Songs Without Bass

[RobbySuave]

I'm very much looking forward to putting my own songs up for download with the Rock Band Network. I'm a DIY type of guy, doing everything on my computer. Sometimes I'll record real drums and real bass, but generally the only thing real are the vocals and guitar, and sometimes the guitar isn't even real.

Anyway, a lot of times, I won't even have a bass track. No bass synth or anything; just guitar. My question is what would you, Rock Band players, would like those to be like. One solution is to go back and record bass parts. Or I could just not have a bass part, assuming we don't have to have a bass part in a song. And then there's songs of mine where there's 2 guitars, but no bass. In cases like that, maybe the bass would play the second guitar.

I'm not getting into RBN thinking I'm going to earn a profit or even gain popularity or whatever. I mostly want to do it just so I can play my own songs by myself and with friends. But I'm just wondering what other players would think about songs with no bass part.

[S1ckH4nds]

You do not require a bass part in order to publish a song on RBN. It's entirely up to you; you can either release it as is, with guitar, drums, and vocals only, or if you have the manpower and time to spare, go back and record a new bass track specifically for the game. I believe one artist in the RBN beta has done that already, so it's definitely a viable option.

[RobbySuave]

I was pretty sure it was technically possible to not include a bass track, but I was just wondering if the average player would rather play the second guitar track for bass or just not have a bass part at all. If you had a 4 person band going, you wouldn't be able to play a song without a bass part.

There's surely some players who prefer bass over guitar. Would they not like playing a guitar part? I'm just curious.

My senses tell me the open beta, or at least more information on it, will become available soon.

[samqwe]

You can only use one playable part for guitar, if you use the PART BASS for a second guitar it will not pass peer review.

[ChaseFV]

Since you're looking for opinion (and I happen to have one!), in general, I'd prefer a bass part, but that's just my own musical taste. I'm sure there are just as many people out there who feel the bass line is just a dumbed-down guitar or a glorified drum echo. If, to your ear, it makes the songs better, add it. If not, I'm sure they will stand just fine on their own as-is.

[RobbySuave]

I realize the best solution would be to go back and record/insert bass parts. But say for these bass-purists; would they scoff at playing a second guitar part rather than an actual bass part?

Personally, I don't think the songs need bass in them. The guitars have enough low end as it stands. If I was going to add bass, I'd have to take out some of that low end.

I figured there were others in my situation, and I didn't know how most people were going to do it. The easiest way out would be to just not have a part for bass, but I don't really like doing that unless it's impossible to do otherwise.

I'm really looking forward to getting my songs all charted up and into the game. By the way, I don't know if this has been answered or even brought up before, but if you submit a song, do you have to pay for it to be able to play it like you would any other DLC? Or will it know you created the song and let you download it for free?

[trg007]

I realize the best solution would be to go back and record/insert bass parts. But say for these bass-purists; would they scoff at playing a second guitar part rather than an actual bass part?

It's no so much about whether people would find it fun, it's about the standards that HMX has laid out for what can and can't be done in RBN songs. If the song has bass, you have to chart it; if it has no bass, you have to leave it as NO PART. If you authored it as a second guitar, it would fail review.

By the way, I don't know if this has been answered or even brought up before, but if you submit a song, do you have to pay for it to be able to play it like you would any other DLC? Or will it know you created the song and let you download it for free?

You'd have to pay for it, unless you wanted to just transfer it over via Audition Mode every time you wanted to play it, but that's not desirable of course.

[Jadis]

If the song has bass, you have to chart it; if it has no bass, you have to leave it as NO PART. If you authored it as a second guitar, it would fail review.

Is there a reason why it's like that? Guitar gets charted as weird things all the time...why is bass any different?

[davidshek]

Is there a reason why it's like that? Guitar gets charted as weird things all the time...why is bass any different?

Most likely because of the Bass Groove (the 6x multiplier) and lack of ability to put solos on that track. The Bass track is for bass.

[DavyinaToga]

Opinionated charting is opinionated.

Personally, if the guitar track is from a recording, I would rather the bass chart stay absent from RBN than to add a bass synth track just for a full band in RB. Real and synth instruments together don't always sound right in my ear, so it probably would be safer to go bass-less.

If, however, the guitar part isn't a real guitar, then I believe it would be permissible to create an artificial bass line. Heck, it may even be artistically better to do so.

This is kind of the guideline I plan on following for my own stuff, too, if I do go through with RBN.