51m0n

I've been more than slightly interested in GW's approach for a very long time, Michael Manring is similarly clued up re technique, particularly his left hand, I recommend trying to find his old VHS tape (nope cant remember the name, not the Starlicks one), he is utterly completist in his approach to warming up and applying his concept totally evenly across all the fingers and strings. It aint exactly the most exciting watch but apply his ideas for a few weeks and it completely changes your approach.

I think you should vote for the best one there in your opinion, if thats yours to your ears then thats the way it goes, although you really need to listen honestly and look for weaknesses in your mix, and whether or not it conveys the emotional impact of the song for you better than the rest of them. It helps if you can argue that case to yourself. Last time I thought Skols mix was superb, though a step too far away from the original song for my liking, but such a good effort other than that. The rest didnt feel quite as sorted, but I am aware that I tend to listen from a very technical place first and foremost when trying to judge mixes, which isnt always the best place to be honest. However as this goes on I am starting to think maybe it should be a blind vote too, which would need more thinking about in terms of maybe someone not entering the competition, but rather being PM'ed the links by each person entering and then putting them all up with no way of telling from the URLs which was which (other than recognising your own). It could certainly be done using something like dropbox and downloading the original files and reuploading them. Maybe next month I'll do that rather than enter? Maybe if its blind then the person putting it together can enter too. This time I added the poll in the order the final mixes hit the thread (only reason I'm first in the list, honest!), on a blind poll then it would all be very random. That way everyone gets a far more unbiased stab.......

[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1361809081' post='1991213'] i Grados are excellent... [/quote] I like Grados, but the iGrado reviews seem to suggest they are rather flimsy to be out jogging with. Or am I worrying about nothing in your opinion????

Great video, he spent some time matchin the levels didnt he Would like to know his choice of strings too, I personally think that (for recording especially) the choice of strings can have as big an affect on the final sound as the bass. Also I am not entirely convinced that all of these have had no post processing (or EQ) put on them (or thats the lightest sounding P-Bass I've ever heard I think). Still very interesting vid.

The DPA 4099 is a great mic, as is the Heil PR40 (although its a big ole beastie) - both can be great on db , but as ever with mics its placement thats the key, and with an instrument as big as a db getting a natural sound from a mic placed closer than the dimensions of the instrument is really tricky!

Of course you can hear your breathing, its pretty much louder than the music if you're as unfit as me [quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1361796068' post='1990880'] [url="http://www.bose.co.uk/GB/en/home-and-personal-audio/headphones-and-headsets/sport-headphones/bose-sie2i-sport-headphones/"]http://www.bose.co.u...ort-headphones/[/url] Look no further. [/quote] Errr at £130 or there abouts I'll certainly be looking further ta Looking for around £30 really...

Anyone recommend some that aren't inner ear jobbies? My wifes ear canals are tiny, so she needs some that dont go in the ear canal since they wont even get close to fitting...

Poll Added - see OP...

Morning all, we'd very much appreciate anyone taking the time to pop on over the the February Mix Competition thread here:- [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/198313-mixing-competitionlearning-resource-february-poll-added/"]http://basschat.co.u...ary-poll-added/[/url] Have a listen to Butlerk02's band Dientes' very excellent track Mission Ray as mixed by a scruffy assortment of Basschat members trying to make it sound as excellent as it deserves. Please note you are voting on the mix, not any mastering, so the final level on these is completely irrelevant, its just about how good the song sounds, mastering would be a completely different challenge. Thanks for your time!! 51

Go for it

Cheers OldG!

Go on Skol, you can thrash one out in a couple of hours

[quote name='butlerk02' timestamp='1361467542' post='1986194'] Right, here's my final attempt. [url="https://soundcloud.com/butlerk02/mr-basschat"]https://soundcloud.c...k02/mr-basschat[/url] Would love to get some feedback and peoples opinions please. [/quote] [quote name='moonbass' timestamp='1361474783' post='1986370'] Just been having a play at getting a better stereo spread, and a kickier kick drum. Pretty sure this will be my final version... I'm starting to dream about the song! [url="https://soundcloud.com/makossaband/mission-ray-4"]https://soundcloud.c...d/mission-ray-4[/url] [/quote] [quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1361396521' post='1985459'] this will be my entry for the comp , it is a bit cleaner now I think , I have EQ'd the master channel a bit as well as I think some of the bottom end was sucked out in the upload last time. [url="https://soundcloud.com/lurksalot/mission-ray-v2"]Mission Ray V2 [/url] [/quote] [quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1361354745' post='1984852'] yeh late night mix started on headphones should be fixed now also for that opening fill the snares doubled up heres the most recent incarnation [url="https://soundcloud.com/chris-hallam-1/mission-ray-6"]https://soundcloud.c...1/mission-ray-6[/url] and heres the final mix [url="https://soundcloud.com/chris-hallam-1/mission-ray-final"]https://soundcloud.c...ssion-ray-final[/url] i've left all the links active so you can hopefully hear some progression imo this final mix is a lot wider than the other two and also there a few problems which i've ironed out [/quote] Wow, this ones really hotting up isnt it! Interesting developments chaps. Lots of different interpretations of the main rhythm guitars, brighter, middlier, more or less reverb. But the general sounds of the mixes isnt miles apart. Some of you seem to be struggling to get the drums under control more than others, there's some fairly whumpy/soggy kick drums within some of these. Its really not a nice soudn to start with so it was going to be a big factor in showing who has got their head around controlling this area the most I think. Lots of good effort gone into these, I'll leave getting more specific to poll time. Personally I confess I decided right at the start to go for the biggest stadium rock oversized sound I could get out of it from the get go, really concentrated on the ambience in mine, and getting the drums to retain weight whilst losing flab (weird analogy). I'm most happy about the way the vocals sit, and generally just how much I've put the band in a huge space, hopefully without overpowering the performances at all. That and getting the drums to work right, getting what I think is a totally killer bass sound, and lastly the way my mix seems to work on everything from laprtop speakers to headphones to the big speakers I have at my disposal nicely. Translation is key! Game on, 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 name='Schyl Perry' timestamp='1361341985' post='1984724'] I'm a fellow bass player and would like to touch on the topic of recording and achieving the correct tone on your bass for the musical piece at hand. Even though I have been in the studio numerous times over the last 20 years I still feel how shall I say, considerable trepidation for a variety of reasons. Parallel this emotion with the unknown and a work of art ensues every time. I would like to hear from other players as to what type of contrasting dynamics occur for you before and after a session. Thank You [/quote] Mate, welcome to Basschat, that as good a first or second post as I've ever seen nice one I firstly make sure I know the song(s), and the structure(s) inside out, I make sure I can play it faster than I need to, and that I can nail it to a click. That out the way I can stop worrying about it. I make sure I have a new set of strings on my bass if its even a remotely serious recording. you can easily wind down the treble, its impossible to put back missing harmonic content from old strings. In every genre I have ever played in that harmonic content really helps the bass be a presence in the final mix. I check my intonation, that the batteries are good. I check over my rig if its going to be used, and fx board if I am going to take it. In short I make sure everything is working right. Nothing kills a recording session vibe faster than busted kit. I usually know the type of timbre I'm after, its always the Roscoe these days, its just the pickup blend, do I want neck pickup (very P bassy) the brdge pickup ( a fatter jazz bridge pup sound) or blended, which doesnt really do the jazz bass thing at all, its what it is though, great for slapping. Other than that really the tone is what it is for me, there is not secret for recording, good kit, functioning well, played properly. If I'm engineering the session as well then I will have a shortlist of kit available that I will probably zip through to find the best sound , set up any compression down to tape (disk) up front (I do love Joe Meek optical compressors for good musical squish on bass). Then its show time....

[quote name='AnalogBomb' timestamp='1361356756' post='1984907'] I've had this happened to me, until I nearly went all 'Keith Richards' on them! From then on, my bass stays firmly in the case..... [/quote] "Thats when I started carrying a shooter".....

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1361350157' post='1984798'] And another thing. All those who think that other bassists are not to be trusted with a rig presumably think that all the amps and cabs for sale here have been abused to within an inch of their lives and are therefore not worth buying? [/quote] You buy from ebay a lot then? Cabs especially? More fool you...

Crikey Chris, slamming some compression with that snare matey

Okeedokee skip me old mate from the briney... Get yer ears round this then https://soundcloud.com/51m0n-1/mission-ray/s-xnnqG

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1361294157' post='1984093'] Interesting comments. I can understand musicians getting all precious about their actual instruments but amps and cabs? They're just amps and cabs and not exactly delicate are they? And how difficult is it to remember a few eq settings anyway? Prima donnas might be a bit strong . . . but not by much. [/quote] Crikey you must be utterly awash with dosh - 'just amps and cabs'? How about you lend me a couple of grand and then some, its just money! You seem to have ignored the tales on here from people who have had rigs damaged by ignorant morons who claim to know what tehy are doing? At the very least thats expensive to fix, in my case it would be pretty disastrous, I'm not sure I can get ae410 cones anymore, not since Jim B stopped making them (they are non-standard cones specifically for this cab). Amps are breakable, bad things happen, people do dumb stuff with drinks etc. Cabs are breakable, stupid people do stupid things with gains and volumes and EQ and effects that eventually wreck the cones, tweeters or crossovers or whatever. Bad things do happen. If this kit is expensive or hard to replace why would you risk it for some oik who hasnt the decency to attempt arrange anything up front, thus letting you spell it out nicely for them? If someone is desperate for a rig and makes that clear up front, I bring along an Eden Nemesis 40 watt practice amp, they can stick it right up high and keep their head a couple of inches from it, its surprisingly punchy for only 40watts, and can be heard over a drum kit up to a few feet away. If they dont like it, its not my problem now is it? [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1361303328' post='1984302'] Fair point. They sound just as bad as the kids who won't let the other kids use their football. Good job the sound guy lets all the bands use his PA system. [/quote] Nope, now you're sounding more than a little bit simple , the sound guy gets paid for his time and the use of his rig (and his pay will cover the damage his rig will get or he wont be in business for long). I will hire my rig out too, to anyone with enough cash to pay for the hire, and a deposit of my choosing, they must use the rig in the manner in which I tell them it may be used. If they don't stick to the rules, or anything [i]I[/i] consider bad happens to my rig, I keep the deposit. Would that sound OK? By the way the deposit in this case is four grand cash in my hand there and then, the hire charge is one hundred pounds an hour, including transportation time and setup time and waiting around for our chance of glory time. If thats too rich, then sort your own rig out.... Crikey, I had a rig that could gig within a few months of picking up bass, and I worked the worst job in the world for about £1.60 an hour at the time, it was second hand, very old even then (hint to old farts, it lit up green all along the facia when you turned it on - looked very cool in a dead retro kind of a way), heavy as hell, and enormous, but I could hear it over the drums, so it was good enough, and I could fit it in my sh***y Datsun Cherry with the seats down (just). There is no excuse not to have the kit required to gig, unless you dont want to be doing gigs.

Well I've finally sorted the drums out - what a mission that was Once again no samples were used to make the drums sound utterly epic (well they sound epic to me now anyway). I hate using someone elses kit Guitars and vocals left to fineese (bass was already there before I slunk back into the land of the drum).

Not seen a 600x600 one on ebay for less than the Screwfix price, do post a link old bean

Shall we say entries in by Mon 25th polling to start that day? I'm way off pace with this too this month...

Whats you etimated "done for now" date? Given that these projects never really quite end