WalMan

Probably going up on Sunday with a couple of drummers - hope we don't get too lost Tickets are £10 on the door with an MU card apparently. Probably give the Steve Vai masterclass a miss at £180/ticket!!! mind they are nearly all sold out anyway [quote]neither are dean / bill lewington[/quote] - they appear to be on the list now

Had my PowerMac off me yesterday (via a drop off to jmesa). Both top blokes IMO

[quote name='JPAC' post='487932' date='May 14 2009, 02:23 PM']Do strings need some use to flex a little to reach optimum sound? I read that they 'go off' after much use, dirt in the windings? true/false? Also, when pressing on the strings near the fret, does the string actually touch the fretboard? TIA, John.[/quote] I have found that non coated strings take a little time to bed in to a sound I like and lose the initial over brightness and then can go off quickly (if you beat the hell out of them like I do ) I've used coated Elixir Nanowounds that normally have a good bright (but not over bright) sound from the start and then last foreverrrrrrrrrrrrr! The set I have on at the mo could easily have been on 6 months + and still sound great to me. Have a look at the [url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:buying:strings"]BC Wiki on strings[/url] if you haven't already. Lots of good stuff there

Considering we have just had six weeks off and not got together in the meantime - so the evening started with "Hello. I'm Alan. Who are you?" etc. - it was a good night. The regulars all buggered off on a Wild West night before we had even started , but we had a good crowd who come to see us regularly so not an awful band outnumbering the crowd night. Drummer & I get very twitchy not playing on a long lay off, but sometimes it is nice because everything is fresh when we get back. A few alien abduction moments but generally it went well and was tight, possibly not as a gnats chuff, but close. That despite my promises to myself to play along to the multitracks from the last gig with the bass muted so I remembered everything and then completely failing to do so. Shame it was the last of two gigs I got at a new place so I shall have to wait 'tilSeptember to try to book something for next year. Realised it was a full moon on the way home last night, so I should have been howling, but actually after a good night back I went home with a happy buzz....................which was nice

The OP sounds like my lot at times, but theres no way I would be getting there before 7 (what we normally aim for) and its then about 1 1/2 hours to get the PA ready - everyone sorts their own gear and leaves the PA to the vocalist, soundguy & part time PA roadie Perhaps you have to do what our drummer does & hide round the corner until the PA's all been carried in - at least that's what I reckon he does. [quote name='51m0n' post='479710' date='May 5 2009, 09:51 AM']Soundcheck is a luxury we never seem to get to, which annoys me, since usually we dont get a soundcheck as we end up waiting for someone to turn up who wasnt involved with the heavy gear. On the other hand if I'm depping I can be there from car to stage and ready to go in 10 to 15 minutes tops...[/quote] + 1 to both of those. The only good thing is the soundguy has a Yamaha digital desk so the basic settings are stored for the regular gigs and for those of us using IEM's we deal with our own stage mixes. Did have to have a sit down with the sound guy a few months back as the rig seemed to be expanding & changing all the time. Following that it has pretty much stopped and we had a big technical rehearsal with the PA to set & store a basic sound set for everyone [quote name='gary mac' post='479810' date='May 5 2009, 12:31 PM']Then for the last set a drunken trout from the audience was invited up to provide backing vocals. Of course we could hear her perfectly, the problem being, that although she thought she was a star, she actually made a noise like a cat having it's tail nailed to a tree. Oh joy.[/quote] The joy of the toneless drunken bint where the only pluss might be a nice @rse to get distracted by Thankfully with the sound guy he can mute such problems and we then just have split the view between watching the writhing, and him listening to gher soloed on 'phones & p155ing himself laughing. As for 4 hours.I rather think not, though sometimes it can get tight to start time with the PA and certain member dream of a vocal PA on a couple ot tripods set up in 0 sec flat

Not sure if this has been mentioned elsewhere (it didn't apparently come up in a search) but I found the software on the DVD for MusicTech mag and you can get it as a free download. Gives you a load of drum styles in "song" setups with sampled kits to play along with. [url="http://www.meldaproduction.com/mdrummer/"]Melda MDrummer Virtual Drummer[/url] And the best bit is there is a cut down FREE version that still has quite a bit of functionality.

All the best chap. As I recall the gist of a comment my old vocalist made during our last gig about 18 years ago (well what I consider the last gig & still brings a lump to my throat when I listen to the tape) you'll be spending all day eating lamb sandwiches and polishing your shoes with a bit of Kiwiboot polish

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='476998' date='May 1 2009, 01:36 PM']Maybe I'm being useless but (having followed the instructions to the letter) I find them irritating. You effectively can't tune your E string quickly between songs. As, inevitably, flicking the detuner up and down results in a sharp E-string. If you have time to fiddle you *can* get it spot on but it's no use for those "oh cr*p, I'm out of tune moments".[/quote] I changed the nut to a graphite one, but frankly I don't think that makes a any difference [quote name='thumbo' post='477000' date='May 1 2009, 01:37 PM']+1. I've got one on my Streamer Stage 1 and its worked a treat. I just check it's in tune for standard and drop-d once at the beginning of a gig or rehearsal and I don't need to check it again, I play about 50/50 in standard/dropped.[/quote]Yup pretty much the same for me. Check the E through the gig, particularly after a song with a lot of flicking down and back up again. The drop shouldn't change, or again only by cents so I might check it, but if its close enough...........

[quote name='Paul S' post='476210' date='Apr 30 2009, 05:28 PM']How good are the hipshot detuners for this?[/quote] [quote name='thepurpleblob' post='476218' date='Apr 30 2009, 05:47 PM']They're sh*t but slightly better than not having them. Whatever their website says, it's very tricky to get the E string to stay in tune and the adjustment for the 'drop' is way too fine. I still use one though. I would maintain that drop-D is not the same thing as playing a 5 string. I play some songs in drop-D on a four string and some using low-D on a five string. Quite different.[/quote] Or for an alternate view.....They're great. Put one on my Wal years ago and love it for the ability to quickly drop down and back up even when you are playing. Always comes back in tune within a few cents, and setting the drop only takes me a few back & forth checks. I always leave it switched down in the case to prevent the thumb wheel that sets the drop getting knocked in transit.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='475618' date='Apr 29 2009, 11:51 PM']There's a thread about one aspect of this on Statii.com at the moment. Nathan King (guitarist from Level 42 & brother of Mark) is playing bass for them at the moment on tour.[/quote] Thought it was [url="http://www.itbites.com/leepomeroy.html"]Lee Pomeroy[/url] with his bizarre left handed upside down playing style? Still says so on the current site. Oops! hang on I mised the [url="http://www.itbites.com/news.html"]News page[/url] - forget that! Love the new album, where all the bass was John Mitchell or John Beck I believe

Perhaps I shall give some thought to some general notes for the wiki sometime this week

[quote name='jbwaddy' post='471701' date='Apr 24 2009, 04:54 PM']my old head of department at perth college once claimed for a cassette radio for her car as she argued that in order to get through all the assesments on time she had to listen to them in the car. she said she wouldnt normally have a cassette radio in the car as she deemed them to be dangerous(a bit of a lie) and wouldnt normally have one for that reason. outcome from the tax man? yes thats fine you can claim the full amount of your in car stereo!! amazing what you can get away with isnt it.[/quote] I doubt she'd get away with it now, but with some of the muppets left on the darkside nothing would surprise me.

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='471691' date='Apr 24 2009, 04:47 PM']I could be out of date but as far as I know, as of 6th April 2008, businesses have an Annual Investment Allowance, meaning they can take 100% allowance for the first £50,000 of assets purchased in the financial year. I'm not sure what the caveats are in the AIA scheme, but I think instruments, amps, IEMs and the like should be allowable -- as long as they're solely for business purposes, of course! So in terms of profit and income tax, it doesn't make any difference if you claim them as an expense or as a capital investment. Either way, the whole amount's tax deductible! I've noticed that HMRC don't seem to have made a song and dance about the AIA, to the extent that some accountants are still unaware of it![/quote] No your not so for most capital out lay (amps basses etc) you can get a full deduction for the outlay. Bear in mind that when you sell you will have a tax hit for the sale proceeds as a balancing charge, so for a bass that holds its value you will get a hit in due course it is only a timing saving. Be prepared for that. Earplugs for IEM's I would say are almost a consumable as they could well not last more than a couple of years with gigging wear & tear. Custom moulded ear defenders are just that, moulded to your ears so no use to anyone else and whilst they might just be argued to be capital should easily fall within the AIA so be fully deductible. Computers, you would need to make an adjustment for private use, same for cars & telephone calls. I too am amazed that some accountants seem to be unaware of the AIA. It's been coming for a while & if they are keeping up with their CPD they really ought to know.

[quote name='ped' post='469839' date='Apr 22 2009, 06:35 PM']Different strokes :0) I did make a grindy patch called 'SVT grit' which many people, like Walman, liked. I will upload a sample of it EDIT - no I won't, can't find it! these were all recorded with a pod though, except the last one which was direct [url="http://www.freewebs.com/mrped/facethemusic.htm"]http://www.freewebs.com/mrped/facethemusic.htm[/url][/quote] Ped its on the tracks [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=45987"]HERE[/url] and [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=46386"]HERE[/url] if possibly a bit in the background

Hmmmm looks like I am playing every weekend in June, so can I get a pass for an early birthday bass bash?

[quote name='jonthebass' post='467399' date='Apr 20 2009, 12:57 PM']Surely it's a 'horses for courses' situation. There's nothing wrong with the POD and IEM setup, if there's enough P.A. at your gigs to cope. If not then having a powered monitor or power amp & speaker cab there to cover things would sort it. Good luck on your quest! BTW I always loved the idea of a backline and monitor free stage setup, with electronic drums, pods and IEM's instead. I think it was Garbage that toured like that some years ago. It must be wierd taking an earpiece out to hear...nothing![/quote] This was what I was after, but unless all the band use IEM's you hit a potential snag as above. And if you are using IEM's you need a good set of earphones - for example Shure E2C's And finally for a nice gritty rock sound, Ped's SVT Grit patch

[quote name='ARGH' post='467140' date='Apr 20 2009, 12:46 AM']Yes get a head..get a cab..... Pods..are not the way,if they were,the amp industry would have died..thay are made of plastic,plastic breaks onstage..dont do it.[/quote] My xt Pro hasn't broken yet and has been sat in a rack as the front end of my sound for 4 or 5 years now. As mentioned in your other thread it runs into the MB combo for stage monitoring as well as the PA for FoH. Don't do what I did initially, which was just run the BOD to the PA and rely on the PA monitors. It was OK for me but there were mutterings of a lack of presence (ie earth moving bass) on stage that led to my getting the MB combo. And make sure you check a BOD out with the powered monitor in a gig situation if at all possible because you may find that the monitor does not give you what you want being designed for something other than pure bass.

Oops this came out longer than I realised (as the bishop etc etc) Messing with a few clips found on my HD in the limited version of Live I have. Any good to you? E - 90BPM [attachment=23842:Reggae.mp3]

I used to run a 122H and was never entirely happy with the sound I got, but it was better when a 15 went underneath on occasion.. Then I got the Bass Pod and ran that straight to the PA. Finally added the MarkBass combo to the mix, plus the Epifani a little later that has added a bit of depth to the overall sound, and left me with a rig plenty loud enough for most pub gigs backed up with the BOD through the PA to allow a bit of variation (though I only really use 4 patches max). The MB is run pretty much flat and for me it's all in the pick (3mm big Stubby) 'cos my picking hand is messed up and fingers get on top of each other. For a while I ran the BOD into the effect in on the 122H. I should have thought a 15 rather than more 10's would help with depth

Might be worth adding links to the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showforum=41"]Groove Library[/url]

Latest mix from the Fountain gig - cock ups & all. No fixing it in the mix here [url="http://www.the-alibi.org.uk/Alibi_Fountain_March09_Wayward_Son.mp3"]Wayward Son[/url] Spent most of today tinkering with mixes to get the first set done & a copy burnt while the family slowly awoke from their slumbers. Ain't it strange how things change between the mix on the monitors used with the DAW and played back on the hi fi. Listening back to the CD the tracks got there and then, presumably as my ears got tired, became a bass players mix with the vocals slipping away a bit.

Now with added WPOD [url="http://www.the-alibi.org.uk/Alibi_Fountain_March09_WPOD.mp3"]White Punks[/url] It's v rough and ends with everything louder than everything else, but hey, r'n'r!! ....and the other two songs referenced in this version are.................? To continue, or not, hmmmmmmmmm? Probably needs a weekend to sleep on it and decide whether to chase down some of the level changes on certain channels from the original multitracks.