00:00I'm not someone that uses old bass strings. A lot of bass players do.
00:03So my bass is actually a MIDI controller, as well as just a normal Lakeland bass.
00:39Hey, what's up? This is Alana Rockland from STS9. We're here in the beautiful Romova Theater in Chicago, Illinois.
00:45We're here for STS9's three-night New Year's Eve run and just want to show you a little bit of
00:50my gear and what I got going on.
00:51This is a really special bass. It's a Lakeland 5594 bass, custom-made for me.
00:59Actually made here in Chicago. So shout out to Lakeland. They're amazing.
01:03And this is a custom bass with Bartolini pickups.
01:07We have a Babs bridge here, which is actually for the fret track system in the bass.
01:13So these are normal Lakeland set up, but these two are part of the fret tracks, which triggers my silk
01:21back here.
01:22So Lee Young from Fret Tracks came up with this system for triggering MIDI.
01:30So my bass is actually a MIDI controller, as well as just a normal Lakeland bass.
01:35So what he did was we've got MIDI triggers in each fret.
01:40And so all of the frets are note on and note off information, but they're also CC.
01:45So I can really do a multitude of things and can show you all about it.
01:50But I have a pedal board, and basically what's going on here is we've got two sides.
01:56We've got the normal regular bass tone, and then we've got the fret tracks part of it.
02:03The volume only is fret tracks, so that's bringing that in and out.
02:09Everything else is Aguilar pedals, really basic.
02:12I have this switcher here to get through them, but my pedal board isn't really the thing.
02:17The thing is actually how my bass is a MIDI controller, controlling a virus, access virus, synth here.
02:29And so because I have this fret track system, I'm able to control this just like I would you would
02:36any kind of synth.
02:43And I can switch patches by using this button.
02:50And then I can do things like this knob.
02:52Instead of it being volume, I can actually program it per patch to control whatever I want.
02:58For this, I have it as a filter.
03:08So it only works with your left hand from the string hitting the fret.
03:19And then I can get all kinds of different things in here.
03:34It's a flute.
03:35So yeah, we get all kinds of fun stuff going.
03:37Yeah, so because I can like use the bass as my, I'm up here.
03:41If I want to change patches, I can just use this knob and this button and fret to change.
03:49And normally I'll have my normal bass sound, which is not on.
03:54So now I have both going.
04:06And that is just, I can be controlled by this volume over here.
04:11So you'll see I don't have a bass rig here.
04:19Everything's going through these Neve DIs right here.
04:23I have both my regular bass sound and the synth going through the Neve DIs.
04:28And so that's kind of the basis for the tone is the Neve DIs.
04:33So shout out to them.
04:33They make incredible stuff.
04:34I have almost, I would say like four main sounds that I'm using that are the basis for the tone.
04:43As I said, like I can use this knob.
04:47So I have one, maybe one.
04:49Oh, let me turn this on.
04:50One patch.
04:54But by using this knob, I can create several from that one.
04:59But in a show, I have these quick changes.
05:02As I said, usually I have to press a button and press a fret.
05:05I have quick changes here on these frets.
05:09So I can just.
05:17And then, you know, I can just kick.
05:22And so it really is based on the song, right?
05:26There are parts of the songs that require to, you know, maybe hit harder, be bigger on the bass side.
05:31I want to hit that sub sound.
05:33I mean, that's, that's usually what I'm going for is just a big sub.
05:38And yeah, I mean, there's a million songs in SDS 9's.
05:42I think we have 200 songs that we're cycling through.
05:45So within those, there's quite a bit of space for me to use a synth in really creative ways.
05:51And then, you know, it'll pop up in, you know, various improvisations that we'll do.
05:58So it's a, it's a big part of what I'm doing for sure.
06:01My strings.
06:02I use Deodario strings.
06:04I have for many, many years.
06:08This is what we got.
06:10Yeah, 45 to 130.
06:13Five string.
06:14Normal tuning.
06:15Low B.
06:16High G.
06:17But yeah, these are what I've been using.
06:19I actually switched.
06:20I really like these.
06:21They've been a lot more punchy.
06:25I'm trying to definitely get a punchier sound.
06:28So I changed my strings quite a bit.
06:30I'm not someone that uses old bass strings.
06:32A lot of bass players do.
06:34I find that, you know, I like my intonation to be right on.
06:37So yeah, I mean, I'll go through maybe, I don't know, every four or five shows, I'll change my strings.
06:45The tuning, normal bass, five string tuning, GDA, EB on force.
06:50You know, I tend to, this, this Bartolini preamp in here is amazing.
06:56It's sensitive.
06:58I can adjust my tone.
07:01I usually have it.
07:03This is, this is for the pickup for this pickup.
07:06I usually have this just in the middle.
07:07Almost everything is notched except for the mids.
07:10I have boosted just a bit.
07:16I like, I like to be able to, to get the attack going.
07:22So I generally will, will boost that.
07:25I don't really move them.
07:26Like they stay kind of where they are.
07:28I leave my volume where it is.
07:31And the only thing that's really coming in and out is the synth.
07:34Yeah.
07:34So I have a few pedals here.
07:37Most of them are Aguilar.
07:39At this point, yeah, they are all Aguilar pedals.
07:42And I'm used to filter a lot.
07:53So I use that one a lot.
07:55The chorus I really like.
08:05Let's see what else we got here.
08:07Octave.
08:07When I really need to have like a sub going.
08:10But I need to have a little more articulation than I can do with the fret tracks.
08:14Um, cause it is, there's, there's limits.
08:16Um.
08:18I mean this is usually straight, just.
08:20Uh, low.
08:22Uh.
08:25For like a, a really like, um, yeah like a drum and bass section that I need to have a
08:30little bit more control.
08:32I'll use this.
08:33Um, what else?
08:35Oh, we got some.
08:41Some distortion.
08:45I don't use that often.
08:46But there's a couple songs that have a part in it that have the distortion.
08:50So that's what it's there for me.
08:51Yeah man, thanks for the interview.
08:53Thanks for listening.
08:55Um, checking out my rig today.
08:56Uh, really.
08:58It's, uh, it's been a labor of love to put it together with a lot of people supporting me through
09:03the years.
09:04Um, shout out to Lakeland Basses, Fret Tracks, D'Addario, um, Virus, Access Music.
09:12Um, yeah.
09:13Aguilar.
09:14Thanks to everybody.
09:15Really appreciate it.
09:16Uh, hopefully we'll see you on tour.
09:18STS9.com.
09:20You can check out what we're playing.
09:21Uh, lots of shows coming up in 2026.
09:23West versus more.
09:25East is southern to the city.
09:27Uh, we still can check out how expensive they're going to use, and yet they'll get started.
09:27Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-time.
09:29I'm gonna stop fighting on titan pieces like Wrestling County.
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