ambient

We delayed the start of our gig last night until the rugby finished. We started at 10 and played through until 11.30. Then had a second set from 12 until 1. Just playing jazz and Latin it seemed to go down well. I did get some odd looks sat in the corner reading my book with a cup of black coffee whilst waiting for the game to finish 😊.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1443957239' post='2878914'] ambient, have you booked your ticket already? I find myself with a spare one. PM me if interested. [/quote] Thanks 😊 I got mine the day the gigs were announced ! I wouldn't miss this gig.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1443951945' post='2878852'] Nobody ? Wow, I thought it would be the kind of thing at least a few BCsters would go to. [/quote] Solo bass is something of an anathema to most guys on here. If you need proof, look for the number of bass solo threads that pop up on here regularly. There's actually one going at the moment. Personally I love it. For me at least I think bass is an amazing solo instrument. Unfortunately not everyone is so broad minded, and they can't get past the perceived traditional role of the bass being a part of a rhythm section. Anyway, I'm going to see them in Birmingham tonight. I saw Steve there a couple of weeks ago, and asked him what they were going to be playing, he said they were still planning the music, so it promises to be an exciting night.

Didn't even realise Uruguay played rugby ! I've got a gig tonight we don't start until after the match finishes. The first I knew of a rugby World Cup was the other week, I thought there was only us and the welsh played it 😊

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1443806875' post='2877922'] Yes, that's what I hate about playing The Who, Cream, and Free covers. [/quote] They're not really your typical classic rock though are they ? I'm thinking ZZ yawn, sorry micro sleep there Top, and the like. Great fun no doubt for the guitarists involved, I personally hated my brief encounter with it, and wouldn't bother going to watch that kind of band. It's not I have to say, something that I listen to.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1443795906' post='2877791'] You have a problem with ZZ Top? [/quote] They're the band where everything is in F ?

Bass gear ?

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1443788154' post='2877689'] You really don't like Classic Rock do you [/quote] I have a particular dislike for it 😁 I once played for a classic rock band, you stand there playing root 8th notes while the 2 guitarists take turns in soloing and pulling funny faces.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1443781602' post='2877614'] You might be able to get away with using a plugin for composition at home (then polish it at uni), few ideas here : [url="http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=356395"]http://duc.avid.com/...ad.php?t=356395[/url] Failing that you could try and find some 5.1 Headphones reasonably : [url="http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/rs-175"]http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/rs-175[/url] (Not tried these but were the first non-gaming ones I came across) Also some interesting reading here : [url="http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/showthread.php?t=48748"]http://www.soundsonl...ead.php?t=48748[/url] [/quote] Thanks I've never heard of 5.1 headphones, brilliant !

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1443772490' post='2877509'] You need 5 of the same speakers for your surrounds, you're better off using cheap speakers all around than trying to use your genelecs with something cheaper as surrounds IMHO.. I'm not sure it's something you're going to be able to do on the cheap well at all as you need a good room too... we just used the uni's gear when I did it. Surround sound headphones can give you a good starting point though. [/quote] Thanks, cheap would be good. It's basically just so I can compose at home. They have a couple of multichannel rooms set up at uni, an 8 way and 5.1. That's in London though, I live in Birmingham, and just go down one day a week for lectures. I was hoping to do the bulk of the work at home, and just 'pretty things up', at uni . It actually sounds really interesting. i travelled back by train last night with all these ideas buzzing around in my head.

I've posted adverts looking for experimental musicians to collaborate with, and gotten replies from 'classic rock' bands wanting to know if I'd be interested in auditioning for them.

Following on from my thread last week asking about the ProTools subscription thing. I've discovered that we use it on my course, because we have to do some multi-channel stuff. I can do 5.1 in Logic Pro. What's the best budgety gear I need to add to my current set-up of a pair of Genelec powered monitors and a Focusrite Forte ?

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1443606009' post='2876087'] I'm FB friends with French virtuoso (and fellow lefty) Yves Carbonne, who plays a 12-string bass [i]and[/i] a 2-string bass he's just had specially made for himself by Letts. [url="https://www.facebook.com/yvescarbonneofficial"]https://www.facebook...arbonneofficial[/url] [/quote] I'm friends with him too, he's an amazing musician. Have you heard this [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbonne-Di-Piazza-Manring/dp/B00125WC4O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443744556&sr=8-1&keywords=carbonne+manring"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbonne-Di-Piazza-Manring/dp/B00125WC4O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443744556&sr=8-1&keywords=carbonne+manring[/url]

It's a typical well produced pop song, and typical 80s production. Nothing wrong with it, certainly more listenable to than some of the dismal sounding 'classic rock' that seems to be so popular.

[quote name='tonybassplayer' timestamp='1443642674' post='2876598'] We had Francis Dunnery for my wife's 50th a few months ago. Awesome night. Never forget it. [/quote] That's the guy I was trying to think of last night, couldn't remember his name.

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1443637826' post='2876541'] What a rubbish website design and, frankly what a rubbish concept. Like you said... Why take that chance. There are loads of other websites which list house gigs and where you can find out about them. However, the whole idea of a house gig is the intimacy and personal connection. They are a great way to see an artist up close and personal. And, hey, if you can't find one nearby... You can always host your own... Until our little boy came along and they became impractical with bedtimes etc we used to host them fairly regularly. Over a few years we had artists ranging from Steve Lawson to Amy Wadge, Laura Cortese and Victoria Vox from the USA, Riana Nel from S Africa, the wonderful Emily Baker, Anna Neale, Edwina Hayes and Katey Brooks and a number of other singers we'd got to know from visiting singer-songwriter evenings. There are lots of independent UK artists who like to supplement their regular gigs with house gigs and, similarly, a number of independent U.S. artists are also happy to do house gigs when over here between their club gigs. It nicely fills up slots in the tour schedule and probably pays as well as (or better than) their other gigs. Here are a few house gig websites to check out but I really recommend doing some yourself for family and friends. It's great craic! [url="http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/"]http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/[/url] [url="http://houseconcerts.org.uk/"]http://houseconcerts.org.uk/[/url] [url="http://houseconcerthub.ning.com/"]http://houseconcerthub.ning.com/[/url] [url="http://www.timeout.com/london/music/living-room-gigs"]http://www.timeout.c...iving-room-gigs[/url] [url="http://www.timeout.com/london/music/living-room-gigs"]http://www.timeout.c...iving-room-gigs[/url] [url="http://giginyourhouse.co.uk/"]http://giginyourhouse.co.uk/[/url] Here's an old blog from Steve Lawson on doing House Gigs… [url="http://www.stevelawson.net/2009/03/house-concert-hosting-a-beginners-guide/"]http://www.stevelaws...eginners-guide/[/url] My response to a comment in the comments of the above link… A bit of encouragement to Steve C… I can completely understand why your other half might feel awkward about "charging" friends to come to your house. However, the chances are that it's just an irrational fear of what your friends might think of you for doing so – not to belittle that concern, doing a house gig for the first time is a step into the unknown, especially if you've never hosted one before. Imagine someone inviting you to a birthday party and then charging you for nibbles, drinks and cake. Awful. It's really a matter of mind-set on what's happening in your home. The mental step from "we've invited our friends to a party" to "we've invited our friends to a gig (where the artist will need to be paid to perform), it just so happens that the gig is happening in our house". It's actually not that big of a mental leap when it comes down to it and I suspect that ALL your friends would get the concept straight off without any offence at being asked to pay a tenner to attend. If you're still attracted to the idea of doing a house gig it might be an idea for you (and your partner) to approach a selection of trusted friends with the following question: "Look, we've got this mad idea to book a singer/artist to do a gig for us and a few friends but to do it in our front room. Apparently, it's becoming the new big thing to do. Thing is, these artists are professional musicians, making a living out of this stuff so we thought of asking everyone who comes to make a donation of a tenner towards the artist's expenses -kinda like buying a ticket for the gig. Would you be up for that sort of thing? It wouldn't make you feel weird to pay or anything, would it?" I can guarantee that anyone you would ask wouldn't be offended at the idea of paying towards the artist's expenses. In their mind it's not paying to come you your house, it's paying for someone to provide a service of entertaining them while they're their. It's a paid gig like any other. It might help put your partner's mind at rest. Of course the main thing is that they don't feel awkward about it. The whole point for the host is that it's a fun, low stress evening with a great vibe. If you hear of any house gigs in your area it might not be a bad idea going along just to see what happens and how it works for them. There are a number of people who do advertise their house gigs more widely and a Google search might throw up something in the area. When we do house gigs ( we're doing them about every other month now!) it's only friends, family and "gig buddies" that we invite and – without exception – no one balks at the idea of paying for a ticket. They come for the vibe and the experience first and, to be honest, the music second. We have a few friends now who ask to buy a ticket BEFORE they know who's playing. They trust us that, whoever it is, we wouldn't book someone rubbish and that if we like them they are at least worth a listen! For us it's about enjoying great music with people we like played by people we like. So far we've only booked musos we happen to know and who are friends. As it is, we make the event more of a "gig" than a "house party" – although the actual vibe on the night is equally informal and vibey. We do "fliers" that we sent out to friends and print out a ticket which we give them. We provide soft drinks and a few nibbles but ask people to bring along their own (alcoholic) beverages and some nibbles. We also have seats for pretty much everyone. We've been to others where it's more of a house party – everyone on cushions and beanbags on the floor and something more substantial in the interval. Both work and it just depends on how you fancy doing it. I would recommend giving it a go if you feel you can. It is amazing fun and your friends will love it! [/quote] That's a brilliant reply, thanks ! I'd love to host a Steve Lawson gig.

[quote name='Jecklin' timestamp='1443607855' post='2876107'] This is not intended as a slight as I say this as someone who performs solo using an unusual instrument, but the thing that I find frustrating about ERBs is that the material played is as much about the instrument as it is the music. I guess I need to see a composer/performer playing their own genre specific material where the ERB instrument no longer matters. On a similar note I can almost tolerate Michael manrings hyperbass stuff (I do like the more gentle ambient styled pieces) but I just wish they weren't preceeded by a lecture about the instrument itself. [/quote] Have you heard Yves Carbonne's stuff ? He did a nice album a few years ago with Michael Manring and Dominique Di Piazza.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1443602748' post='2876033'] There will always threads like this while we keep referring to these instruments as basses. They really should have some sort of title of their own like 'extended range guitar' (ERG) or something. The grey area would be in deciding at which point a bass becomes an ERG I guess. If, purely hypothetically, you could make something like a double bass but which could cover the range of a viola and a violin I doubt many people would call it a double [i]bass[/i]. [/quote] They already have a name, they're called ERB's - extended range basses. Generally anything after a 5 string is an ERB, so 6 strings and upwards (string wise).

I know Steve Lawson does this, and a few others. Anyway, I found this site - [url="http://www.sofarsounds.com"]http://www.sofarsounds.com[/url]

An M-Audio Oxygen 25 can be bought for about £50 off eBay. They're nice and will work with a laptop running whatever software you prefer, Logic Pro, ableton etc.

Stuart McKinsey, he's a friend of mine on Facebook. He's a really great musician. How many guys on here struggle to name the notes, and play scales on a 4 string bass ?

They're mostly but not necessarily, show tunes from the 30s, 40, 50s etc. Tunes like Autumn Leaves, When I fall in love, Someday my prince will come, All blues, All the things you are, My funny valentine, to name but a few.

[quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1443414852' post='2874427'] But to the matter at hand: before I cancelled my subscription, BGM was consistent. It always had poor photographs, poor writing (in all ways) and poor content. There is a thread here about it that ran for many pages that highlighted the flaws and suggested how to make the magazine less (ahem) boring, but it seemed that nobody at BGM cared (or dared) to read it. [/quote] Having read some of that thread, it seems the best way to make it less boring is for them to implement the following - Less instruction. More instruction. More rock bass players. Less rock bass players. More funk Less funk More metal Less metal More jazz Less jazz Etc, etc, etc It is what it is. It's written by bassists for bassists, not by journalists. I thought the Wal review for instance was a really nice review of a great instrument, it's written by a friend that I spent four years at uni with, who's an incredibly gifted bassist. Last month had Mark King who probably influenced a whole generation of UK bassists.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1443421643' post='2874446'] It's not going to please all the readers all of the time is it? I've been a tad unwell of late and in and out of hospital a bit, to help cheer me up, my wife has treated me to the last two editions. The current one I've not enjoyed nearly as much as the first. Nothing wrong with it as such, just that the first one had more in the way of gear and players that interested me. [/quote] Sorry hear you've been unwell. You're absolutely right, it's never going to please everyone. Oddly, this is the first copy I have bought in years, simply because it features one of my personal biggest bass playing influences. With regard to where items are built, some of the most popular pieces of gear on here are built abroad, Aguilar tone hammers for instance, and there's nothing wrong with their construction.

Is it necessarily important where it's manufactured ?