bass_dinger

The neatness of an office, the tools of a workshop, and the accessibility of a spare bedroom. It's a good space to use - not just the desk, but also the whole room.

Not enough space? You could install a model railway on the table and still have enough room for a four-piece jazz combo on the floor space!

2026 is my only hope.... For now, I am so far Out that I am coming back In the other way round....

When can I sign up for the 2026 Challenge?

Now, with two PC monitors, a self-built rack unit (which also serves as a monitor riser), a new Behringer UMC1820 interface, and a new-to-me Behringer rack tuner. Those rack mounted units keeps the desk clear.

It could indeed be dirt. This video suggested that I can take the keyboard apart, and clean it. However, I am not sure that I have the courage to try it, yet.

Here's a basschatter who won't be entering the 2026 Gear Abstinence Challenge!

The case against Michael Mason was due to be heard at Leicester Crown Court, at 10:30am on 26th November. As the case moved from Leicester Magistrate's Court, to the Crown Court, it now has a additional and new reference (underlined, below, from the court listing below). "10:30am Michael MASON Leic Crown Sitting at Leic Mags Court #15 U20256478 (33JJ0821825)", taken from here https://courtlistings.co.uk/crown-court-listings/leicester#past-section and available for the next 10 days. The case has no status update against it, so I called the court for an update. I was told that the hearing was listed for a plea, and trial preparation; that Mr Mason entered a Not Guilty plea; and that the case has been adjourned until February 2026. I also asked the clerk whether I was permitted to share the above information. Yes - it is all a matter of public record.

Far be from me to persuade @SumOne to buy more gear and multiple keyboards... However, the idea of a simpler home piano, and a more capable stage piano, and a compact "workstation" keyboard, all doing different roles, would certainly appeal to me. In terms of what to buy first, the family can probably play the Nord at home, and you can take it to gigs too. However, the ES-60 (or similar) perhaps won't be robust enough for gigging, and may pick up knocks - not ideal for a piece of home furniture. So, perhaps keep the MPC Key 37, find a suitable secondhand Nord Electro 6 73, sell the CK-61, and finally buy a ES-60 at your leisure.

For me, I need a compact solution, to fit on a desk just 120cm wide. I need a weighted 88-key keyboard too, and the Kawai ES60 was highly rated. It also fits on (or over) my desk, as it is just under 130cm wide. The only issue is that the ES-60 has only USB midi and I have already invested a tenner in three 5-pin DIN midi cables . . .

I just 5 minutes ago spoke with Rose Morris (the shop in Denmark Street) to ask if they stocked the Kawai ES60, to upgrade my old Kurzweil. They do - and I was also offered the option of Roland pianos (two doors down in the same street) and Yamahas (5 minutes walk away, at the main Yamaha store at 152-160 Wardour Street Soho London W1F 8YA). So, perhaps Denmark Street would be a good starting place for @SumOne?

Just to add, that my initial few months of lessons were spent undoing bad techniques and habits. I am currently frustrated by how unmusical I am on the piano. So, if you take piano lessons, do not be surprised to feel that you are going backwards, in terms of skills and ability to play. However, I am now at the stage of being able to improvise stuff without thinking about it. That's because the lessons have given me the necessary technique.

For me, it was worth it (in spite of my occasional grumpiness about things on this thread). I have benefitted from the discipline of forcing myself to work on aspects that I struggle with; of playing stuff that is initially beyond me; of getting ready for a gig wherein the audience (of one) will not just listen to me, but assess me. Again, for me, I was not very good at teaching myself the piano - I could not muster the ability to independently move the fingers on both hands, until I started lessons in August 2024. (45 years prior, I had learned to play a two manual organ; 15 years ago, we had a piano in the house. In spite of all that, I still couldn't manage an independent left hand, so I started lessons and passed Grade 1 piano seven months later). Importantly, I feel that there is a difference between the lessons, and the syllabus, and the exams. The syllabus requires that I (for example) play a D minor scale with both hands, perhaps using the recommended fingerings; or play three of 48 pieces; or listen to and sing back a phrase. The Grade exam will test how well the candidate does so. And the lessons teach how to work on the syllabus (and perhaps, how to pass the Grade exam). So, the Grades don't teach one how to play the piano - the lessons do. In conclusion, I could have had lessons, and ignored the exams. However, after 45 years of bumbling incompetence and failure, it felt like the right time to try something different - and that was Piano lessons, with Grades. It worked for me.

... or Air on a G string, by Bach. And Pachelbel's Canon. Sampled dozens of times by modern musicians, and he practically invented looping! But will he get a mention? Not a chance. Sķy Arts, pull your socks up, and make a programme for basschatters. "My 10 favourite pickup windings". "The Story of the Plectrum".

Depends on the instrument, and my commitments. Bass? Hardly at all now, because I rarely play with others. However, I have a gig mid-December, and I am working on the material, to be stage-ready for Sunday's rehearsal. So, I expect to put in about 3 hours over the weekend. For piano, I practice more regularly (because the lessons are my weekly gig, and I need to be ready, for them). That regular practice amounts to perhaps 30 to 60 minutes a day, and I am seeing a measurable improvement simply because I have targets and objectives.