velvetkevorkian

I've had tendinitis in my hands and arms in the past (and still have to manage it)- the biggest things that made a difference for me were 1: making sure my technique was OK (I was holding my fretting thumb in a stupid position) and keeping my arms and shoulders relaxed- for me doing nothing but playing bass and using the computer was the killer for this, and my shoulders and arms were very tight, which manifested itself as pain lower in the arm and hand on both sides. Recommend seeing a physiotherapist and possibly getting some kind of deep muscle massage.

...at least he doesn't have to dance like that any more...

Korg Pitchblack, it looks like.

It's just practice I'm afraid. I've been playing with three fingers for a few years now, but I had to spend a long time working on it to get it up to any kind of speed and consistency. Lots of metronome drills, starting slowly. You also need to practice leading with different fingers, so you can start with any of the three you're using. Eventually you get to a point where you don't have to think about what finger is coming next and you can play odd or even groupings easily. One thing that is surprisingly effective is to give your fingers numbers and say the numbers out loud as you play. Feels kind of stupid but it really makes your brain connect with your fingers. Hope that helps.

[quote name='tonyclaret' timestamp='1323510000' post='1463981'] ... I often find with both plugs in I can hear jack sh*t of any cymbals... [/quote] That's the whole idea! I have done orchestra shows with one plug in (I have worse damage in the ear that always faces the brass section ) and to be honest I didn't like it- I found getting two different sounds irritating. I would say stick with the matched pair- it's just a matter of getting used to it for the most part.

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1323445716' post='1463536'] Got some ER20s' a while back to replace the foam type ones, which although they killed a higher level of sound, they didn't filter evenly. The ER20s' do... Still have tinnitus mind (but that is after 30-odd years of aural abuse). It started not going away after a day or so, a few years back, even with wearing earplugs. It's a real PITA, though it is totally my own fault. Anyone not using earplugs in their teens & twenties, playing in bands is risking getting permanent tinnitus by the time they're 40. And I'm afraid that is not lecturing, that's bitter experience. [/quote] Or eighteen... edit: In summary, don't risk it. Worn plugs at clubs, some pubs, rock gigs, orchestral gigs, just about anywhere there's a real drummer or a PA. Unfortunately the damage was done.

Yeah, I think I'm just going to accept that this isn't the machine to be doing recording with for the time being- not a big deal as it wasn't the main reason I got this (iOS design/development). Found some free Mac VSTs on KVR- for anyone who's wondering, they have a .vst extension rather than the .dll on Windows, and seem to be separate from AUs and RTAS.

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1323355334' post='1462401'] Wow - I didn't know the latest Macbooks had done that with their ports. So much to like about a Mac, so much to dislike. [/quote] Yeah, that's pretty much exactly how I feel about them. FWIW the larger MBPs still have separate ins and outs, for now at least.

Well, the Apple support site basically says "Buy an interface"- from poking around in the settings it looks like the jack is switchable from input to output. So it goes, I guess.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1323297436' post='1461857'] How can a single 3.5mm port do in and out combined at the same time exactly? Sounds very dodgy to me! Do you have a USB port on it? Do you have a budget for a soundcard? I'd look into an RME Babyface if I were you, not cheap but superb quality and exceptional latency on a Mac, but it does require a USB port.... I run 64 bit Reaper and have had no issues running 32 bit VSTs on it. However I didnt think you could run VSTs on a Mac - I could welkl be wrong but I thought Mac fx were au's? [/quote] I assume it works on the same principle as things like a hands free kit on a mobile phone. There are USB ports but I'm not going to invest in a soundcard for this machine- I have a 6 month old very powerful Windows desktop with a decent dedicated soundcard that I'll use for recording, it's no real loss (it's not what I bought this laptop for anyway). Most VSTs seem fine bridging with 64 bit but there are a couple that don't like it, nothing significant though. From what I can gather there are OSX compatible VSTs but they have to be compiled for Mac; at the moment when I add a virtual instrument I get both the VSTs bundled with Reaper and some AUs (from GarageBand I presume) showing up.

OK, looks like VSTs have to be rebuilt for OSX, so PC versions don't work. Sadface.

No, it's brand new, running Lion (which I think is 64 bit compatible, although a quick Google has left me more confused than when I started )

Hey folks, I just got hold of a 13" MacBook Pro and had a couple of questions about using it to record with. I've been using Reaper on both my previous Windows laptop, using the built in soundcard, and on my Windows desktop using an M-Audio PCI soundcard. I run a wee mixer for the ins and outs and that's fine for what I need. However, there are a few things I'm not sure about... Firstly, it only has a single 3.5mm audio port, which is meant to be in and out combined. I assume this is something like a TRS cable- has anyone managed to record and monitor using this port? I presume in theory it's probably just an adapter required, but I'v never come across one like that. I know in the ideal world I would get an external FireWire (or Thunderbolt, if they make them yet) interface but I'm not spending any money on it at this point as I have a perfectly good recording machine available (albeit non portable). Secondly, I have a bunch of VSTs installed on my desktop. As I understand it, VSTs are meant to be cross platform; does that mean I can just stick them in a folder and tell Reaper to look for them, as on Windows? Finally, for Reaper users, are you running the 32 bit or the 64 bit version? On my desktop I'm using the 64 bit version to take advantage of the 8gb of RAM, but using 32 bit VSTs with it can be, shall we say, interesting. I've installed the 32 bit version on the Mac for now but I'm interested in experience/suggestions regarding either OS. Cheers!

If by "bright" you mean "absolutely monstrous" then I agree with you

I wasn't there, but my gf managed to knock over a double bass during a uni music workshop. This time the neck did snap clean off. She's not allowed to touch my DB now...

+1 for leaving it as rosewood (if indeed it is rosewood). IME the ebonising process is pretty much cosmetic- a non black fingerboard can look quite striking. I would expect varnishing it to change the sound as well, maybe?

Interested in the Jean Baudin book too- from memory I think it's transcribed for 5 strings but I'm sure you could get most of the value anyway. In the meantime, try playing with one hand only, e.g. scales with only the left hand, no picking or plucking. Then try it with the right hand only. Then you can try putting them together. That's a start at least

Viking styling FTW.

[quote name='citymariner' timestamp='1323004164' post='1458111'] Is there that much of difference between 4 and 5 stringers? Obviously I'll go in to a shop and try etc. Got to admit in trying to keep things similar yet having something slightly different the VM range does seem to be calling. My MIA is very similar to that Matt Freeman model although mine has a P/J pick up config and Kahler bridge - a little too similar! [/quote] A lot of people find it really difficult to make the transition from four to five+ strings, but IME it was very straightforward. If I were you I'd probably skulk around the BC classifieds for a while and see what five strings pop up second hand. I'd go for variety rather than something very similar to your main bass.

[quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1322664799' post='1454140'] Well, that's just me confused now, I didn't know it was on other stuff. I always thought the Dyna was different, so is it a Dyna model then? [/quote] I'm afraid it doesn't get any clearer... I have seen these referred to as DynaBasses, but I don't know if that's correct. IIRC the only references I could find to DynaBasses online were about the late 80s model(s), which are totally different. The upshot is I haven't a clue, but I agree that they are excellent basses for the money, so that's what counts, innit?

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1322605513' post='1453567'] If I took up guitar, I'd tune it in 4ths, precisely because I could relate fingering patterns to the bass ones. I'd tune it FCGDAE. Based on that line of thought, I can see where the OP's coming from. As for cello scale length, I always thought it was about the same as a bass guitar. Maybe it's the string length we're confusing it with (given the extra distance from the anchor point to the bridge on a cello)? [/quote] I don't know, but if you ever get the chance to watch a cello player you can see that part of their normal technique is the first and fourth finger extension- this lets them cover the equivalent of 6 frets without moving their thumb. This is kind of feasible on a bass but it's a big stretch!

See, I thought that the "International Series" label was just signifying that they were non-US made. I also have a Milestone 3 (jazz style) and that has the International label on it as well as the model name. edit to add: there are also International Series guitars, drumkits etc.

I have a fretted 5 and a fretless 5 of this model- never managed to pin down the exact model though. It's not a Grind or a Millennium; it might be a DynaBass although I think various models have gone by that name- I think these date from the late 90s/early 2000s. Nice basses for the money IMO- I picked mine up for around £100 each. £140 would be on the high side but not out the question if it's in decent nick.