Woodinblack

I used an XR16, then a X18 for a few years. I used it without an external router for a year or so without any issues, even though common logic is you use it with an external router. Then one event its performance wasn't good, so I got a cheap external router, about the size of a plug, never had any problems since, although to be fair I wouldn't worry if I forgot the router either (although I wouldn't as it lives in the same case).

So is the spectradrive similar to the front end of a TC amp? I am currently using my Ashdown CTM100, and I love the sound, but I do miss the versatility of my TC450 so something like that could be pretty handy on a board

The passive saves about £100 on their normal prices.

Well, I guess its not hard to see why they wanted the old bass player back

Playing stinky poo songs in pubs to non discerning audience, yep, sign me up any day of the week. All of my current instruments have been paid for doing that, and playing music for people to dance to and have an enjoyable time, I am happy with that. I can play all my stuff that no-one wants to listen to in my room or with friends, though thankfully not jazz.

All of my XLR cables are coloured, so they don't 'blend in with other peoples' cables! It does mean though that as for some reason I provide all the cables that people take the cable they view as theirs (drummer always gets the yellow one, guitarist the red one, noone touches the blue one as its mine). Then there are the florescent orange ones, they are purely for things relating to the mixer. Mine are all from ebay using proper cable and proper connectors.

Yeh, I had the same - its irritating as now I have to have both of the cables, but just what you put up with.

Well, yes, I play pubs and the bass is normally not out of the PA, although I use DI all the time as it goes to the mixer for IEM and sometimes recording. From the amp though, as the amp is part of my sound. Maybe if I had a helix, I wouldn't need the amp to be part of my sound, but I don't. But if I did and I had a helix stomp instead of a full helix (which seems unlikely), I would just use a different cable. As it is I use a X18 (rather than an XR18) mixer, so I have quite a few TRS to XLR leads, as that is what they did on the X18. Everytime i have plugged into someone elses pa, which has mostly been on the back of a truck or on those occasions with a house PA, I have gone from my amp. Indeed you would. As you would if your bass failed, or your cable failed, or your helix failed, or one of the wires on your pedalboard failed, or your DI box failed, or the mixer or pa failed, or the speakers failed. ie: with the tens of things that could fail between your fingers and the speaker, why specifically is the amp failing a major concern? I have never had an amp fail mid gig, so I wondered why this one case was a reason to not use an amp? Well, I have done quite a few weddings and I guess I have been one of those rare souls whos amp never failed

Bit of a result, one that we really weren't looking forward to in a not particularly popular pub at the bottom of town. Expecting it to be dead and not particularly fun. Turned out to be exactly the opposite - very busy and everyone was up and dancing. At the end they asked us to play on but we are trying to trim the sets down to a reasonable time and everyone was baying for another encore, but we had done a couple, and leave them wanting more. Good night had by all, and not one, but two blokes afterwards came up and said they liked my bass playing. So I guess I am not as scary looking as blue. And one woman asked why we hadn't played pink floyd for a while, which is good as that is one I sing.

Well, there we go. I don't know anyone that plays like that, you don't know many people that dont, maybe it is a regional divide or a different type of group playing, so I guess that the truth is somewhere between that. One thing I suspect is that line 6 have done some research into it and decided it wasn't worth their while doing it, and also zoom, as the original b3 (that I have) had a DI, and the new one doesn't. I am guessing the impact on their sales will be fairly minor. If I was a guitarist I would use a full fat helix anyway, so wouldn't have an issue. Not that it would matter to me so much, if the amp failed I could go from the low impedance output of any amplified effects unit into a mixer with a jack lead (the mixer takes either), so there would be no issue, but I am not sure why the amp would fail, or why that would be any more likely than the PA failing. Luckily I haven't had either (although the guitarist seems to a lot).

Gig in a new pub last night, well, the pub I first met my current band a few years ago, when it was closing down. But first time gigging there for me. Nice pub, looked a bit tidy for a gigging pub when I turned up but it was actually pretty good in the end. Loads of room and as I was buy the window, I put the ashdown CTM on the window ledge at eye level so I could make adjustments and enjoy the view of the little needle going on the VU meter. Highest I managed to make it go was briefly to 60W, doesn't seem to sound much for the volume that it made! At break we asked the drummers dad how he liked the sound (they come to a lot of our gigs, I think he is mid 80s), he said that it sounded great but I needed to turn the treble down on the drum kit as it seemed like it was boosted. Unfortunately that is one thing I can't do!

Maybe it is down to the syle of gigging you do. I have a DI on the B3 which is virginal and untouched. I can't think of a situation where I would use it, and frankly of all the local groups I have seen with one (and there are a few) I have never seen anyone use one. I suppose if you are the type who does use it it would seem a bit of an odd omission, but I would suspect that well over 90% of the owners of DI-Outputed effects pedals are never used, so it really wouldn't seem an odd thing to lose. Maybe it is different with the helix stomp because people are going straight to the PA, but I would think that if you were going straight to the PA you would be more likely to be a full helix kind of group, or maybe it is because you londoners gig in a different way to us provincial chaps. I have only gigged in a place with its own PA a handful of times, and even then I went from the DI on my amp.

Cant tell about the monitoring but for some reason I feel I should buy a sofa...

Nope, me too. Love the necks, and the look though.

OK, now I have had a chance to play with helix native on the mac, how wonderful is that? Only problem is that it is not as good on bass as guitar (although still pretty good), and it emphasises to me that restricting down to 6 blocks would take quite a lot of the functionality away (so no helix stomp), and restricting to no amp models would also take quite a lot of the functionality away (so no helix hx). So it is full fat helix or nothing, and the helix is a bit expensive for what I want (as I would want a helix and straight to the PA, so would have to improve the PA). If I was a guitarist in a band though, I would have sold everything and have a helix on order already - any other option would seem to be a bit of a compromise!

Around here half an hour is ideal, you could do a set with another couple of bands on a new originals night and that would be fine. But you have to book that gig.It isn't unusual however for those sort of gigs to change band list quite a lot in the last few days where people realise that it is getting real and drop out.

What sort of awful do you mean? Thin and weedy, hissy, etc? DOes the original sound ok. How does the bass get into the laptop in the first place?

True, but I got some nice ones that looked a bit like the top ones for £3. And they hadn't been anywhere near a bog

I guess 'nicer looking' is one of those 'eye of the beholder' things here?

Well, frankly, they should feel pressured into doing it, it has been the best part of the year. All the delays are just excuses, and yes, it is stressful going on stage the first time as a group but it doesn't get easier until you have done it, and conversely it gets more stressful the more you think about it. If you cant do it soon, you will never be able to do it, and at that point, yes, people are right, you have to decide if it is what you want. As my wife would say with these things, its really time to fosters or get off the pot

The drummer can hire / borrow / beg them, the guitarist can put them on an iPad and read them out - jobs done.

Get a gig booked so you have a target. Otherwise it is easy to put off. I personally wouldn't be in them any more, as I would have got bored, but if you can't gig after this time you never will be ready, so get it booked.

Kays are getting harder and harder to find these days, as anyone with any sense who had one would have spent an enjoyable afternoon pouring petrol on it and watching it burn!

I had that when I sold one of my basses on here, exactly the same thing, guy coming over with a case, take the bass, pay the money. Exactly that happened, a guy turned up with absolutely no english skills, but gave the money and took the bass, drove off in a full transit with a trailer, all good.. aparently it costs about £10-20 to get a bass sent from the uk to Hungary