NancyJohnson

Without hesitation I'd say my forte is in arranging, I've never been big on repetition for the sake of it and I do like material to carry interesting/unexpected key/time-signature changes within the confines of the songs to keep it interesting. Yes, I have been called a pain in the donkey because of this and I don't doubt this to be the case, but I'd counter by saying the material has always benefitted from excising chunks and mixing it up a bit. This though, is something different. This is all about (to my ears at least) having some tweak mixes down and then having someone master (never met him, don't know him), who clearly needs his ears syringed. Despite my age, my ears are still working pretty well. While subjective, and within the bounds of our musical genre, I'd like to think I know what sounds like it has some shizzle and what sounds like it's been mastered by someone who clearly doesn't have a clue. It's all a bit soul destroying to be honest.

The second one is up. I'm not making this up, to garner plays (or sympathy) but this sounds even worse. I can just hear the levels going up an down during the songs. You put in so much effort and, well, umm, it just sounds sh*t. https://open.spotify.com/album/6V6syE387dIu2ELc2XUYy8?si=qnUkgglBQAiGZIJLEvE5ew&utm_source=copy-link

Individual Cheese Portions.

Initially, I just de-soldered everything, then popped out the unit and battery box. I found a wiring schematic online and just re-did the wiring. When I installed the John East, I went with a Uni Pre-4 unit (https://www.east-uk.com/product/uni-pre-4-knob/).

In answer to this, as a previous owner of one of these, I'm not of the opinion that there's anything specifically wrong with the stock pickups, but (IMO) the pairing of these with the Tonepump Jr was/is a disaster; it added nothing but mush to the output tone and the stocks were considerably more responsive/dynamic once the pre-amp was out of the circuit.

Yeah, it's definitely louder. It just shizzles. Luckily, I have all the stuff from before they got dicked about with and will likely just listen to those as and when.

I've attached a copy of the 3rd track...it's short. Just do the comparison of this compared to the Spotify version from the perspective of dynamics, just how exciting it sounds. soul.mp3

I'm happy enough with the arrangements (understandably!), but the end result is just a bit tepid and radio friendly, it's like all the life has been sucked out of them.

Afternoon chaps I'm a bit conflicted here, but the first of three releases by my band Lizard Sweets went up on Spotify yesterday. I've posted a link below. To be honest, I'm really disappointed with the end result. There, I've said it. I tracked the bass (remotely) over a three month period (we recorded 40+ songs) and thankfully had considerable input insofar as the arrangements go (originally too much repetition/dead wood; why make a song four minutes when it says everything it needs to in under two?), but beyond that, zero. The original mixes were pretty strong; loud and aggressive with wonderful dynamics; while there was some clipping in places, rather than fix within the original multitracks, the guitarist/producer decided to just reduce everything by 6db, then an additional 3db, so the end results were very quiet before they toodled off for mastering (which has just resulted, rather depressingly, in a rather woolly, saturated, scooped-mids set of songs). The guy who mastered is a friend of a friend of the singer. The Spotify process has lifted things a bit but not much...I feel a bit meh about it, to me it's just sounds mushy and dull. As a body of work it's consistent; I'm sure after the initial shock as to how awful these sound fades I'll just accept them as they are, but for now, I feel really p*ssed off. A couple of mates have listened and said it sounds fine, my opinion is that it could been put sounding so much better. For the record, I used my Mike Lull basses on this (most of the time the five string) and supplied clean and dUg-effected recordings, any chorus etc. was added without my opinion being considered, thankfully it's minimal. If you're interested, go here. I'd be interested in knowing what you reckon. http://open.spotify.com/album/5fTPhuq92RTdiOsVeRZInJ?si=Wv1wXfNjREi07oy3uEi4wA

I had one of these, bought it stupid cheap off eBay; speculative bid that nobody bettered. Detested the Tonepump Jnr, muddy/just horrific. Pulled that out a few days after I got it and went passive for a bit, then put a John East unit in it, afterwhich it came alive. Used it for some recording and then it just sat gathering dust. Sold it on a couple of months ago.

I owned one of these, bought it from Wapping Bass Centre. I did one studio session with it where the producer remarked about it's 'Incredible rich piano-like tone', that's as maybe, but in hindsight, well, umm, no.

Just an addendum here, I think it's glorious when bands stick with cheaper gear...the guitarists from My Chemical Romance continued to use Epiphone stuff while they were filling stadiums and doing festivals. Credit to them.

I'm just a sucker for matt black basses...

I loved the his matt black Zon signature model.

Anyone here own an Integra? I was listening to Faith No More's The Real Thing earlier and I was always a sucker for Billy Gould's tone on that album (which I suppose is a mishmash of Geddy/dUg/JJB to my ears)...no idea whether he used one of these for the recording or whether it was just rolled out for videos. I know they go for peanuts, crazy really.

I'll chip in, but don't take anything I post as being accurate as I've recently been accused of both being deaf and not having a clue by a member on these pages recently. Ignore what's sitting on top of it in the photo below, but seriously, consider Darkglass enclosures...for a while now I've been looking to go with a pair of 1x12s, but did consider a 2x12. Tried a pair of Aguilars, a pair of Barefaced, but as things panned out, the 1x12 arrived on my birthday in December...I'll add a second one later, or if Darkglass get around to it, a 1x15 so long as they can squeeze a 15 in a cabinet the same width (they should be able to). As things stand, I adore the 1x12; it doesn't ponk. They do a 2x12 (https://www.darkglass.com/dg212n/) which is under 20kg, the 1x12 is 12.5kg,specs are here(https://www.darkglass.com/dg112n/)

I have a huge/diverse playlist on Spotify; started out as a few guilty pleasures although it's been expanded immeasurably. Nothing better than sticking BBC Berkshire's Melody Hour show on on a Sunday night and Shazamming every other track and appending said playlist with it. I just stick the playlist on shuffle and boom, you're away. I mean, where are you ever going to hear Richard Van Dyke's Jolly Holiday playing after Argent's Hold Your Head Up?,

I remember the first time I upped the ante and had two basses...I reckon I was 16 or 17. Living it laaaarge. An Ibanez Roadster (RS924) and a Gibson Grabber G-3. One was great, one was terrible but quite aerodynamic on at least three occasions.

@TheGreek has summed it up succintly enough. I'm down to six and feel I have all bases covered for whatever I'm called on. Half are in cases, three are on stands (in different rooms) and I'm only really gravitating towards one of these day to day (and this is only because it's new to me, passive and plugged in 24/7). If you're happy with one bass, that's fine, but just make sure it's the one. Play many, ask for advice.

In phase/out of phase/whatever. With a passive dual pickup system, there's always an inevitable roll off when both the pickups are open (I'm sure someone here will be able to back this up with an equation to support the reasoning)...also worth remembering that despite the allusion the pickups are in isolation, everything is still linked together in the loom, so you're reliant on the pots working 100% with zero bleed (unlikely). The only way to isolate would be a manual pickup switch (like a Les Paul), where you're physically removing the pickup from the circuit. I installed a Geezer Butler PJ set into a bass recently (these are solderless/plug and play); following installation, either of the pickups was louder in isolation than the other, but played together the output dropped. Nothing wrong/incorrect with the wiring, it just happens. It's then simply a case of reverting to pickup height to balance things out to your own preferences should you wish to play with everything open. Mine's all sorted...100% happy.

The new Fleetwood Mac Live deluxe. Sadly, it's Spotify. What? Do you think I'm made of money?

Remembering back, they supported us at The Dublin Castle one time, two trolleys, two guitars, two Fender combos and Pedaltrains, plus snare/cymbals/kick drum pedal. Amazing really.

There was a thread here a while back about trolleys...I used to use a two-wheeler fishing kit thing, incredibly robust. Interestingly, we gigged several times in London with another (London) band who used the Tube instead of driving; the drummer carried most of her drums on one trolley like the Wolcraft one above, while the guitarist carried the rest of the kit and a small amp on another one.

Yawn. Bored now.