Skol303

[quote name='Elvis Valentine' timestamp='1352499875' post='1864034']I would definitely appreciate a little EQ lesson. [/quote] Yup, me too! Especially advice on how to 'tame' the low-mids and downwards, as that's where I tend to have the most bother with my mixes. Bring on the knowledge, 51m0n!

Nice one Bruno! This sort of thing is exactly why I love Basschat :-)

[quote name='WalMan' timestamp='1352416104' post='1862915'] Right then. Heres my attempt. Not entirely happy with it, but bored listening to #2 son's excuses for not adding a bit of guitar to the second bit so went with some old bolloxs I eventually managed [url="http://soundcloud.com/aka_walman/bc-comp-nov12-run-scoob"]Run Scoob or Jim'll FixYa[/url] And under 3 mins as well [/quote] Wow, that is one slick track! Great work mate. The two halves fit nicely together. Definitely has a 'soundtrack' feel to it - 60s Batman as mentioned; maybe some 80s action in there too. Really tightly played all round - love the bassline in particular. And well produced too, it literally burst out of my headphones. Love it. You're damned good on guitar, as a lot of folks here seem to be… I think you're all really guitarists in disguise! I'm struggling with trying to add some guitar to my effort - never really played one before this month's challenge, but too late to turn back now. All part of the fun though. Looking forward to hearing the rest. Should have mine done sometime next weekend (have little time till then). [quote name='steve' timestamp='1352451665' post='1863123']...the second part had a vibe of some stuff Mike Oldfield used to do with the Gong drummer Pierre Moerlen.[/quote] ^ Definitely! Good comparison.

Holy mother of god some of you guys own A LOT of basses!! It's like reading the stock list of a moderately sized retailer. As Darth Vader once said: "Impressive. Most impressive".

[quote name='paulflan0151' timestamp='1352376857' post='1862258'] Glad to see everbodys enjoying the competition. Good luck! [/quote] Cheers Paul! I'm anticipating a prize-winning entry from you at the 11th hour... ;-)

Sounds bloody great to me! And really good for a home recording. To be honest I found myself listening to the music more than the mix, which is always a good sign. I'm definitely getting some shades of REM as already mentioned. And dare I say early Kings of Leon too? (controversial comparison maybe as some people hate them, but I love their early stuf). Your playing is very tight; the tone of your bass sound ace and everything fits together nicely in the mix. I'm listening on headphones (got no monitors) and some of the tracks do sound a wee bit 'muddy' in places - maybe try boosting the upper frequencies a bit to add some sparkle, or cutting the mid-range around 200-500Hz. But I tend to offer this advice a lot and am starting to wonder if it's actually my 'phones that are to blame!? Anyway, dead good. I'd pay to see you live no probs

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1352316554' post='1861606']Can I just say how satisfying it is to see everyone enjoying this so much [/quote] Yes you can! Best thing that's happened to the Recording forum. And the best challenge of its sort that I've been involved in. Granted, there seems to be a limited number of folk getting stuck in (which is typical of these things), but there's a real buzz from those that are and it's much more friendly than other similar competitions I've seen (which can, quite frankly, become tw@t magnets). This is exactly what music forums are for in my opinion - making and sharing music, not just talking about it! Great idea. And well done Charic for setting it up

[quote name='Stephen Houghton' timestamp='1352311566' post='1861499']...if its not so good I would blank out and shake, sweat and halucinate until it stopped, so would have no idea of time, who I was or where I was anyway[/quote] ^ I'll have what he's having... PS: I already have a custom bass. It's been customised by me and it's...err... quite unique! Duct tape holding together a split in the horn of the body (botched installation of straplocks); solder burns on the back (botched repair of battery connector); and a wobbly volume pot (botched ability to hold things without dropping them). £5000 ONO sound about right? It's got the 'distressed look', which I hear is popular these days. [quote name='charic' timestamp='1352312019' post='1861509']I think one month we should have a "speed round" where we all have to try and compose a piece in a single day [/quote] I'd be up for that! Or maybe a surprise 'weekend challenge'.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1352303524' post='1861323'] The limitation is on so that should we wish to after of a years of these we can do some "winners tracks" cd's [/quote] Nice idea! Could be a potential fundrai$er for the forum. [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1352304625' post='1861351']Can't help but think that the time constraints have been imposed for a reason. To get people to listen to your whole track. There was at least one complaint last month that it took too long to listen to everyone's entries.[/quote] Fair point. As Bilbo says, people can choose not to listen to each track in its entirety if they're pushed for time. As we're only taking 6 minutes - and not, say 10 - I don't feel it's such an issue in this case, but that's just me.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1352300790' post='1861265'] Great composers think alike [/quote] Ha ha! Indeedy... or as my dear old dad would say, dickheads never differ! [sorry Nige, that isn't meant to be as offensive as it sounds!!] Paul

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1352299652' post='1861245']...can I get away with a 6 minute tune?[/quote] I personally have no problem at all with you submitting a 6 minute track, Bilbo. I obviously can't speak for everyone but it seems fair and square given the circumstances you mention. Plus, 5 minutes... 6 minutes... it's no big deal really. I'm pretty sure the 5 minute rule is only in place to deter people submitting 60 minute opuses (opusi? whatever). Probably best to hear from Charic with the final word, etc.

Looks like a great gig, Mike! Unfortunately my jaunts to gigs around the country have been curtailed since the arrival of Skol Jnr (approaching 18 months and packing all the destructive force of an H-bomb...), but I'll get the word out among mates in London who'll be interested in this. Your new line-up looks great, by the way. Some very talented peeps there! Have fun Paul

****ING AWESOME! Really. You guys and the likes of Our Helical Mind are a genuine inspiration on this forum - to me anyway. I'm a big fan of dubstep, DnB, jungle and UK bass music generally. I love how you've taken a 'live' approach to the genre. Very clever and far more engaging than watching someone hide behind a laptop. Best of luck with it. I think you're on to something very original here. PS: nice website.

Yep, I've encountered this myself. 51m0n and other knowledgable folk here will probably string me up for saying this, but there can be times when clipping can be used deliberately to "good" effect. For example, in the 50 Cent track 'In Da Club' the kick drum famously clips and actually sounds all the fatter for it (well, it's not [i]that[/i] famous an example... I read about it recently in some music geek magazine, Computer Music I think it was. And I'm no fan of 50 Cent, just for the record!). I know when producing my own stuff, there are times when I think something sounds good only to check the meter and see red lights across the board. I think generally clipped audio does sound awful - it's non-musical noise at the end of the day. And you'd be better off trying to get the effect you're after using a distortion pedal or overdrive, etc. But it's still fun turning things up to 11 from time to time, just for the hell of it!

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1352286353' post='1861014']I read pitch and positioning from tab and the rhythm from the notation....This works for me [/quote] ^ That actually makes sense to me. But then I'm not the best person to comment! If it works, it works.

Big fan of ska and reggae here! I have relatives over Leicester way but rarely get over there. If you're ever playing in Manchester or thereabouts then give me a shout - I could happily add a dozen or so punters to your crowd. PS: might be worth checking out this venue - Band On The Wall (you may have heard of it). It's got a great reputation for reggae and other good music, and a [i]very [/i]good sound system. I go there whenever I get chance: [url="http://bandonthewall.org/"]http://bandonthewall.org/[/url]

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1352218663' post='1860300'] Hmmm... that ap is pretty good! [/quote] Yep, I agree. I use the Bass Clef app myself and find it an easy and dare I say 'fun' way to learn (it's actually quite addictive!). I don't think I'll ever have the time to put in enough hours to become fluent at sight reading, but as a complete amateur I do find learning the basics very useful. It helps me to communicate with other musicians on the rare occasions I get to jam with folks. And to some extent, it's helped me make sense of how to structure music - or at least understand why certain things fit together while others don't, etc. To me, learning notation is one of those things that has no downsides or disadvantages, only bonuses. Like learning a foreign language. It gives you more options than just shouting

[quote name='Stephen Houghton' timestamp='1352252272' post='1860826'] Done most of mine i think but not too sure if I will be banned for life, think im fine but no one will tell anyway will they [/quote] Now [i]that[/i] sounds like something I want to hear! Looking forward to it. I'm still plodding on with my effort. I've decided to structure it around a guitar line, which has opened a huge can of worms in that I've never really played guitar before. Me: "It's just like a tiny six string bass, innit?" Reality: "No!" I'm currently learning some chords - the easy bit - and trying to get my head around progressing from one to the other with at least some degree of fluidity - the hard bit! Still, it's pushing me out of my comfort zone which is no bad thing...

Sounds like a useful app and not too difficult to develop (disclaimer: I know NOTHING about developing apps!). I guess you'd also need to compensate for drummers who like to speed up as the song progresses. Maybe some kind of electro-shock system, wired to the mains? Seriously though, this could do ok as a 69p offering. They are obviously other (possibly better) ways around the problem - creating a click track in advance of the gig, etc - but this has the advantage of being more immediate and 'in your pocket'. Anyway, I'm just off to the Patent Office...

Good question, but it depends solely on what you yourself need. From the list you mention the only basic ingredient that I'd recommend investing in is an audio interface - I use a Tascam, but the [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=focusrite+saffire+6+usb&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=7969415326&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1251566024218949905&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_5tx9zenqbm_b"]Focusrite Saffire[/url] is often recommended as being great value for money. The advantage of an interface is that it offers much better processing power than your computer's built-in sound card. It also enables you to be more 'hands on' when recording, which I find very useful. Other than that, I'd suggest a good pair of suitably flat, non-attenuating headphones (i.e. cans that don't colour the sound too much). I use a pair of [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0016MOC28/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9556678269&ref=asc_df_B0016MOC28"]AKGs[/url] and have got very used to them over the years... but again, there are a bunch of other options on the market. The rest of the stuff you mention - mixer, pads, controllers, etc - aren't what I'd call essential items, but are nice to have if you want to burn some ca$h (and can be useful in speeding up your workflow). I personally use a computer, an interface, a MIDI keyboard, a pair of headphones, some stringed things and that's it. I don't own any monitors, which is not a recommended strategy, but I've found you can do "ok" if you get to know your headphones well and test out your mixes on a variety of systems (hi-fi, car, iPod, TV, etc). But a decent pair of monitors are always going to stand you in better stead. Spend wisely and have fun! Or foolishly and potentially have more fun. Whatever PS: I highly recommend these books for some great advice on home studio set ups and mixing - worth every penny: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/ZEN-Art-Mixing-Mixerman/dp/1423491505"]Zen and the Art of Mixing (by Mixerman)[/url] [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352208218&sr=1-5"]Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (by Mike Senior)[/url]

Wow! I'm loving this. [b]Biting Point:[/b] brought back a flood of nostalgia for my youth spent listening to metal. Definitely something of Rush vibe as mentioned above; Iron Maiden too. A real belter of a track. [b]Mountain Mother:[/b] something's up with the player on this one - it keeps skipping to Saline Fields around the 14 second mark. What I heard sounds nice! [b]Saline Fields: [/b]same great vibe as Biting Point. I'm getting shades of Zeppelin in this one too. Very nice. Production-wise, everything sounds tightly played and suitably 'gutsy' which fits the genre well. I'm getting plenty of bass thru my headphones, which sounds great. My only constructive criticisms would be: - The mix sounds a bit 'muddy', as though the various guitars, bass and drums are all competing in the midrange. Maybe use an EQ to scoop out the offending tracks around the 400-500Hz mark (I find a cut of 4-6db around here works well). - The mix also sound a bit 'narrow' as though everything is panned down the centre. Maybe try panning some of the track L/R or widening the mix by other means. …but whatever, for a live session recorded in your practice room this ****ing ROCKS! Nice work

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1351997818' post='1857733'] This is really funny. I played a DJ's private birthday party with London Zulu tonight. I bumped into a bassist and we had a cracking chat about bass He was a really cool geezer and great to hang about with .. I asked if he was a Basschat member. He was, he's the OP, yamahabass [/quote] Ha ha , brilliant! Gotta love Basschat for that kinda thing Can't really comment on the video other than to say your playing is WAY out of my league, and so I'll defer to the greater knowledge of those above to give you pointers. It sounds good to me; a very impressive pace and great skills whether rushed or not.

[quote name='Blademan_98' timestamp='1352096624' post='1858578']I did put a drum track on it but it sounded 'wrong' so I dumped it from the final mix.[/quote] Brave move but it's worked. I'm always a stickler for not being able to cut out sections I've worked on, even if they don't always fit. Something I need to learn! [quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1352113852' post='1858771']im going to start working on mine tonight, need to get some nice guitar tones[/quote] Yeah, I'm thinking mine's going to need some guitar lines too. Trouble is I can barely play those tiny, 6-string bass replica thingies so I'm going to need to keep it nice and simple. Trying to learn some chords at the moment before I start recording anything...

[quote name='Blademan_98' timestamp='1352051623' post='1858189'] Well, here goes [url="http://soundcloud.com/blademan_98/emotional-death"]http://soundcloud.co...emotional-death[/url] I found the photos really sad so an emo track has sprung up! (Sorry about the vocal ) Hope you like it lol [/quote] Dark and mellow, I like it! Your vocal actually fits the track well… it's like beat poetry, kinda psychedelic and dreamlike. The production sounds good thru my headphones too. Nice use of panning and everything seems well balanced. I really like the fact it has no percussion at all, relying on the bass to give it momentum. Not something I've ever tried myself, but in this case it works great. Anyway, well done for being the trailblazer this month! You've got us off to a good start

Haha! Yeah I know what you mean. I did think about doing a mashup of the Jim'll Fix It and Scooby Doo themes (the bassline of the latter is fairly funky) but I think it'd breach the terms of the challenge...copyright and all that. Still doesn't stop them being stuck in my head!