing
your master keyboard, or by using the Transpose function in the Region parameters of
your host application.
398 Chapter 14 Sculpture