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I'm looking forward to hearing some of (if not, all of) these compositions. I've almost finished mine. It needs mixed a little better & then mastered, but I'm really happy with what I've achieved. So much so, I want to post it... [url="https://soundcloud.com/gxmix/beautiful-destruction"]https://soundcloud.com/gxmix/beautiful-destruction-1[/url] I'll put the blurb in a spoiler too... [spoiler]I started this on bass. The bit that's now a synth bass line did start as some slap bass. I then created the guitar parts using amp models from logic, one side is my bass, the other is my electro acoustic & the high guitar part is my bass with octave up. The main bassline is my bass & also the Alchemy synth in LPX, the 2nd one is NI Monark & played on my new keys (S88) & had some fun with the mod strips too. The ambient synth is also Alchemy & played on the S88. The mod strip assigned to control the wind sounds (opening a filter on a wind sample). Anyway, here's what I saw from the pic... It's a calm day. I see something on the horizon & the wind is picking up. All of a sudden I see the vortex dancing in my direction & run for shelter. In the safety of the shelter I watch as the storm destroys everything in it's path, then it goes quiet. Thinking that it's over, I go out & discover that I'm right in the eye of the storm. Caught up in the surreal of watching it & everything spinning around me, it catches me & lifts me up. I'm getting tossed about way up in the air & I'm trying to find something to grab on to, but everything is just moving so fast. Twisting & turning & spinning, I feel like I'm flying out of control & then see land. The storm passes. Did I survive? [/spoiler]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1457725278' post='3001394'] Even with a pen in my hand, I can't quite work out the 'opposite way'! [/quote] It would have made more sense had I just said "like pinching between your thumb & left side of your index finger nail, but not touching the nail". Ignore the pen comment, the more I think about it, the less sense it makes to me too!

I don't make a fist when holding the plectrum. More like how you hold a pen, but finger & thumb touch opposite way.

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1457696679' post='3001017'] i know, but im also the kind of person who can lose confidence in a song or mix if i don't like the sound of it [/quote] In theory, it should sound better on your hifi than it does on your monitors (not sure how true that holds though).

I don't play so much from the wrist, but from the thumb & forefinger & the wrist only moves slightly. Then for digging in, it comes from the elbow too (probably got that from my keys playing).

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1457695622' post='3001003'] ive done it before, but i've spent the past 6 years using these monitors for everything, so it will be adjustment until i get some new ones. [/quote] Don't use your monitors as an excuse. You're a better composer than that!

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1457692872' post='3000970'] well i was going to enter this, but my mixing monitors have packed up, so unless my headphone/hifi combo will give me nice results i might not be init [/quote] I do all my production through cans. Then I listen to it through earbuds on my phone, through the dock in the bedroom & through the car speakers so I can hear if any changes need to be made. I have an EDM composer friend that I send a soundcloud link to as well for him to listen to & get feedback from.

Some pics of Motley Crue, Cinderella or Poison would make that lot seem fashionable.

I play with whatever the song sounds best with. My most recent piece for the BC comp is played with plectrum. I find resting the plectrum on the side of my index finger & holding it there with my thumb is the most comfy. I have a sore ball joint on my right thumb too. Try not to hold it too tightly. +1 for pick thickness. Find one that you're comfortable with. For me, that's a .73mm.

[quote name='EmmettC' timestamp='1457625808' post='3000352'] I'm not one for sweeping generalisations but the puns on this site are awful. [/quote] It's bristling with them. I just let them brush past me.

I've made a good start on mine. Oddly I found bass played up the neck with dirt makes for a better metal guitar sound than the guitar does. I'm gonna use both though. Not sure Dad's gonna like this one as I'm sticking to my plan. It's got synth pads, guitar riffs, acoustic drums, synth bass & Dad's favourite - programmed techno breakbeat drums. It's 186 bpm too. I'm nowhere near finished & I'm even gonna try singing again!

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1457357652' post='2997664'] ... But what would [i]I [/i]know, I'm an old drummer that still uses brushes and back-beat hi-hats a lot, so... [/quote] I used to have an old drummer that used brushes. We played Drum n Bass.

This might sound like a stupid idea, but rather than having multiple loop pedals, why not get a 2nd tuner & use one on each rig?

Funnily enough, my idea is a mix of metal & drum n bass, maybe a bit of dubstep & speed techno. Getting the bpm to make it sit together is gonna be fun.

I do a lot of walking, so earbuds are possibly my most used listening method. In the house I tend to either use headphones or the computer's 2.1 speaker system (which is decent). If I'm in the bedroom, the phone or iPad gets plugged into a docking station (which is actually not all that good). I also like to listen to music in the car & Bluetooth the phone to it. Final option is listening through the iPad speakers when I'm on the shunky. I'm really wanting a proper hifi again though. Mainly amp (w/Bluetooth), speakers & turntable (so I can dig my vinyl out again). To me, vinyl is the best way to listen to music, as you have to actually go & put it on & turn it over 1/2 way through.

I guess there's a bit of wait time between the songs at gigs? Maybe enough time to catch a football match.

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1457102496' post='2995384'] I will enter next time, judging by my playing at rehearsal the other night (first time I've touched a bass in a month) it will be sh*t! [/quote] Well the working name for the comp was "Play any old sh!te", which allowed me my entry.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1457114916' post='2995562'] Well to be fair, it does kind of depend what it is she's being asked to do... [/quote] Usually one of her friends asking if she wants to go shopping or out for lunch. She'd take that as "are you calling me Out To Lunch ?", which to be honest, she must be. She married me!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1457105288' post='2995424'] Already established and becoming more so. I didn't mean my replies to come across as quite so outraged and ranting, btw. [/quote] Don't worry about it. I never read it as outraged or ranting. That's the problem with written stuff, it's easy to misinterpret the way in which someone is trying to convey. I always take it as friendly banter & has to be quite strongly worded for me to view it differently (I.E. You'd have to be calling me names). The Mrs on the other hand, she's fell out with people via text for simply asking if she wants to do something.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1457103541' post='2995401'] Maybe to you. I'm enjoying my particular version of Band 2 immensely. It's a country band... [/quote] But is your band the same as Blue's band 2? Put the genre aside, there's nothing wrong with a bit of country music. My last gigging band played a lot of Americana. Have you joined an already established band or are you still in the "working on getting established" stage? I think band 2 sounds like the US version of a ceilidh band. More specifically, joining an already established one. If you like playing a specific genre of covers regularly and you enjoy it, then bonus. It's not my cuppa. I like writing songs. Your band might like writing songs too, I'm not comparing yours with band 2. That's like me comparing band 1 with another BC member's blues band. Just because it's blues, doesn't make it the same band circumstances. BTW, I'm not dissing C&W.

Why didn't you try the compressors out on your multi units? Then you would have known if you wanted one. If you can, borrow one first. I did & decided I didn't need one.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1457096671' post='2995308'] ... with maybe less bitterness and snobbery, too. What's not to like in doing things for fun only..? [/quote] Spot on. The C&W band sounds more like a job than enjoyment. I'm not saying that because it's a C&W band, but because it sounds similar to being in a functions band (weddings, ceilidh, birthday dj, etc). At one point, band 2 would have been band 3. They have to start somewhere. If you're not into watching your band grow & just interested in money, then Band 2 is the one to go for. If you're interested in music & none of the other 3 appeal, start your own band & maybe call it Band 5.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1457047024' post='2994920'] Band number 1 is not really a band. Classic boys night out for fun. Blue [/quote] Might be a boys night out for fun, but they're still a band.

Some folk might like it, but there's no way I could play C&W basslines all night every gig unless I was getting paid well & able to take the parney out of it. I don't mind playing the odd song, but I'd rather be in any of the other 3 bands. Reminds me of a joke... Why do cowboys have poop in their tash? # Just looking for love in all the wrong places.

That's really good to hear. They were helpful when I had queries about using the KA6. The NI forum is helpful too.