BigRedX

I'm still using the software that I downloaded a year ago when I bought mine, but it works perfectly with my 2010 MacPro running High Sierra, as well as the slightly newer MacBook Pro we use live. The only thing to watch is that the pedals are hinged at the front because it is designed primarily to be used by streamers who are at down in front of their computer. That means that you have to press down at the back of the pedal to get definite result, which is not what we as musicians are used to in pedals, and takes a while to get comfortable with especially standing up which how I use it.

IME trying out a bass amp or cab in a shop is almost completely pointless. The only true test is what it sounds like in the rehearsal room or at a gig with the rest of your band playing.

That may be tongue in cheek but there's an element of through in the statement. Someone else recently posted about a musical equipment company that was offering all their big old heavy amps a virtually bargain-bin prices and still had no takers. I suspect that a large number of people hiring these rigs have them entirely for show and will only by switching them on if it would override be obvious that they were simply stage props. IME these days by the time you are playing stages big enough so that this kind of rig is drowning out the rest of the band, the PA and foldback you are using will have already completely surpassed it.

I use an Elgato Stream Deck Pedal to control playback of our computer backing live. It's three pedals that can be configured to send any commands you want. I use mine with Logic and is set up so the main pedal sends a "space bar" command for play/pause; the left pedal is "return" which goes back to the beginning of the song; and the right pedal triggers a macro (using the Keyboard Maestro utility) that closes the current song, switches to the Finder, scrolls down one file in the list on opens that song. The pedal can also be configured with different command sets for different applications, although I haven't needed that functionality so far. It is relatively expensive, but is far more solidly built than a lot of pedals I have seen for supposed gig-worthy devices and it connects via USB which makes it more reliable than the wireless versions.

Before I got my first multi-effects unit, I had a 14U wheeled rack case containing individual effects unit - some proper rack-mounted devices and others modified to fit in the case, all controlled by huge bank of pedals connected by a fat cable snake to the various units. I would have a little diagram next to each song in the set list to show which switches needed to be off or on. Once I'd done that there was usually no time left to manually change any the the actual effects parameters, so either I'd compromise on a single setting for all the songs, or multiple instances of the the same effect. The whole lot was replaced with a 1U Roland GP8. Although by modern standards it was incredibly primitive - just 8 effects in a fixed order with only a handful of parameters for each effect, it did nearly everything my previous set up was capable off, but in a far more reliable and consistent manner. And while some sounds weren't quite as good as before most of them were far better because I could have a distortion, EQ or flanger speed for tailored not only for each song, but also for each part of that song where it needed to change, and even more importantly they would all be right every time we played that song. Conversely I've been in bands with musicians who appear to be re-inventing the wheel every time they set up their (often very expensive boutique) pedals and waste valuable rehearsal and sound-checking time struggling to get their sound. Whereas I plug in whatever multi-effect device I'm currently using, select the patch for the first song and I'm ready to go.

Following on from our fantastic gig at Leeds Goth City 7 last weekend Hurtsfall announce the following gigs for September: 8 September Goth is What You Make It with Cold In Berlin & Inward Strange The Chapel at The Angel Microbrewery, NOTTINGHAM 16 September The Gothic Gathering The Victoria Bikers Pub, COALVILLE 29 September HRH Goth II O2 Academy, SHEFFIELD 30 September An Evening of Contemporary Gothic Music IV with Chaos Bleak & The Medea Project Underworld Via Fossa, NOTTINGHAM

IME each courier service is only as good as the weakest link in the chain which generally tends to be either the collection or delivery depot/driver.

As a multi-effects user for almost 35 years now the convenience of having everything in one box with user programmable memories that can be recalled to give you exactly the sound your wanted at the push of a button more than out-weigh any supposed lack of sound quality. I say supposed, because firstly I never been in a position where I have been able to do a direct A/B comparison between any modelled amp/cab/effect and the "real thing", and TBH I really don't care, so long as the sound that come out of the device is a sound that I want. Secondly IME most analogue devices show degrees of variation between example, so who is to say which variation is the one to be aiming for? Thirdly most modern multi-effects (especially the modellers line Line6 will have multiple versions of the same effect, so if for instance you don't like one chorus model there's another 2 or 3 to chose from. One of them will almost always give you a usable sound. When I'm putting a pre-set together I always go on the ultimate sound and not what the individual building blocks are - for instance I don't use many amp models, and when I do they are often "guitar" amps because I like the sound that they give me. For me that's one of the great things about software modelling, in that you can use sims that you would never dream of putting a bass guitar through at any volume in "real life", but because it's just a model the worst that can happen is you won't like the sound it produces. My current multi-effects of choice is the Helix Floor. I chose this one based on the assumption that if I went for a lesser model, I'd find something sooner or later that I needed that only the top of the range version would do. For me the LED "scribble-strips" have become absolutely invaluable, so I'm glad that I did go for the full version. I can have a separate preset for each song (and use the Snapshot function for variations within the song itself), which has all the effects tweaked so that my sound is exactly right for the overall band mix each time. After all the other instruments all use different sounds, so the bass needs to change even if it is only slightly to fit into the new mix. The set list function means that I can re-arrange the presets in the correct order for a gig in seconds and then just use the next preset button to select the right sound for the next song (although this has now been superseded by using the computer that also plays our backing to automatically change presets for each song and snapshots within the songs without me needing to be at the pedal to do so and I can concentrate on playing and putting on a performance). I do all my major editing on the computer using the HX Edit application, but the editing on the device is easy to make tweaks in the rehearsal room to fine tune the sounds completely painless. The Zoom devices do look like very good VFM. The only downside I have recently discovered is that the cheaper models don't have MIDI so they can't be really be integrated into a more complex set up (and they would definitely not meet my requirements).

Unless the mistake is so bad that it brings the song grinding to a halt within the first 60 seconds of it starting, most of the audience won't even have noticed that it has occurred. Stop over-thinking and just go out and play.

Programmable multi-effects and a couple of technical rehearsals in a decent sized room with your PA will sort that out completely.

I hardy ever use reverb as it tends to make what I play sound mushy and indistinct. However I use lots of delay always synchronised to the tempo of the song. This helps to fill out the sound in the band that's only drum machine, synthesiser, bass VI and vocals.

I've done few festivals where due to the lovely English weather most of my cables ended up with a coating of grime and mud. They simply went into the washing up - hot water and an eco-friendly washing up liquid. Then hung outside on the washing line to dry with the plugs (jack and XLR) undone to make sure there was no moisture left inside them. Some my cables have been through this process several times and all are still working perfectly.

I sold the last of my 4-string basses a couple of years ago. I now own just two 5-strings and three Bass VIs.

For me the Eastwood Hooky is the end of a long search to find a Bass VI that I actually found playable. I started with an impulse buy of a Squier Bass VI when I had no real need for one, but found that I liked the concept even if the neck was ridiculously narrow even by guitar standards. Then the guitarist from one of the bands I play in decide to leave, I suggested that we try with me playing Bass VI and the synth moving from mainly textures to actual tunes, and we found that it worked perfectly. Having an actual use for the instrument meant that I was more aware than ever that the neck was simply too narrow for me. At the time I was expecting that I would end up with something custom made, as I found the next best thing - a Burns Barracuda - was only slightly more playable for me. Then Eastwood announced the Hooky and I immediately put down my deposit. I'd briefly played an original Shergold Marathon 6-String Bass in the early 80s as someone I knew had one, so I could recall the neck being significantly wider. The first batch coincided with Covid and took about 10 months from my initial order to actually getting the bass in my hands, but straight away I could tell it was worth it. Songs that were always a struggle to play live because I kept tripping up over the tight string spacing for chunky bass strings were now as effortless as they should be. I play mine direct into a Helix, and then straight into either the PA or an FRFR cab, which is absolutely necessary for me as I tend to switch between "bass" and "guitar" parts on the Bass VI. One new song has sections where I change every two bars! My band Hurtsfall have a new single "Tilting" out on Friday 21st July which really shows off what can be done with the Eastwood Hooky - there's bass parts, guitar parts, harmonic chords (I have mine tuned EADGCE) and a big "bass solo" in the middle. I'll stick some links up when it's been released. In the mean time here a shot of me playing it from when Hurtsfall supported Skeletal Family at the lending Room in Leeds last year:

There are lots of different Thunderbirds even in just the Epiphone range, with different constructions, pickups and electronics. Whether any of them are for you will depend on what you want. There's even a version that is essentially a Fender P-J Bass but with the non-reverse Thunderbird body shape.

The "manual" is somewhat ambiguous. The one that came with my IEMs says: Under a drawing showing both the earpieces and plugs at the end of the cable, without actually saying which parts are marked "L" and "R". The immediate assumption is to look on the earpieces since they are bigger and actually have room for the markings. I'll be putting a discrete colour blob on mine to allow me to quickly see which is which in low-light conditions - i.e. at your typical gig.

All the connections appear to be there for both MIDI In and Out, however because they share a common ground, in making up a TRS Jack to 2 x 5-pin DIN connectors you'll be potentially creating an earth loop between the MIDI In and Out at the other end of the cable. In a way I can see why Meris have done this. It allows them to use one of the existing sockets on their pedals as a MIDI connection using a reasonably gig-proof connector (1/4" jack). From an electrical PoV separate 3.5mm mini-jacks for MIDI in and out would be better, but they're not as robust unless the pedal and everything it connects to for MIDI live permanently on a pedal board. MIDI over USB isn't really MIDI, it's just a communication protocol that allows MIDI-type data to for end between devices. However unlike traditional MIDI which is a peer-to-peer protocol, MIDI over USB requires one of the devices (usually the computer) to be the "host" which controls the transmission of data to everything else. Also IMO USB connectors (especially the smaller ones like USB C) have no business being on equipment that is intended for serious gigging use. They and the cables they come with simply aren't robust enough. (Even though I use a USB C connection for the foot pedal used to control our backing - I carry a spare - and the pedal itself is not mission-critical, just convenient).

If this is the venue I'm thinking of, I'm amazed that you fitted in there!

I don't think @nilorius is from Latvia at all. It's probably The Big Beef Chief doing a Samuel K Amphong at our expense. Admit it now - I've sussed you out...

Having looked at the manual for the Meris MIDI I/O it looks as though you can do what you want with a 5-pin DIN to TRS jack. However this is only possible because Meris have chosen to ignore the MIDI conventions designed to protect your MIDI equipment and prevent ground loops and hum on the audio side. Using a single three conductor cable for both MIDI in and MIDI out means that you dispense with both screening isolation, and opt-isloation of the data signal. IMO you use at your own risk.

@bloke_zero has beaten me to it. Some additional information. Traditional MIDI uses three conductors in the cables with 5-pin DIN sockets on them. Two for the data and one for the screen/earth. On the MIDI In socket, all of these connections should be isolated from the receiving device. The screen is simply terminates at the socket and should not be connected to the earth of the receiving device. Similarly the two conductors transmitting the data are onto-isolated from the rest of the circuitry. MIDI was design this way from the ground up to stop it from forming earth loops with the audio side of your gear. Therefore if you are getting earth hum it shouldn't be caused by your MIDI connections. The very original MIDI spec suggested XLR connectors but this was over-ruled by the Japanese manufacturers who want to keep costs down by using 5-pin DIN instead. These days the situation is even worse with all sorts of plugs and sockets masquerading as MIDI connections. Some are actual MIDI connections and some like the socket on your Meris Pedal need additional devices to make them function in the same way. Also the original MIDI spec said that if your device sports MIDI connectors other than the traditional 5-pin DIN it should be supplied with a suitable adaptor. My Tenori-On which has a multi-way mini DIN socket came with a lead that terminated in MIDI In and Out in-line sockets. Unfortunately you are almost definitely going to need the expensive adaptor box if your want MIDI control of your Meris pedal. If it was possible to use a single TRS jack to supply both MIDI In and Out, there would be no isolation of either the screen or the data connection which would almost certainly lead to earth loops and hum.

It will depend on how you tune it. If like @Dood you're going down to F# with that 6th string then maybe yes. Or if your are venturing into Bass VI (30" scale tuned an octave lower than a guitar) territory than definitely yes. However I've always found that 34" scale makes anything played on the high C string sound like bad jazz guitar, and I've not yet found a short scale bass with a low B string that I could get on with (I know that are others on here who will disagree with that, but I favour an extra heavy B string even for 34" scale). Also I've been playing 5-string basses since 1989 when I came back to playing bass after having spent most of the 80s playing synths, and found the additional low notes useful, plus I found that now the E string wasn't at the edge of the neck "disco octaves" using that string were much easier for me than before. Apart from a brief time in the 2000s when I was also playing fretless bass and couldn't find a decent 5-string one, I haven't played a 4-string bass apart from on a few studio sessions. These days I play 34" 5-string bass with one band and Bass VI with another. In the end it's all down to personal taste.

After 3 or 4 gigs in a row where I was asked by the PA engineer to turn down on stage so much that I could hear the bass guitar louder from the guitarist's monitor on the other side of the stage then I could from my own rig immediately behind me, I sold all my bass (and guitar) amplification and bought an FRFR to use in rehearsals and those few gigs I do where the PA foldback isn't up to the job of letting me hear myself.

I've just had a look at the B1 Four manual and there is absolutely no mention of MIDI. The USB port appears to be for powering the device or using the editing app on a computer. In fact AFAICS none of the Zoom Bass Multi-effects have MIDI functionality. The B3n mentions MIDI over USB in the specification, but absolutely no mention of how this works or what MIDI commands are received or transmitted is mentioned in the manual. Unless the hack actually works and you are happy doing it, I'd be looking elsewhere for multi-effects with MIDI facilities.

Playing an Esh Poseidon no less. Impressive!