tauzero

I think I'm worth £10,000 per gig. But when I ask for it, for some reason I don't get it. As you're an expert, perhaps you could tell me where I'm going wrong.

I've got a Line 6 G50 on the pedalboard that is rarely deployed and a Smoothhound which I use for most gigs (different bands). I also recently picked up a cheap bug type from Ebay - Muslady WP-1 which is a 2.4GHz unit. G50 - solid build, works well. Did have dropouts but that was when running it at low output. Smoothhound - no complaints except the annoying reversed polarity of the power supply. Muslady - seems to work OK. Got it for home and rehearsals so I didn't have a lead trailing around. Flimsy casing. I have yet to do a proper A-B test to check sound quality and latency.

Just catching up, and viewing this on a phone, I thought the bit on the right was a Teddy bear with the top of its head cut off and its brains scooped out. Hoping to make this bash, I'll sort out things to bring when I'm back home in a week.

Can't remember the details but I used an LED strip from Ebay (IIRC the devices were 5050) that included a power supply and remote control. I used small cable ties to hold it in place behind the grill. See

The Danny Steel Orchestra.

I happened to see an item in the Line 6 forums which mentioned a change to the MIDI CC messages in v3.10 of the Helix software which is relevant to the various DIY switches that we've got. There is now a dedicated preset up/down CC message, so rather than changing mode, sending a FS1/FS2 message, then changing mode again, you can just send CC 72 with the value 64-127 to increment (preset up) and 0-63 to decrement (preset down). Less messing around and will speed things up a little as there's no need to put in delays after changing mode (that's a whole 200mS it'll save in my switcher).

Of course, if you were selling a £300 bass for £3000, you'd make sure the pictures weren't in focus.

Oh, and hello again @Sarah5string - hadn't spotted you were back after your brief 11 year hiatus.

I like mine.

What do you use for the artwork and lettering? And is that just over a plain box?

HX Edit is now up to v3.11, as is HX firmware.

McMillen 12-step with chords programmed in and MIDI sound module. I was using a string sound but after having built my soft synth module, I may also go for a large swelling organ. But mostly I don't use that, just carry on playing. With what the HX Stomp gives to me, I may also do 15-string emulation, having used an actual 10-string quite effectively on one track.

A Variax.

You want prunes and custard for dessert? Each to their own.

My minimalist board-which-isn't-actually-on-a-board is a Smoothhound wireless and Zoom MS-60B. It might simplify life a little if I did put it on a mini board, thinking about it.

Not quite an effect - a softsynth module. A Squishbox, based on https://geekfunklabs.com/products/squishbox/ but I've been doing some extra programming. I first saw https://www.instructables.com/id/Raspberry-Pi-Stompbox-Synth-Module/ which was superseded by https://geekfunklabs.com/products/squishbox/ The intention was to build a unit that could be powered by a guitar effects 9V power supply of sufficient current capacity, controlled from a USB MIDI port, and outputting via a 5102 sound board to 1/4" jacks. I didn't bother with a DIN MIDI IN. I also decided to go for a 20x4 display rather than the 16x2 display of the original, which gave the possibility of extra information. The 5.5/2.1mm power socket goes to a KBP307G bridge rectifier to provide reverse voltage protection (any bridge rectifier with a maximum current of 3A or more will do) and then to a buck converter set to 5V. This 5V feed goes to a protoboard that is also used to mount the 5102 board and male headers for the display and footswitches. The 5102 board itself has a further male header for the output sockets. On one I used Dupont cables With the way I've mounted this, the whole will fit (snugly) into a 1590BBS Hammond box. I've made another one in a 1590C box which gives somewhat more room. There isn't a problem with digital crosstalk even with the sound card sandwiched between the protoboard and the Pi. The one in the larger box has the soundcard on the other side of the protoboard - there's no difference in interference levels, ie. none. The display is mounted on brass M3 spacers with 6mm of stand-off which are epoxied into the box (Araldite Rapid was useless, J-B Weld has proved rather better). The Pi is mounted on 25mm M2.5 countersunk bolts with a nut and washer holding the Pi, then a 10mm nylon spacer, then the protoboard, then nylon M2.5 nuts. I've put heatshrink around the power supply components. Note that the power connector must have the sleeve isolated from the case, as the case is attached to 0V and the sleeve of a Boss-type PSU with centre negative is +9V. The power connector I finally used isn't the one shown here - it's a plastic-bodied one with the thread at the business end so it fits from behind the panel and I can remove it along with the protoboard if I need to dismantle it. I got some audible interference when I first assembled it, caused when metalwork on the Pi USB and network sockets touched the case. I made the cutout a little larger and put heatshrink round the sockets. Problem solved. I've been indulging in a bit of Python programming to modify the original, as I was using the I2C interface rather than the parallel interface which meant an awful lot of soldering. My version will also play songs (.wav, .mp3, or .ogg) and playlists (just a list of files to play) so set break music can be supplied.

I've made myself a squishbox. Software synth module, uses soundfont files. Open source, so I've also programmed it to be able to play songs.

I've just had a little play and in legato mode (which is what I use), pressing Select briefly put it into Select mode. When I looked at the Settings tab, Select sensitivity was set about halfway up. I reverted it to the default setting (reset select sensitivity button) and that changed it so a brief press on Select stopped the notes, a longer press put it into Select mode. So I think that what Mr McMillen defines as sensitivity and what I define as sensitivity might vary.

Isn't that for Hold mode? Press select once to go into Normal mode and switch off all notes, again to go back into Legato mode. Doing it this way means I just have to do one press to stop the note and I don't mess up which mode it's toggled into. I'll have an experiment with it in Legato.

I use a McMillen 12-step for this with one band - so I can play strings or similar to fill out the sound on guitar soloes. I use it in legato mode, so the notes play until I play another note. Bottom C is programmed with no notes at all so I can stop it. It will also be in use with the prog band, but as we have a keyboard player, it'll probably just be doing a Taurus impression. I've done the simultaneous keys and bass thing too, just for one song ages ago. I think I was just playing Am and G for the section I used keys and bass together, nothing in the slightest bit clever.

Zombie thread revival... Has anyone other than Steve Lawson bought or experimented with a MOD unit, either a Duo/Duo X or a Dwarf?

I bought a pair recently on the basis of a recommendation in an earlier thread on the same subject. Very pleased with them. I bought them because I'd got my home office set up with sound system and wanted to put the Sennheiser HD20somethings (now obsolete) in there, and I'm very impressed by the ATs.

I had an email from Steve Bailey telling me that the webinar is going to be edited and then will be available for viewing (you've probably all had it too). I find playing vibrato the proper fretless way very awkward, for some reason. I resist side to side vibrato when playing fretless but I really must work on it.

Aaaaand there's a bug fix to the firmware, 3.11 is now out but still uses HX Edit 3.10.

Not sure how I managed to break that URL, paul_5 has posted the correct version of it. I think all the ones who mentioned acoustic bass said they used flats on them. I may get some flats for the acoustic bass I never use. Also, Steve Bailey made the point that none of them mentioned damage to fretboards as anything to do with their decision of which string to use. If anyone tells me my playing is out, I'll just tell them it's village tuning.