Whithout thinking about the different emulations, this bass have good pretty sounds for a variety of styles. In a band, nobody would ears a difference. That's a great studio tool.
He hit the nail on the head when he said "this came out 17 years ago and alot has changed with emulation". For 2004 this was high tech and we accepted it as such warts and all. We forget sometimes that innovation starts somewhere.
Ive got one. Dont expect it to sound like any of the emulations. But treat it as a totally unique instrument. Once you do that it really isnt a bad bass at all. And recording its great .
I've got one and it's my favourite bass. Nothing to write home about looks wise but the implementation was so carefully thought through, all the hardware is so easy to use. Maybe I've just not had very expensive guitars or basses - this is true - so it was the first time i had come across stuff like the volume pot being super quick to turn, the notches in the blend / eq pots to signal the middle position. The tuners also extremely smooth and in general very easy to set the instrument up. Just seems full of good user interface details in general. It's so incredibly versatile in itself, and just being able to dial things in on the bass so much is amazing. I wish they'd try again. The only thing I don't like is a gloss neck, I've considered modding it but I don't want to decrease the potential value. I got mine for £300 because the battery terminal had some corrosion and therefore wasn't working. Easy fix. Did a 6hr round trip to pick it up, as soon as I discovered it I obsessed about getting one. It's my first pick to record with, I would rarely gig with it due to the battery concerns, and I just don't want to throw it about because it's not something I can fix myself. Do wish I had the 705, but alas, not yet.
Still an interesting bass in my opinion, sure it doesn't sound like some or the originals it tries to emulate but it has some good tones. I bet if you branded this a Sire the bedroom players would kill for it.
Yeh i agree it does have some interesting very useable tones. If you ignore what the presets are modelled on, i.e. don't compare them to the originals, they sound fairly good.
What a fun video! I have one of these that I use in my studio and it gets regular use: y'know, sometimes a song calls for a P, sometimes a J, etc. so having multiple basses is a must. For my workflow, it makes more sense to have one bass that can get me to the approximate ballpark of a dozen basses and then just 'nudge' the bass tracks the rest of the way with post-processing rather than a dozen discrete basses; heck, I've actually just made channel strip presets to 'dial in' the various patches the rest of the way -- e.g. dialing in the mid scoop that you noted was absent from the J models (insert "modern problems require modern solutions" meme here). Obviously, they don't sound 1:1 like the real basses that are being emulated (though, as someone who has owned several Warwicks, I can confirm the Warwick model is actually pretty close and definitely captures at least the spirt of the sorta brassy, clanky 'Warwick sound") even after processing, but the majority of the models can be put 80-90% of the way there. Definitely an extremely handy tool in the studio and I personally think it's aged remarkably well for technology that is going on 2 decades old. My only major gripe is not being able to get just a dry piezo signal from it for use with IRs. The Variax guitar on the other hand? Woof. I have one of those, too, and... I mean, it's fun to fart around with and a handy writing tool what with the alternate tuning modes, but I would not let it anywhere near a gig, let alone a recording session. It's just a mess; there's this weird digital "warble" on any sort of polyphonic signal which gets worse the denser the polyphony is (e.g. chords) and while the bass Variax has proven to be robust and durable, the piezo saddles on the Variax guitar seemingly fail every few months even when not being used. TL;DR IMO the Variax bass is still a useful studio tool, but the Variax guitar is absolutely cursed.
Have one since it came out in 2006. To be honest still think it's still quite amazing that they could build so many models into one bass. I mainly used it with the Hoefner emulation and I think it did that job pretty well.
I own that bass and use it for recording. I think the D/A converter on the 1/4" output gives you that weird extra compression, but thru the Variax cable into my Helix I'm able to get much more of an authentic sounding model.
When I was 17 in 2007 I got sent one in the post I believe by mistake from Line 6 (unless they were trying t get rid of them!) I had recently bought a Line 6 POD studio recording interface from them for my computer which is the only connection I can think of but I certainly did not order the Variax! held onto it for 6 months to see if anyone would claim it (no one did) and then sold it in Ebay for £500. I then saved up another £500 and used the £1k in 2008 to buy the bass I actually wanted - a USA American Fender Standard Jazz Bass which has been my workhorse for years and I still use to this day! I have zero regrets selling the Variax, I absolutely hated that is was a fake bass emulator and was happy to be rid of it. But I enjoyed your video and it reminded me the strange moment I tried it out and was thinking what the hell is this bass emulation abomination?!
I have a Variax 700 and for me its value is not in how accurate it emulates classic bass guitars but how versatile this instrument is from a producer point of view. I think it was not successful commercially because most bass players don't really care about this bass features, I mean how many times we see a bass player changing bass from song to song while playing live? Never.
Will Lee used one occasionally on "The Late Show with David Letterman" while performing with "The World's Most Dangerous Band." He said the Variax had a pretty convincing upright bass sound.
@@LowEndLobster I would guess Will got a nice bump on the backend for using it and he probably worked hard to find a setting that he could pimp at the gig. Also, if you're the house band your fidelity doesn't need to be there if it makes it REALLY easy to work by bringing only one bass that can go right into front of house. This is why we saw a rash of small bands or solo artists working with the Boss/Helix gear over the past 5-6 years, small power cab for a monitor, and run it straight to the main board and let the sound guy set it all up. Get my gym time in and go straight to stage from the hotel.
Wow, this is a really cool idea. I'm surprised other companies haven't tried to update this concept and re-release it. Especially in today's world of amp/cab sims, VSTs, etc.
Line6 took the idea really far with their guitar version, so much so that an aussie metal band used them live and had a signature with them. It'd be super cool if they really spent some time with a bass version.
The problem with this concept is that all the sounds appear to be derived from the bridge and a piezo maybe hence the finger noise. Using the tail end of a string on a solid body electric bass is the "thinnest" possible sound to work with. No matter how much clever EQ is added, it's still a very thin pointy minimal string movement sound you're stuck with.
I had one of these for a few years. Was my first non cheapo bass. Played it in a band and a studio and eventually ditched it for a warwick corvette. I like the warwick a ton more i have to say!
Boy, back then I totally drank the Line6 modelling Cool-Aid and wanted the Variax 705 really bad. That is until I acquired a Bass POD and discovered it just wasn't all that great, I got much better tone out of my SansAmp, then figured the Variax was probably the same. So glad I did not waste my money! I've said it before and will say it again... Thanks for wasting your money so we don't have to! You are providing a great public service to the bass community and it is greatly appreciated! 👍
I think what really killed the variax bass was not giving it workbench. Also, the "blend" knob on a sigle pickup bass "moves" the pickup closer to the neck/bridge.
I think these will become loved as their own thing, like some of the very limited synthesizers or weird effects pedals nobody thought would be worth anything in the future.
My favorite setting was the upright bass. That sounded cool and would be fun to see peoples reactions in a live setting. This is if they new the difference between the two, in the first place.
Yes, seems to work better on guitar than on bass. Not that surprising, considering that until quite recently, tracking was a real desaster on Bass effects as well (and this one seems to have the most problems with replicating the attack)
I walked into a music shop in early 2006 to buy some strings. Had seen this in there and was really fascinated by it at the time. I also saw a 2005 limited edition Stingray in Buttercream. Needless to say I walked out with the Stinga….. and not this …. thing. And ….. after all that …..I forgot to grab the bloody strings haha Thanks for sharing mate ….. I’m glad I made the right decision 17 odd years ago …… still gigging that Ray today !! Great channel….. love ya work mate….. cheers from down under 💪
This was a lot of fun! That Moog setting might be cool when used with an ebow, but like you said, just get a pedal. Also, nice rendition of "A Portrait of Lobster"!
yes, but by physically retuning it, other than the electronics it works like any other bass, the guitars that they made do have different tunings available through the software.
Hi Lobster, Glad to see the cat in this vid. I actually have that bass and it does one thing very well. I had my local shop put a fretless neck on the bass plus’s I have tapewounds on it also. Bingo, an upright bass without the bulk! Enjoyable video as always!
I remember when these came out and was curious how it worked without a pickup. While it may not nail the tones perfectly I bet for a wedding or cruise ship gig it would be nice to have.
I was in high school when this was released and even then they seemed silly - but fun. Line6 products at the time generally seemed more like novelties/toys than "serious" gear. It's amazing to look back on this or the Spyder amps and compare them to today's highly respected Helix series.
I think all of this toying around was what led up to the Pod Pro and eventually the Helix. You cant be instantly good at everything when youre innovating
Your alchemy patch is just loaded wrong, you can repatch it if you have an interface like the POD xt. I have the Variax 700 bass and 300 Guitar, the guitar for some reason lost its patches so I had to redownload from line6 online.
I was doing so much searching in regards to resetting it reloading the programs but couldn't find anything. I didn't have a POD either so that wouldn't work sadly. Thanks for the info!
Any chance you know how to replace the pots? Broke the volume trying to take it off. I’ve disassembled it and still can’t figure out out to get the volume and tone pots off.
I have never played one, but from just listening I think it's not terrible. Maybe it doesn't quite sound like what it's claiming to, but I could imagine that the attack is so wrong that it feels weirder to play it that listening to someone else playing it.
as a longtime thunderbird player there is nothing about that tone that approaches any thunderbird i have ever heard. that embassy comes closer, has a little more fullness but that may be the luckiest break line 6 got for a comparison. thank god they didn't try to claim a "gripper" model because those bill lawrence designs out t-bird the t-bird and variax just can't compare. I will say that I appreciate what line 6 was trying to accomplish and i really like the overall concept and design of the variax instruments but they fell a little short trying to capture the spirit of some pretty distinctive voices. Thats the real trouble with trying to please bass players; a strat doesnt sound like a les paul and a les paul doesnt sound like a ricky 330 but as far as truly unique tones go, guitars really rely on what the signal goes into more than what it comes out of ,especially when you consider that 90% of all six strings of note are just the same 2 humbuckers layout. you would be hard pressed to find an average guitarist who could pick a warlock from an rg from a soloist from a mccarty just on tone with even a little distortion... but almost any bass player in their 20s can hear the difference between a stingray, a thumb, an L2000, a 4001, a j-bass, a p-bass, a tbird, a violin bass, really any bass, and they can do it blindfolded, played through a practice amp, in a dave and busters at 10pm on a friday night, after 6 beers and nursing a headcold. the differences in tone are miles apart. tell me...am i wrong?
I remember those. Lol. Ibanez had a sr bass with a Korg kaosilator (synth thing) on it. It looked like someone stuck a mini pedal on its body. Weird basses out there.
I had the same bass but the 5 string. I also bought the special cable to run it to the Line 6 floor pedal thing that you could use to control the bass and do even more crazy effects stuff with. I also had a early 90s Stingray, some Peavey Cirrus basses, and P and a J and several other basses. The Variax seemed sterile compared to the real basses it tried to mimic. And, at times it would glitch, much like a computer, making selecting the correct bass model impossible. I got rid of it and took a sizable financial hit when I sold everything.
To me some of the patches sounded like someone trying to recreate a specific bass tone from memory without proper reference lol. Most of the presets just sounded like filters trying to disguise a piezo sound, which if I've understood how the electronics work from the little information I could find, is pretty much what is going on! It seems to pick up the signal under the bridge, which makes emulating neck pickups quite problematic.
I think it's pretty cool. On the comparisons it doesn't sound as good but the models are distinct from each other and have the general character of what they're emulating. I think for most folks it would probably make more sense to own one or two good basses and one of these than 15 different basses, although that doesn't sound like any musician I know.
I had one of these, it didn't last long unfortunately. In summary - it felt like it was doing impressions of the instruments (in the same way a comedian would), you knew what it was trying to do, but you would never be fooled. There was also a hollow tone to it (which also still the case unplugged). I wondered if the massive circuit board cavity had an effect on the instruments general tone. In the end I sold it (for a surprisingly high figure) and no regrets. They were a great idea, but I just don't think you can truly replace any of the real thing.
Awesome Lowend! Now could you do a followup on the sim1 xt-b which is the next level of digital emulation in terms of being able to profile any bass from your own pickups... Sim 1 is a crazy innovative italian company.
So for me as a non bass player who sometimes needs a bass for recording (and does not want to buy multiple basses) that thing is perfect. It may not sound like all the originals (I would not recognize if a bass is a j-bass or p-pass anyway) but it sounds more than alright to me and it is probably the most versatile bass there is.
As I was watching the video, I was trying to think of who the target audience for this bass could be. A non-bass player who was looking for something close for recording was one group I thought of. It could even be for laying down a track to be replaced by a bass player later. Another target group would be a bassist who plays in a cover band and needs a variety of tones to match the original material. I see that another comment mentioned playing on a cruise ship, that seems like a perfect use for this bass.
I knew a session cat who used one in Nola. It's less about the band and creating an environment for the people. Without being overly critical I found it very convincing. As long as you get the bread, it's a win win
I did a little bit of research on these just now and if the electronics fail, well… good luck. Though it might be worth taking it to a luthier to install a white colored p pickup on the edge of pickguard, and it would look really cool.
All of the tones sound like they're derived from a piezo pickup in the bridge hence the finger noise and thin sound overall despite bass and other frequence boosting available. I quite liked some of the crispy tones but you can't beat real pickups located nearer the neck
I remember this bass. It was an interesting idea that they made a pod version of bass. Tone wise it sounds fun despite how digital it sounded. there are some tones I dig. Other than that, not really the kind of bass I would go for.
Great looking, freaking versatile, with a hell out of different tones. It can be expensive for some, but it's an amazing instrument period. You can compare to the originals, just because this is trying to sound like them, but you definitely can't take what it accomplishes and throw it to the pigs like it was nothing... I'd love to have one of this!
Is it running the latest firmware? It got better as it went, but still, you can't make realistic magnetic tones without magnetic pickups. That said, I used to think these were cool, and I'd still have one if the price was right.
Going to be quite frank and to the point. Lobster is one of the most interesting bass you have reviewed in a long time. Really quite surprised at your disdain for this instrument. And what it is trying to accomplish. Giving you a flavor of different instruments, precision bass, jazz bass, your Rickenbacker, and music man. It's a breath of fresh air. outward thinking by the design us of this bass. Just think of the few software updates to get this bass up to scratch, sounding better with each update. Really surprised with you not being able to think outside the box. To think things through. You have being spoiled. Remember less is more... Cool bass!
Hey Richard! Indeed it's very interesting, but IMO it very much sits firmly in the 'uncanny valley' when you play the instrument. As a concept, it is very cool... but the execution when looking at this through a modern lens is extremely lackluster. You mention something which I failed to touch upon, software updates!.... The concept was absolutely stellar, but again execution and lack of an 'ecosystem' for such a system to thrive were the nail in the coffin for this bass.
@@LowEndLobster Yeah. I'd be interested to see what Line 6 could do with the idea today. I have a JTV-59 and while some of its imitations are a little 'SNL' in a critical listening environment they're a solid 9/10 in a band setting - and in terms of build quality and playability just with its magnetic p/ups it's a better Les Paul than my two actual Les Pauls.
Lobster, my man, ol' Richard's got a Few saliant points there...don't You think? Credit where credit [is DUE]. I happily own a 705 and much appreciate it for what it IS, rather than be frustrated by an Unreasonable expectation of what it is NOT. Do you not agree that; to achieve an Exact or Damn Near Exact, rendering of ALL those instruments on offer, would command a price tag Many times Larger than the 1300 or so smackers asked for! Can you Imagine the Extraordinary VALUE such an instrument would represent. Another thing: Mine's built like a Battleship!!!, with a comfortable, easy to play neck and sensitive to touch. BUTT, it's TOO DAMN HEAVY and eates batteries in an almost Sinister fashion! Perhaps it is these last two concerns, as much as any others, that sealed IT's fate?
I was hoping you would review this bass one day as I have one that was given to me by a friend. You share of my opinion of it: somewhere between a fun toy and abomination.
At 15:58 Lobster realizes the futility of this exercise but knows he’s all in and has 20 more models to go through. The bass has some decent sounds on its own, but it really sounds nothing like what it is trying to model. The “Jaco” model was especially hideous. You can get better results with a multi effect.
i once had one ( 5 String ) and for practicing at home i liked it very well, especially the upright bass sound. only at sessions with my band, i learned that sound created by physics and sound created by electronics are two totally different things. in a band situation, there was not much left from the line 6 sounds.
This bass mostly fails, but would be great for some meme music with terrible 80s drum machines, Casio keyboards, and cheap chorus pedals. Are you gonna keep this one in your collection because it's so odd?
Even though a lot of the crappy 80s electronic sounds became popular again later on. Doubt it will happen with this one though, because it actually sounds kind of like a bass (even though not like the ones it tries to emulate), just not like good one... whereas these old e-pianos and e-drums sounded nothing like a real instrument, so they could become 'their own thing'.
When I worked at THE DUNGEON CALLED GUITAR CENTER I used to TALK PEOPLE OUT OF BUYING THESE P.O.S. BASSES!! I DID WHAT SEEMED LIKE HUNDREDS OF MUSIC MAN SPECIAL ORDERS!!! THANKS MAESTRO LOBSTER
Gotta say I love the bridge pickup of a fender P bass. I don't know why the "fretless" tone made me cringe it's a very weird bass which does really nothing well. Not to mention that the lack of a pickup is quite uncomfortable
It's a shame because it really is such a cool idea. I think updating it and adding in those tones plus distortion options would be super cool. Again probably wouldn't be a big seller but it could be a lot of fun.
Honestly, this is a great piece of gear. You need to see it as a bass that has 24 different sounds. Are they all great and usable? No they are not, but if offers a lot of versatility and some of these sounds work great in different kind of mixes. And ultimately, what is more important, that it works in the mix or that it sounds exactly like a [insert favourite model] bass? Once you have that clear and you are ok with it, this is a very nice instrument. Might not be the best at anything but it really does a lot of things well. I bought one second handed a couple of years ago for a little less than 700 euro and to me it is totally worth it.
'this bass is a bit of a gimmick' - guy with fake lobster claw unlocked via like button.
Touché XD
All this time the claw was fake?
@@iannmiller High budget CGI and special effects. We were purchased by MicroDisneyMarvelsoft back in January
Whithout thinking about the different emulations, this bass have good pretty sounds for a variety of styles. In a band, nobody would ears a difference. That's a great studio tool.
He hit the nail on the head when he said "this came out 17 years ago and alot has changed with emulation". For 2004 this was high tech and we accepted it as such warts and all. We forget sometimes that innovation starts somewhere.
Great comment
Very true and low and behold we have the expressiv midi bass guitar which is a bass that actually can do it all.
All right, and what kind of improved, high quality modeling basses are available today? I have no idea🤔...
Ive got one. Dont expect it to sound like any of the emulations. But treat it as a totally unique instrument. Once you do that it really isnt a bad bass at all. And recording its great .
I've got one and it's my favourite bass. Nothing to write home about looks wise but the implementation was so carefully thought through, all the hardware is so easy to use. Maybe I've just not had very expensive guitars or basses - this is true - so it was the first time i had come across stuff like the volume pot being super quick to turn, the notches in the blend / eq pots to signal the middle position. The tuners also extremely smooth and in general very easy to set the instrument up. Just seems full of good user interface details in general. It's so incredibly versatile in itself, and just being able to dial things in on the bass so much is amazing. I wish they'd try again. The only thing I don't like is a gloss neck, I've considered modding it but I don't want to decrease the potential value. I got mine for £300 because the battery terminal had some corrosion and therefore wasn't working. Easy fix. Did a 6hr round trip to pick it up, as soon as I discovered it I obsessed about getting one. It's my first pick to record with, I would rarely gig with it due to the battery concerns, and I just don't want to throw it about because it's not something I can fix myself. Do wish I had the 705, but alas, not yet.
Still an interesting bass in my opinion, sure it doesn't sound like some or the originals it tries to emulate but it has some good tones. I bet if you branded this a Sire the bedroom players would kill for it.
I dig this too in a goofy way, but Marcus Miller would never sign off on this lmfao
Worth noting that the Acoustasonic is apparently selling very well, so I think you're right that there is a modern market for modeling instruments.
Yeh i agree it does have some interesting very useable tones. If you ignore what the presets are modelled on, i.e. don't compare them to the originals, they sound fairly good.
The clank sound sounds more like a stereotypical ric sound than the 4003. Its just that open E that sounds so good
Still have the 705. It's an amazing studio tool. Perfect? No! :)
Despite your derision, I actually kinda want one of those things now! Even just that round to flats gimmick on the "jazz bass" would be a ton of fun.
What a fun video! I have one of these that I use in my studio and it gets regular use: y'know, sometimes a song calls for a P, sometimes a J, etc. so having multiple basses is a must. For my workflow, it makes more sense to have one bass that can get me to the approximate ballpark of a dozen basses and then just 'nudge' the bass tracks the rest of the way with post-processing rather than a dozen discrete basses; heck, I've actually just made channel strip presets to 'dial in' the various patches the rest of the way -- e.g. dialing in the mid scoop that you noted was absent from the J models (insert "modern problems require modern solutions" meme here).
Obviously, they don't sound 1:1 like the real basses that are being emulated (though, as someone who has owned several Warwicks, I can confirm the Warwick model is actually pretty close and definitely captures at least the spirt of the sorta brassy, clanky 'Warwick sound") even after processing, but the majority of the models can be put 80-90% of the way there. Definitely an extremely handy tool in the studio and I personally think it's aged remarkably well for technology that is going on 2 decades old. My only major gripe is not being able to get just a dry piezo signal from it for use with IRs.
The Variax guitar on the other hand? Woof. I have one of those, too, and... I mean, it's fun to fart around with and a handy writing tool what with the alternate tuning modes, but I would not let it anywhere near a gig, let alone a recording session. It's just a mess; there's this weird digital "warble" on any sort of polyphonic signal which gets worse the denser the polyphony is (e.g. chords) and while the bass Variax has proven to be robust and durable, the piezo saddles on the Variax guitar seemingly fail every few months even when not being used.
TL;DR IMO the Variax bass is still a useful studio tool, but the Variax guitar is absolutely cursed.
Thank you for the great comment!
Have one since it came out in 2006. To be honest still think it's still quite amazing that they could build so many models into one bass. I mainly used it with the Hoefner emulation and I think it did that job pretty well.
I own that bass and use it for recording. I think the D/A converter on the 1/4" output gives you that weird extra compression, but thru the Variax cable into my Helix I'm able to get much more of an authentic sounding model.
When I was 17 in 2007 I got sent one in the post I believe by mistake from Line 6 (unless they were trying t get rid of them!) I had recently bought a Line 6 POD studio recording interface from them for my computer which is the only connection I can think of but I certainly did not order the Variax! held onto it for 6 months to see if anyone would claim it (no one did) and then sold it in Ebay for £500. I then saved up another £500 and used the £1k in 2008 to buy the bass I actually wanted - a USA American Fender Standard Jazz Bass which has been my workhorse for years and I still use to this day! I have zero regrets selling the Variax, I absolutely hated that is was a fake bass emulator and was happy to be rid of it. But I enjoyed your video and it reminded me the strange moment I tried it out and was thinking what the hell is this bass emulation abomination?!
Not a story I would be proud of certainly....
I have a Variax 700 and for me its value is not in how accurate it emulates classic bass guitars but how versatile this instrument is from a producer point of view. I think it was not successful commercially because most bass players don't really care about this bass features, I mean how many times we see a bass player changing bass from song to song while playing live? Never.
Will Lee used one occasionally on "The Late Show with David Letterman" while performing with "The World's Most Dangerous Band." He said the Variax had a pretty convincing upright bass sound.
That's literally the only convincing sound of the bunch. I had fun with the synth too
@@LowEndLobster I would guess Will got a nice bump on the backend for using it and he probably worked hard to find a setting that he could pimp at the gig. Also, if you're the house band your fidelity doesn't need to be there if it makes it REALLY easy to work by bringing only one bass that can go right into front of house. This is why we saw a rash of small bands or solo artists working with the Boss/Helix gear over the past 5-6 years, small power cab for a monitor, and run it straight to the main board and let the sound guy set it all up. Get my gym time in and go straight to stage from the hotel.
@@LowEndLobster The double bass setting really did sound good! Imagine that! Was that “Straight No Chaser” I heard? Nice!
Good info
Well Will Lee can make a hundred dollar Rogue sound sick.....lol
Wow, this is a really cool idea. I'm surprised other companies haven't tried to update this concept and re-release it. Especially in today's world of amp/cab sims, VSTs, etc.
Line6 took the idea really far with their guitar version, so much so that an aussie metal band used them live and had a signature with them. It'd be super cool if they really spent some time with a bass version.
dude made for bass?! small world
The problem with this concept is that all the sounds appear to be derived from the bridge and a piezo maybe hence the finger noise. Using the tail end of a string on a solid body electric bass is the "thinnest" possible sound to work with. No matter how much clever EQ is added, it's still a very thin pointy minimal string movement sound you're stuck with.
@@coreyu4590 Especially our little bass world!
You don't need modeling or sims with bass, just play P bass and it is on 80-90% of all recorded songs.
I had one of these for a few years. Was my first non cheapo bass. Played it in a band and a studio and eventually ditched it for a warwick corvette. I like the warwick a ton more i have to say!
Thanks Lobster, for another deep dive into something I had never heard of before. Very interesting.
Makes me wonder what a more modern Variax bass would sound like with all the advances made in emulation since this thing was released
Boy, back then I totally drank the Line6 modelling Cool-Aid and wanted the Variax 705 really bad. That is until I acquired a Bass POD and discovered it just wasn't all that great, I got much better tone out of my SansAmp, then figured the Variax was probably the same. So glad I did not waste my money!
I've said it before and will say it again... Thanks for wasting your money so we don't have to! You are providing a great public service to the bass community and it is greatly appreciated! 👍
I think what really killed the variax bass was not giving it workbench. Also, the "blend" knob on a sigle pickup bass "moves" the pickup closer to the neck/bridge.
I think these will become loved as their own thing, like some of the very limited synthesizers or weird effects pedals nobody thought would be worth anything in the future.
My favorite setting was the upright bass. That sounded cool and would be fun to see peoples reactions in a live setting. This is if they new the difference between the two, in the first place.
This was truely one of the og drool worthy bass of my youth. 6 foot ninja the band uses their guitars i believe as well. Awesome review!
Yes, seems to work better on guitar than on bass. Not that surprising, considering that until quite recently, tracking was a real desaster on Bass effects as well (and this one seems to have the most problems with replicating the attack)
I walked into a music shop in early 2006 to buy some strings. Had seen this in there and was really fascinated by it at the time. I also saw a 2005 limited edition Stingray in Buttercream.
Needless to say I walked out with the Stinga….. and not this …. thing.
And ….. after all that …..I forgot to grab the bloody strings haha
Thanks for sharing mate ….. I’m glad I made the right decision 17 odd years ago …… still gigging that Ray today !!
Great channel….. love ya work mate….. cheers from down under 💪
This was a lot of fun!
That Moog setting might be cool when used with an ebow, but like you said, just get a pedal.
Also, nice rendition of "A Portrait of Lobster"!
Oh wow the fretless jazz setting sounds like a Casiotone keyboard impersonation of a bass.
...
I want one.
this thing honestly sounds great! does it do custom tunings?
yes, but by physically retuning it, other than the electronics it works like any other bass, the guitars that they made do have different tunings available through the software.
I have a zoom 506 processor from 1997. It has presets for punk ,funk ,rock and synth. It was great back in the day. Yes. It still works 👍🦞
is the modern and vintage synths back-to-front? the modern present sounds more like a vintage one to me (think herbie & the headhunters)
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS! YES
Hi Lobster, Glad to see the cat in this vid. I actually have that bass and it does one thing very well. I had my local shop put a fretless neck on the bass plus’s I have tapewounds on it also. Bingo, an upright bass without the bulk! Enjoyable video as always!
Does the red/green function only work with batteries in. I have mine on the powered D.I. and I can't hear a difference, when the button is pressed.
I remember when these came out and was curious how it worked without a pickup. While it may not nail the tones perfectly I bet for a wedding or cruise ship gig it would be nice to have.
I was in high school when this was released and even then they seemed silly - but fun. Line6 products at the time generally seemed more like novelties/toys than "serious" gear. It's amazing to look back on this or the Spyder amps and compare them to today's highly respected Helix series.
I think all of this toying around was what led up to the Pod Pro and eventually the Helix. You cant be instantly good at everything when youre innovating
@@lorenwhit I agree! I think the Variax is cool because it is part of the journey.
Well said
Your alchemy patch is just loaded wrong, you can repatch it if you have an interface like the POD xt. I have the Variax 700 bass and 300 Guitar, the guitar for some reason lost its patches so I had to redownload from line6 online.
I was doing so much searching in regards to resetting it reloading the programs but couldn't find anything. I didn't have a POD either so that wouldn't work sadly. Thanks for the info!
I think the best phrase that sums up Line6 gear would be;
"Not great, not terrible"
The synth emulations at the end is hilarious!!
This is a hilarious bass! Especially when it tries to mimic flatwounds or the upright tone.
Any chance you know how to replace the pots? Broke the volume trying to take it off. I’ve disassembled it and still can’t figure out out to get the volume and tone pots off.
I kind of like it and the sounds ..even though they don't match what they're supposed to be.
I have never played one, but from just listening I think it's not terrible. Maybe it doesn't quite sound like what it's claiming to, but I could imagine that the attack is so wrong that it feels weirder to play it that listening to someone else playing it.
This is gonna be a good one!
as a longtime thunderbird player there is nothing about that tone that approaches any thunderbird i have ever heard. that embassy comes closer, has a little more fullness but that may be the luckiest break line 6 got for a comparison. thank god they didn't try to claim a "gripper" model because those bill lawrence designs out t-bird the t-bird and variax just can't compare.
I will say that I appreciate what line 6 was trying to accomplish and i really like the overall concept and design of the variax instruments but they fell a little short trying to capture the spirit of some pretty distinctive voices.
Thats the real trouble with trying to please bass players; a strat doesnt sound like a les paul and a les paul doesnt sound like a ricky 330 but as far as truly unique tones go, guitars really rely on what the signal goes into more than what it comes out of ,especially when you consider that 90% of all six strings of note are just the same 2 humbuckers layout. you would be hard pressed to find an average guitarist who could pick a warlock from an rg from a soloist from a mccarty just on tone with even a little distortion... but almost any bass player in their 20s can hear the difference between a stingray, a thumb, an L2000, a 4001, a j-bass, a p-bass, a tbird, a violin bass, really any bass, and they can do it blindfolded, played through a practice amp, in a dave and busters at 10pm on a friday night, after 6 beers and nursing a headcold. the differences in tone are miles apart.
tell me...am i wrong?
I remember those. Lol. Ibanez had a sr bass with a Korg kaosilator (synth thing) on it. It looked like someone stuck a mini pedal on its body. Weird basses out there.
You should do a firmware reset, the Alembic sounds way different on my Line 6 variax.
I had the same bass but the 5 string. I also bought the special cable to run it to the Line 6 floor pedal thing that you could use to control the bass and do even more crazy effects stuff with. I also had a early 90s Stingray, some Peavey Cirrus basses, and P and a J and several other basses.
The Variax seemed sterile compared to the real basses it tried to mimic. And, at times it would glitch, much like a computer, making selecting the correct bass model impossible. I got rid of it and took a sizable financial hit when I sold everything.
To me some of the patches sounded like someone trying to recreate a specific bass tone from memory without proper reference lol. Most of the presets just sounded like filters trying to disguise a piezo sound, which if I've understood how the electronics work from the little information I could find, is pretty much what is going on! It seems to pick up the signal under the bridge, which makes emulating neck pickups quite problematic.
I think it's pretty cool. On the comparisons it doesn't sound as good but the models are distinct from each other and have the general character of what they're emulating. I think for most folks it would probably make more sense to own one or two good basses and one of these than 15 different basses, although that doesn't sound like any musician I know.
I’m having trouble accessing all of the models (switching from “green” to “red”) and using the save feature. Can anyone explain?
These are definitely finicky in the electronics dept. I don't think the 12 string mode was working on this one
I had one of these, it didn't last long unfortunately. In summary - it felt like it was doing impressions of the instruments (in the same way a comedian would), you knew what it was trying to do, but you would never be fooled.
There was also a hollow tone to it (which also still the case unplugged). I wondered if the massive circuit board cavity had an effect on the instruments general tone. In the end I sold it (for a surprisingly high figure) and no regrets.
They were a great idea, but I just don't think you can truly replace any of the real thing.
I love the look of a Rickenbacker. What's hanging on the headstock
3/8 sounded like Nemo telling Mr Ray where he lived an Anemone . Great work Lobster
Awesome Lowend! Now could you do a followup on the sim1 xt-b which is the next level of digital emulation in terms of being able to profile any bass from your own pickups... Sim 1 is a crazy innovative italian company.
So for me as a non bass player who sometimes needs a bass for recording (and does not want to buy multiple basses) that thing is perfect. It may not sound like all the originals (I would not recognize if a bass is a j-bass or p-pass anyway) but it sounds more than alright to me and it is probably the most versatile bass there is.
As I was watching the video, I was trying to think of who the target audience for this bass could be. A non-bass player who was looking for something close for recording was one group I thought of. It could even be for laying down a track to be replaced by a bass player later.
Another target group would be a bassist who plays in a cover band and needs a variety of tones to match the original material. I see that another comment mentioned playing on a cruise ship, that seems like a perfect use for this bass.
Exactly my speech!
And let’s not forget fender has done something very similar with the rumble 800 stage combo back in 2018. They also did a 25 and 40 watt version.
I knew a session cat who used one in Nola. It's less about the band and creating an environment for the people. Without being overly critical I found it very convincing. As long as you get the bread, it's a win win
Lobster, wild man wild, busting out the Mingus. Yes this Bass tries all things succeeds at none.
Some interesting sounds
I actually like the tones of the bass is it for sale
Already gone
I have a 705 5 string version for sale
I did a little bit of research on these just now and if the electronics fail, well… good luck. Though it might be worth taking it to a luthier to install a white colored p pickup on the edge of pickguard, and it would look really cool.
I've had mine since it was new without any issues at all, and I've played many gigs with it. very dependable
All of the tones sound like they're derived from a piezo pickup in the bridge hence the finger noise and thin sound overall despite bass and other frequence boosting available. I quite liked some of the crispy tones but you can't beat real pickups located nearer the neck
i have a 705 i use it on all my stuff i love it
I remember this bass. It was an interesting idea that they made a pod version of bass. Tone wise it sounds fun despite how digital it sounded. there are some tones I dig. Other than that, not really the kind of bass I would go for.
It gets some different sounds is all I can say.I can see coupled with a higher price why it didn't catch on.
I like it and the different tones sound really good to me! I’d like to have a five string if they make one!!!
They made one. Towards the end of it's life they sold them for $500. I had one ordered for months and was super pissed when they cancelled my order.
I wanted an “insert bass type here” and found it on sale at wish . com for a fraction of the price!
Great looking, freaking versatile, with a hell out of different tones. It can be expensive for some, but it's an amazing instrument period. You can compare to the originals, just because this is trying to sound like them, but you definitely can't take what it accomplishes and throw it to the pigs like it was nothing... I'd love to have one of this!
How does it play? I'm tempted to grab one and put some nice pickups in it... Like swapping a V8 into a Tesla.
Is it running the latest firmware? It got better as it went, but still, you can't make realistic magnetic tones without magnetic pickups. That said, I used to think these were cool, and I'd still have one if the price was right.
Can i buy some bass like this nowadays?
So, this is, like, completely off topic, but what are YOUR very competent thoughts on Leon?
LOVE Leon. Can't wait for more!
@@LowEndLobster He is an absolute legend. Maybe you can do a collab some day.
Going to be quite frank and to the point. Lobster is one of the most interesting bass you have reviewed in a long time. Really quite surprised at your disdain for this instrument. And what it is trying to accomplish. Giving you a flavor of different instruments, precision bass, jazz bass, your Rickenbacker, and music man. It's a breath of fresh air. outward thinking by the design us of this bass. Just think of the few software updates to get this bass up to scratch, sounding better with each update. Really surprised with you not being able to think outside the box. To think things through. You have being spoiled. Remember less is more... Cool bass!
Hey Richard! Indeed it's very interesting, but IMO it very much sits firmly in the 'uncanny valley' when you play the instrument. As a concept, it is very cool... but the execution when looking at this through a modern lens is extremely lackluster. You mention something which I failed to touch upon, software updates!.... The concept was absolutely stellar, but again execution and lack of an 'ecosystem' for such a system to thrive were the nail in the coffin for this bass.
@@LowEndLobster Yeah. I'd be interested to see what Line 6 could do with the idea today. I have a JTV-59 and while some of its imitations are a little 'SNL' in a critical listening environment they're a solid 9/10 in a band setting - and in terms of build quality and playability just with its magnetic p/ups it's a better Les Paul than my two actual Les Pauls.
Lobster, my man, ol' Richard's got a Few saliant points there...don't You think? Credit where credit [is DUE].
I happily own a 705 and much appreciate it for what it IS, rather than be frustrated by an Unreasonable expectation of what it is NOT. Do you not agree that; to achieve an Exact or Damn Near Exact, rendering of ALL those instruments on offer, would command a price tag Many times Larger than the 1300 or so smackers asked for! Can you Imagine the Extraordinary VALUE such an instrument would represent. Another thing: Mine's built like a Battleship!!!, with a comfortable, easy to play neck and sensitive to touch. BUTT, it's TOO DAMN HEAVY and eates batteries in an almost Sinister fashion! Perhaps it is these last two concerns, as much as any others, that sealed IT's fate?
It's a weird bass says the guy with a lobster glove on his hand 😂 lmao! I do enjoy your videos I just thought it was funny.
If your car’s battery dies on the way back from the gig you could always use the bass to jumpstart it ;-)
I was hoping you would review this bass one day as I have one that was given to me by a friend. You share of my opinion of it: somewhere between a fun toy and abomination.
You got me singing "money, money, money"
At 15:58 Lobster realizes the futility of this exercise but knows he’s all in and has 20 more models to go through.
The bass has some decent sounds on its own, but it really sounds nothing like what it is trying to model. The “Jaco” model was especially hideous. You can get better results with a multi effect.
Hey Lobster, how about some bass amp videos?
It’s the soda stream of Bass.
LOL well put
There's a guy local to me who still gigs the 5 string version as his main bass, just sounds like your average low output cheap bass from the 90s.
Haha The last setting reminds me of the intro to State of Independence (by Quincy Jones) feat Donna Summer 😊 I love that tune!
You do know that the moog sounds can be altered? As long as you set the controls correctly a lot of the sounds aren't bad.
i once had one ( 5 String ) and for practicing at home i liked it very well, especially the upright bass sound. only at sessions with my band, i learned that sound created by physics and sound created by electronics are two totally different things. in a band situation, there was not much left from the line 6 sounds.
This bass mostly fails, but would be great for some meme music with terrible 80s drum machines, Casio keyboards, and cheap chorus pedals. Are you gonna keep this one in your collection because it's so odd?
It's already gone ;P. Had it for a while, and it'd be silly of me not to get rid of it with the prices they're going for.
Even though a lot of the crappy 80s electronic sounds became popular again later on. Doubt it will happen with this one though, because it actually sounds kind of like a bass (even though not like the ones it tries to emulate), just not like good one... whereas these old e-pianos and e-drums sounded nothing like a real instrument, so they could become 'their own thing'.
Those are the HAIRIEST harmonics I ever heard. Sounds like you’re using your beard.
Awesome!!!!
LETS GOOOOOOOO
When I worked at THE DUNGEON CALLED GUITAR CENTER I used to TALK PEOPLE OUT OF BUYING THESE P.O.S. BASSES!! I DID WHAT SEEMED LIKE HUNDREDS OF MUSIC MAN SPECIAL ORDERS!!! THANKS MAESTRO LOBSTER
Time for you to demo the Vox Starstream bass.. a 2021 version of this...
I can see you hate this bass from beginning however for us that find it interesting can you do a video on material, setup, finishing etc please?
I definitely don't hate it, but I don't think it was much of a success in retrospect. Neat concept but meh execution.
Gotta say I love the bridge pickup of a fender P bass.
I don't know why the "fretless" tone made me cringe it's a very weird bass which does really nothing well. Not to mention that the lack of a pickup is quite uncomfortable
It's a shame because it really is such a cool idea. I think updating it and adding in those tones plus distortion options would be super cool. Again probably wouldn't be a big seller but it could be a lot of fun.
Honestly, this is a great piece of gear. You need to see it as a bass that has 24 different sounds. Are they all great and usable? No they are not, but if offers a lot of versatility and some of these sounds work great in different kind of mixes. And ultimately, what is more important, that it works in the mix or that it sounds exactly like a [insert favourite model] bass? Once you have that clear and you are ok with it, this is a very nice instrument. Might not be the best at anything but it really does a lot of things well. I bought one second handed a couple of years ago for a little less than 700 euro and to me it is totally worth it.
That stingray, the bass boosting was a mistake. It sounded pretty close to my iPhone speaker ears
the rick sound was fairly close! Not quite, though, it was quite a bit muddier, didn't have what really makes a rick tick
Hey I had one of these for a cool minute. Got rid of it… the whole 6 aa batteries or that power brick was a turn off.
I use to have one, when you tapping it end of the magic.
The only thing these bass tones are convincing me of is that one is far better off with the real deal.
I was watching in the warwick setting part and my laptop crashes...that's what i called "digital saturation" :D
Oh I like that!
That “Pre” bass is borderline insulting AND borderline NSFW 😂
I bet that “modern synth” sound drove your cat crazy too lmao
it's just a piezo pickup style with different eq's :)