xgsjx

A busy month. I'm looking forward to reading Dad's reviews & listening to them.

Cheer up peeps... I'm still here! Not so sure that I make any good posts, but I do make a decent cake.

I stopped gigging because the singer/songwriter I had took a stroke. He's now fine health wise, but has no interest in music at all! I tried getting a band together, but after 2 years of going through various musicians & wannabe singers & guitar bangers, I had enought & quit the band I started. Annoying, as I've got a few songs written & if there were any decent musicians available, we could have had a good run of gigs (contacts from the previous band). I then joined an electronica band & not long after, I stopped playing completely, I spent too much time on music related things & no time on God. The other things that make gigging hard is 1, I work shifts. Some weekends or evenings I had to cancel due to work & 2, I have a cake business to run. So the times I'm not at the day job, I'm most likely doing something cake related.

For DnB or electronica, try the Moog MF-101. It's big, it's not cheap, it won't happily she a PSU, but it is a moog filter & sounds the biz.

I never sold a Rickenbacker.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1426968712' post='2724312'] How do you give up playing? Blue [/quote] It was taking up too much of my time. So I stopped playing & sold all but my bass & acoustic guitar. Rarely played them over the past 7-8 months.

My last couple of actual gigging bands used all the gear to rehearse that we'd use at a gig. We wanted to make sure that we sounded how we wanted to sound. The last but one band I was in, both guitarists never once brought their own rigs. We never gigged as they'd spend most of the night moaning about the sound & generally playing way too loud. I ended up quitting that band. The last band, the founder (keys & guitar) insisted everyone bring their own gear & he would take his own PA to rehearsal too. Unfortunately, I gave up playing before that band got to gigging stage.

Basses can vary greatly. I'm sure you could pick up 2 identical looking basses & find one plays awesomely & the other is dire. My example was when I tried 4 different Fender Jazz fretless basses. The MIM one I thought was a bag of overpriced turd, as the Squier version was a far better instrument for about a third of the price, but there's many BCers who love their MIM Jazz. The USA Jazz was the best of the 4 (the Jaco wasn't worth the extra £500). One thing though, if I was looking for a new bass, A Ric wouldn't be on my list. Not for sound or looks, but for the bigwig's attitude.

I've no idea, as I believe drivers don't have a specific sound based on diameter. The 10s that was in the MarkBass I had went much lower than the 15s in the Marshall I had and also lower than the 10s in the Trace Elliott. Listening on the iPad, they all sound a bit tinny, so it might be 1" drives in each.

My chain used to be octave, dirt, modulation, filter, chorus. Never used a compressor as it didn't help my sound. The only rule you should follow to the effects chain is have fun trying as many possibilities as possible. Don't follow any advice that says "you should do xxx" unless it actually works for you.

I don't play anymore. I started on keys when I was 5, got a guitar when I was 12 & a bass a year later. Keys was my main tool for years, but I always liked the basslines. I'd say I'm a competent musician on those 3 instruments. I think I'm ok on bass. I've had a few compliments on my playing, so I can't be too bad. I can read score & understand theory (though it could & should be better), though I don't do much in the way of sight reading (sometimes I'll play C instead of A ). Saying I don't play... I was sitting playing some Sam Smith on the acoustic today & then had a wee blast on the bass along to some Primus (first time I've touched the bass this year). Good fun.

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1426664012' post='2720360'] Round these parts reading drummers are like gold dust and one guy absolutely cleans up, picks and chooses what am dram weeks he wants to do. A friend of mine is technically a funkier and more profficient drummer- but doesn't read. No MD will take the risk on booking him. [/quote] Drum score is quite simple to learn. If he's serious about drumming, he should get a book or go online.

I think it depends on the gig. If you're playing for a known artist, then I'd fully expect the score so the bassline can be note perfect. If it's joining to do new stuff with a songwriter, then I'd expect either score or something with the chordal arrangement before playing so I can lay a bassline down. I would expect a pro level bassist to be adaptable & know what is needed for the gig at hand.

I think it depends how wide the stage is. If it's not all that wide, then you're probably better to stack near centre stage. Try splitting at your next gig's sound check though & see How it sounds.

One of my friends has an OP-1. Fantastic bit of kit & it does sound the biz too.

I've just had a look at our insight on FB & we've had a few unlikes on our Torta page, but the likes outweigh it. On another note, we got a message that was supposedly from facebook, but on closer inspection, turned out to be spam. We reported it, but here's what it said, so be wary of similar. https://www.facebook.com/tortacouture/photos/pb.235686989792713.-2207520000.1426498710./1024003670961037/?type=3&theater

The singer from my old Band, BigRoom said to me when I said I might have a stab at writing some lyrics, "Writing the lyrics can be hard as it's not just about getting a series of words together, but getting words in the right places for the melody to flow. Having a line with one too many or not enought syllables or having a word that goes "ooo" instead of "aaa" can be the difference between ok & excellent. It's a bit like you on bass, you know where the notes should be & whether to play that note on the E string or the A string".

Don't beat yourself up about it. I can't sing either. In fact, I've actually emptied a venue with my singing voice! I see it as 3 options. Either do the collaborations with a singer, get singing lessons or make your songs instrumental. You could try option 4 - Rap

Ok, here's my entry. https://soundcloud.com/xgsjx/peace-in-the-hustle I'm not happy with the sax sound as it sounds fine through headphones or on decentish speakers, but on the iPad or othe small speakers, it sounds like a plastic toy.

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1426075044' post='2714028'] I see a new award category: track which most gasted Mrs xgsjx's flabber. [/quote] She normally likes my creations. Some very much so, others not so much & she likes what creations she hears on here. This one, straight after the intro she sat open mouthed & kept looking at the screen & turning to me if I was joking. I think when I get it posted, many may well agree with her. I just need to get the end section finished & then I'll upload it.

I'm doing another completely on the iPad using Gadget. I let the Mrs hear what I've done so far & she was flabbergasted at how awful it is. I'm not changing it, it's a little different for sure, but I like it.

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1426067891' post='2713902'] Well no because Fanz Ferdinand hadn't copied you. They'd just stumbled on the same chords. You'd have to prove that they'd listened to your music and then purposely copied it and then profited from it. I think. Or at least that's what seems fairest! [/quote] It wasn't the chords, but a "riff". I actually took it as a compliment to myself that I can come up with hooks as good as that.

I wrote a techno song back in the 90s & the hook was 5 notes going down the scale. It appeared some 4 or 5 years later as a vocal line in a Franz Ferdinand song (note for note). I never actually released the song, though it might have been on a website somewhere, but the chances of it being they copied it are very slim. Had I released it as a song, then regardless of them hearing it or not, I would have probably had a case.

Wait a minute... Sorry, posting in the wrong thread! Oops.

Unless that drumbeat or bassline is something that is part of the melody where if it was played on its own, it would be instantly recognisable. Also certain sounds can be copyrighted too. If it were not the case, that would give no copyright to the majority of DnB songs.