NickD

My contribution to the July 2023 Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by the picture chosen by last months winner, AndyTravis. A tune about racing the weather home... probably from the pub. Tech stuff... Recorded in Cubase Elephants 12, Monster Drums, the Jake 5 through a Zoom B6, a Westbury Standard and a Vintage Strat (the brand,) treated with the bundled effects. A bit of organ from Halion Sonic, mixed way back, and some storm noises from Looperman. Vocals are my usual half arsed attempt, multitracked through an SM58 and treated with CLA Vocals.

Nice one... Cool track!

I bought a book from Alan. Nice easy, friendly transaction, posted pretty much immediately and arrived earlier than expected. Top job!

Fair enough. I've never seen one like it, any idea who made it?

It's a pretty cool design, and if it sounds good you're on to a winner! I'd be sorely tempted to try and fashion wooden replacements for the brackets, that would finish it off really nicely.

Nice one... It's great when you put in the work and there's a payoff!

My contribution to the June edition of the Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by the picture chosen by last months winner, Upside Downer. It was an interesting journey... It was going to be a chilled Bossa, then it was going to be a chilled bossa with a lo-fi triphop thing going on, then I found a little loop that I really dug and started messing around with, and the Bossa idea went out of the window. It ended up as a kinda sparse, kinda brief, lo-fi ditty about escaping the rat race and running to the sun. Tech wise, everything is from within Cubase Elephants, except for the vocal, which is me, treated with CLA Vocals and a bit of Waves Harmony towards the end. I was going to put some DB on it, but I liked the sub part that I'd used so I left it. It is, however, so subby that it probably won't come out on laptop speakers.

Just to update.... What a difference a visit to the professionals can make. I finally got the chance to drop it into Thwaites. I figured that while it seemed solid enough, I'd ask them to give it a bit of an MOT, just to make sure nothing was going on that would cause me trouble in the near future, and to see if it was a candidate for bringing the action down a touch. They got back to me after a week and said that everything is fine, and that a simple reprofiling of the bridge would sort the action, so I asked them to go ahead. I picked it up this morning, and the difference is astonishing, it's so easy to play the whole length of the fingerboard. With what they have done to the action I don't need to move away from the Mittels, they're fine as they are now. I can't really perceive any loss of tone or volume, aside from a bit less thump (which I had been trying to minimise anyway) and a little more 'mwah', which is absolutely fine by me. Thanks to everyone for their input!

Nice one! It was a cracking tune!

onanists! Do you have a shareable link?

Turns out he's as good a seller as he is a buyer. I had a T Bone condenser mic from Nick. Easy, pleasant communication, posted the next day and arrived the following morning, in the great condition he described. Thanks Man!

It's always been the best therapy, but now I appreciate is twice as much. I had a small stroke, out of the blue a few weeks ago, and for a little while my left arm basically withered and died, leaving me with a useless claw. Luckily, over the next couple of hours my brain rewired itself, giving me some control back, and apart from the odd strange sensation it's pretty much normal now. I'm playing like a man possessed at the moment. You never fully understand the value of something until it's gone.

Bangin'! 😎

Never stopped me! 😂

My Contribution to the May round of the Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by the picture chosen by last months winner, Me. I started off working towards an ambient electronic track, as that's how the image felt to me, but as I started getting lyric ideas together, they largely centred around the idea of doors, real and metaphorical, be it to another realm, or some earthly change or opportunity. From that it developed into more of a 'song' than a cinematic thing, so I ended up with a bit of both... I think! Tech wise... Recorded in Cubase Elephants 10 using an NS Design EUB and a Westfield Standard Guitar, both treated with bundled effects. Drums courtesy of Monster Drums, and a sprinkling of the bundled VSTs. Vox treated with CLA Vocals. The mixing process was my usual move sliders and hope for the best technique... I really must learn something about that stuff.

Nick bought My Helix LT. He was an absolute pleasure to deal with, great communication and a nice easy deal, just like it should be. We could have discussed bass related things for hours. Thanks Fella!

This has just popped up on there, looks like they're trying to get a documentary off the ground... I hope it happens!

Hurrah... For the sympathy vote! 😂 I was lucky to pull that off in another quality field. I think that's my first singer/songwriter thing ever, and it kinda worked. Really must learn to sing though. I've just been combing the interweb and I reckon I've got something that's quite open to interpretation. I'll get it across asap.

That's not going to be a problem anymore though, is it?

https://gollihurmusic.com/string-identification-chart/ I'm on my phone and I haven't got my glasses, but helicore pizzicato maybe?