Tascam GTR1 Trainer?
I am thinking about getting a trainer to help me with my practice. As many of you know, I am playing bass in my current band, but I am also a guitar player of 30+ years. The talk among some bass players, in regards to trainers, is the Tascam MP-BT1 which stores up to 240 mp3 songs. The BT1 allows you to jack into the unit and play along with the songs. It has looping, pitch and tempo features, which I use all the time. On the BT1, it also has a bass cancellation/enhancement feature to eliminate, or enhance, the bass guitar from the original track. That sounds interesting to me, if it works.
Now, I just discovered that Tascam has the GTR1 trainer http://www.amazon.com/Tascam-GTR1-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B001ELVCDS/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I113QNLUFW993I&colid=WI3CFAIX9HNL which is built for both guitar and bass. Cool. All the same functions as the BT1, but also has cancellation/enhancement for either guitar or bass, depending on what you want to play. It also has internal mics for recording, preset rhythms, and external SD storage card slot, up to 8GB. All that for only about $20 more than the BT1.
On paper, it sounds like a winner to me. However, I am mainly concerned about whether or not the bass cancellation/enhancement features work well or not. Sometimes the sales hype does not live up to the real practical use. I already have a recorder, the Tascam DR-07 that does have looping, pitch, and tempo change features.
Just wondering if anyone here has one of these units and if you could give me some real honest opinion about how well the bass/guitar cancellation/enhancement feature works and if the GTR1 trainer is a good investment or not. Thanks for any feedback.
Now, I just discovered that Tascam has the GTR1 trainer http://www.amazon.com/Tascam-GTR1-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B001ELVCDS/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I113QNLUFW993I&colid=WI3CFAIX9HNL which is built for both guitar and bass. Cool. All the same functions as the BT1, but also has cancellation/enhancement for either guitar or bass, depending on what you want to play. It also has internal mics for recording, preset rhythms, and external SD storage card slot, up to 8GB. All that for only about $20 more than the BT1.
On paper, it sounds like a winner to me. However, I am mainly concerned about whether or not the bass cancellation/enhancement features work well or not. Sometimes the sales hype does not live up to the real practical use. I already have a recorder, the Tascam DR-07 that does have looping, pitch, and tempo change features.
Just wondering if anyone here has one of these units and if you could give me some real honest opinion about how well the bass/guitar cancellation/enhancement feature works and if the GTR1 trainer is a good investment or not. Thanks for any feedback.
Comments
I just use windows media player, can slow it down while keeping pitch..etc.. Guess it's akin to 30+ yrs ago.. just lifting the stylus up an back down on an lp .. LMAO .. aw the good ole days!
There's all kinds of slow guitar lessons or covers on YT. Some are wrong, but they get you in the ballpark.
But, I'm kind of cooling to the whole idea. It doesn't seem that many people around this forum use guitar trainers. Also, one of the main features I was interested in was the bass cancellation mode, which I have now found out from an owner on a different bass forum is more accurately an EQ scoop mode - which I can as easily do in any of my software at home.
I've already got too much dead tech sitting around home..... Thanks for the feedback.
Yep, I have a couple different software packages like the Amazing Slow Downer and Best Practice. Also, with a PC, my DAW has lots of additional options not available on the guitar trainers. The advantage of the guitar trainers was the portability and plug in and play aspect of the unit.
Maybe I should get a nice small netbook and use my current guitar software on it. Then find a simple headphone plug for the guitar/bass and jack the netbook into it for play alongs. That's an option that just came to mind. At least with a netbook, I could also download YouTube videos, tabs, lyrics, etc... and it would still be small enough to fit in the pouch of my gig bag. I would think a netbook would offer lots more options and expandability.
Oh yeah, the reason I'm stressing portability and fitting into my gig case is because I might be working out of town 4 days a week. I'm not going to be lugging my DAW PC around with me in the car, nor do I plan on loading up even my smallest practice amp. But I do have enough room for my guitar and gig case.
Works great,the main difference between the DR ones is that you can plug a guitar or bass into this and has a mfx unit inside.
The mfx are crap really,but its only a guide to match what you are trying to practice and learn,not record a demo.
The instrument cancel feature works ok depending on the stereo imaging of the file you are trying to eliminate the instrument.
Some work 100% perfect,others 25%,it really depends on the mix of the original wav/mp3.
Has simple overdubbing as well,but thats what I use my GNX4 for so I wont bother with that feature.
Up till now for slowing down etc I was using a Zoom GFX707II,(mfx sound much better esp dist)which takes up to 128mb smart media dinosaur cards.I had quite a few with tons of lead breaks snippets on them,now im busy building the same stuff on the GT-R1,which has a divide feature that you can split the wav/mp3 track so you can just keep the lead breaks or a riff etc and delete the rest.
I didnt need this unit really,but got it for $129 off amazon,a fair deal.
As a portable all in one digital rec/guitar jamman its the best Ive seen,if you ignore the totally crap distortions for metal..LOL
The cleans with delays and choruses are ok
Mine is a ver 2.0.032 and came with a 2gb sd card and can take up to a 2gb SD card or up to a 32gb SDHC card
In doubt i'll ever run out of space again..LOL
dunno if Tascam are planning a revised version as they still have the GB-10 which is exactly the same trainer type of thing without the mics.
Its a nice cheap toy,I'd get one again for sure really.
And works magic plugged into my GNX4 inputs as well
as thats the only thing I missed on the GNX4
cheers
The GB-10 is not perfect, but almost everything is there for my needs. Best thing is the long battery life and the portability. Sounds great. Highly recommend the GB-10 trainer for others looking for a solid guitar/bass trainer. Take care.
You cannot divide mp3 files..only wav files.
Which is a bit of an inconvenience for me...
I can record the lead breaks from a cd player with the line in but they are not automatically named like a mp3,just extra work to do on a pc later.
Not a huge prob if doing a few at a time but to try and build up a lead break library like I had on my sm cards,all at once ....its a pain in the @ss
I suppose,as its got heaps of space,just keep the whole mp3 song and cue to the leads and loop them,just a waste of space and time cueing the songs
Same as overdubbing,its only allowed with a wav file.
Maybe a firmware update wouldve been great for those two little probs...
Is that the same with the GB-10?
Use the headphone out of the GTR-1 for headphones or monitoring to an amp or loop etc etc
Now the GTR-1 is a bomb !
Best of both worlds now...
Well, the tablet does not have guitar input, so that is a limitation. But I can take the headphone out and jack it into my practice amp, GNX4, etc... if that is an issue.
Point is, we are lucky to have so many options when it comes to learning new material. My GB-10 is my main trainer, but it does not have an aux in. Not much of an issue, but it would have been nice. Then I could jack my tablet into the GB-10 and jam along with YouTube videos.
Best wishes.