VG-99 - Mick Karn (Japan)

Started by Smash, January 12, 2013, 01:06:41 PM

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Smash

Mick Karn was the highly inventive bass player in Japan. His sound was instantly recognisable, as was his technique.

I started off trying to write a Jaco patch and ended up with this Mick Karn impersonation - Karn used wild vibrato, harmonics and unusual two note chords. This patch is all about what you play and how you play it. In the demo I used the whammy to simulate some of the stupid vibrato you can do with a fretless.

Crtl 1 is ADT, Crtl 2 is Chorus

You might find a use for it. you might not. hopefully you'll have fun finding out!

aliensporebomb

I got to meet the late Mr. Karn at a concert in the mid 1990s with the band Polytown.  For an all instrumental band the women were out in force surrounding him and he was nattily dressed in a suit.  So he autographed my CD after we exchanged pleasantries and then got to deal with a bevy of beauties.

Really interesting bass player.  Cool patch.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

shawnb

#2
Great job on the patch!

Yes, I have a couple of those Japan albums.  Karn was an excellent musician, with a very distinctive bass sound:


Karn passed away one year ago this month, of cancer.  Porcupine Tree (which features keyboardist Barbieri, also of Japan) raised funds for his treatment. 
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Smash

#3
thanks for the kind comments - tbh I can't actually thin of much to do with the patch apart from demoing the VG!...."Yeah and it can do this!"

Yep it was a truly sad end for Mick - he was in a financially dire situation which is just nuts considering the calibre of player he was. There was a lot of fund raising but I never knew he was in Porcupine Tree - how weird considering the recent patch request about....Porcupine Tree!

Meanwhile the latest "Idol Factor" churns out more mundane dross and turns self obsessed, non inventive people into millionaires.... SNAFU