BigRedX

What's your budget? I'm a Helix user. I bought the full Helix Floor on the assumption that if I went for one of the lesser models, there would be something missing from it that I needed. Both my bands run automated backing tracks from a laptop and I have 1 Helix Preset per song with up to 8 Snapshots within that to cope with all the various effects and tonal changes that I require for each song. All the Preset and Snapshot changes are automated so I don't have to worry about being in the right place on stage to hit a footswitch at the correct moment - one song has sound changes every two bars. Also I use some MIDI CC commands to do things like filter automation. The Helix Floor has both convention MIDI Din sockets and MIDI over USB and seems to work fine by either method. The only caveat to this is some other MIDI devices are not happy about receiving program change commands via the MIDI thru socket of the Helix when the Helix itself is being controlled via MIDI over USB.

So you intend to have a single patch for each song, selected when you load the "crib sheet" for that song? That should be fairly straight forward. AFAICS BandHelper supports sending MIDI program changes. The only possible issue I can see is that MIDI over USB is not a peer-to-peer protocol like traditional MIDI over DIN leads, but requires a controlling host device. So long as your tablet meets this criterion and you have the correct lead to connect the two together it should work.

What exactly do you want to control over MIDI. Simple patch changes or more complex stuff? If its more complex stuff can you give more details?

If I had the money, I'd already have it. Gus G3 Bass VI. Based on the Gus G3 30" scale baritone configuration but with a Shergold Marathon 6 String Bass neck width. Three pickups in the Fender Bass VI positions. Two channel output on an XLR connector and switches for each pick up to send them to each channel or turn them off. Piezo transducers under the saddles for feeding a Roland V-Bass system. One volume control for the magnetic pickups and another for the V-Bass. No other controls. White pearl sparkle finish including the fretboard, and bright chrome on all the metalwork.

How was your gig last night? flipping brilliant! Hurtsfall were playing Goth City 7 in Leeds on the main stage at Boom, opening for Promenade Cinema and Auger. We did Goth City two years ago at a different venue which was good, but this was overall in another league. Sound check was a bit rushed, but we're quick at setting up and as long as our singer can hear himself and we can all hear the drums on the backing track, we can make do. Managed to get a decent on-stage sound just before doors opened. An hour later when we actually came to play, we were surprised to find that not only was the room filling up but there were people right at the front of the stage - normally our singer will try and get them to shuffle forward about half way through the set. By the end of the first song the room was pretty much full and people were cheering like mad - unbelievable! There were a few people done the front who we had never seen at our gigs before, singing along to all the songs - although the very new one had them a bit stumped! Mad applause and whooping and cheering followed the end of every song, and if it wasn't for the fact that the whole evening was on a tight schedule and we'd over-run slightly as our singer has a tendency to waffle a bit between songs, I'd have been tempted to do an encore. I don't like bands that come back to play another song just because a couple of their mates shout "more" - I'm a firm believer that both the band and the audience should earn an encore, and if there hadn't been the time constraints I think in case we'd have been justified. Afterwards we sold nearly all the merch that had brought with us, and lots of people asking when we would be releasing a full album. Both Promenade Cinema (who I'd not seen before) and Auger were excellent, all-in-all a great night of goth-influenced music. No photos so far, but there a couple of professional looking photographers there, so I'll probably be posting some later on.

Has retired from the cable making business and postage to Denmark might not have made them very cost effective even if he was still producing them.

Looks like the new fingerboard has been applied directly over the original one-piece maple neck. I suspect that the finish has worn away from the original fingerboard, and for some reason this was the desired method of fixing it.

Thanks to @MartinB's helpful photo I have got mine assembled and they appear to fit my ears. Unfortunately I haven't been able to play anything through them, because I no longer appear to have a 3.5mm to 1/4" jack adaptor handy. At the moment all the things I want to plug these into have 1/4" sockets and both my other headphones being pro models have 1/4" plugs fitted as standard. Until I find an adaptor or buy a replacement that's it for now...

The cheapest way to get good quality cables to make them yourself using Van Damme cable and Neutrik plugs. Pretty much anything ready made by a largish brand is going to be seriously overpriced. There are some people making custom cables at a decent price (generally using the above components) but all the ones I know are in the UK, so shipping to Denmark will make them too expensive. If you don't want the hassle of making your own, you'll need to find a local equivalent of Designacable. BTW all cables will affect the tone to some degree unless they are only a few feet long, IME when people say a cable isn't affecting the tone what they really mean is it's not affecting the tone in a way they find displeasing.

If I had a spare £2k I'd be seriously considering one of these. I had a JP6 in the 90s which I loved, but it was simply too big and heavy to use live especially when you consider that it was being played by a computer rather than a human being. It was sold and replaced with a Nord Rack. Right now all my synth needs are being met by the plug-ins that come with Logic, but a nice bit of hardware would be appreciated.

Do the controls that aren't present on the original synth become inactive when you load one of the models?

Many thanks. It's not easy to see is it? I needed bright light and a very careful examination of the cable to spot this even after you had pointed in out. Now I know which earpiece goes where and which is left and right time to see if they actually fit my ears!

How much did that cost if you don't mind me asking? I have a very battered Hiscox case that needs a bit of refurbishment, and that sound like an excellent addition to be done at the same time.

That's most likely your problem. Try again with them all turned off in the room, as well as any in adjacent rooms and corridors.

It may well be on eBay because those sellers are prepared to deal with foreign customers while the shop that actually has it in stock is not, and unless you know someone in Japan (who is Japanese or can speak it perfectly) who can go to the shop in person and buy it for you, buying in this way on eBay might be the only way to get the bass in question.

What about the TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2?

I've found that as I've got older, I've got more tolerant about the kinds of music I am happy playing. Up to my early 40s I would have never entertained the possibility of playing in some of the bands I've joined since then.

Do you have either fluorescent lights or dimmer switches in the problem room?

IME most pedals are aimed at guitar and bass instruments and although there are some companies like TC Electronic who make pedals for vocals, however you will need something with a mic level input (which guitar pedals don't have) and in XLR format. All the serious stuff to do what you want will be in the form of rack mounting gear and would be plumbed into your mixer using a channel insert.

I expect the shipping from Japan will be significantly over £100 these days. It was around the £150 mark for the last bass (plus hard case) I bought from Ishibashi and that was probably 10 years ago.

Could work. Time for a technical rehearsal to see if it does. For a situation like this, you'll probably be much better off with a decent parametric EQ with at least 4 bands all with level frequency and Q controls, or a graphic with a lot more bands than those on the Boss so you can hone in on just the problem frequencies.

Without actually being able to see how the desk was configured while you were playing you have no idea which sound sources are being routed to the FoH speakers. With my producer's/engineer's hat on if someone asked me to mic up their bass cab I'd do it. Whether I actually utilised that channel is another matter entirely.

That's great! thanks. One final question which way around does the cable go? the plugs on the cable are flush on one side and slightly indented on the other. Which side faces outwards? I tried to take a photo to show this but with the mouldings being transparent it isn't even remotely obvious. If necessary I'll post a diagram later today.

I always found that even with more modern cabs with better dispersion I could only hear myself from my rig when I was stood directly in front of it. Fine if your the sort of musician who never moves about on stage, but for me the whole point of a big stage is to be able to throw some proper "shapes". With foldback I've been lost the moment I stepped away from my rig.

Not necessarily the DI may well be taken directly from the bass guitar before it reaches the amp. Unless you are using rack-mounted devices in the effects loop of the amp this will be the source that most PA engineers are keen to use. Plus IME much of the EQ used on the amp will be overcoming the limitations of the cab. In nearly all rigs the "sound" is that of the amp and cabs working together, since this is near impossible to capture on stage, most PA engineers won't even bother.