BassTractor

It's been some years since I investigated MIDI keyboards, but from what I read on Gearslutz, the Arturia is very shoddily built also as to other aspects than the keys themselves. I think there's no reason to take the risk, seeing as there are so many alternatives. Nobody really raves about the Akai, but they do seem to be well satisfied with Akai's keyboards, both as to key response and as to build quality. As an Akai Miniak (a synth) owner, I concur that the Akai keys are quite adequate. The NI seems well regarded. I can't say anything about the others, but I personally went for a few M-Audio KeyStation models as their semi-weighted keys are not too bad. However, when I did, I was surprised by the following: some of the models (they come in many lengths, from 25 to 88 keys IMS) come with manuals that implicitly state you can use USB MIDI at the same time as a 9V wall wart, whilst other manuals state you'll ruin the keyboard if you use both. As I use several of them, and one can't expect the computer to deliver enough power, I use a powered USB hub for them. This seems to work well. Also the different KeyStation models come with different ports for pedals (like Volume and Hold) as well as MIDI. Be aware of this. In the end, whilst I wanted 49- or 61-key boards, I felt forced to buy the 88-key version as it was the only one that had it all and was flexible enough. That said, I think it's very much a case of how well adapted the key action is to your needs and your experience level. If you're only entering individual notes one by one, and use a DAW to edit the velocity data afterwards, then any action will do. If you need full piano control over velocity, then only a good piano action board will do. Personally, I never use the M-Audio for piano sounds, and instead use my trusty piano-action board for those (a Yamaha KX-88 from the mid 80s).

Cool and lovable. Thanks for posting. Can't remember ever having heard of this.

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1452241611' post='2947868'] Is your band any good at Metal? [/quote] Dunno really. We hope we are, but most of our songs are so short that we haven't heard enough of them to know whether they really are Metal. We call our style Decay, or sometimes Fragile Metal.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1452206412' post='2947736'] failed to notice the protective film on the p/g [/quote] You're not the first, and you won't be the last. There must be a special switch in the human brain specifically for allowing or not allowing the needed "protective film" thought, as I've heard this story literally dozens of times - often from people with an actual brain. Don't know who or what controls this switch. Anyway, good luck with the rest of the proceedings.

At any rate, it's not gonna happen. There's rules for this, you know, and there's no way they're naming yet another element after a rock icon after my own band Ununoctium received this honour recently.

Congrats! Luvverly machines, those. Personally, I haven't found a richer, deeper hardware synth than the Blofeld below the £1K mark. You probably already know this, but just in case, as well as for other readers: It's not hard to start with a Blofeld (mastering its depth is a different matter), but one has to be aware of its OS glitches. Personally I'd not use it live for parts that need to be perfect. That said, depending on who you ask, OS v1.22 or v1.23 is said to be quite stable. Also, reportedly Waldorf have retracted v1.23 from the market for some time, in order to iron out the last glitches, so it should be near perfect once it's re-released. Have fun!

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1452087902' post='2946235'] Do VHS players even exist anymore? [/quote] Of course they do. I just bought a used one from Cash Converters for no more than £3,000. Bargain!

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1452078411' post='2946094'] "Van der Graaf Generator" and "recognisable" don't sit together well [/quote] You know, I probably didn't understand the word "recognisable" really well. From the last pages of this thread, I get the impression it's about "many people recognising", whereas I took it to mean something like "so specific that you'd recognise it under any circumstance (given of course that you'd heard the song before)". You Brits are a strange lot, using your own language in a way that you yourselves understand perfectly!

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1452034677' post='2945858'] Scott, Virgil, Alan etc. [/quote] So what did you call the pink one?

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1452000296' post='2945329'] Anyone suffered this themselves? [/quote] Not me! My bass case with mould on the tolex was not in the attic, but had been kept in the middle of the house. (I just found it a few days ago, and concluded the walls of that built-in cupboard do not isolate well enough against an adjourning room with shower and washing machine - a room that's kept cold and with always open window. Time to rethink!) Lightly spray with a mix of vinegar and water (making it 3 to 4 percent of pure vinegar, I think, but check the web first), and clean water afterwards. I've used this method without adverse effects, and without smell afterwards (at least not after some days). If there's no mould in the seams, I'd tape those before spraying though. [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1452013064' post='2945543'] This is why I'd never leave instruments in the loft. There was a thread recently, I thought it odd that people did. I was in our loft last night and it was freezing, in the summer it's ridiculously hot. [/quote] Same here. In our present house, thousands of books were ruined in the loft due to conditions like you describe. Then again I guess many lofts are well insulated. In fact, now I think of it, in Holland I lived right under the roof without any problem.

One, or a very few, name(s) crept in when keeping the basses nameless meant I needed too many words. Kermit then was one of the green Bongos. However, it didn't last, and Kermit once again simply became: "that green Bongo over there no the other one yes that one".

Van der Graaf: "Pioneers over C" Tune in at slightly before 2:19 or 5:47 or 14:33 (or just listen to the whole thing of course - it's only 17 minutes long). For the uninitiated: yes, they are indeed Van der Graaf Generator. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juPZ-oJBd10[/media]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1451828451' post='2943727'] Looks like a Carl Thompson..... [/quote]

In seriousness though, I think The-Ox possibly needed sleep instead of another drink at that late hour, and only wrote "similar" when he really meant "different". Reading the OP like that, it seems to make more sense to me. In case, I concur with what already has been written by others: it's not easy, but rewarding in several areas. In my mind, the first thing to do then is to forbid oneself to look at C-major as simple, and at anything with black keys as difficult. Black keys are your friends when finding your way around the keyboard, and as a mnemonic for playing many parts.

[quote name='taunton-hobbit' timestamp='1451825380' post='2943691'] Something like this? [/quote] A bit amateuristic for a bass player, don't you think? No, he rather needs a professional instrument. One like this: [URL=http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/Swiss%20army%20bass%20342_zps4hfgafoz.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/Swiss%20army%20bass%20342_zps4hfgafoz.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1451756803' post='2943163'] If BC is currently oftenly mostly correct, I musht be mostly lefty-handed in the mirror [/quote]

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1451749295' post='2943084'] Normally if I'm drunk I rotate the other way... [/quote] Nope. BC is most oftenly mostly correct. Your mirror is most oftenly mostly wrong.

[quote name='acidbass' timestamp='1451484269' post='2940855'] Over 50% of bass atrocities can be attributed to Mark King The other half to Jaco! [/quote] ...but like everyone else, you criminally overlook my contribution to this planet, and to bass atrocities specifically. Then again, you probably didn't hear me live. Some guys have all the luck.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1451152970' post='2938589'] Well, in fairness if you want a 70s bass that looks like this, but has functional truss rods, and is assembled using glue that still holds the body wings & fretboard on - then buy a Japanese one. [/quote] Hahahaha! Fantastic answer!

[quote name='Phonder' timestamp='1451135170' post='2938466'] Thanks a lot! You're an absolute life saver! [/quote] Yes, he is. You're lucky these basses are made in Japan.

Yup. You're just being a ponce. Just like me. I'll always buy from local businesses, and have yet to order [b]anything[/b] from 46610 Besixdouze (or even planet B-612 for that matter). Seriously though, I do recognise the sentiment, and suffer way too much from it myself, but then I try to remember that that shop will hardly have the loyalty to me that I extend to them. That uses to help.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1451127121' post='2938397'] Don't worry Jack, I'll never change mine. [/quote] Edit to add that I'm happy you did away with the terrible Canon mug. Everyone knows Nikon mugs are a lot better.

[quote name='Behlmene' timestamp='1451096353' post='2938309'] Bah!! Humbug!! [/quote]

Well, I had an exciting career in death metal. *) I never had a career in hair metal. Death metal for me then. *) "career": noun(f) (plural: careers)[color=#000000][font=Cambria, Georgia,] [/font][/color][size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif] [color=#000000]/kəˈrɪə/[/color][/font][/size] : 1| the act of being thanked in a local band's CD booklet.

I for one am not reading this. I am writing this. That and I'm alone, and Norwegian Christmas Eve was yesterday, and the ex and kids are having dinner upstairs and I need something to keep the dark thoughts under control.