solo4652

I use this variation of Floating Thumb technique where slide your plucking hand across the strings using the full length of your thumb to mute strings. I couldn't get on with moving my thumb from string to string at all. See what you think. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU[/url]

[quote name='Heathy' timestamp='1382358356' post='2251067'] Hopefully it was just a bit of a rant and he will calm down. One question regarding the no-notes demand: Is he also the lead singer? [/quote] No - he does BV's. We have a female lead singer.

[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1382860432' post='2257186'] I do 40-ish weddings a year with my function band, whilst we have a song list that clients get to see that probably isn't far off that number, the reality is that we continually evolve our set and replace things with fresh material but from one gig to the next it doesn't change massively. It isn't as if you're playing to the same crowd every week and having to change it up for them, so if he wants a pro wedding band your first priority should be getting an absolutely storming 2x60 mins that you can play really well and then looking at things you can have up your sleeve to change, deal with requests etc. If we tried to maintain 200 songs to a high standard (whilst keeping that list fresh with new material, which is a necessity) we'd spend ten times more hours in the rehearsal room than we would being out earning - not really the point of being in a 'pro' band. The majority of clients are perfectly happy to let us call the shots with the setlist so we concentrate on having a really solid core that works week in week out. As a new band, you need to make a good impression and playing 40 songs brilliantly will do that much more effectively than playing 200 songs moderately well. [/quote] Yes - I completely agree with you. After 5 rehearsals we're up to 20 songs and, in my personal opinion, we're a million miles away from playing a local open mic night, let alone a pub gig, let alone a function or a wedding. Maybe I'm expecting too much, too soon - I've been told before that I'm too pessimistic.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1382538607' post='2253380'] I'm sure it is very good at this and SO much more. The trouble with Reaper (and DAWs in general) is that whenever I've tried one, I feel like I've just walked in here: [/quote] Exactly!

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1382479907' post='2252810'] This is what I use. [url="http://www.rinki.net/pekka/slowmp3/"]http://www.rinki.net/pekka/slowmp3/[/url] Quick and easy download and totally simple to use. It is free as well [/quote] Thanks. That's really easy to use! Again, is there the facility to save altered files?

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1382478691' post='2252789'] I was just about to mention Best Practice. I haven't used it myself as it's PC only software, but the GUI looks remarkably similar to the ASD (posted above). Audacity is an amazingly useful bit of software, but making changes on the fly isn't its forte (IMHO). [/quote] I did have a quick look at Best Practice but it seems to only allow files to be imported from CD or DVD - is that correct?

Got Audacity working now, after a bit of a faff with that Lame file thingy.

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1382467503' post='2252584'] I think it costs £2.99 ! Edit - its free - quite funky little interface but only does pitch shift +3 to -3 . If you can get Audacity to work as well you have the best of all worlds! [/quote] This works well - thank you. is there some way of saving the altered MP3 file, please?

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1382465919' post='2252560'] I see its a pitch shifter you are after - so the ABRSM App might be the one for you ! I use an TASCAM MB-1 which has looping, speed shift, and pitch shift and you can plug a bass directly into to it and play along - not sure if that's what you were after? [/quote] Thanks for the ABRSM App. Is this only for smartphones and tablets? I had a quick look at its features and it shifts pitch as well as speed. It asks me for login, password etc. Ideally, I just want a simple piece of free software I can install on my laptop that enables me to load an MP3 file, change the song pitch using notes rather than % shift (?), then save the altered MP3 file without faffing about with extra add-on programs. Something like this but without the adware, malware, bugs... [url="http://mp3-key-changer.software.informer.com/"]http://mp3-key-chang...e.informer.com/[/url]

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1382465292' post='2252545'] Theres an App from the ABRSM [/quote] Not with you, sorry.

Is there not something that's simpler than this!?

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1382460685' post='2252452'] Not sure what the problem is with Audacity - that's what I use. [/quote] Well, I can import an MP3 file to Audacity and change the pitch. Can't seem to save it as an MP3 file, however.

Folks, Is there some reliable, easy-to-use, free MP3 pitch-shift software out there? I've tried Audacity but it seems to hate saving files as MP3 files. I've tried a couple of freebies but had to restore my laptop to yesterday because of bugs.

At this stage, I'm unclear about whether band leader meant 200 songs before we start gigging (ha! - fat chance) or 200 songs somewhere/sometime down the line (and even that would take virtually constant rehearsing), or whether he was trying to make some sort of statement and/or gauge reaction. As I said, it's a brand new band and I'm trying hard to keep my opinions to myself, turn up on time, play the bass and go home. Personally, I don't need or want a full-time pro wedding band and I can afford to tag along for the ride for the time being. At the vey least it gets me out and playing with people rather than YouTube. We'll see how it pans out over the next couple of months but I will keep on checking the usual "Bassist needed" websites.

I was a bit dumbstruck when guitar said 200 songs. I've managed 40 in the past, but that took months of effort and practice. Since this is a brand new band (and I'm the oldest, most experienced, most grumpy and most world-weary), I'm trying to go with the flow for now and let the others realise for themselves that there is an[i] awful[/i] lot of work ahead. I'm trying not to come across as negative or obstructive. It's hard.

First meeting/jam/rehearsal of the new band yesterday. It's being set up by the guitarist who's fed up with his 9 - 5 job and wants a full-time pro wedding band. "I want 200 songs on the songlist", he said, "and no notes on stage". I'm now contemplating the huge task of learning 200 songs - gulp.

Thank you to everybody who has helped me think this one through. I've emailed them and accepted their invitation. If nothing else, it's an opportunity to buy some new kit! I've already put an offer in on a bass. Well, you do, don't you....

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1380241425' post='2222848'] Are you doing something better at the moment? They might find a great singer and the two of you can leave for something better, citing "commitment issues". [/quote] No - I'm not in a band right now. I got a bit fed up with the usual join, rehearse hard, do a few gigs, see it collapse routine. I'm afraid it's made me rather pessimistic about finding a band I'd enjoy. Maybe I'll give this crew a go and see if I can prove myself wrong.

I've just had an email from the guitarist and drummer inviting me to join the band. Now - my view is that there is certainly potential for a half-decent pub band here. However, I strongly suspect that neither of them have really thought through all the ins and outs of setting up a full-time pro wedding band. When asked, (not by me, but by one of the singers they were auditioning), they couldn't give a clear description of; how many people would be in the band (horns? keys?), what sort of music would be played, how the band would get gigs (wedding agents? DIY?), how the band would co-exist with the guitarist's involvement with an Oasis tribute band, where rehearsals would be, who would be responsible for sorting out band logistics etc. Actually, I don't particularly want to be part of a full-time wedding band - I just would like to get out gigging. What should I do? - Join them, tag along and see where it goes while continuing to look for something else? Express my concerns upfront and risk being seen as negative and defeatist? This is typical of me - over-analyse something, be overly-cautious and then miss the boat.

Fixed it!...and am now feeling rather guilty about starting this thread. Following KingBollock's advice, I got inside the control cavity and gently bent the central prong under the jack socket into a more central position. Few squirts of switch cleaner at random, and it appears to have solved the problem. Ha! I had no idea I was [i]so [/i]practical... In a poor effort to claw back some lost karma, I'm just wondering whether all the excellent advice here about soldering is worth a sticky? Mods - what do you reckon? Steve

Hope so - I can just about cope with squeezing parts, but nothing more technical...

Guitarist wrote the "Business Plan" and is trying to put the band together. Previous bassist and singer left after 6 weeks because of "commitment issues".

I tried the bass with a different cable and that's complicated the picture. With the old cable, I was getting a lot of popping noises and the occasional cut-out. With the new cable, there's hardly any of this, although I get some crackling if I jiggle the jack in the socket. Old cable has a straight jack, new one has a right-angled one. No problems with either cable with any of my other basses. I'm going to have a look under the scratchplate to see if I can spot any problems. Might as well replace the old jack socket I suppose. Watch this space. I have Manchester's Fire Service phone number handy. Oh, hang on - I think they're on strike.

Quick report back from last night's audition. As is often the case, it was a hair's breadth away from organised chaos. I turned up and was told that "we're also auditioning several singers tonight. Can you stay for the whole 3 hours?" This was before they'd heard me play. Crap PA - couldn't hear any of the singers, guitarist way too loud, crackly/underpowered Trace bass combo, drummer effing and jeffing after 3 minutes..... And this was billed as a full-on pro/give up your day job top-end wedding band with a "business plan" already in place. From my point of view, Kiss turned out to be the easiest song. Guitarist hadn't listened to it properly though and kept going from A to D too early. My gut feeling is that, with time and patience, we could probably get a reasonably decent pub band out of it, but definitely not a full-time pro pay-your-mortgage wedding band. If I get asked, I'll tag along while I continue to look elsewhere - wouldn't want to put all my eggs in this basket. Steve

Hmmm. There's talk here of burning furniture, damaging existing components, lead poisoning and wrecking marriages. Could I simply use wire glue, like this: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/141050534572?showlimghlp=true&lpid=92&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=92&ff19=0"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/141050534572?showlimghlp=true&lpid=92&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=92&ff19=0[/url] Alternatively, could I buy a jack socket with the wires already attached so I can then use those little plastic junction-box thingies to connect it to the existing wires? Or shall I take it round to the Tech?