Silvia Bluejay

Hey guys (and gals)! I can't be there but I'm sure one or more of you will have a camera and perhaps a recorder? Would be good to have a few pics and/or some footage. Bash newbies, feel free to click on my bass blog link in my signature, and you'll see what really happens at a bash.

The band returned to the newly spruced-up Luna Lounge in Leytonstone last Saturday, and a great time was had by all. Full album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskTDV1oP

Not sure if my comparison of the Half-rounds with the Chromes can be of any use to you, as a Pro Steels fan, but here it is anyway: [url="https://www.facebook.com/notes/silvia-bluejay/bluejay-plays-daddario-enr71sl-half-rounds-for-the-first-time/10153681854922418"]Review/Note on Bluejay's Facebook Profile[/url]

Yup, both devices did the best of a bad job and the SX40 came out on top in our opinion.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1485721688' post='3226160'] Strange.. my Q4n doesn't sound like that at all (see previous clips), but then again I wasn't in the room. The SX40 clip is clipping. Honest. [/quote] We have to agree to differ, also because the volume in the room was almost intolerable, so it didn't sound that good in the first place. I'm done with buying Zoom products, I'm afraid.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1485721174' post='3226148'] All of which will add up to more than £250, I'm guessing? [/quote] I certainly didn't pay £400 for my then brand-new SX40 5 years ago. Regardless, all I wanted from the Zoom wasn't for it to be a DSLR, it just needed to record audio and film video properly. Whatever I paid for the SX40 also covered the huge built-in optical zoom, the equally huge digital zoom, the excellent software, the fact that it's mostly made of metal versus the cheap, lightweight plastic of the Zoom, and the fact it took great photos (although it's now obsolescent from that point of view)...

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1485721129' post='3226146'] Ta. OK.. obviously I don't know how it sounded in the room, but: I agree the Q4n sounds a bit dense. Maybe a little bit of a nudge to give it some air would sort that out? Maybe it was duff? The SX40 has more ambience, but it's clipping so much it's - IMO - unlistenable. Did you have the mics set to XY on the Qn4? [/quote] It wasn't a duff (or the guys at GuitarGuitar would have noticed and undoubtedly told me...). Yes it was set to XY, and no amount of tweaking or prodding could persuade it to perform. The video from the SX40 sounds absolutely fine when played on the latest apps on win10 for instance, I can't hear any clipping.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1485720556' post='3226135'] It might be 5 years old, but the SX40 was still a £400 camera with a decent bit of glass on it. I don't think you can expect a the Q4n to compete. What mic are you using? [/quote] No extra mic on the SX40 - it's got a built-in stereo mic. The DSLR I use for filming has a decent, but mono, mic, and I'm currently plugging into the camera's microphone input a small stereo mic which I might have to replace with a more expensive version in the future.

Comparison files below. They are both .MOV files straight from each device, no conversion or editing whatsoever. One clip is truncated, but there's enough of it for a comparison. [url="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/90710763/Canon%20SX40.MOV"]Canon SX40 version[/url] [url="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/90710763/Zoom%20Q4n.MOV"]Zoom Q4n version[/url]

I'm re-uploding the .MOV files to my Dropbox. Due to their size, I'll leave them there only for a day or so, or they'll clog my space. The guys from GuitarGuitar never commented about my observation regarding the sound quality that can't be reproduced on PC. I'm absolutely sure it was nothing to do with us, as we tried on different machines (as I explain above). For my live recordings I am now still using the old Canon SX40, which wasn't a DSLR or even a bridge camera, just a slightly bigger version of a compact. I pair it with an entry-level DSLR with an additional stereo microphone; the DSLR gives us better image quality but the sound isn't as good as the SX40.

I had forgotten about this thread! I feel I must mention my my thoroughly unpleasant experience of the Zoom Q4n. I bought one late last year, and had to send it back and ask for a refund - not because ot was defective, but because its performance wasn't up to scratch. I bought it from GuitarGuitar who were excellent in reading the email I sent them (quoted below), checking the comparison links I sent to them in a later email, and admitting I was perfectly right. They offered a full refund and I can't recommend them enough. This is my experience with the Zoom Q4n, as told to the guys at GuitarGuitar. [quote]Hello guys, I need your opinion and help on the Zoom Q4n I bought last week. You see, we are extremely disappointed with its performance. It's so bad I describe it as not being fit for purpose. It's not that the device malfunctions - or at least I don't think so; the matter is, its output, both audio and video, is just not up to scratch. I bought the Zoom to replace the device we are currently using to film the band: a Canon Powershot SX40, a 4-year-old photocamera which also happens to be able to record video and stereo audio pretty well. You would think that a brand-new, specialised video camera would be a huge improvement, wouldn't you? Well, I was wrong. Just to set the record straight, I did read the Zoom manual, and follow it to the letter. One of the strong points of the Zoom was supposed to be its plug-and-play capability, that is, choose a scene among the pre-sets, choose the audio quality, press REC, and off you go. 1. To start with, there is a weird thing to keep in mind. If footage is recorded in anything above WAV 44.1KHz/16bit, the audio cannot be reproduced on PC - any PC: we have tried four different machines with a variety of operating systems. I imagine that's because the computer's audio card or whatever isn't able to handle the vast quantity of data that high quality audio carries. Nowhere in the manual or in the pre-purchase online blurb does it get mentioned that you will have to drastically reduce the audio quality setting on the recorder in order to listen to it on PC and convert it to youtube or similar. 2. The Zoom's performance in the two settings I have extensivelhy tested, low light (Low Light Concert) and flashing lights (Dance Club) is pitiful. Since the low light setting especially was what I specifically bought it for (taking video of bands in a variety of usually poorly-lit venues, which the old Canon photocamera struggles to do), this is absolutely unforgivable. I have recorded three gigs using the Zoom as well as the old Canon. The latter totally wiped the floor with the Zoom: you can actually see what happens on stage, while the Zoom shows you little more than one dark blob. The only improvement is that it's a dark blob which has a slightly higher resolution. Not good enough. 3. The Zoom's performance audio-wise is also abysmal. Again comparing the Zoom to the Canon camera, and with both devices' audio set to automatic gain, the lack of voume and depth in the recording by the Zoom is positively disconcerting. While some of that may be due to being forced to lower the audio quality setting (as per point 1) in the Zoom, the Canon's audio quality is also equally low to start with (or we wouldn't be able to listen to it on the computer), and yet it once again wipes the floor with the Zoom. I can let you have snippets of footage from both devices, to see and hear for yourself. Now my question is - have I been sent a sub-par device, and would I be happier with a straight replacement, or is the Zoom Q4n really a bad buy in general? What's your experience? We have used older Zoom models both for audio only and for audio+video, and always been happy. I am now tempted to believe that the company is resting on its reputation and has released a dud, and hopes we won't notice. If this is the audio and video quality that all Zoom Q4n devices offer, then it's definitely not fit for purpose, and I will have to return it and ask for a refund. [/quote] So, the Zoom may look nice if you have no other device for a straight comparison, but watch out if you are already using a decent piece of kit, as in my experience you are likely to be disappointed.

I have created a Facbook event for [url="https://www.facebook.com/events/254765368291418/"]Basschat at the LBGS[/url] and mentioned this thread.

I have created a Facebook event for [url="https://www.facebook.com/events/254765368291418/"]Basschat at the LBGS[/url]!

+1 for Trevor's Wal blog, and his other suggestions. In addition to those, worth a mention is Ariane Cap's bass blog, part of her teaching site. [url="https://arisbassblog.com/"]Ari's Bass Blog[/url]

Trevor's post has just reminded me that his blog should also be in the list! From his signature: [url="http://walbasshistory.blogspot.co.uk/"]Wal Bass History[/url]

I see that you mention online bass publications, discussion forums and online stores in the same article, so I think you could count among our top 50 [url="https://www.thomann.de/"]Thomann [/url](not exclusively bass-related but my God, the GAS it's always causing us on Basschat is unbelievable!), [url="http://www.bassgear.co.uk/"]Bass Gear[/url], who has recently moved to online-only business and possibly [url="http://www.warwickbass.com/en/Home.html"]Warwick[/url]

When elegant, high-end amp/headphone amp facias have two identical switches, one for Power On/Off and one for Compression On/off, positioned one above the other, on the same side of the facia, and identified by tiny wording. Step forward the otherwise totally marvellous PJB Briefcase and Bass Buddy.

Bridge cavities or saddles that are too small for a flatwound low B. Bridges that are too close to the neck and make proper intonation of the aforementioned low B impossible without taking off the saddle spring. Warwick basses are guilty as charged, but the problem is by no means limited to them. Nuts that aren't adjustable in height at both ends. Almost all makes of basses except Warwick are guilty of that.

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1483740598' post='3209841'] I hope you've checked out the kebab shops in the area. You could give a workshop on them. I'm in. [/quote] Please record a video!

I've just created a Facebook event for the bash! [url="https://www.facebook.com/events/1742538699397977/"]https://www.facebook.com/events/1742538699397977/[/url]

That would have been asking too much, I guess...

No experience of the pedals themselves, I'm afraid, but just a note to say that I was automatically presented with the website in English - if you are currently looking at the Italian version, you can switch to English via the Language tab in the top right-hand corner.

The cello is also tuned differently from the DB - in fifths starting from C (two octaves below middle C), IIRC.

This was offered and confirmed this evening. Join us there if you can. 543-545 Kingsbury Rd, London NW9 9EL.