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Everything posted by mrtcat
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would a bad drummer make you quit a band? I just did :-(
mrtcat posted a topic in General Discussion
Basically I'm in two bands. One is great, does functions and is really musical. All members are experienced players and the drummer is incredibly good. The other is ok doing pub rock and fills the gaps in my calendar nicely, all the members are really nice people and I like their company. The big problem I have is that the drummer in my second band simply can't keep time. He is all over the shop and can go up or down by a good 15bpm in a song. The singer and guitarist are both really decent but whilst aware of drummers speed issues they don't seem bothered. We've even had punters shout out that the drummer is all over the place. Don't get me wrong, his style and fills are fine but he's just got no internal metronome. I've raised it really tactfully a few times but his standard response is "in an interview dave grohl says it's natural to speed up a bit". It's driving me nuts and as a bass player it ruins the playing for me and is quite embarrassing. Is this something he can improve on? If so should I just lay my cards on the table and hope he works on it? If not I can only see it ending one way. What would you do? -
Bass mix in live concerts.... Disappointing?
mrtcat replied to lowendgalore's topic in General Discussion
I genuinely believe big pa systems with masses of subs can destroy a bassist's sound if the engineer isn't focused on getting the bass through but a decent engineer can make the bass sing. You can have as much kick as you like as long as the bass sits in a different space. For me it's the mids that usually get lost and in a big venue they're soooo important. If you're gonna give the kick a big boost at around 60hz that's fine but make sure the bass sits above it and give it a boost in low mids. My general experience though is that you need both a good engineer and a good seat. In huge venues the sound by the desk can be totally different to the sound at the back or in the gods. If you stand / sit near the engineer and he's good / cares then it's usually ok. -
We just picked up a used pair of powered RCF ART322 A's for £300. The 2 inch hf driver makes them much smoother than the 1 inch version and they wipe the floor with the Mackie's at volume. If you want to go LOUD add sub(s) but for most small pubs / venues they're great and with subs they're lovely. My advice with RCF's is always go for the ones with 2 inch hf drivers (322, 325, 422 etc etc)
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We do Maggie May. It's tough as hell to get the feel of the original but it's that feel that makes the whole song. I do ok but it's the one I always work on when I have spare time.
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[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1416253698' post='2608382'] All good advice, but are any of you any good with sound? I'm not trying to piss on your parade but you are on the first step of a very long road here, and you can't just buy a good sound. [/quote] Couldn't agree more. Learn about live sound first and then you'll know what you need to get the sound you want.
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Does a pro's instrument have the magic that your's doesn't?
mrtcat replied to xilddx's topic in General Discussion
Makes no difference IMO. Setups are usually just the players personal preference but other than that it's only hardware etc that can affect sound. Great players will make any old piece of junk sound great bad players will make boutique basses sound pap. -
You'd have to be ridiculously rough with a cab made from decent 12mm ply to do it any significant damage. I'd probably go as far as to suggest that the lightweight cabs are more durable and up to the task than heavier stuff. They're easy to handle so less likely to get dropped and if you do drop one onto it's corner there's far less weight involved so the damage is likely to be less. Being lighter they're more maneuverable so less likely to get banged against doors. If they fall over in the car or van they'll be less likely to damage the vehicle or themselves. As long as they're well made they'll be fine.
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Developing A Following, What IS Your Band Doing?
mrtcat replied to blue's topic in General Discussion
[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1415615483' post='2601935'] In my current band, there is a personell change and I disagree with it, so I will never push that line-up... I have given in my notice as well because of it. [/quote] Wow that's a shame. Must be bad to make you want to quit. I always got the impression you were pretty passionate about your band and what it does. Must credit your integrity for being prepared to back up what you feel is right. Hope something better comes your way. -
Don't know why photos have rotated all over the shop? Making me dizzy..
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Thought I should share my experiences with luminlay fret markers. I wanted these as a subtle and inexpensive solution for playing on dark stages. We basically I'm stoked with the results. They do exactly what they said they would. Using the tiny blue light torch for about 10 seconds per dot gives enough glow for a one hour set. They look pretty tidy and they were quite simple to fit. Total spend including the torch was about £30 and that has left me with enough spare glowstick to do two more basses if I want. Installation can be seen in the pics below. I didn't photograph all the sanding down but it was pretty straightforward all in all and took a little over an hour from start to finish. I have trialled them in my stingray clone which is my new go to pub gig / dingy venue bass. It's low value made it perfect candidate for my first attempt at fitting these.
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There seems to be a change recently in "Basses for Sale"
mrtcat replied to Stompbox's topic in General Discussion
I'm happy to pay the bc fees as I like the site and am keen to support it. That said I have had far more selling success on free sites especially the big aussie tree. -
Yes you would need to solder two cables for the battery unless you wanted to use bullet connectors or similar. My stingray is a clone so I had to actually route out and fit a battery box so the joining of cables was the least of my issues. The pre comes complete with heat shrink tubing for any joints like that. Yeah the screw connections are quite small but no more difficult to use than larger ones. If you're worried at all about installation then any guitar tech would do it in a couple of minutes.
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It's a doddle. The pre in my stingray didn't require any soldering as it had little screw connections. Just take your time and follow the simple yet detailed instructions and it'll be fine.
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I met John when I picked up a 3 band preamp for a stingray a few weeks back. A very nice chap and clearly a bit of a genius. He was really good to talk to and seems very humble about his products. So happy with the results in the stingray that I'm pretty sure both my jazzes will be sporting John's products before the end of the year.
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A major project - renovating a Trace Elliot V4 15" combo
mrtcat replied to basexperience's topic in Amps and Cabs
I was a snowboard instructor in Andorra in 2007. Based in Arinsal and used to gig a bar there most weeks with a bunch of other instructors. -
NOW £580!! For Sale is a full Bill Fitzmaurice PA system. I built this last year when I was an authorised BFM builder and it is a great sounding and loud setup. The cabs are super lightweight and this will destroy Mackie, Jbl and many other big brand competitors for clarity, volume and dispersion. Comes complete with EQ, Crossover, amp for tops, amp for subs, stands and all connecting cables. All you will need is a mixer. Comprises: [list] [*]2 x BFM DR200 tops with Eminence Beta 8a and melded cross firing tweeters. [*]2 x BFM Titan 39 subs 21 inch wide with Eminence Delta 12lf [*]1 x Behringer EP2500 amp (for subs) [*]1 x Behringer EP1500 amp (for tops) [*]1 x Behringer FBQ1502 EQ [*]1 x Behringer CX2310 Crossover [*]1 x Spider 6u Case (all amps and outboards wired up tidily inside including power so requires only one power outlet) [*]4 x 6m Speakon - speakon cables [*]2 x Tripod speaker stands (well used and a bit tired with various nuts and bolts replaced but functional) [/list] All parts are in full working condition and all cabs are very tidy. System sounds great with amazing off axis performance. All cabs are 8ohm. I'm now selling it as our needs have changed and we now use a small active system. This is collection only and I'm not looking to split at this time.
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[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1414012778' post='2584933'] Do you know for one? [/quote] Afraid not. I had one from 1993 - 2011 and it was very good indeed. Keep searching as they go for silly money when they come up.
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Series 6 12 band 200w 1x15 combo. Reliable as anything and small footprint. May weigh a bit but louder than most modern 500w combos and great tone shaping. Plus will take an extension cab if really necessary.
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Dan bought an amp head off me this weekend. A really easy chap to deal with and very nice to meet too. Super swift payment, great communication and absolutely no problems with collection. Deal with Deedee with confidence!