dave_bass5

Im sure this has been mentioned already but ive not had any email notifications since the new site went live. Could well be im doing something wrong but it seems strange. I get the little orange notification at the top of the page, but obviously i only see it when i come on here.

For me it has to be Maggie Bell signing the theme from Hazel. Loved this so much i brought the single....twice.

Exclusively 4. I cant fit a 5th on my bass :-) I do have a 5 string Sire, and love playin it at home, but Ive never come across a need to use it live.

No ones mentioned JV's yet. The ad's for those are sometimes like reading a fantasy novel. The only reason these basses have risen so much in price is because mugs are prepared to pay for them. I get that when they came out they were amazing for the money. I had one, but you can easily beat the quality these days for a lot less.

"Pro set up" always gets me.

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1510337429' post='3405785'] A further suggestion re. band PA systems. Don't buy everything jointly. It can get complicated when people leave or the band splits and you have to sell it all (you rarely/never get what it's worth from a utility point of view) or get replacement members to buy into it. Best for individual members to own individual pieces of equipment - one owns the mixing desk, one the speakers (or one each), etc. That way, if you part company, you each take your own stuff with you and if someone leaves, they take what's theirs and the replacement member just has to provide similar. [/quote] Sounds complicated, plus i cant imagine an ad like “drummer wanted, must also own a PA speaker that matches the one we already have” :-) What you are suggesting is almost like saying any new member has to buy in to a band.

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1510324820' post='3405626'] If you can't hear the difference you probably just don't need one, save your money. Drive pedals compress signals anyway, and if you play with a pick and have good technique you may not have peaks and dips in volume, or attack / sustain issues to worry about. Compressors are not a necessity at all, and they tend to be more important in a studio than in a live situation. [/quote] After last nights rehearsal with my Spectra, both on and off, im going to agree and say i just dont need it. My BDDI has a bit of compression anyway. Im not sure if its worth keeping, as i have a Zoom B3n, but for now ill just put it ot one side. Im sure ill find a use for it.

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1510321249' post='3405577'] [color=#000000]I’ve thought about going down this route, and I suppose if I went second-hand, then at least if I was to sell it on, the chances are I would get most of my money back.[/color][/size] [/quote] Getting those active speakers off our own back was a good move for a few reasons. As ive said, i can use one as a combo if needed, the singer can use one or both as active monitors if we are using another PA, so it worked out well for both of us (we are a couple). We have also hired them out a few times to friends so again, having independence from others interfering has been nice. We have them set up in our living room as part of our home cinema set up, so they are getting used quite a bit. If/when i give up playing live ill sell off my bass rig but still keep the speakers. I also feel safer having two power amps with me, without having to actually bring a spare. As each speaker has more than enough power on its own we can, in theory, use just one with the other slaved to in passive mode if one goes down. This was always a worry with just one power amp in the past.

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1510319001' post='3405547'] [size=4]OP here, thanks for all the tips and advice so far, but s[/size]ince I started this thread, a couple of the band members are now saying that they don't think it is worthwhile upgrading our rubbish PA system to something half-decent, their reasoning is because they don't think we get enough gigs to warrant the expense. [size=4]Now this has really wound me up, and if you take a look at my thread, [/size][color=#323232][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][size=4][color=#323232][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][b]How does your band go about getting gigs?[/b] you will probably understand why I'm so cheesed off. [/font][/color][/size] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/314932-how-does-your-band-go-about-getting-gigs/"]http://basschat.co.u...t-getting-gigs/[/url] [/quote] Over the years ive ended up buying quite a few bits and pieces for my band. Two of them had a 'lets make do if its working' attitude. While this was true me and the drummer could see where things needed to be improved (mic leads, stands etc) and would occasionally just buy them ourselves for the band. It was my hobby after all and i wanted to enjoy it, so didnt mind the few £ every now and then. Same thing when the band split and we got new members in. Me and the singer brought the new active speakers. My reasoning was that if the band didnt work out i would still have a nice combo to use if i needed it, and secondly if we got rid of anyone or someone left it was less messy. In fact i use one of the speakers all the time at home now. Im not saying this is ideal for everyone, but i could afford it, so i didnt mind, and in return we sound much better.

[quote name='Osiris' timestamp='1510242458' post='3404948'] I agree that when a compressor is set up right that it makes things sound great. But to say it's just a volume boost, although it can be, is to miss out on what a good compressor can deliver when it is set up right When set up right it will make the bass more prominent in the mix so if you're getting lost it sounds like your signal is too squashed. Try lowering the threshold and ratio until the bass begins to punch through. I'm another Spectracomp user and I absolutely love it! Next time you're gigging or rehearsing, try using the MuscleComp tone print. That's the one I love as it adds masses of punch to the bass in the mix. It does add some top end to the signal, you might like this but I prefer to eq it back out. For me, setting the control knob on the pedal to about 10 o'clock makes the bass punch like Tyson [/quote] Yep the Muscle comp is the one i use already and i too keep the knob under 11 o'clock. I do liek the top end boost, although it can be a bit harsh when i kick in a dirty tone. Just have ot back the top off on the amp though. Don't get me wrong, im not saying comps aren't good to have, but i really feel in my case that i actually dont need one. If i dont need one then having one wont make much difference IMO. My pick playing is pretty even, so maybe my dynamics are already compressed by my playing style. Saying that, i can certainly hear the extra punch i get from the comp but ive also had it turned off and just rasied my volume a bit, and i really cant tell much difference. I think it definitely works better in front of a dirt box rather than in to an amp. I guess for me its more a case of do i really need the extra temptation to fiddle with yet another knob without it making much difference. I go through phases though, and ive had the same feeling about all 5 comps that ive owned for live use.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1510226401' post='3404724'] I play with a pick, so that could be the reason then, and my smooth playing technique lol, I've heard comments on here about the sound certain players get and someone usually pops up with the opinion that it's heavily compressed, can't see it myself [/quote] I have the same feeling. I also play with a pick most of the time and yes, a compressor makes things sound good (when set up right), but to my ears its really just a volume boost with a bit of something else on top that gets lost when the band strike up. My latest comp is a Spectra comp, and i can definitely hear a difference in the different presets (tone prints), so as an effect i can see the point, but a lot of what i read says when a good comp is working its transparent so i dont understand why some people obsess about them unless they are used in a non transparent way, in which case get it. I also find the phrase 'kills all your dynamics' to be a bit of a generalisation and not true at all unless thats what you want.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1510194009' post='3404601'] Why so..? Whilst agreeing that those talent and skills are, indeed, of a high standard, that's not always what is wanted in an evening's entertainment. For a concert, maybe (and even then...), but for enjoying a wedding 'do', either on the dance floor or as a spectator, it's not systematically the 'note perfect' rendition that fits the bill, at least not for many; maybe even more so for the non-musicians having a great time. Jealous..? Of what..? [/quote] Exactly. A band are usually there to entertain. Watching load of middle ages musicians staring at music sheets all night, with no real interaction between them makes for a very boring evening. Sometimes you are there to dance and not even look at the band, but i bet even in those situations a band having fun on stage will translate to a better evening for most people, That’s generalising of course, and of course its not always the case.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1510164942' post='3404431'] Quite. I just can’t stand that corporate stamped out function band. Usually made up of professional musicians on rotation, playing note perfect renditions and dressed in whatever uniform the band leader has chosen. Awful. Total cheese, regardless of the tunes chosen. Give me a band playing with passion, that have obviously been playing together for years, playing their own versions of a mix of tunes across the decades. Awesome. [/quote] Agreed, and also a band where most of the members arent looking down at music stands most of the night.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1510139855' post='3404205'] I would say no, you don't have other opinions [/quote] I was talking about the population of BC/the World, not just one person ;-)

Ive never seen a fight at a function gig, although we have been very close to starting one when the new money lot (normally young farmers) think they own us and our gear. We have played at a few castles and stately homes, and its great being able to wander around the off limits areas. We even had a beer with a duke once in his private quaters. Ups and downs are never predictable though, and sound meters are much more of a problem than having to hang around for a few hours. Waking up next day with £300 in my pocket makes it al worth while :-)

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1510133173' post='3404129'] It's not about whether people like this album or not. It was in the article as a'classic bass album', but the basslines on it are pretty functional to my ears. Functional is absolutely fine and I've no problem with that if it serves the song. I'd never plump for owt by Vic Wootten, Stanley Clark, Marcus Miller etc as a fave bass album as their music doesn't interest me. I'm more likely to choose albums where the bass is distinctive and drives the songs along not where there are flashy licks e.g. Sulk by The Associates, Lexicon of Love by ABC, Black & White by The Stranglers, No Rest for The Wicked by New Model Amy, Songs In The Key Of Life, So by Peter Gabriel, Graceland and What's Goin' On. [/quote] My post was about your 'Def Leppard's synthetic, sterile mush that is Hysteria' comment. I dont feel this way about it, so therefore we have different opinions...which is good. Personally i find Vic Wootten, Stanley Clark, Marcus Miller as boring as hell to listen to, not my type of music at all, so again, we have other opinions. You cant please all the people all of the time so its not worth loosing sleep over.

Just goes to show we all have different opinions, and no matter what the Bass chat collective thinks, there are people out there that dare to like other things.

I'd' just direct them to the Alive network website and let them go through the bands on there. One man's cheese is another man's entertainment.

Ive always treated doing a party or wedding gig as day at work (which is what it is). In fact i earn 2-3 times minimum what a normal day at work will get me. My day job is 8.45 hours long, so i dont think spending the same time on the clock at a gig (and earning a lot more than my day job) is anything to complain about. It can of course be boring but you prepare for that after you've played a few. We have got to play in some really nice venues, and meet a lot of really nice people. Of course its not for everyone, but i get the feeling its less of an attraction to the bar band players who are used to turning up 30mnis before going on and then packing down and out 30 mins after playing. For functions you have to be prepared to make more effort. I guess that's why function bands can ask for a lot more money.

Another vote for active speakers. We held off for years as we were told they dotn have the heft/sound quality/low end blah blah blah. We were playing Social clubs/weddings etc. Not huge places but they handled the vocal , kick drum and a bit of bass and mic'ed guitar. When we decided to downsize we got a pair of DB Opera speakers. 700watt 1x15 with horn. Together they cost around £650. Our load in got soooo much easier. Any of us could carry both together, set up times were much faster. Sound quality was actually much improved over the old Peavey system we had been using. Another bonus is that if you are using a supplied PA you can use these as extra powered monitors, or even a guitar/bass combo. In fact i use one as a home practice combo.

I forgot all about this at the weekend, but im going to pop along in my lunch break. I will all payment options at work......at least on this trip.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1509356781' post='3398203'] and of course men never have moods swings? Some cheap comments appearing on this thread. You'd think we have no women members.... Oh, before anyone says anything like, 'it was just a bit of fun',.... don't. [/quote] Seems like you have answered both your own questions. If i have offended any women with my comment i will happily delete the post, but let them speak for themselves.

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1509312489' post='3398037'] Wondering what they will call themselves if they ever decide to open any shops in the USA.... [/quote] Blood will be spilt if they get it wrong........

Yeah, he probably thought the same about the microphones and the headphones as well. My thoughts are my own so get over it and accept this sort of thing is allowed.

[quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1509038337' post='3396251'] That is the funniest thing that I've read on here for some time. [/quote] Now we are both amused. For the record i cant stand Zappa, never have, never will. His music bores me so much. So many notes and so little appeal. That, of course is my opinion. Being BC im sure that's not allowed any more though :-(