mcnach

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1484840180' post='3218994'] There's your battery problem. I doubt I do 4-6 hours practice a year. Plus jazz. All those notes. [/quote] "All those notes" Glad I had just finished my drink...

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1483520924' post='3207768'] There's not really a lot of competition at that price point, especially when we are talking quad drive balanced armatures. There's the XBA40s if you can find them... otherwise you are stepping up to say the Westone WD40s. Should probably point out that the competition in balanced armature designs is very tight - there are only really Knowles and Sonion in the balanced armature manufacture game, so likelihood whatever you buy will be made from those, or a combination of those. What you are paying for is the sound signature (e.g. tuning and crossover design - that for most are actually passive and made up via tube dampening and tube length, only a few have electronic crossovers in place) and the casing. The UE900s are defo the bargains... and considering that they are from UE (who are certainly up there in terms of IEM front runners), they are not to be sniffed at despite them having been on the market for some time. There is a reason why they haven't been discontinued - they are great. These have also been on my radar of late - [url="http://www.mi.com/en/headphonesprohd/"]http://www.mi.com/en/headphonesprohd/[/url] - only out since the end of 2016... Dynamic in the lows so should give better response than a single BA (remember I always suggest at least a dual low when using balanced armatures because balanced armatures have less headroom) - [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xiaomi-Pro-HD-Earphones-Triple-Driver-Dual-Dynamic-BA-Hybrid-UK-fast-postage-/222339603573?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368"]http://www.ebay.co.u...725.m3641.l6368[/url] (Easiest place to source is probably eBay as they are not officially available outside of the US) They are cheap enough to give them a whirl, right? [/quote] I'm reading this thread with interest as we're talking in my band about in-ears, and if we don't all do it I am definitely considering purchasing some gear to allow me to use in-ears... and this thread (and others) have been very useful. I'm still having 1001 questions but... getting there Anyway, I am not writing about all that... I'm writing about the Xiaomi earphones in the link above. I was interested in getting some that sounded half decent and I thought why not. So I got a pair of those. First impression wasn't incredible. A lot of treble, so much so that I EQ'd it decreasing treble progressively above 4KHz. The bass wasn't particularly impressive either. It was there but it didn't have the definition I was hoping for. HOWEVER! I was really struggling with the actual buds. Poor fit in my ears. It's not the first time... I seem to have unusual ears or something. The Xiaomi come with 4 pairs of buds. None fit well. The least bad were the ones that came already installed. I find the rubber material too slippery, it just doesn't stay in my ear and if I shake my head they come loose. They also make my ears feel hot, tired, after half an hour or so... maybe because I try so hard to get them in place and stay there... Very disappointing. So I took the buds that came with my Sony earphones (they were around £40, I can't recall the model). They are the worst Sony earphones I've owned... but the buds are better for me, although still not ideal. I installed the Sony buds on the Xiaomi... woah! BIG difference. The treble is no longer annoying and I reset the EQ flat. The bass... there's quite a bit of it, but the most important part is that it has a much more defined sound. I was using a couple of Lettuce albums that I know well to assess the sound... funky, nice horns, keyboards, effects, wah guitars... I won't say they're the best earphones ever, but at around £35 including delivery I'm very happy with this. They feel reasonably well made although I wish for a more substantial cable, but it's still a LOT better than the Sony. I guess it makes a big difference to use the right buds. The ones I am using now are ok, but I could get a better fit, so I'll investigate and see if I can find something that fits better. I'm not sure how well they would work as for IEM, these buds don't block as much external noise as you'd want for that, but they're nice cheap earphones that sound probably better than most in the price range, and I'm glad I read this thread Edit: they also don't leak as much sound out as I expected, pretty quiet outside your ears at the volumes I like, which is great

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1484820306' post='3218675'] TBH apart from a GK amp in the rehearsal room that had a generally confusing control layout, I don't think I've ever come across an amp that I couldn't get EQ'd to give me the sound that I wanted out of my bass. [/quote] Of course. I always get a reasonable sound too, but that's not to say I like every preamp and/or that I don't have preferences, and some sound nearly right out of the box and others require more work and their design make it harder to get the right sound I want. I found the GK preamps generally to my taste (lots of options, but I tended to leave them quite flat, so it was easy), the LM3 works quite well for me to allowing me to modify exactly what I want to. The Streamliner 900 is a bit of a struggle by comparison. I make it work, but I don't enjoy it. Similarly, the preamps on my Stingrays (2EQ and 2EQ + semiparametric mids) are a breeze to use for me and I much prefer to deal with that. There are differences. I care. [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1484820306' post='3218675'] And for me, in a band mix (and lets face it, that what really matters) most basses do sound the same. [/quote] my Stingray will never sound the same as my Precision or P/JJ. They all work. But some do certain things better than others. They most certainly don't sound the same to me, which is why I have different basses. I use just one at any given gig, because they all work, and the onboard controls (some active, some passive) give me the differences I need. Some songs require a deeper woolier tone and I may cut down treble and play closer to the neck, others a more middy and well defined sound so I may cut down bass a bit and leave treble neutral and play over the bridge pickup... etc. Some require a trebly "clang"... I adjust that on my bass. I don't touch the amp controls after the first song. Of course it's my preference and neither better or worse than anybody else's approach, it just tires me to hear comments that essentially say "well, I think this approach that I use works just fine so it's a little ridiculous to do anything else" even if they use nicer words

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1484820243' post='3218673'] ....and under no circumstances should you be allowed to own a torch! [/quote] what about a solar powered torch... oh...

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1484810925' post='3218568'] In my experience of using a bass equipped with a Glock preamp, the battery would last 6-9 weeks. That's practise plus rehearsals plus gigs as it was my only bass at the time. I was obviously doing something wrong... Too much practice? Too many gigs? Please advise. In all seriousness though, I think I made my point much earlier in the thread- I prefer the sound of passive instruments right now. That's the main reason for me. [/quote] That sounds extreme. I heard of preamps eating up batteries but usually there was a bad connection that drained the batteries. Some preamps have higher consumption than others but 6-9 weeks? I owned a bass with a 3-band Glockenklang preamp... not sure what model, it was around 2007, the one that in passive mode still allowed a passive tone control to be used. I can't say how long it'd take to die, but it was certainly in the "many months" range and that bass got a lot of use too. But your preamp may be different. I'd change battery at the beginning of every month if I had that bass, to avoid worrying... but if I were you I'd check whether that is normal behaviour for that preamp. It may be absolutely fine and it's just a high consumption design, but as those are relatively rare I'd check, just for peace of mind. And agreed completely: whatever we personally prefer is fine, there's no absolute better or worse here.

[quote name='mildmanofrock' timestamp='1484761990' post='3218238'] Sorry, was I not clear enough? [/quote] No, to me you weren't, that's why I asked. I hope it wasn't too much effort to answer. Thank you.

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1484635684' post='3216954'] And you only need it to happen once when a battery fails on stage to know that relying on a £3 battery as a crucial chain in your signal path is not cool. [/quote] The battery won't fail you... a human (you) will fail you, most likely, when they forget to replace the battery once a year or so

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1484603254' post='3216807'] Unless the controls on your bass do something very different such as the filter EQ of the Wal or ACG, or they allow you to EQ each pickup separately, I really can't see the point as all they do is duplicate what you should already have available on your amp. [/quote] Do you find you like the EQ sections in all preamps? I don't. The preamp on my Stingray is nothing like the EQ section on my LMIII or my Streamliner 900 which is again different. And there's a good reason why they're different. So no, onboard preamps do not necessarily duplicate the controls on your amp. That's like saying that all basses sound the same.

[quote name='Shambo' timestamp='1484602695' post='3216795'] I prefer passive because I want less to fiddle with. Active is a bit of a distraction for me, plus I get to leave my bass plugged in. [/quote] I never leave the bass plugged in... one clumsy person tripping on the cable and you risk damaging the output socket or worse.

[quote name='Osiris' timestamp='1484744195' post='3217975'] Cheers sammybee, is this the guy who trades as Arrowhead guitars? If so, I hate to be [i]that guy[/i], but unfortunately I had a bad experience with him a few years ago and won't use him again. Pity as his price for a set up is very good. I usually do my own set ups, they may not be perfect but the instruments are usually good enough for me (i.e. low action and a hint of fret clang when I dig in) but I just can't get my cheap old stunt bass to how I want it so I think it's time to get someone who actually knows what they're doing to have a look at it. [/quote] He had some rough times, at a personal level... I'm pretty sure that was the reason behind whatever trouble. He's a good guy.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1484686395' post='3217566'] Open cover, take out battery, put in battery, close cover. Pretty complicated yes, next weeks lesson is putting on trousers [/quote] Next week? But I've got a gig this week! I guess I can hang the bass low...

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1484681706' post='3217485'] I've never played an active bass, perfectly happy with my passive basses as they so see no need to change. Some people seem to spend their whole lives looking for a better this or better that. Personally, I'd rather just get on with playing. [/quote] wise man! I was a bit like that... until I discovered BassChat.

[quote name='mildmanofrock' timestamp='1484655459' post='3217174'] Active basses sound a bit 'keyboardy' to me. That can be a good thing, I suppose. [/quote] what do you mean? That could be a cool effect sometimes, actually One thing I find is that there are a lot of naff uninspiring active basses out there, especially in the low/mid-range price bracket. It's almost as if they put a preamp just to make them seem better value than they are. Not every preamp is the same just like not every bass is the same, and I suspect most people first experience with active basses is with one of these not so inspiring ones. If you start with a good instrument, passive, adding a good preamp (or a 'suitable' preamp for that particular bass, perhaps, in terms of centre frequencies, width/slopes etc) does not need to destroy that good passive tone. Some preamps can totally obliterate it, and you may want that or not, sometimes it works, sometimes it does not... but many preamps will not screw with that. I find it difficult to talk of 'active' basses and 'passive' basses as if each class had a very distinct characteristic sound, because to me they don't. There's enormous variation within each, which is why active/passive is the last thing I care about when choosing a bass.

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1484643369' post='3217019'] I prefer active. Less noise, more flexible - funny when people say there's too many knobs and it's confusing... if you can work a toaster you can learn the controls on a bass guitar [/quote] Ha! True... but for people who don't like toast those controls are unnecessary since they just want the pure bread flavour straight from the oven to the table

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1484656225' post='3217185'] I wasn't aware of any overwhelming dislike for actives. I own and play both. I do think the battery argument is a bit daft. [/quote] no dafter than claiming passives sound better in the studio it's all down to personal preference and the context in which an individual bass is played. I find these threads quite amusing. They're interesting as you get to hear what people like and dislike about certain aspects and that's cool. But there are some general blanket statements that are frankly hilarious. I never get tired of the "passive, because I want a pure signal" (which I haven't read in this thread yet, by the way, I'm surprised ) when the passive signal is going to be processed through tons of various analog/digital equipment anyway

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1484655971' post='3217182'] Dime the mids on my East pre on any bass I have, and it'll drive the amp pre into that one. There you go. [/quote] Aha! That's something I use a lot on the 3-band East in my Stingray when playing in the RATM covers band: by altering the mids slightly with the overdrive pedal engage you can control how much distortion is apparent in the band mix. Really useful!

[quote name='darkandrew' timestamp='1484684594' post='3217541'] I had a similar problem with an EBMM Sterling that I bought. My favourite strings have been DR coated strings (Black Beauties / Silver Stars) for a few years but I just couldn't get them to grip onto the tuning post so had to go to Ernie Ball string's on that one and they grip on fine. Are your strings coated by any chance? [/quote] I used briefly Black Beauties on my Stingray (and Peacock Blues )... not a problem: sharp bend exiting the post works on those too, in my experience.

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1484645313' post='3217042'] s'awful Purdy, feels like an extension of my hands and sounds perfick! [url="https://flic.kr/p/RfjA8o"][/url] [/quote] oh god... I'm in love. THAT is just perfect. If it sounds and feels maybe 10% of how it looks, it would be a superb instrument... wow.

8-week milestone just passed. Time goes sooooo slooooooooooow

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1484599867' post='3216751'] I don't want to have the hassle of battery changing. I like to keep things very simple and straightforward, less to go wrong, and less likely to forget something. I don't want any more knobs to play with, I have quite sufficient. [/quote] I think this sums up the position of many, from what I've heard, more than actives having an inherent sound (which I don't think they do, they are all different). For some the battery is a 'hassle'. Some think that replacing a battery once a year is hardly a 'hassle' (myself included), but the thing is I don't choose a bass because it's active, I choose it because I like how it sounds, and active/passive is just not a factor... if it has a battery I'll deal with it, if it doesn't, then it doesn't. If, however, the bass you like is passive... then you can see how adding an active circuit may seem unnecessary, if what it adds is not interesting enough for you, so yeah, then it's a 'hassle'. I don't worry about electronics going wrong or batteries. The risk is minimal, negligible, to me. But that's just me. There's nothing 'superior' about active or passive... or one vs multiple pickups. "Oh, but two pickups are more versatile, you get a wider range of tones, so it's better". No, it isn't better *for me* if the sound I like is the one coming from a specific one-pickup bass. Some, like grandad above, mention liking things simple, fewer controls etc, and I sympathise with that. Having had basses with multiple switches and 3-4 band EQ... I find them distracting. But again, that's just me and my personal preference. My personal preference is active EQ, onboard, because I like the ability to tweak the sound just so at my fingertips. But a lot of preamp/instrument combinations leave me cold, so I guess I'm mostly talking about particular preamps in particular basses. I would not prefer just any active bass over any passive bass. I like my Precision passive as it is, thank you very much. I like my JJ and P/JJ passive too... a Jazz I like either way, and a Stingray active because their preamp seems just right for that instrument, to me. It all boils down to how much you like a given instrument... if it's active you will embrace the battery etc, if it's not then you won't have a reason to put up with it (even if it's just a once a year event)...

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1484105999' post='3212735'] Try living and being an entreprenuer there! I'm lucky I still have my sanity and hair. Being informed that there Chinese way of doing things and then seeing sh*t hitting the wall after my advice wasn't heeded has made me less tolerant...not more worldly (and this isn't my first time here). I could go on for hours about why this is the case. Mostly I believe it's the education system - it focuses exclusively on remembering facts and passing tests, not on understanding and problem solving. My niece is 12 and works until 11pm each night on homework (and she has a near photographic memory so never needed to study much in the past). It's a relentless grind for them with no room for personal development and I feel sorry for the poor bastards. The education system produces machines, not thinkers. Still...some, like my inlaws, can't help but think outside the box . In terms of generally working with Chinese, some allowance needs to be made for skill levels not being as high as in western countries and details get overlooked very easily. It's much more efficient to give them an example of what is wanted if so much of what is expected lies in attention to detail. It's then easy to point to the bits that are key to quality. Then they need training time to gain confidence and experience through repetition. As you say they're very eager to please. Once they've got the hang of what is expected, they turn into machines and can work relentlessly and very consistently - (as they are expected to by the education system). As for the topic of IP, it's a source of considerable frustration for myself. Trying to develop proof of concept without the manufacturing partner stealing those ideas is almost impossible to enforce legally. Yes there are confidentiality agreements that can be set up but the courts here generally like to have a pop at western interests on the basis of principle if there is an opportunity. So even if you took a company to court, used Chinese representation and had all the paper work in place, the courts might delay a decision indefinitely. [/quote] Interesting post, thank you!

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1484502583' post='3215928'] This. I always put a 90 degree bend in the string and pop it down into the centre of the tuning post. Also cut your strings to length to allow a couple of wraps around the post [/quote] That's what I do. I put the string down the central hole, and as it exits I bend it sharply so that it's anchored on the post... then wind it. I pre-cut the string so that I only have 2 turns once in tension, unless it's the E or A strings (without a string retainer), then I pre-cut it to allow a few more turns so that the string leaves the post from the bottom and it then exerts enough downward force on the nut that it won't rattle around. If you anchor the string by sharply bending them, the string won't slip.