Skol303

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1361537257' post='1987113']...poll will be set up on Monday, and I'll venture out of recording to try and enlist some more voters to have a listen and see what they like the most...[/quote] Nice one Si and everyone else who's had a go this month! So the deadline for entries is Sunday at midnight? Don't think I'll make that as I'm away this weekend, but I might get a late entry in on Monday evening. "Don't wait up", of course, it's my own fault for not getting my arse in the right gear this month

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1361467698' post='1986199']God stuff! [/quote] Don't go bringing religion into it, else this thread will be locked!

Quick update... I've decided to opt for humbucker/soapbar pickups (rather than single coil) and an active pre-amp. Thanks again for the advice given, which I genuinely took onboard and has led me to being keen for a pre-amp that offers additional functionality (akin to those made by ACG), rather than just an amp for an amp's sake - good points made by BRX about that. Not wanting to get too excited as yet, but Paul (13 guitar Co) is in touch with a guy who makes custom electronics and so there's possibility that the pre-amp might be built from scratch. Early days, but could be very interesting! As always, I'll keep you posted... Paul

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1361465991' post='1986160']Sounds like your goldfish is looking a bit poorly so you went to the fayre to see if you could win another.[/quote] I accidentally killed my goldfish as a kid. Not sure what that means metaphorically-speaking, but in this context I'd probably hand myself in to the police immediately.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1361439899' post='1985870']That's another great track Paul!I think for next month I'll send you some WAVs & you can pit the track together for me. [/quote] [quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1361455654' post='1985923']I hate you paul for being so good.... i don't want to play anymore [/quote] Awww guys! You're making me feel like the school swot I always think there's a degree of "grass is greener" when listening to other people's compositions. I hear the entries on here and I'm constantly envious of / impressed by people's creativity, playing and songwriting. You're all better musicians than I am - so I have to rely on other skills like production and synth programming, etc. Trust me, these skills can be learned much more easily than playing chops! Anyway it's great that you like my stuff. This'll sound corny, but the feedback I get from Basschat is always the most valuable to me, so cheers PS: I've said it already, but I'll post some feedback on everyone's entries ASAP. [quote name='charic' timestamp='1361456209' post='1985933']I'll start the voting tomorrow. Unfortunately I've got a family member ill so I didn't manage to finish mine (again )[/quote] Ah mate, sorry to hear that. What you posted earlier sounded really promising... Still, can't be helped. Family first, always.

[quote name='Stephen Houghton' timestamp='1361405806' post='1985657'] Nice track as usual and the production is top notch, I need some lessons in production from you me thinks I think you should be banned, you are getting too good at this for the rest of us Love the ideas and the vocal synths are great.[/quote] Thanks Steve! Very kind of you mate. I'm always happy to give pointers on production. I'm no expert myself, I just stick to a fairly limited set of tools and have got to know them well through repetition. Maybe you should have a try at the mixing challenge one month? There's a lot of good advice being offered on the back of it. Have a read through [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/192016-mixing-competitionlearning-resource-january-poll-added/"]last month's thread[/url] for starters if you're interested - there's some useful info towards the end of it. I'd also recommend these two books: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/ZEN-Art-Mixing-Mixerman/dp/1423491505"]Zen and the Art of Mixing[/url] [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807"]Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio[/url] ... think of the first book as being the 'heart' (how to approach mixing and production) and the second book being the 'head' (the more technical details). I learned a lot from reading them myself and still refer to them often. And please don't ban me from the challenges! I'm too addicted to them and would end up on crack or something to fill the void. Let that play on your conscience

Ok, here's mine for this month: https://soundcloud.com/skollob/aurora I had a different idea for this track initially, but realised early on that I wouldn't have time to finish what I had in mind. So I simplified it and I think it's actually better as a result. I also turned a few corners producing this one, such as: - Experimenting with a quirky time signature (rather than the standard 4:4 I normally work with). Bonus points if you can work out what it is - Creating a DIY synth using vocal notes sung by Mrs Skol and yours truly. A more hilarious process than I'd expected. - Playing a nimble baseline, at least nimble by my clunky standards! (you'll probably hear it and think "meh"). Took me bloomin' ages to nail it and even then I only managed 12 or so bars worth using - with lots of string noise - but my dexterity has improved with all the practice. So I'm happy. Anyway, hope y'all dig it. I'll be posting feedback on everyone's entries next chance I get...

I was actually switched on to SC by the GOD I LOVE JAZZ!! thread on Basschat (that's another scalp claimed by Bilbo )...which led me to the following YouTube video and I was pretty much sold from thereon in. A truly amazing bassist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py3jT0uaZw0

Watched all three myself and thoroughly enjoyed them ...although Danny Baker does get on my wick at times. Nothing against the bloke in particular; I just thought there were times when he should have shut up and let his guests do some of the talking. But that's a minor gripe. This is also worth catching while it's on iPlayer - 'When Albums Ruled the World': http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01qhn70/When_Albums_Ruled_the_World/

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1361166852' post='1982045']Story. Of. My. Life.[/quote] The company I work for is a creative agency and we often use that diagram (jokingly) to describe our dealings with clients over design decisions... often a merry-go-round but without the 'merry' part! PS: I've started to get towards a decision on the pickups/electronics (cue drum roll...), so I'll be updating y'all on that in due course. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment! Etc.

Well done Rob, still on track I see! Good work mate. I like your entry for this month's composition challenge and also the recent addition to your SoundCloud (I think it was called Eternity - ?). I'll give some constructive feedback once I get chance - crazy busy at work these days. Cheers, Paul

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1361185436' post='1982277']I'm not going to get anything done this month :(I'll have a listen to the entries when the voting starts, looking forward![/quote] That's a shame Nige, but I know the feeling. Barely going to scrape something together myself this month (I had a good idea but it was too complicated for the time available, so I'm trying to make of it what I can). Still, plenty of good entries thus far

What's the deadline for entries this month? I'm asking 'cos at present I haven't even started... it's been a busy month at work and I've only barely got time to put something together for the composition challenge. Hence I might not be able to fit this in as well No matter. Rest assured I'll be listening to the entries and folllowing keenly regardless.

Ultimately, the genie is out of the bottle with regards to file sharing - illegal or not. And it goes way beyond music to include films, video games, eBooks, software, etc. This situation is nigh impossible to reverse. Files can be encrypted, people can be taken to court, but the market for illegal downloads will always find a way of setting up shop somewhere else. So... while it makes for an interesting debate, it's also a moot point. Nothing can really be done about it; the 'good old days' pre-file sharing are dead and gone (goodbye to the fuzzy nostalgia of illegally copying albums tape-to-tape... ). Morally-speaking, obtaining stuff that has a price tag without paying for it is theft - I think we can all agree on that. But illegally downloading music is so accessible and widespread that I'm sure for many people it doesn't [i]feel[/i] like a crime. I mean, I don't imagine it requires the same mindset as that of a shoplifter, although the deed itself is comparable. But like I said, the genie is out of the bottle and he/she* certainly isn't going to be put back there in a hurry [*genies operate an equal opportunities policy these days]. If you're a musician, a manager, a label, a distributor or anyone else wanting to earn money from the food chain of the music industry, then you need to adapt or, well, not literally 'die' but become insolvent. Or at least struggle. Or find another career. And yes, this sucks. It's culled off many of the independent labels that used to populate the building where I work; it's hit the pockets of the major labels that are cutting studio time and taking less risks with signings; etc. But that's just the way things are now. Live shows and selling 'direct-to-fans' are often cited as being the only viable business models remaining in the industry. I don't know enough about it to say whether that's the case. But it appears that digital music has leveled the playing field for artists to adopt a more DIY-approach in ways that would never have been possible when music was distributed solely on vinyl, tape or CD. Or rather - it's created opportunities beyond the once Holy Grail of getting signed to a label, which in the past was pretty much the only option available to new bands. Silver linings, and all that...

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1361010915' post='1979661']Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet?[/quote]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1360777712' post='1976363']What's the word on the build now, Paul?[/quote] Hey Milty. The wood is on order... Paul (13 Guitar Co) has a couple of other builds about to start in addition to this one, so he's just waiting for those to be decided before picking up the materials for each in a single trip. Once that's done it'll be underway. In the meantime I'm still chewing over different types and brands of pickups & electronics. I'm coming round to something like an ACG EQ01 (as discussed above), but there more I investigate the more options crop up! Still got some homework to do there but I'm narrowing it down. I've also got make a decision on the string spacing - which should be fairly straighforward - and after that I [i]think[/i] we have everything covered. At least the important stuff. I'll keep you posted mate

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1360942381' post='1978777']...are we saying that no you'd generally be considered a bit daft if you thought that either every individual composition of the Beatles was better than every individual item produced by Motown? Or that I'm a loon for thinking that this cant be right?[/quote] Sounds like Top Trumps to me. Now there's an idea... [size=1][off to Patent office][/size]

Thinking about it, I don't really base my opinion on the bassist but the bassline they're playing. Obviously the two are very much one and the same. But I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I don't really listen out for the nuances of a particular playing style (perhaps I should!). Instead, I simply judge as bassist as being 'good' if I find myself humming the line they've played for hours/days/weeks(!?) after listening to the track. What matters to me is whether the bassline contributes to the overall hook and 'catchiness' of the song. All of which is no doubt influenced by the music I enjoy listening to - hip hop, electronica, dub/reggae, Northern Soul, etc. As an example, I consider someone like Herbie Flowers to be a "good bassist". His b-line on Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wildside' (sampled by Tribe Called Quest for 'Can I Kick It?') is instantly memorable. You're probably humming it right now, having read that And [i]that's[/i] what makes a good bassist for me. Someone who lays the foundation of a song with just a few well chosen notes, rather than technical chops. Although soild chops do have their place, of course.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1360929545' post='1978414']I just got a copy of Miroslav Philharmonik[/quote] Very nice! I've heard some samples from that library and they sound great - a well recommended collection. Good value for money too.,,, especially given the next tier up for orchestral sounds is probably something like the [url="http://www.spitfireaudio.com/albion.html"]Spitfire Audio[/url] collections, which ain't cheap! (not by my pocket anyway). Looking forward to hearing what you make of them Been crazily busy with work myself, so have some catching up to listening-wise and I also need to pull my finger out and finish my own entry for this month. I'm going to have to scale down my original idea - no time to finish it - and put something more simple together. Still, no harm in that!

Not that I'd dare to try putting a full stop at the end of this debate... But reading between the lines, I think much of this discussion is rooted in the term 'overrated' as applied to The Beatles - when in fact what people seem to be talking about is The Beatles being 'over-popularised'. I think most of us would agree that they were a hugely successful and influential band, and such success wouldn't have been sustained for so long without a genuine sense of authenticity and credibility to their music. What seems to rankle people (myself included, I must admit) is the way their success has been exploited to such a level that they have become ubiquitous - as a perpetual cash-cow for some; as a lazy cultural reference for others. In short: too much of a good thing can become a pain in the ass. And personally speaking, while I respect The Beatles and their music, they're just too 'obvious' and 'everywhere' for me to get truly excited about them. They give me a sense of "That's been done; the t-shirt bought and soiled". And I just find it all a bit too retrospective for my tastes. But that's me. That's not meant to be disrespectful to the band or their music. I feel the same way about other classic cultural references, such as the work of Shakespeare. It deserves to be revered. And it will continue to be revered. But sometimes, I just get bored of people banging on about it.

[quote name='gsgbass' timestamp='1360718290' post='1975503']I'm Glenn, the old man that posted The Beatles. I'm kind of an outsider being from the states. You guys are super to get into it, and make you points etc. The way everyone has. If nothing else comes out of The Beatles topic, Be proud they were from the UK. [/quote] Cheers Glenn - that's a great point you make and rest assured you're no outsider on account of being on the sunnier side of the pond What I love about the Basschat community is that no matter how heated or even childish the arguments get on here, they pale in comparison to the abuse I've seen hurled around on other music forums. Maybe it has something to do with the average age of most folks here. Or maybe it's a product of the easy going psyche common among bass players But the BC community is undoubtedly a very inclusive, friendly and accepting bunch of people - and that's a rare thing on the Interweb. My advice? If the red mist descends and your blood starts to boil, then don't post a reply immediately. Sleep on it and see if you feel the same way the next day. Nine times out of ten you won't, which avoids a whole bunch of hasty anger-venting that can lead to forum fracus. And besides, Bilbo has accepted 'Homer's apology. Job done. [i]"Move along now people, nothing to see here..."[/i] etc.

Ok... I'm in! Just ordered a can of primer and one of Capri Orange (in the end, I just couldn't draw myself away from that orange ). I'm planning on painting the pickguard too. It's currently just cheap white plastic. I hear 'Krylon Fusion' is a good brand of durable spray-paint for using on plastics, but the only place I can find it available in the UK is from an army surplus / airsoft website. Kinda weird (link [url="http://www.patrolbase.co.uk/krylon-spray-paint/krylon-fusion-black.htm?utm_source=googlemerchant&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googlemerchant"]here)[/url]. Anybody used this paint before? Or recommend another brand?

Nothing uncool about Rob Slusar mate! Sounds fine as an artist name to me. How about going with just 'Slusar'? Short, snappy and a bit enigmatic. Of the annagrams, I love Rural Boss but wouldn't recommend it without a suitable image to match (banjos, straw hats and sh*t).

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1360675953' post='1974346']Ridiculous the amount of red-faced people talking about Facebook in the 'I don't normally do this sort of thing' manner.[/quote] Well we are talking about banned Facebook pages, right? Like the one I used to host featuring videos of an octopus, a bucket of KY Jelly and a bus full of nuns... ah, wrong sort of 'banned'. I'll get me coat

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1360661410' post='1974021']21st...[/quote] Yikes! [i]Damn you February and your lack of days!![/i] Sounds like many of us are in a tailspin this month, myself included. Well done to Stephen, Mr Stone, Urb and Lurks for getting the job done thus far - good work fellas. I should have mine done by the 21st, but whether it's strictly 'finished' is another matter. I'm messing around with some odd time signatures (well, odd for me ), which is proving fun but has slowed down my workflow as I'm having to get my head around lots of new stuff.