Frank Blank

Stewart Lee guest hosting Radio 3’s Late Junction

Oh good grief *sound of scales falling from eyes (whatever sound that makes)* now I get what people are talking about generally when they say a channel strip but appear to be discussing it away from a studio desk, another piece of the jigsaw clicks into place! This also explains your form factor comment. I suppose the only difference between a high end preamp and the channel strip is the form. I am trying to minimise the gear as much as possible and the strip you kindly linked to would involve a rack although it looks as if it has a lot more eq ability than the Alix?

Really, do excuse my lack of tech knowledge but how does one utilise a channel strip without the Kemper in a live situation?

A Prawn Goebbels please...

Got it, thanks for the explanation. I’m not really trying to emulate any amps and I don’t really use studios per se, at home I use logic and a Focusrite, all I’m trying to do live is get the least coloured sound possible when amplifying my bass and then to tweak that sound with some eq to suit any room/live situation. The Kemper is a significant jump in price from the Alix and I’m not sure I’d use it for a fraction (or any) of its capabilities. Do feel free to convince me otherwise.

I assumed ‘channel strips’ referred to the channel from a mixing desk, so you copy channel strips with the Kemper and then play through the Kemper?

Oh no, here we go again. I have no idea what a ‘channel strip’ or a ‘Kemper’ is. I am open to mockery.

I use a Fishman Platinum Pro pre at the moment but am considering a Grace Alix.

Thinking of selling my Fishman Platinum Pro and getting the Grace Design Alix, anyone have any experience with these or this brand?

Heh, I thought that said “The c*rp is pretty rare...”, wondered how I’d ended up on a fishing forum.

Stick with us @Bassislife16, I’ve been in the middle of some discussions that made me want to leave, I’ve also occasionally said a thing or two on here that I regretted, but the longer you use BC the more you’ll see that most of the time it’s actually one of the more reasonable corners of the internet and a huge wealth of knowledge and experience is on tap. Lots of people are opinionated, sometimes vociferously so, but 9/10 it’s wisdom and occasionally that wisdom is a bit angsty.

I was worried that this thread might have disintegrated then and although I’m not the OP this thread has completely revolutionised my approach to bass amplification and I’ve noticed it seems to attract folk from other forums or just random Googlers who are interested in this subject. I’d hate people to be put off by bickering when this is becoming a really valuable resource, phew.

No, quite the opposite but that video is all there is to go on. I’ve had a Godin A4 before and it was amazing, the thought of a short scale Godin has always been a bit of a dream but it’s not looking good, just wondered if someone had first hand experience that refutes the video.

Ah right! Actually, I think I agree with you.

You’ve played one/own one?

I spent a while looking at the Godin Acoustic Solution amps mainly because they were suitable for the kind of instruments I play but a huge part of wanting one was simply because they have the angled section allowing it to tilt like a monitor.

I found the ‘1001 albums you must listen to before you die’ list. Began working my way through but got bored 😐. I’d heard a fraction of the albums I managed to get through, I’m quite proud of that!

I always go up on Saturdays.

Pleasure, it’s worth the trip, he’s unsurpassed imho.

He is very straight talking, you get used to it really quickly because he’s talking absolute sense. I am the same as you, I don’t mind paying a bit extra for good work. Having said that I took a bass up to be set up and just a few days before a bass of mine fell into a classical guitar I had at the time and damaged it, I mentioned it in an email to him and he said bring it up. He spent an hour carefully working on the damaged area, it was a real pleasure just watching him work. “There you go”, he said, handing me back the guitar, I couldn’t find the damaged area, he didn’t charge me a penny.

You are thirty eight miles from Guitar Technical Services, the best there is. See...

I have had two nuts (steady) swapped out at GTS, one bass, one classical guitar, superb job. He also explained to me how other ‘luthiers’ do it incorrectly.

I use Guitar Technical Services exclusively for all my instruments even though it is a 220 mile round trip for me, I’d use him exclusively if it were double that. I tried for years to find someone who actually knew what they were doing with guitars and basses with no luck. Lots of people (in my experience obv.) set themselves up as guitar experts with very little real experience or genuine knowledge, Peter at GTS is exactly the opposite, a real expert, a real craftsman. You’ll not find better.