Skol303

Cheers lads. I think much of the problem with compression stems from the fact that as musicians, we’re mostly accustomed to pedals in our signal chain having a clear and present effect - we turn the dials and expect things to sound louder/ warmer/ funkier/ more distorted, etc, etc. As you know, compressors don’t necessarily work like that - and when they do, you’re probably doing it wrong 😉 In truth, I only really got my head around compressors when I started producing/mixing music, where it’s certainly one of the most useful tools at my disposal. Before then, as a bass player, I didn’t use a compressor, didn't understand them nor see any real use for one: "Why would I want to squash my sound?" So apologies if I sometimes come over as a bit evangelical about compressors. But they really are a bass players best friend when you get to know them.

Compression is an enigmatic and often misunderstood tool amongst bass players. Which is ironic, given that bass is an instrument that really benefits from compression. But it’s not essential. You won’t sound ‘worse’ without it. You just won’t sound ‘better’ 😉 One of these days I'm going to write a thread on how to set up a compressor for bass guitar, step by step. Until then, either experiment with yours DIY style or just leave it well alone. It very easy to do more harm than good with compression if you don't know what you're doing, that's for sure.

Yep. Normally, the challenge involves writing a new piece of music inspired by a picture (chosen by the previous month's winner). During December we run a 'Cover Song Challenge for fun, during which folks are welcome to submit their own take on any song (or instrumental) they choose. I think people tend to vote on 'gut feeling', favouring whichever entries they like best according to personal taste (ultimately a mix of arrangement/playing/recording and more). The key point is: don't sweat it! The focus is always on having fun and just getting stuck in. And this month more than ever! 😉

That's pretty much what I've done above. I think so long as the vocal stem was made available for free usage, then it's fine. NB: the purpose of the Christmas Special challenge is just to have a bit of fun (even more so than usual) and muster up a diverse selection of music that folks can enjoy over the festive period - in my case, often as a 'digestif' with a glass of sherry in hand. Cover versions of literally anything are welcome; and I think that for argument's sake, remixes can be counted as cover versions. Heck, even bagpipes are permitted at this time of year! 😬

I’ve been very lazy with the BC composition challenge this year! Not for lack of enthusiasm… just a very busy year for me at work, but with the promise of a slightly more sane work life next year. So I expect to be back in the saddle here in 2019. In the meantime, here’s a cover track I managed to get written earlier this year: a remix of ‘Rules’ by Starita. Hopefully something you might even dance to, with sufficient sherry in your belly 😉 Arrangement, mixing and bass guitar by yours truly (Fender Jazz if I remember right): https://soundcloud.com/skollob/rules-remix Cheers. EDIT to say this track contains mild swearing 🤬

Firstly, it amazes me that anyone would have a pedal in their signal chain if they “never really understood what it did”. Secondly, either that pedal is goosed or - in light of my point above - it sounds as though you had the compressor cranked so hard it was ‘pumping’. That kinda works if you’re producing an EDM banger, but not so much if you’re playing a rendition of Mustang Sally down the pub.

December challenge is go...! 🎄

🎄 December Cover Song Challenge 🎄 As is tradition, we're doing something a bit different for December... so instead of composing to a photo, we’re running a covers competition. Basically, choose a song or instrumental that you like and write your own version of it. You can be faithful to the original or left of field; the choice is yours. All of the usual rules apply with a few additional caveats: It doesn’t have to be a Christmas song. You’re welcome to submit anything recorded this year (not just from December), so there’s no excuse for those of you in cover bands not to enter. Don’t go lifting any samples from whatever song you intend to cover, as that will breach the usual terms and conditions leading to extreme punitive measures. Bagpipes are allowed this one time only! But that still doesn't make them right. The deadline for entries is midnight on December 24th.

Well done SH73! Please message me with your choice of photo, which will be used to kick off the regular monthly challenge again in the New Year. Indeed, as is tradition December's challenge doesn't have a picture theme, but is instead a 'cover song competition' and is open to songs written/recorded at any time this year. There might not be so much of a "challenge" to this festive format, but it's a nice bit of fun at this time of year and gives opportunity for all and sundry on Basschat to get involved 🙂 I'll get things started in the 'Rec forum ASAP...

Great mixers! I have one myself and would probably buy another straight away if/when it ever goes kaput (they're now discontinued but can be snapped up cheaply second-hand). Very nice EQs and rock solid in terms of interfacing with my Mac and handling latency. I run mine through an Apple Firewire>Thunderbolt adaptor with no problems at all.

VOTING THREAD IS UP

Voting has now started on November's Composition Challenge. We're light on entries this month, so please just vote for your overall favourite... (Son of) Lord Sausage Dad3353 lurksalot SH73 Voting ends at midnight on Friday November 30th.

Well done guys! 👏 I’ll launch the voting thread later today.

^ Ditto this. I use a Radial JDI, which is quite expensive for a passive box, but it’s a quality product and I’ll never have to buy another one. Even if I run over it with my car; it is literally built like a tank. You'll find lots of recommendations to use passive boxes with active bases and vice-versa, which makes good sense but isn't essential. In fact, using a passive box with a passive bass can subtly flavour the tone in a way that some people describe as sounding ‘vintage’ (i.e. some high end roll-off and roundedness). If you want a safe bet, the Radial ProDI Passive is a stalwart of the industry and can be found just about everywhere. PS: I have no affiliation with Radial, I just like their gear 🙂

Nice! I have Neutron Elements and find it quite handy. It's got some very usable presets. Good shout 👍

Good shout! 👍 I don't own them myself, but they're apparently very good headphones for the money.

Excellent! 👍 Nice little set up and welcome aboard. Plenty of Reaper users on Basschat, so you should find yourself in good company. Don’t be shy and post your creations once you get started! Many of us here cut our teeth in the monthly composition challenge, which is a great way to get stuck in.

Nice one Si! I'm currently traveling without headphones... but will check this out once I get back 👍

You're very welcome. If you're using someone for pro mixing then you don't really need a treated room. And you'd definitely struggle to make a decent job of a room that's 3x3m: "That way lies madness...". In which case, best option is definitely to use headphones, which will get you 90% of the way there anyway. I do the majority of my mixing on headphones - sometimes just Apple earbuds - and then finish off with monitors. You can still use your speakers for mixing, just don't trust them for the low end and rely on headphones for adjusting the bass (comparing against reference tracks that you know well). Most importantly, enjoy your new music room and have fun PS: some basic acoustic treatment at the main reflection points would still be of some noticeable benefit: side walls, ceiling, front/rear corners and back wall. Don't use foam; always use some form of mineral wool. Relatively easy to DIY or budget for around £600-1000 total if you want to buy ready-made.

No domestic room is ever ideal, so you're in good company! If possible, when treating a square room that size you really need to go nuts. Anything less will just be p****** into the ocean, so to speak. By "nuts" I mean: Covering the entire ceiling with porous absorbers - i.e. create a false ceiling and fill it with mineral wool. Covering the entire rear wall with porous absorbers, ideally 60cm thick or more. As with the ceiling, you can create a wooden frame, fill it with mineral wool slabs and then finish with breathable fabric. That would have a worthwhile impact on tackling standing waves. Putting up a few panels will help to some degree, but it may be barely noticeable as those standing waves are going to be strong. Just pointing this out as I've seen people waste money on trying to treat such rooms half-heartedly. If you're not able to "go nuts", then I'd recommend relying on headphones (certainly for mixing low end) and using your monitors for general stereo placement, etc. For reference, here's a plot of the room modes assuming the space has a height of around 2.3m. The tall, red bars indicate the stronger standing waves: PS: the Schroeder Fq mark shows the frequency beneath which your room will act like a resonant 'drum'; in this case around 350Hz.

*checks banned list* Permitted!

Not wanting to deliberately rain on your parade... but square (and worse still cubic) rooms with equal dimensions suffer from the very worst problems in terms of room modes (extreme peaks and dips in the low end). A good set of headphones will be your most trusted friend

October's Challenge is on! Get outta here...

October's Composition Challenge is now underway Here’s the image for your inspiration, chosen by last month's winner, @lurksalot... Rules: Avoid any content that other forum users may find offensive. Make sure you have permission to use any 3rd party sounds and samples in your track. Entries should be no more than five minutes long and written/produced during the month of the competition. Pipes of the 'bag' and 'pan' variety are strictly prohibited. The deadline for entries is midnight on Wednesday 24th October.