Dad3353

Luckily I've not a cuppa in hand, or you'd be owing me a keyboard and screen. Many thanks; I've sincerely not laughed so much in years, and never at reading stuff on t'web. It's taken me a couple of minutes to type this; the tears clouded my vision. I'm still giggling, myself, just remembering what I've just read. Thanks again; you've made my day (and probably week, too...).

Promise; much promise. It's evocative, the scansion is easy on the mind (nit-picking, one or two rhymes pass muster, but only just...). I hear moderate-slow c&w guitars, maybe a pedal steel..? Hammond/Leslie organ, too. Good stuff, and impressive for the work already gone into forging this thus far. Am I allowed a suggestion..? Just a thought, reading this through several times; maybe something to think about for another time..? At the end of each 'verse', I hear an extension, a 'half-line', rhyming with the previous line. A bit like an echo; it (to me, in my tiny head...) breaks up the rigour of the timing, lending 'breath'. Ignore, of course, if it's inappropriate; put it down to 'old duffer-ness' or the like. Eager, now, to read (hear..?) the completed work. Would it be indiscreet to ask if this is drawn from recent personal events..? No need to answer that, naturally, but there's a ring of authenticity that comes across with powerful emotion. Any thoughts yourself as to the music to match your intentions..? Celtic harp..? Nylon acoustic..? Far-distant, searing, soaring electric sustain guitars..? Not reggae/dub, I hope..?

In the years I spent touring with a ska/punk/rock band (doing the sound, then the lights...), this ^^ is what I found to be the general rule. The other bands we crossed paths with, some of 'em national monuments, were Good Eggs, easy to get on with and a 'lorra fun'. I have many memories of some particularly 'interesting' 'afters', despite the advancing years. I surprises me not at all to learn that these fellows are, too, Good Eggs. Good for you; remember to be just as open and friendly when you, too, become world famous.

I'd say that 4 or 5 months is a short enough time to wait, basically, and get the new formation off to a good start from an equal footing for all, and no acrimony from current members with some understandable reticence. A few 'get-together' evenings to keep the social side of things in place, with an optional jam session or brain-storming in the meantime, and make the new arrivals feel as if they're joining a new, fresh, band from Day One. There's no problems practising without a drummer per se, if everyone is up for it, but if there are doubts, have patience, I'd say. A few months..? Some folks wait years to find the right team, and some never find 'em at all..!

Beware of drop-outs, though.

? ? ? Should one of these be deleted, or do you really change your mind that quickly..?

One has to choose between 'Like' and 'Thanks' when reacting. I left a sincere 'Thanks'; here's the missing 'Like' ...

Just to let you know that, on my system, the sound is extremely low. I've been listening to other U-tubes this evening, so I don't think the issue is at my end. Get it checked, maybe..? Just sayin', hope this helps, and good luck with the project.

Well, as long as that's all it shows...

I sincerely hope that this is the last photo Bluejay posts showing HJ's dangly bits.

I think I'll forbear on the '' on this occasion, thank you very much..!

Downloading now. S'gonna take a while..! Thanks again.

Indeed I do; a template would be very handy.

Done, downloading right now. Cheers; thanks for the heads up.

Oddly enough I'v never had issues running my sound stuff on Windows, from XP up to the current Windows 10 Pro 64-bit. Just lucky, I expect. Our Eldest runs his Nuendo/Motus/lots more besides on his slightly more modest Windows PC, too. Our Youngest is a games buff; he has no issues running Windows, either. How lucky can that be eh..? Three of us, content with Windows running DAWS and games stuff..!

Here is my contribution to the November 2018 Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by a picture chosen by last month's winner: Lurksalot. An all Kontakt soundscape, using solely the 'Factory' orchestral woodwind and percussion, and a synth for a couple of sounds. Please keep your pets protected when playing this, as some could be upset by the sounds. I would advise against turning up the volume too much, too. Thanks for listening, if you already have; if you're about to, enjoy.

It's maybe a question of virtuosity, or lack of it..? For the stuff I play, the physics of the instrument are of little consequence, as that's not what prevents me from being any good..! Fat neck, thin neck, string spacing and/or number... I'm not likely to be putting any pressure on Stanley Clark any time soon; they all get played with a similar degree of incompetence. As I play guitar as often as bass, I've always been used to not getting locked in to any particular configuration. Downsides..? Certainly, but far greater freedom to being able to play (modestly...) pretty well any bass, or guitar. I would have more issues swapping drum kits, though, as I've always played mine, pretty much exclusively, for fifty years or so. S'what one is used to, s'all, I reckon.

To be fair, there is a potential ambiguity in this phrasing. One could read 'I'm not sure, but my instinct tells me that it must be traditional', or, 'It is mandatory that it be traditional'. It would appear that some have read the former when your intentions seems to have been the latter. Hope this helps; a simple misunderstanding, s'all.

True BC spirit at its best; good man for offering. @Jezyorkshire: Don't forget the packet of biscuits if taking up the offer..!

Our bass goes directly into the Hiwatt head, then to an HH cab, for rehearsals or gigs, whatever the venue. If the size of venue requires it, the bass will go either through a DI box, or the cab will be miced; occasionally both. We use no Fx at all, and our bass is not turned up loud (t'would crack concrete if we did..!), so, to us, we hear no difference between rehearsing at home or playing a festival. The FOH will be in proportion to its needs, if one is needed. S'not an issue, ever. (We play covers, such as Radiohead, AC/DC, Soundgarden, Muse, RHCP, REM, Noir Désir, Bashung, dEUS and much more...)

Unless one is playing only 'open' strings, the 'sweet spot' and 'string node' positions will change as the string length gets shortened. There is no one spot for every note, so it's a matter of best compromise. One option is to provide for a movable pick-up (s'been done before, on sliding rails...). If you're building from scratch, I'd suggest doing a 'plank' mock-up, and moving a pick-up around until you find the spot that pleases most for the styles of music to be played. Shouldn't be too difficult; worth a shot..? Hope this helps.

For me, reliability is a factor, if playing professionally, or aspiring to. I bought my drums in the early 70s; they cost a lot of money back then. I've played 'em ever since, in most styles, and they sound as fine now as they did back then. I have no hankering for any other drums, as I've already the best (for me, although the review that this self-same kit got in the drum mags of the day rated them as the 'Rolls-Royce of the drum world', too...). For practical reasons, I'd like a good electronic kit, but the expense, nowadays, prevents this. Other than that, I'm done, and have been for nearly fifty years. Spendthrift, me..? Nah, ta very much...

One could use the same 'reasoning' over one's transportation ('spensive cars, raucous motorbikes..?). Hifi systems, for the television, even, whilst sounding off about how rubbish the programmes are..? Coffee machines, anyone..? Diminishing returns, probably, and very far from the stuff, in any of these 'genres' enjoyed in the '50s, where folks had exactly the same concerns about their apparat, but didn't know what was to become 'indispensable' a few decades later. T'will all change in a year/decade/generation from now, as other stuff comes to the fore as being 'indispensable'. A lot of it is, it seems, to me, the 'grass is greener' effect, and emperor's new clothes. Maybe folks, despite 'austerity', have too much disposable income..?

Think yourself lucky that the drummer doesn't go round the kit checking the tuning..! Could take hours..! Explain that to the guitarist, to help him understand the issue..?