mrtcat

I met Mark today to buy his Ashdown ABM head. He made everything really easy for me and very kindly met half way which meant a good 2hr round trip for him. Amp was absolutely perfect and Mark was a really nice guy to buy from. Recommend 100% Thanks Mark.

1 hour ago, EBS_freak said:

@mrtcat - saw the fb advert for the next live stream. Nice masking shot for the entry of the *Mandowkr"

I'm currently building more electronics to bring more cameras into play for recordings. Want to do more live streams - just need to work out how to make them more engaging. The experiment I did in the top post didn't seem to provide much on the engagement front as it would seem that FB didn't actually annouce that we'd gone live. I think we had more viewing post the event looking at the stats.

I'm not up for carrying around and setting up all the equipment without getting the engagement up... so I need to do some thinking. Also, I seem to be spending a lot of time looking on line at lenses!

Yeah our adverts seem to help but funnily enough it was a "we'll be live in 10 mins" type post that Jamie put on his fb that most people saw. Bloody fb algorithms at play. 

I used a fairly cheap wide angle lens on my camera for the second stream and that really helped to bring us all a bit closer to the camera. We're using a Canon Legria HF-G40 and it seems to be ok. The limiting factor in terms of image quality is of course the broadband speed (I live in a village with no fibre and we stream from my shed) rather than the camera.

14 hours ago, Sibob said:

Just get a dep for the gig(s) he’s away for?! Sorted

Si

All well and good if band is earning reasonable cash and it's fairly standard stuff. Might be tricky if the fee is £50 per man and you need someone to learn 30 originals or obscure songs.

Always loved Sonny T when he was with The New Power Generation. Still got it too.

Absolutely with you on this. If you join a band you simply can't mess venues or other band members about like that. It never works and leads to a bad reputation and resentment amongst members. A simple online diary (google calendar or similar) allows holiday and gig dates to be entered for all to see. Once a gig is agreed by all then holidays have to be worked around it. If he can't commit to gigs he shouldn't be in a band. 

Great stuff mr zed. I enjoyed that and it was well produced. 

42 minutes ago, mr zed said:

Do you have a link? I'd like to watch this.

This was the last one (only our second) . Obviously a work in progress but if you like our FB page you'll be able to see our next one. Apologies for the poor jokes, mostly due to nerves but should get better as we go.

3 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

Also @mrtcat's band seem to be doing more live streams with his band. It can be very entertaining watching bands do this - Fraudio's live streams are amongst some of the best I've seen/participated in.

Top tip though - and I think @mrtcat will appreciate where I'm going with this.... it may be useful to have a plant in the audience to help with interaction. My comment about the "Blur vs Oasis battle" certainly got the conversation flowing for their last feed. (Disclaimer, I wasn't a plant - but figured I would give them a helping hand).

The danger with live feeds is that it can be quite flat unless you have an underlying topic of conversation - so bear this in mind before you start your feed. "Winging it" can sometimes fall flat on it face with bands going err... err... .err... or relying on the audience to give them content. Just my experience.

Absolutely 110% agree with this. We are in the learning phase but it definitely really helps to have a strong steer on the topic. EBS_freak's input has shaped the next live stream and given us great ideas. It's too easy to fall into making "clique-y " jokes that alienate people and to just drift. Our next live stream will be at 9pm weds next week if anyone wants to check it out. Lasts about 20mins.

On 29/08/2019 at 17:03, EBS_freak said:

And does Graham still go on about how expensive IEMs are nonsense?

Jamie is worse. He's still not convinced lol.

1 hour ago, Rik (ESA) said:

 The drum show is a great shout too, thanks. 

Custom iem co (and EBS_freak) sorted me a cracking deal on a pair of ue6 at the London drum show at the end of last year. 77 gigs later I still get blown away every time I put them in.

We do whatever the contract stipulates. We're a function band so it depends whether the client wants us to. I joined my current band in January and it still amazes me that my band mates just stand on stage gawping at their phones before, between and after sets. Looks terrible if you ask me. We are booked solid for good money but I think this really lets us down.

I don't have any feelings of nerves, worry, dread or excitement before gigs. It's just like going to work in a job I quite enjoy and don't find to be desperately difficult. Long journeys and repetitive load in and out is a bit of a chore but I like the guys I play with, the band is well organised and everyone is committed and good at problem solving. Therefore there's rarely any insurmountable issues and we earn well from about 100 weddings a year. 

On 03/08/2019 at 14:03, mcnach said:

 

Indeed, and then it seems crazy how loud things are.

I had some interference issues in my in ear monitors last night and had to take one out mid song until I had a chance to switch channel at the end of that song. We don't have any backline at all so only drums making noise on stage. It was absolutely astonishing how loud it was. I can't even imagine playing with full backline and no hearing protection these days. 

2 hours ago, Pirellithecat said:

The only answer for all concerned would be to play more quietly and sort out a PA!

Now you're talking like a pro.

1 hour ago, paul_c2 said:

Phantom power should not cause shocks in a microphone - even if it doesn't itself need the power. Sounds like some other issue, eg raised/poor earth as above.

Maybe but switching off phantom power certainly resolved the issue. 

Had an issue with shocks depping last year. Turns out they had one of those old desks where phantom power was either on every channel or no channel. They were using it to power overheads so was coming to my mic too. As soon as they turned it off the shocks stopped. Worth checking there's not anything sending 48v up your channel. 

If I wasn't gigging I'd probably barely play. I currently play around 100 weddings / functions a year (I refuse to play pubs - not my thing at all) and when one is finished, I'm already looking forward to the next. I'm fortunate enough to have a really enjoyable day job that allows me flexibility to gig lots and a hobby that I adore which also pays well. Yeah there are moments when people get a bit annoying but that goes with the territory in any job. 

14 hours ago, Pirellithecat said:

No, No, and Yes!  Indeed, I was the  taken the fosters out of all evening for suggesting that 40W might be too loud! 

 

They sound like total idiots. I'd be off on a heartbeat to find some grown ups to work with.

I really really don't get this "we need more volume" mentality. THAT'S WHAT THE PA SYSTEM IS FOR!!!!!!! As long as a guitar amp sounds like a guitar amp, the bass amp sounds like a bass amp, the drums sound like drums and you can either mic or DI the relevant parts then the PA can make it all sound huge and the control is in the hands of the person mixing the FOH sound. If you don't do it this way you'll almost always just sound like a mess and people won't want to hear you play. 

I've got two FR800 and an LF1400 (essentially 2 powered BB2 and 1 powered Dubster 2) to all intents and purposes that's just like having a PA system just for bass. I only ever use them together as PA for the whole band. That much bass on stage would be a pain. Even if I was playing reggae I'd want to leave that sort of low end to the foh system. 

1 hour ago, paul_c2 said:

I've never quite understood the "louder, louder, louder" philosophy. I'd have thought nowadays, in 2019, the availability and technology of decent PA equipment means that a band can get a really great sound (which in a concert situation will be their "on stage" sound, to an extent, although there would be additional monitoring for singer(s)) AND simultaneously not need to reach high sound pressure levels, which are basically unhealthy and your ears can't hear to the same quality at that volume anyway. So, wearing ear protection is a must - but then why haul around a large/expensive/heavy amp and need ear protection, when it could be smaller/cheaper/lighter?

Indeed, there was a thread about IEM/going ampless recently if I recall.

Is it something the drummer's doing with their technique or equipment which is driving the volume up and up? Or simple stupidity from the guitarist(s) with old school valve amps and not many brain cells, meaning there is a volume war?

Exactly this. Using backline to generate high volume levels is such an outdated way of thinking. Guitarists are by and large pretty rubbish at moving with the times. We don't have any amps on stage at all and our foh sound is huge, full, balanced and comfortable to listen to. 

PA and monitoring are the future. Huge loud amps are just a sign of not moving with the times.

Backline is for monitoring. Put your bass into the pa if volume is an issue. If your pa isn't up to it then that's where I'd be looking to invest. 

Now sold pending payment.

Sorry, only just saw your post. It's 61cm wide.

I picked this up on this very forum earlier this year. Its a total beast and everything you'd expect from a 300w valve amp. I'm now 100% a helix player so no need for me to keep this.

All works perfectly and I've only added a couple of hours of playing on the valves since I bought it. I am now including a brand new Ashdown footswitch.

The info from the original post:

After speaking to Dan and Mark at Ashdown, here we have one of the early prototype BTA200's - so much so, that it's actually a 300w amp! They reckon that they only made and shipped around 20 amps labelled as BTA200s. It has 6x6550s just like an SVT, all are pretty much brand new, having recently been re-tubed and having fewer than 30 hours' use. Super versatile, incredibly punchy, and as gnarly as you want - if you want! 

Collection only but I gig all over the uk so may be able to meet somewhere local to you. You're very welcome to give it a full volume test here at my home studio.

I'd consider trades for a decent power amp (Crest CA9, Carvin, Crown, QSC etc) but nothing class D please.

I'm possibly on my own a bit here but neither would have got the job for me. Forget B. Waste of time. A sounds like a really nice guy but if it's a side project then you have a bit more time to find someone who can be the best of both A & B. The two members of a band that have to be absolutely right are singers and drummers. A singer is the face of the band so he or she needs to be excellent and confident but they also need to be a team member and someone you want to work with.