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That's a very good point. We've hit the eject button a couple of times with songs that we thought would work, but just didn't.

You could even get an AKG D5 for less & they're a pretty good live vocal mic (though they're about £90 if you want it with an On/Off switch).

You could be right, maybe I've been fortunate that most of the players I've met have been good with the few chancers being twangers & chanters. The one musician I'm having trouble finding is a keys player. Any skill level would do, even just to hold pads! I've been tempted to go back to keys a few times.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1368192503' post='2074316'] Hmmm... I guess the question here is what direction do you want to take the band in? There could actually be scope to produce some cool 'remixes' of classic songs in alternative genres - might even be a useful gimmick that would give your band a unique edge. As it stands, it sounds like your band members (other than the turntablist) have a very different vision of where they want to be heading - or at least they have very different musical tastes/backgrounds. If it's the former then you might be in for a clash of expectations; if it's the latter then it's not such an issue, just a case of needing to broaden the music that your band members are familiar with (sharing a bunch of reference material would be a good way to start). I've cooked up numerous 'remixes' myself - and that's always a case of taking inspiration from the original material, but using it to create something different; sometimes wildly different! And it's great fun I think it could definitely work in the context of band and might be worth exploring... makes me think of stuff like Orbital's legendary take on Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth", which became a firm favourite of their setlist. Anyway, keep us posted! Paul [/quote] That could be a very good idea! Alt covers band with just a couple of our own tracks. When I was first advertising for musicians I spoke with the drummer & the guitarist both separately & we discussed the ideas that I have for a band & they was both wanting to do something different. So I think it's the latter of what you said. The guitarist is from a metal background & the drummer likes all sorts of stuff but is partial to a bit of Tool. We then got together one evening just to talk about what we want the band to do & the idea is pretty much the same. I suppose if they don't really know much of the genres then the suggestions are going to be from what they do know. The other guitarist/singer wasn't at the meeting & is a friend of the drummer's but I think he still knows the route we're looking at (though I might have another meeting to check we're all on the same train). I've created a playlist of all the tracks that's been suggested by all the band members & shared it with them so we all know the songs. I'm gonna make another playlist of genre specific stuff to share so they know what I'm actually aiming towards. It doesn't have to go there, just so long as it grooves & gets people dancing. So if it ends up sounding like drum & bass with Nirvana on top, then that's cool. I'm looking forward to Tuesday's sesh.

Was it not a Pongo? I suppose it's good for playing songs like Play that shunky music or Shunkytown & also good for playing the brown note.

Hehe, you ought to hear what we've done with Come Together (the Beatles). It start's off like the original & then turns a bit techno rock. I like it, but I'm sure there's folk who hold old songs as "sacred". I always try to play a song nothing like the original.

I've started a band. I advertised for musicians & put the genre as being a mix of Acid Jazz, Breakbeat, House & Funk & anything else with a good groove. I've got 2 guitarists (one's a musician & sings too), a drummer & a singer/turntablist. I suggested a couple of covers to get us playing together & then once we're comfortable, get writing our own stuff. I've suggested a few songs for the band to choose from & if they had any good suggestions then we could try them out too. They're just practice tracks to get us gelling, but what some of the band have suggested couldn't be much further from any of the styles that I advertised. Here's what I've been given... From the guitarist: Bruce Dickinson - Winds of change From the guitarist/singer: Barenaked Ladies - It's all been done From the drummer: Bruce Springstein - Radio nowhere From the turntablist/singer: Hot Natured - Benediction The last one is the only one that's already along the right lines of the genre. The first 2 are @ 134 bpm & Radio Nowhere is 140 bpm, so I'm thinking that they could be done in more of a house/acid jazz style. But it would have made more sense to pick songs already in the genre. We're gonna try them out on Tuesday, so we'll see what comes of them. Any of you guys have to rewrite the genre of a song?

My experience so far is that there's 3 types of band members. There's musicians, singers & guitarists. The latter 2 can sometimes be musicians, but it seems to be very rare! Most of the singers that I've experienced could sing, but knew not a jot about music & most of the guitarists seem to be the same or don't even know how to play the same thing twice. One of my current guitarists seems to be the same, though the other is fine (but he does play a couple of other instruments too). I really don't get it.

I was expecting one of these...

I found most band members don't really understand where they sit in the frequencies. My singer said he needed more bass on the vocals as they sounded tinny & proceeded to turn the bass up, after which he got constant feedback every time he breathed on the mic. I turned the bass back down & increased the mids a little & he was well shocked to find that turning up the mids added bass to his voice. I tried to explain that his voice doesn't play bass or reach those frequencies musically.

Getting guitarists to turn down the bass can be a pain. At my last rehearsal a guitarist said "I need more bass", I passed him my bass & said "Here, this is what you really need". Band mix is always different from the "at home" sound. I find my "home" sound is too nasal honk mid in the mix (which is rather weird as it's rather bassy at home). My setting is flat with the low mids rolled back to 10 o'clock & the VLE at @ 10 too. But I have some other stuff going on with my fx. The B&C drivers that MB use have a very long excursion. IIRC it's 3mm more than a Celestion (don't quote me on that though as it was @ 5 years ago that I read it).

Good to hear you like it. The VPF ([s]Very Pants[/s] Variable Preshape Filter) scoops the mids & boosts the lows & highs. MB say it's designed for slap players. THe VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator) rolls the tops off & boosts a little around the 300hz area. I always seem to end up with the VLE around 9-10 o'clock (even if I start with it off). Here's what MB say about them... [color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]The VLE and VPF are useful EQ filters that help you adapt your sound for different styles of music.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]The [/size][/font][/color][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3][b]VLE [/b][/size][/font][/color][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]([/size][/font][/color][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3][b]Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator[/b][/size][/font][/color][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]) is a shelf EQ that cuts a wider and wider range of high frequencies as you turn it up. Markbass amps are very clear-sounding, and this filter has the effect of drawing you into the mix more, making your sound less present. It's kind of like an "old school" knob![/size][/font][/color] [color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]The [/size][/font][/color][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3][b]VPF [/b][/size][/font][/color][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]([/size][/font][/color][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3][b]Variable Preshape Filter[/b][/size][/font][/color][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]) boosts lows and highs, and cuts mids. Some call this kind of effect a scoop, a smiley-shape EQ, or an enhance knob. It's very effective for slap bass, pick playing, and driving eighth-note rock.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]These two filters can be combined for interesting effects. But remember that they are off when they are all the way counterclockwise--we suggest you start in that position and turn the filters up gradually, one at a time, to hear and understand what they do.[/size][/font][/color]

Octave Low Pass Filter Exp Pedal Bass Murf If my dirt or chorus pedal broke, I can dial in some dirt or get a swirl with the Murf.

No. Don't delete this forum. I like it. It's not the wrong forum at all!

Markbass cabs put out whatever you put in. You put a clean sound into them, they put out clean. You put a dirty sound into them, you get a dirty sound out. I get my dirt from my pedals. I have a slightly driven clean sound from the Bass Murf & add dirt with a distortion pedal. If I want the bass to sound like the bass does, I turn the pedals off. So if you want a gnarly sound, you need to get it with something other than the cab. IMO that is how it should be, but if you're liking your sound, just get another ABM 2x10 if you're needing more volume & lows.

All the best with it. I can't wait until my band are at gigging level.

Nice! If you're worried about watts, then if you have 2 8Ω cabs on your Fender Rumble it's putting out 350 watts at 4Ω. If you turn the amp to FULL whack, then each cab is going to get 175 watts each. As Mr Foxen once said, "My gran has a 2000 watt heater & it's not very loud". My advice is to use your ears. How does the cab you have sound? Do you like it or is it farting? If you like it & just need more of the same, get the same cab. If you don't like it, go & try some others. A 15" probably wouldn't help the bottom end any more than a decent 12". But again, try things out & see what you like.

Google translate says "What? Fifth this???". Well I suppose £300 is one fifth of £1500.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1367478557' post='2066069'] Interesting idea for the percussion. Where are you planning on finding a similar method for the hihat though? [/quote] [Arm slides & knocks cup off table]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1367475924' post='2066049'] Thump..... ( Bilbo's head hitting the desk) [/quote] Up all night writing? I'm gonna try something a little different for this one & I'm looking forward to hearing what y'all come up with.

Congratulations to the two of you. I never got a chance to listen to all the songs & cast a vote. I'm off to see what the new pics are.

You'll struggle to hear the difference between putting 500 w into a 4 ohm cab vs 350 w into an 8 ohm cab unless the cabs are significantly different (eg. 6x10 vs 2x10). You can use any amp & cab without having to check the watts, just use your ears. BTW, there's many lightweight 4x10s out there.

I'd use the 4x10 for the lows & the 15 for the mids as the 15 should have a better dispersion & the 4x10 should be able to shift more low end. Going by the smiley eq, was you an 80s hifi fan?

You guys need to play more bass! Or maybe it's just the Peacock Blue ones. The G string would snap after @ 6 months (at the longest).

I used to like a bright zingy sound & DR Strings fit that bill, but they're short lived. Bought a set of TI flatwounds a couple of years ago & have no intention of changing them unless one breaks (& it'll get replaced with another TI). So the answer to your Q is that the string wind makes a huge difference to both longlivity & sound with flatwounds far outlasting roundwound strings but having much less zing (ok, no zing. But I'm a bassist, not a zinger ). I dare say the choice of metal does too, as according to what I've read on here, the TI flats are much brighter in sound than the La Bella's.