dannybuoy

Playing the first note with the thumb (T-2-1) is how I first tried it and found it easiest to begin with, but the note thumps a lot more using the forefinger. Rolling my fingers 3-2-1 comes very naturally to me, I've always used it for finger percussion instruments (which was basically my desk until my new acquisition of a Rav Vast drum!) and crabbing (which isn't as dirty as it sounds, it s a DJ technique of stuttering the fader by bouncing against your thumb!).

I struggled with this until I found an unorthodox way to play the galloping octaves. First finger on the low note, then roll the ring finger followed my middle finger on the high note, then repeat. So, 1-3-2, 1-3-2, etc. Now I can play the track pretty easily except for that fast downwards run that comes later! Feels so much more fluid and natural to me than the 1-2-1 approach most go for.

Well it was picked up this morning!

I've not tried the Boss, but it is obvious that Zoom or Line6 are way more popular on here and on Talkbass. The Darkglass distortion models on the B3n and Helix are killer for rock and metal and I don't think the Boss has anything comparable, that would be one of the main deciders for me.

Bolt ons are supposed to sound punchier though, I assume because the neck joint dampens the vibrations making the attack louder then the note that follows. I believe the 1024-2025 range sound pretty different too, overwound pickups so louder and darker. Peter Hook wasn't happy with the sound of them until they came out with the new range that sounded more like the vintage ones anyway!

Same as applies to real world FX chain. Ultimately there are no rules and just use what sounds best, but typically the amp and cab will be last. Although you could put compression or EQ etc afterwards if you wanted, just as an engineer might do to a mic'd cab signal in the studio.

Free piano to anyone who can collect from Buckden, St Neots!

And how flat is your cab? With most amps I would just say go into the fx return to bypass the preamp, but as I recall Markbass amps are unusual in that the EQ is after the fx loop? Search previous issues of BassGearMag online, they tend to measure flat settings on most things they review and I think they did the LMII.

I don't find it to hard to get my head around. Drive off, it's just like any amp, gain doesn't have any real effect on the sound. Dialing in drive lowers the headroom, so that the gain control starts to produce soft clipping overdrive. It also starts to roll off highs and lows as you turn it up, so you can think of it as a modern/vintage knob. At low gain, you could just use this drive control as a HPF+LPF speaker simulator. The final thing to realise is that the mid control is placed before the clipping section, so has a massive effect on the overdrive character. Boosting mids gives you more drive, but boosting bass/treble does not, since those controls are placed after the clipping section. Therefore don't be afraid to drastically scoop mids if using lots of drive!

No, the pedal needs a variable AGS knob like the amp!

I for one couldn't manage with one foot switch. Rather than one patch per song, I typically would have several FX that I would stomp on and off throughout a track. It would be too complicated to remember 'right I want to add a fuzz now so that's 2 patches up, then in a minute I want clean with a phaser which was 3 patches down'.

I second Cakewalk. Very intuitive to use compared to Reaper.

Don't hold your breath, they've been in my drawer for over a year, I will try and fit them next year!

I guess with some strings, the nylon wrap could dampen the vibrational transfer to the bridge. I have some LaBella copper white nylon tapes waiting in the wings for mine.

Watching with interest before I potentially waste an unopened set on my Godin A4! Never heard of this issue though and assumed they'd be fine.

On the Truetone units, you can apparently ignore the mA labelling on individual outputs as long as your don't exceed the total for the entire brick. The Strymon units might work well too, they also use switching technology and have really high mA ratings per socket compared to most isolated supplies based on transformers.

If you’re looking at Multi FX, the Zoom B3n has very good models of the Darkglass B7K and Sansamp BDDI, both industry standards when it comes to metal bass tones. Can’t go wrong there! On the amp front, it doesn’t matter a great deal if it’s just going to be for home use without a drummer, especially if you’re going to be getting a lot of tone shaping from external FX. Ashdown/Fender/TC/Orange/Ampeg/etc would all fit the bill. If you have any music shops nearby I’d get down there and see what floats your boat.

I can help there. Bought one from here months ago and have never plugged it in! PM if interested.

That’s right.

Bass into the input, pedal into loop A or B, pedal set to A+B mix mode. The unused loop turns into a clean unaffected channel as if you had plugged a patch cable between the send and return. There’s also a Mosquite blender in the classifieds. One loop and a simple blend knob, less to worry about and the handy addition of a phase switch (without one, some pedals will cancel the signal out when mixed with clean with an LS-2).

Two important questions to get out of the way. Is it just for home use or does it need to be loud enough to play with a drummer? Do you need it to have on board effects or overdrive?

Used P34 anyone? http://bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Yamaha_BBP_34_Blue.html

Had to reread that, thought you were saying the Le Bass could fit in a trouser pocket so was wondering if your name was MC Hammer. No way I’m wearing two sets of headphones thanks. I pump mine into a PJB Bighead for aux in duties, I don’t mind so much as every other headphone amp I’ve used is either hissy and/or doesn’t have enough volume or clean headroom. My B3n has an aux in, but I don’t use it as it sounds so much better via the PJB!

Depends what you want. The Duality has a very unique and interesting texture, it reacts differently depending how you play and sounds very ‘organic’. The EHX Green Russian is a bit more drab by comparison, but it’s a brute! It has more of a mid scoop so it’s difficult to hear it as a fuzz effect in a busy mix, but there’s no denying when it’s turned on, it adds so much low end and sustain that it just lifts everything up, so I treat it as more of a boost pedal. If I stomp on it, people don’t hear I’m using fuzz per se, but that extra low end sucks the air out of the room and all they hear is that the whole overall sound just got a lot heavier.

This. It’s pretty flat sounding with the EQ knobs off, so it’s only scooped if you make it so!