fretmeister

The DG website doesn’t mention iOS devices. Only windows and Mac. Do you know if the Element can be used an iOS interface?

I might have to get one anyway.

ah well. Thank you.

Is it external power supply only or can it be bus powered via USB-C from an iPad or similar? I'm thinking about options for mobile recording without mains power. ta

Key signature of the individual songs is an important factor here. If you never need to play a low Eb then I'd play it all on a normally tuned bass and learn them that way. * I'd also do this if I did need a low Eb but the song sounded fine if I played just that note up an octave. After playing a 4 string in a jazz band where flat keys are very common - that's what I'm comfortable with. Failing that - a 5 string or install a D-Tuner on the E string for more range (or tune in Drop D for the entire thing and learn them that way). * of course this might mean having to deal with guitarists who lower the tuning on their instrument but still call 4th String, 3rd fret a G when it isn't anymore. You'll need to gang up on them with any keys players you have to force our thin stringed cousins to do it properly!

I have all of that too. But sometimes I travel and I can't take my studio with me. Not even just into the garden to play in the sun.

I really want to try the Digbeth - the demos are excellent. I can see what you mean - I think it's more that the gain control is really sensitive and going from clean to tiny grit to unpleasantly overdoing it can take only a 2mm move on the knob. I've tried the smaller one - the M81 - and it although it was perfectly efficient I did find it very clean - lacking in character. Felt more like transparent onboard EQ in a way. I don't know if the M80 is the same on the clean sound. Of the others mentioned above, I've also had the Tech21 Steve Harris and I do regret selling that one but I think T21 missed a trick by not having an Aux in and headphone out for silent practice. I would never have sold it if it had those features.

I've had quite a few pedals from them. Always been fast delivery, without any drama.

I have 2 paulownia basses - my Sandberg Superlight Lionel, and a bitsa with a paulownia body. They are ace. No problem at all.

It's lovely. It's really quiet in operation too. I love compression (far too much TBH) and it doesn't get noisy / hissy even then. It does need a 12V supply but most pedalboard supplies can do that these days.

I really love my Mark Bass Vintage Preamp. I tend to use the "Old" setting and then tweak from there. The 2 drive flavours are great and go from subtle to high gain and they don't sound anything like Darkglass! I'm really pleased with it. At the moment it's on my tiny recording board with a compressor and an Audient ID4mkii interface that can be powered from a USB-C ipad.

I can get that out of a muted upright. Just have to play it at 300bpm.

That sounds ace.

If I can build a bitsa at 7lb then Fender can do it too.

Sandberg Superlight 5 string. I sold mine because I found the neck too chunky so that needs to lose some girth. Then a nut reduction to 44.5mm and slightly narrower bridge spacing (with the neck being a little slimmer all the way up) would be lovely.

I’ve used both. The Rotos have less highs and more of a low mid bloom. The EBs are more even in tone to my ears. With the same gauge the Rotos are massively stiffer / higher tension. They make La Bella’s look like string. I found the EB to feel nicer under the fingers. If you have any type of nickel allergy / sensitivity at all then avoid the Rotos. They give me finger blisters these days.

It seems Markbass do a nickel version of their soft touch strings called "Ultimate" https://www.markbass.it/product/ultimate-series-soft-touch-electric-bass-nickel-plated-steel/

Actually he said "Presumably" about the nickel part and there are SS options that are not finger chewing. And my other thread doesn't give any hint about tension or even string material in the title about it. I am very sorry I tried to help a fellow member of this community. How dare I?! I really should do better.

I've got one that I might be tempted to move on. I don't seem to be using dirt at all these days, just some compression and the odd bit of envelope filter. @tayste_2000

I've just got some Mark Bass Advanced Stainless rounds and they are very flexible for the gauge 45-105. Quite similar to Hi Beams in that regard. I'm really liking them. £20.99 + postage at Andertons at the moment, so a bit of a bargain.

There's a couple of long threads on the other place about the reliability issues of this model. Some claim that the issues were solved after the first couple of years of manufacture but others dispute that. Nice sounding amp, but I wouldn't sink any money into one.

Not massive differences, but still noticeable.

I've just seen that Nordstrand are stopping making "Factory" basses meaning the Cat / Acinonyx shortscale bass is being discontinued in it's current form. I know they've been working on a 5 string version but now I wonder if that will be a USA made model with a price to match. Presumably the decision is at least partially caused by the Tango Shitgibbon's tariffs plan for just about everywhere. This is annoying as I'd really like one at some point, but ideally not at USA custom shop prices.

I know that but the pressure is only spread out on the part of the body the strap is touching. Surface pressure on part of the supporting structure (the shoulder) is not the same as total load through the entire supporting structure. A 10lb bass hung on a bootlace thin strap still puts the same force on the spine as a 10lb bass on a 6inch wide strap. The body is still supporting a 10lb item. Nothing can change that. The 6inch wide strap user will just not have a big dent in his shoulder. A wider strap gives a localised benefit only. So it depends what the user needs to achieve. If there is back pain and no shoulder pain then a wider strap will not help at all.

Can't argue with a lot of that, but then again while we can all cope with a 10lb bass when we are 20 years old, perhaps we wouldn't have so many issues when we get older if we had lighter basses from the start. Wear and Tear accumulates. There's been reports of school children and early 20s people with degenerative type back injuries because they are carrying excessive weight in books / laptops etc all the time. All of us have asymptomatic degenerative changes far earlier than we'd think possible. Joint degeneration is already able to be seen on an MRI scan from the age of 30. Might not even notice it at all before we hit 50, but it's there. For me personally - I've had 5 hernias. No amount exercise will fix that weakness and I'm now "strongly advised" to not do certain exercises at all. The irony being the last 3 all occurred during exercise - and I was doing it properly.