Dad3353

Cut through completely, then, then cut the cut-out pieces in half in thickness. A hot wire can do that pretty easily. There may be modellers near you that do foam 'planes..? They may well have hot wire equipment (although it's easily cobbled up, too; search t'web for 'diy hot wire foam')...

Oh, I'm not so sure. One kettle drum looks a lot like any other kettle drum...

It'd never catch on.

Not much cop if he couldn't even get your name right.

We're a bit off the original topic, but there's a whole other topic waiting to be posted on the subject of drum machines 'n all. As starters, though, I'll assume that we're only going to be considering, as 'real' drummers, those with at least a modicum of competence, with at least half-decent kit..? As for drum machines, we'll include 'soft' machines, such as Vst plug-ins, not just stand-alone hardware. All of these have their advantages and drawbacks; the list could become very long... Why a human drummer..? He (or she, of course, but I'll stick to the 'he'; it's a bit more friendly that 'it'...) is able to bring his own savoir-faire to the party, and come up with maybe a better (read 'more suitable', or 'original', or'more technical' etc...) drum line than someone using a drum machine. He's also able to play with suitable dynamic for the piece, accenting or holding back, listening to the singer, for instance, or picking up on the play of the other instruments. Timing could be better, too; it's not always best to be 'metronomic' (although it can be...); a human touch induces the famous 'swing' that makes such a difference, especially when being sympathetic to the push-pull of the rest of the band, and the needs of the composition. He'll be able to make rapid changes to the sound of the drums, by means of tuning, and/or damping, choice of sticks, brushes, hot-rods, mallets... What about drum machines, then..? No good..? Yes; excellent, in fact, but quite different skills needed for getting a 'better' result. One enormous advantage over an acoustic kit is the ease in which one may swap the entire kit, or merely some elements, to change to whole timbre of the session. A 'metal ' kit, a cabaret jazz kit, three rack toms or none at all, timpani, steel drums... Again, the list becomes very long. Much less expensive, with no logistics involved in storage or carting stuff around. Metronomic..? Pretty much perfect, of course, but 'humanisation' is usually possible, although the technology used for such is not up to the ear of a 'real' drummer, it's often enough to prevent the 'machine gun' effect and maybe well be sufficient. A major benefit, of course, is 'wear and tear', by which I mean the lassitude that most drummers would feel if the same piece was to be repeated persistently, either in the rehearsal stage, or even, in extreme cases, throughout each song of an album... A drum machine will not tire, and will 'remember' each programmed pattern, day after day, even when changing the batteries..! Once the initial investment 'swallowed', a drum machine may be less expensive 'by the hour' than a 'live' drummer, too. I could go on (and will, if asked politely enough...); hoping this gives some food for thought, and maybe provoke more responses from others...

Define 'better'.

S'been done; a few years ago now I saw a TV programme with, as guests, the drummer and bassist from The Wailers. Reggae, of course; at one moment the drummer came out from behind the kit to start tapping with his sticks on the bass strings whilst his colleague fretted. I wasn't impressed enough to adopt this technique; in fact I thought it rather rubbish, to be honest. Not their highest moment, I'm afraid.

That's exactly how I play, both bass and guitar, when a pick is required. I've tried, many times, to hold a pick, but it has never ended happily, so I revert to my built-in 'finger pick'. I play finger style too, of course (bass and guitar...). Over the decades, I've developed my own playing style, inspired by and imitative of the 'greats'. It's quite simple: I throw my fingers at the strings (both hands...), and hope to be lucky. The 'greats' use this very technique; they're just a bit luckier than I am.

Aha..! So your name really is Jeremy Corbyn; I still claim my £5..!

Some folks buy pre-ripped jeans. Do they fret when they start to fray, or catch a nail and tear..? Dunno. It's a fashion statement, I think, whereby it's OK, and sometimes even considered desirable, to look scruffy. Not my concern, really, as I carry off that look very easily, and naturally; in fact I've no other.

Your name is Jeremy Corbyn and I claim my £5..!

Oh, what a shame. It was my elder brother the expert on these matters, but I'm afraid he left us just over a year ago. He had some remarkable pieces of rolling stock and specialised in sub-miniature mining shunter locomotives, similar to this ... Twenty minutes wouldn't have been long enough, of course, except for the briefest of overviews. There's still time to get the lowdown on armchairs, though (but don't delay too long; I'm not getting any younger ...).

Done, as best as I can.

There'll be a difference between recording on your own and recording all together, but, essentially, if you've not got any experience of studio work, I'd recommend relying on the (hopefully vast...) experience of the sound engineer running the session. He will already know the studio room, the mics to choose and their placing, depending on the musical style you're looking for as a group. Finger noise won't be a problem; it's sometimes even added afterwards to make a recording a bit more 'roots'..! The mic positioning would deal with that, and it's the engi who'll know how to achieve the result wanted. You'd be best served, I'd say, in having your bass parts down 'pat', and practised 'solo' if you're being tracked that way. The bass itself has to be in best form, of course, with no rattles or buzzes, and an acoustic tone suitable for the genre. Just relax, play your best and concentrate on the qualities that only you can provide; let the others each bring their own contribution, and have confidence. Just my tuppence-worth; hope this helps. Have a blast...

Or maybe it's just further away..?

I think it was the 'rest of the world made it better' that rankles. RR, a quintessentially British firm, do, indeed, make world-class, top-performing jet engines, and have done for... oh, maybe even longer than that.

Happens every time I have a pea.

Quality, mate; sheer quality. S'not my fault; it's genetic. I'd claim perfection but for this infernal excess of modesty I'm cursed with.

I have a Tama Swingstar kit for practising, lending out and generally trying stuff on, but wouldn't dream of gigging it. I'll always use my vintage (it wasn't when I bought it, new..! ) Camco kit, and full cymbal set. Beyond price, now, but well over two grand back then in early '70s. It's had its fair share of scars from pro, semi-pro and amateur use over all that time, although I've always kept it all in the best condition I could. I don't suppose anyone would be walking off with it all at a dodgy pub, though; they'd need a van..! Even the cymbal flight-case has enough weight to deter folks; I struggle with it myself, now ..!

A timely reminder that, leaving your bass accessible to pick up and play at any time is a Good Thing, but be wary with advancing years; make sure that it's not somewhere in the way where one may trip over on it. Serious injury could result. Elf'n'safety 'an all, eh..?

Well, there's my potential contribution well and truly scuppered, then. I was about to embark on an interesting exposé on the do's and don't's of successful radish cultivation, but I fear that, if the intention is to produce 'sound-bites' and slick talk, I'd maybe not be the best person to deliver such. However, I could propose a short (a few hours..?) on how to build a model airplane, or dietary tips for diabetics. An in-depth analysis of the monthly Challenge entries..? My favourite version of 'Dark Star', copiously illustrated with medium-length (twenty minutes or so...) extracts..? A lecture on home recording minimalism; how to compress all one's gear into less than one square metre..? And for the older listener, armchairs and how to choose 'em..? Hmm... The more I think about it, the more attractive the idea becomes, more especially if video is not required. Let's test my 'hipness' with some modern, 'youf' phraseology, then... 'Hit me up when you're done jawing, to take the above subjects to the next level. Let's get this show on the road.'

Ballast you; I've been sussed..!