rmorris

[quote name='ziggydolphinboy' post='283922' date='Sep 14 2008, 09:49 PM']used black label for ages they are nice man, just had two asses set up by the gallery and they put la bella strings on both ther are nice.[/quote] I'm sort of hopeing you mean 'basses set up' - ooo-err missus ;-) but yes - I had a couple of basses - a Hohner B2a 4 string and an Aria MAB5 5 string set up by Bass Gallery in Camden and they put on La Bellas which sound pretty good. I left it up to them and was surprised they went as light as ( I think) 0.128 on the low B but it seems to work ok if I don't hit it too hard. 5 String not really my thing so comments welcome.

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='283010' date='Sep 13 2008, 12:41 AM']Let me know if/when you want to sell - I've got one already but it had a pint of cider one night at a pub gig![/quote] What sort of damage did the cider spillage do ? Does it still work at all ? I'm thinking it might be recoverable.

?[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Korg-G5-Bass-Synth-Processor_W0QQitemZ230286864860QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230286864860&_trkparms=72%3A984%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]Korg G5[/url] just to be clear this isn't mine - although I have one and will likely sell soon. I notice the seller says he has hung up his bass for good - is that possible

[quote name='Marcus' post='265171' date='Aug 19 2008, 07:28 AM']some great ideas, tips and suggestions...... After years of biting my nails down to the stumps i've grown my plucking finger nails and it's made a difference to the attack of the notes for sure, I think with some added bite and my recently purchased Aphex Punch Factory i'm getting there !! Thanks guys....[/quote] are you plucking the strings 'fingerstyle' ? if so do the fingernails interfere with 'normal' flesh only fingerstyle or do you use a different angle to strike the string ? Or are you using the nail more like a pick with downstrokes ? or .....?

[quote name='Blueroom Pete' post='259689' date='Aug 11 2008, 03:20 AM']thanks everyone for the replies. It purely live use that I'm worried about. When it comes to recording I own a studio so I have an Avalon DI that I'll blend in with a nice valve mic on the cab. I just won't be taking either anywhere near a stage![/quote] It's probably worth giving the Behringer 'Sansamp Clone' box a go for probably less than £30 although if you can A/B it with a 'real' Sansamp BDDI then that'd be good.

[quote name='BassManKev' post='262285' date='Aug 14 2008, 11:43 AM']no, they don't, unless you attack with your fingers really hard and you use your nails, but thats the same with every bass i dont think you will ever get anything to sound like your using a pick unless you actually use a pick.[/quote] Well I guess it depends on what ‘pick sound’ is being envisaged. I’m thinking clear attack with a bit of a ‘clicky’ percussive element. Definitely heard similar from a Musicman with fingerstyle ( not nails ) before a couple of times which made me listen up and is why I mentioned it. But not a real grindy ‘rock’ tone. With a pick a lot depends on the pick and profile of the string – I’m assuming roundwounds – as to how much plectrum grind you get. For a more ‘fuzzed up a bit’ sound with a pick like attack while using fingers I reckon the closest I’ve come was years ago recording onto a domestic valve reel to reel machine via the mic which came with the machine with the mic right up against the grill of a small practice amp. The sound which came back off tape was a real surprise – I guess it was the combination of the valves and tape overdrive compression + amp / speaker distortions. But I agree about using nails - that’s good esp if you can get away with all down strokes. The hard skin / surgical spirit thing can help too but it’ll never be as hard as nails ( obviously). And yeah – it can take some getting comfortable with – but a real pick is the real answer. The guy who started this thread wants alternatives though so it's good to throw ideas around.

depending on what 'pick' sound you're looking for but it may be worth trying out a Musicman bass or similar - I've heard those get a pick like attack with fingerstyle ? But yeah - persevere with the pick itself - a lot cheaper !

just to say I bought a 12" driver from Stevie - no problems at all. Cheers.

[quote name='Platypus' post='247294' date='Jul 24 2008, 09:27 PM']I got one of these last week - Alesis Performance Pad - [url="http://www.dv247.com/invt/46927/"]http://www.dv247.com/invt/46927/[/url] it's the Alesis SR16 drum machine plus the pads build on top. great fun - its fast becoming a family entertainment center ! I just leave it plugged in to an old Peavey Microbass practice amp.... Here's a review done my a drummer: [url="http://www.mikedolbear.co.uk/story.asp?StoryID=1600"]http://www.mikedolbear.co.uk/story.asp?StoryID=1600[/url] P[/quote] looks fun - reminds me that I'm meaning to sell an Alesis SR-16 - will try it on this site.

Owners Manuals Instructions for the above . Take all or any for the cost of the stamps - or collect Brighton.

[quote name='lmbalcao' post='232396' date='Jul 4 2008, 01:01 AM']Vodoo Lab Pedar Power Plus..[/quote] thanks. But the Voodoo Labs uits use a linear supply with isolated secondary windings ( going from their website info ). I was meaning using 'isolated DC/DC converter modules' as produced by C+D and others to realise the supplies - probably powering the individual supplies from one step down transformer / psu. Basically wondering if any diyers had tried it. The Voodoo Labs stuff does look good though.

[quote name='budget bassist' post='228411' date='Jun 28 2008, 03:24 AM']That could be it, i just changed strings the other day (well a few weeks ago, but they're still new! ) and i only just noticed it, that COULD be it... i might swap the string with one on my toby if at all possible and see if it's still there, or order a new string maybe...[/quote] definitely worth looking into the possibility of a loose winding on a string. I had a odd/bad 'overtone' before - suspected truss rod / bridge / tuners / anything and it turned out to be one of the strings,

[quote name='beerdragon' post='228248' date='Jun 27 2008, 07:38 PM']I picked the cabs up this afternoon. i managed to get them both for £180. i'm happy with sound and i though it was a good deal. the amp i left. when you depressed the EQ button it made a noise that sounded like a dry joint. a tap on top of the amp and it made it disappear. could be still a bargain at a £100 or even less.[/quote] did you discuss whether they were actually TE cabs ? - like others I've not seen TE cabs like that previously. I reckon amp could be a good buy for someone handy with a soldering iron - although I haven't seen the insides of that amp series to know how easy it is to access the components.

just a note to say that there are a lot - and I mean a lot - of fake Duracells out there - google Duracell Fake and see what comes up and ther's a big warning on Duracell website. They look okay until you realise the packaging/card is more basic with a disclaimer about 'not being aligned with the manufacturer' or something on it and the battery itself is a bit roughly made around the bottom etc... Caveat Emptor ( excuse me if my Latin not up to standard ) Any TSOs reading this ?

[quote name='cheddatom' post='229531' date='Jun 30 2008, 10:27 AM']I don't fully understand this, but..... I heard that "star grounded" connectors are better than fully isolated, especially for getting rid of ground loops. I don't know which way it works, but I have a godlyke powerall that I run at least 18 pedals off, and it's noise free![/quote] well 'Star Grounding' applies to the way the whole system is grounded rather than to a type of connector or a way of wiring it. Basically all Ground / 0V points are taken back to a 'single point' ( which raises the question of how big is a single point ? ) and loops are avoided. In the worst case scenario with fx / power supplies this is exactly what you [u]don't[/u] have since the grounds are connected via the screens and the power leads. Some fx have internal impedances etc to break the loop to some extent at least. The bigger the loop area the worse the effect all else being equal so minimising inter-effect connection length and not having excess length on the power lead will help. Those solid jack to jack connectors may be useful. Ideally we'd have well implemented balanced connections but that doesn't happen at pedal level. Isolated supplies ( a transformer secondary for each unit ) or transformers in the audio path between units are a solution. On a slightly different note ( B flat ? ) I've noticed that some of the inexpensive 'six in a bag' type short moulded jack to jack cables ( usually in various colours) have poor shielding at the connectors and pick up loads of noise regardless of the power supply arrangement. Adam Hall do some good quality inexpensive short patchcords with decent quality re-wireable metal - not 'European' Neutrik quality but look roadworthy none the less - I have a couple.

[quote name='Clive Thorne' post='216366' date='Jun 10 2008, 06:57 PM']If the power supply was rated for 500mA at 12V then, if it was unregulated, the 'no load' voltage would likely be higher than 12V, as someone has already said. Also, if you put a dead short on it then the voltage would drop below 12V, but the current would go well above the 500mA. If the excess voltage caused one of the solid-state devices to go short, then the resulting current could easily cause a track to burn out. ie the track burning out is probably a symptom rather than the cause. Even if the supply was regulated then 12v is still 33% above 9V! What would you expect your telly to do if you connected it to 320Vac? Behringer stuff is cheap, so it's a bit unfair to expect it to be as tolerant as a Boss or something which costs a lot more, and we don't know how a boss would respond to a 33% overvoltage (dont try it!!). Regards Herr Behringer[/quote] I'd still have to say that it's a poor technical design if it's damaged by what is still a relatively low voltage, especially given the environment in which it's likely to be used. Maybe some of the pedal makers here would like to comment/agree/disagree. The TV analogy seems a bit misplaced as the absolute voltage/current values are much larger and ac. However it's worth noteing that TVs still need to survive specified mains surges/transients in order to pass CE regulations.

[quote name='NJE' post='228145' date='Jun 27 2008, 04:23 PM']I am sure he used to be the guitar tech repairer in Cranes Cardiff. Used to design with Tanglewood as well I seem to remember as I bought a prototype acoustic from them. i could be wrong but I you always remeber a name like entwhistle.[/quote] and wrt "I recall the name in connection with Hohner as well" : Name rings a bell with me too - if it's the right guy I think he was involved with both Hohner ( then based in Carephilly 8 miles north of Cardiff ) and Cranes in St Mary St. Cardiff ( watch out for Torchwood aliens :-) ( I used to live in Cardiff ) Years ago I had a Hohner B2a setup in Cranes which should have been fine if he was in charge but it wasn't that great to be honest - since then I've had it setup at London Bass Gallery although to be fair it did need a fret dress so worked out fairly costly. I have seen a few Alden istruments around and they do look pretty good - haven't checked them out in detail though.

Hi. Following on from various threads on power supplies for effects I was wondering if anyone here has used isolated DC/DC modules to make a supply for multiple pedals / different dc voltages. I know there's a potential issue with switching noise but I've used these (with filtering) for high performance audio circuits in the past. Your input appreciated. Cheers.

[quote name='Wren and Cuff' post='228259' date='Jun 27 2008, 07:52 PM']Any of the voodoo labs p supplies (except the older "AC" version) are great. The keyword here is "isolated". The voodoo labs is basically like having a separate wall-wart for each female jack. I'm oversimplifying here, but you get the idea. It also has a switch for the older boss, arion, and others that require 9V/12V or "ACA" adapters. You can power these on a daisy chain with a regular power supply and a 9VDC pedal, but many times you get weird hum issues. The AC switch on each jack solves that. That is why the voodoo PS's are more expensive. Many of the cheaper look-alike boxes are basically a daisy-chain in a metal housing, some even have a wall-wart to power them! The voodoo is just a standard grounded plug. The new ones have some fancy features that I don't need, so I found a used older model (the "2" I think?) on eBay for $125.00. That was a long time ago and I've beat the hell out of it, and it's never failed me. no, I don't own stock in voodoo labs... matt[/quote] yeah - properly isolated supplies should do it - apart from leakage due to the transformer interwinding capacitance but I'm getting fussy now. ( best solutions would have interwinding shield and appropriate mumetal shielding ) The problem with solutions which seem 'okay' is that it'll probably be okay live / rehearsal where there may be bigger problems wrt noise / ground loop anyway but studio / recording etc can expose a problem.

Can you tell us what guage you have on there atm ? There's lots of other variables but let's start there - I assume they are roundwounds ?

[quote name='Scorchin' post='228272' date='Jun 27 2008, 08:15 PM']Why not just save yourself the cash and run a free software-based drum machine? I can't recommend the Hydrogen music drum machine anymore! Not only can it handle all sorts of time signatures, but it has many different drum sounds that you extend yourself or use the wealth available on the site. Download here: [url="http://www.hydrogen-music.org/"]http://www.hydrogen-music.org/[/url][/quote] Just had a brief look at the site - but it's for Linux only ???

[quote name='1976fenderhead' post='228073' date='Jun 27 2008, 02:56 PM']It should be fine, but I wouldn't go for that one, I'd go for the industry standards, which nowadays seem to be more and more Cubase on PC or Logic on Mac. You can get the light versions of these for a little over £100 (or a little less on eBay, new and sealed). The reason I suggest these is that if you continue using software like this (which is likely), you'll almost certainly end up settling on one of these 2 in the end, and learning the definitive program once is better than learning a few that you'll end up dropping along the way... Logic's light version is better than Cubase's light version, but you'd need a Mac. And Garageband is a great fun program to use, would probably be ideal for you, and the transition for logic is very very easy as they have the same principles. But again, you'd need a Mac. Everyone should have a Mac, really... ;-)[/quote] +1 If going that route and using a PC take a look at Sonar from Cakewalk also. Newest 'proper' Sonar software has enhanced MIDI capabilities but it also comes in 'light' versions I think. Having evaluated both I have to say I found Sonar support both from Cakewalk in USA and distributor 'Etcetera' here a lot better and helpful than Steinberg with Cubase. I think you can still download a demo ( 30 day ) version of Sonar from their site to try out. There is a point to think about in that dedicated hardware can sometimes have better timing than software on computer solutions - depends on the PC setup / MIDI buffers / MIDI handling etc. If you want to be able to see what's going on a software / PC solution is the only way really imo whether you use internal sounds or external hardware. But if into the hardware only approach, apart from the SR-16 etc , the Akai / Roger Linn kit has to be worth a look but it ain't cheap.

[quote name='bassjamm' post='227367' date='Jun 26 2008, 02:10 PM']Hi guys, Just watched a clinic by Victor Wooten. He's using a drum machine that allows you to have 2 bars of drums, then 2 bars of silence, 1 bar of drums, 3 bars of silence, 1 beat, then 3 bars and 3 beats of silence. Does that make sense? If anyone knows of any drum machines that can do that please pipe up. If it can play chords over the top it'd be a bonus, not essentiall though. Thanks Jamie[/quote] Do you definitely require dedicated hardware ? - not a PC / Mac solution. In general you'll need to program the 'drum' bars anyway and then you can insert 'silent' bars as required. But if you can deal with having a PC/Mac/Laptop then you'd have a much better graphic interface on to see what's going on. Maybe use 'e-jay' software for simple copy / paste pattern costruction - not limited to just drums. Or if you want the sounds from a particular drum / rhythm machine run a PC MIDI sequencer controllig the hardware unit ?