WalMan

[quote name='tonybassplayer' timestamp='1372682770' post='2128454'] Surely the opposite is true. If you have a good PA set up with bass bins etc why not all scale down the back line and let the FOH handle the volume and dynamics and keep the on stage sound lower. [/quote]...'cos I don't like what he does to my bass sound A few years back I went the whole hog and for a while ran a Bass POD xT Pro into the PA and relied on monitors, but then the others muttered about not 'feeling' / hearing the bass and so slowly gear onstage crept back in until I'm now running the Streamliner 6 & Barefaced S12T, occasionally with a volume pedal in the loop, and am happy with the sound, but am running the master on the amp at barely tick over (which always makes me wonder how others can run the STM 9 at gigs). The PA is generally good kit, but sometimes (most times) there is just sooooo much of it, it seems ridiculous for the sort of venues we are doing (generally pubs) and can be a tad embarassing as more & more stuff gets piled in - particularly at a 'new' venue, added to which it takes so long to get up and running. A couple of months ago we had a gig at a new place and the sound guy was pre booked and couldn't make it, but put together a smaller rig to cover us. Now that night from my point of view went a lot better overall sound & level wise, just a pretty basic bass bins & tops on poles to handle vox & the kit. Used to get compliments for the sound, but somewhere along the way in recent years something has happened & I am not so convinced. Perhaps it is just my subconcious pushing me to branch out to something new after decades with my mates in this lot (which I am doing with a second & at one point third part time bands + deps), but I don't want to lose that all the same. Sorry I'm turning this into a 'Dear Marge' corner!

Just bouncing through stuff on iTunes while working at home and came back to this [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMvGXofavpI[/media] May have annoyed the neighbours ... windows open & turned it up loud

[quote name='tonybassplayer' timestamp='1372575326' post='2127236']Are you really sure the FOH is bad ?? It's not easy to know that when you are on stage and I have played plenty gigs that sound poor on stage due to room dynamics etc that people out front said sounded superb and really well balanced.[/quote] [quote name='WalMan' timestamp='1372595835' post='2127489']I need to listen to the recording - done for the drummer due to dep with us next month - but sadly I fear so. Comment by WAGs yesterday suggests probably it was not great. [/quote] ... and yet there you go, not nearly as bad as I feared. Still think we're dragging too much sh1t to gigs and should let backline handle more of the light & shade (if that is something we can achieve with the set) and not have the PA roaring quite so much

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1372622816' post='2127844'] Yep, much better than I expected after Nick quit. If you like a bit of modern prog also check out Big Big Train's 'English Electric vol2' which came out this year. I think that vol.1 is a better album but that came out back end of 2012 so technically doesn't count. [/quote]Had that off eMusic a while back

[quote name='tonybassplayer' timestamp='1372575326' post='2127236'] Are you really sure the FOH is bad ?? It's not easy to know that when you are on stage and I have played plenty gigs that sound poor on stage due to room dynamics etc that people out front said sounded superb and really well balanced. [/quote]I need to listen to the recording - done for the drummer due to dep with us next month - but sadly I fear so. Comment by WAGs yesterday suggests probably it was not great.

"Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep" by SPOCK'S BEARD has seen pretty constant rotation since it arrived. The boys didn't disappoint once again.

I have arranged the courier a few times now - mainly because the item is too far away, probably initially listed as collection only, and on here from someone with good feedback so I have trusted the forum member, oh and I get a rate through the courier work uses. I must admit I perhaps haven't thought too much about packaging, knowing the bass was in a bag or case and would be boxed, and trusting the description and photos listed by the member in terms of checking over the bass. Not had a problem, but perhaps I've just been lucky

Last night at the latest local venue to be closing in the next couple of weeks an ours for just after it's due was pulled forward. Packed night ... so WTF have you been previously? Not out supporting your local venue that's for sure!. Ah well you never know what you've lost 'til it's gone. Gig went OK I suppose and ended well but I am getting really pissed off with the sh*te sound we are getting out front. Last meeting we had I'm sure we agreed (at last) to stop relying on FOH for levels , drive the backline better and get light & shade from there,not expect Mr Sound to deal with it just leaving FOH to handle vox & some enhancement of acoustiv things like the kit. Tonight? The first set was IMV a feckin embarassment. Bass rig was running as intended and sounded good & punchy, but the guitars backline was down, going through the PA, and again IMVwith a sound that was all over the place You might have said 'why no soundcheck?' Well we did line checks and a quick run through and it's not as if it's the first time we've played there, but by the time the first set started the sound was not right and stayed that way, or worse, it seemed for the whole of set 1. Drummer was muttering in the break that all the backline was too loud and I had to say 'NO IT ISN'T' in fact if anything the guitars were to low. What he was getting & moaning about was what was coming through the PA and off the back wall. Set 2 got better and ended with plenty of crowd participation and people coming uop asking where we are next. The answer to that is a couple of gigs mid/ end August and that is now it for the year. I ought to try to find new gigs, but really canot drag myself to do so knowing what the sound will be like if / when we do get new places & show up fot the first one. It frustrates & embarasses me at the moment and I sadly donbt the band will continue much longer unless we can get something to change For tonight crowd reaction to the gig would be 8/10 my satisfaction with the gig and where we are 'at' , however, struggles to even make 1/10

I think someone has mentioned Lettuce, and this vid was posted previously http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va3eqsO_ErA or the album version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGvUkHFzIZ8 Trotted off & found the three albums for download from eMusic shortly after they were mentioned before

Just had an email from eSoundz about a deal they have on for Sampletank at the mo. I really like it and this deal is for the full version plus extra sound libraries. You can find the details [url="https://www.esoundz.com/effects/sampletank-2-5xl-2-free-sampletank-libraries-/5027.html"]HERE[/url] [quote] [b] WIN a Free SampleTank Gold bundle! SampleTank 2.5XL with 2 Bonus Libraries just $39.99[/b] This week we have a very special ONLY at eSoundz. We have IK Multimedia's SampleTank 2.5XL on SALE for just [b]$39.99[/b]. This is the top-of-the-line-version of SampleTank with a huge 9 GB library. And of course, at eSoundz we always raise the deal, so to make this offer even better, with this purchase we are giving you [b]TWO bonus individual expansion libraries[/b] of your choice for SampleTank selected from our SampleTank Instruments and ReTank libraries (see below). And it gets even better. If you buy SampleTank 2.5XL with the 2 free bonus libraries from eSoundz this week, you will automatically be entered into our drawing where one lucky eSoundz customer will win a [b]FREE SampleTank Tank GOLD bundle[/b] of their choice: either the SampleTank Instrument Expansion Gold Bundle or the ReTank Expansion Gold Bundle. And of course the winner will still get to choose their 2 additional free single libraries on top of that. [/quote] ...and if you should happen to go for it my username at Esoundz is AlEebee when you get to the checkout and it asks

A3 Sportback fits BF Super12 + leads case & bass pedals in the boot - with space for small bits & bobs dotted around in spaces - then twin bass bag, Roland A300 keyboard & synth, case fr the LED par bar & amp bag across the back seat. Went for a smaller car than the previous Laguna estate as I was cutting down gear - yeah right ! - and most of the time it's just me in the car too & from work

[quote name='Thurbs' timestamp='1372072185' post='2121158'] Played at a dive on Saturday night for the first time, the sort of place where the bogs are full of people doing lines of coke etc. Didn't get stabbed, or the van nicked, or a drunkard falling over expensive gear so all is well. Managed to miss a verse from Sultans of Swing though, but knowone else noticed! [/quote]By the sound of it never has the phrase '...still nobody died' been more relevant. :-)

This weeks deep. Somewhat more rehearsed than last as I had rather more than four hours notice and a couple of run throughs. Funky disco stuff, so NOT my usual but fun all the same - I just love playing. Took then DSI MoPho and keys as well so did keyboard bass to a couple, which was different. No major foul ups and a fun night with the Wal. Even managed my cackhanded version of 'sort of' slap, pick attack up on the Wal sounded lovely through the rig & got compliments generally on the sound. I just love getting out & making music. Don't really mind much what the style is. I can be such a whooer sometimes :-)

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1371157400' post='2110751'] If you like zingy coated strings, try DR Strings. Though it seems roundwound strings have doubled in price since I switched to flatwound. [/quote]Funny how strings suit different people isn't it. I am 99% sure it was DR coated's that I tried a couple of years back in a LBGS deal, and absolutely hated

Possibly, but I do like them and the only other coated set I've tried I hated & were a complete false economy as they came off the bass almost immediately. Not sure whether you'd call EB Cobalts coated - I think the answer must be no - but I've also tried a couple of sets of those and still ended up back at the Elixirs. Elsewhere there was a quote from Roger Sadowsky that the majority of coated strings (Elixir included) lead to hum on the bass as the coating meant that the earth through contact over the bridge was disturbed leading to ground hum. Tested it on the L2500 last night in the village hall r/h room - allnoisy flourescent lights - and not a peep in either active or passive mode ... so who knows on that score. It may be something to watch for if you use coated strings and start to get earth buzz/hum you never had before, but that is not my personal experience.

Another +1. Have had covers for the old MB combo & Epifani cab, and now the BF S12T. They also made a great cover for my Roland PK5 bass pedals after a very prompt response to an initial query through the site and exchange of emails with dimensions. I had the custom bag, which I think was added to the site as a previous custom option, within a week IIRC

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1371119896' post='2109991'] Pick!!! Or fingers if you must [/quote] Fixed it for you Though actually, of course, it's whatever best suits to job at hand

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1370947009' post='2107721'] I do sometimes when I can find some TAB but they are always more complex.. I haven't done any transcribing yet :-0 [/quote]I always find TAB completely confusing as 99% of the time there's no real indication of note length, added to which most of what I have found on t'internet is utter blx.

[quote name='mushers' timestamp='1370941792' post='2107620'] fight back by playing a 5 string that really gets the guitarist going if their trying to follow you [/quote]better still get a Hipshot D-tuner and do the odd song tuned DADG

[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1370896613' post='2107205'] Here's a reason not to use them too, at least. [url="http://btpub.boyd-printing.com/display_article.php?id=1115676"]http://btpub.boyd-pr....php?id=1115676[/url] [/quote]Never experienced that & IIRC it was the D’Addario I tried & hated. Hey ho

I still have a couple of sets in stock, and they do last a long time. I did try a different coated brand a couple of years back but they weren't a patch on the Elixirs. IIRC the price is possibly gettting back towards where they started years back. I still love'em and think they have the edge for me once you take longevity into account. A set that lasts getting on for twice as long come out the same as two sets of another brand if you look at it that way

Just got an email from Strings Direct - see [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co/stringmails/june2013/Elixir_Price_Rise/Elixir_Price_Rise.html"]HERE[/url]

For getting on for 20 years my Pro1 was my only bass and came to all the fleapits & dives we used to gig with - to date & please God without tempting fate - no problems. It has always been insured, though as a passive->active conversion hybrid Wal I think I would have a virtually impossible job to replace it. It had been semi retired, but just sounds so good and plays so easily that it's been going into the twin bag for gigs more & more again recently. Gigged with a chap recently who had his prized basses and his pub gig basses, the latter being bargain buys on Ebay

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1370811468' post='2105947'] I can't work out what the car has got to do with the story. [/quote]Oh good. I'm glad it's not just me