A Review of the Tascam "Mobile Bass Trainer"

This is a review of the Tascam MP-BT1 Mobile Bass Trainer - MP3.

It is the MP3 version. A CD version also exists... I bought the MP3 version so I don't have to burn CDs. This becomes an external harddrive when you plug it into your USB port. You can drag and drop music from your computer onto the device. No special equipment or software needed.

This, quite frankly is the best thing to come for bass players in a very long time.

Here's why I like it:

This little gadget is about the same size as a regular video ipod.

It allows you to play any music back... and whatever tempo you want, without changing the pitch.

There are cheap software applications you can buy that has a similar function, but they distort the sound. It's horrible. The Tascam MP3 Bass Trainer comes close to maintaining the original quality of the music. No distortions... unless you want them.

You can use this to "tune" your music. Yes, you can actually change the key of an MP3.

You can change the tempo of a track, but maintain the pitch... or vice versa. 

Think about the possibilities:

  1. You can slow down a complicated section of music and transcribe it. The best way to learn by ear is to slow the music down, learn it at a slow tempo, then gradually increase the tempo until you match what you're hearing.
  2. You can also learn music in different keys. This is ideal for someone who's learning chord progressions and wants to see how patterns can be transposed to different keys.
  3. You can do both of the above. Change the key, then slow it down in that new key.

You can emphasize or cancel out the bass line of any track.

That means that you can isolate a bass line in a track, slow it down, change the pitch. Or you can remove the bassline from a track and then fill in your own lines.

 

It has an advanced looping function...

so you can play a section of a song over and over until you get it.

It's amazing.

Physically, this thing is solid. It has a heavy steel base. You can throw it against a wall.

The MPB-T1 has a 1 gig hard drive... which holds approximately 240 tracks. And that's really the only negative. I really wish it had a bigger harddrive. It's tiny compared to regular ipods... but in reality, this is not meant to compete with the ipod. This is a specialist tool for bass players.

You can use it as a practice amp. Plug your bass and your headphones into it and you're in business. Get yourself a good pair of Sennheiser headphones on ebay for less than $150.

The Tascam Bass Trainer sounds pretty damn good when you plug it into a decent amp. Crisp. It rivals CD quality to the naked ear if you record your MP3's at 320kbps or higher.

Here's a video on youtube which gives you an idea of the size of this gadget. That's the guitar version in the video... it is identical to the bass trainer and has the same features. The bass version is optimized for bass and has a black metal case, instead of the red one in the video.

Get it. It's cheap and you will absolutely love it. I can't imagine how I lived without this before I got mine.

NOTE: The supply is limited, so a lot of smaller dealers and local dealers are selling this for around $250. I did some shopping around and J & R is currently selling it for $189 plus shipping. And there are a few on ebay for around the same price - but you don't get J&R's guarantee.

Order here through J & R.

Or get it on ebay.