PaulWarning

I have a straight on one end then a right angle on the other, that covers all the angles

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1419593321' post='2641073'] Well all I can say is if you are dictating what people wear to gigs, then you must be a right laugh to play with! As for old dogs not learning new tricks, I think your wrong there mate. You never stop learning and anyone who thinks he's reached the pinnacle of his playing and has it all, is either sadly misguided or right up his own bum ! [/quote]I don't think it's a question of an Old Dog learning new tricks more like most people reach level of ability that they're happy with and stop trying to improve, or lack the single mindedness and commitment that seems to come with youth

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1418932096' post='2635032'] OK, here it is: [font=arial, sans-serif][size=1]rifffactory.co.uk/golden_brown.mp3[/size][/font] [font=arial, sans-serif][size=1]rifffactory.co.uk/golden_brown.wav[/size][/font] [size=4][font=arial, sans-serif]This was just a quick thing I did the other day for my own amusement (and a performance video) so no judgement on the mix or playing please![/font][/size] [font=arial, sans-serif]EDIT: I don't know what BC's software is doing to my post, I'm just pasting URLs into here, so in case it doesn't work I'll write it with words[/font] [font=arial, sans-serif]rifffactory DOT co DOT uk SLASH golden_brown.mp3[/font] [font=arial, sans-serif]rifffactory DOT co DOT uk SLASH golden_brown.wav[/font] [/quote]Couldn't tell any difference, with or without my hearing aids in cymbols sound really splashy though

[quote name='notable9' timestamp='1419024072' post='2635888'] Whether I "hanker" after anything is irrevelant. The whole point of the thread was to debate what appears to be quite an interesting topic. Here is a tune which I hope illustrates my interest in the thread title. And I accept that this particular tune will find very little if any love on this forum but then that's not the point, I just think it's a good example. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38L7S-L9vXg"]https://www.youtube....h?v=38L7S-L9vXg[/url] Thats what I mean by sparkle... [/quote]I've just got in from the pub so judgement might be a little flawed, but isn't that just a loud trebley snare drum?

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1418986445' post='2635454'] but yeh, my main point was that you don't need to spend a load of money, or time travel back to the 80s, to get a good sound. [/quote]of course you don't, maybe I'm talking out of my arse here but when recording was done for vinyl would you have to be careful about dynamics to keep the needle in the grooves whereas now there are no such constraints so the temptation is to record and mix as loud as possible

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1418978905' post='2635338'] I hope you're wrong! This is a recording I did of bassfunk's band The Jukes [url="https://soundcloud.com/rifffactoryrecordings-1/the-jukes-superstition"]https://soundcloud.c...es-superstition[/url] Ignoring the fact that soundcloud has compressed it and ruined the top end with mp3ish artifacts, I think the mix on this is perfect. Feel free to explain why, if you think this falls short of what you could acheive with more money. Incidentally, the musicians were all in the live room with guitar amps turned up, loads of bleed on the drum mics etc. [/quote]nice, although IMO of course, you've followed modern fashion by having the bass drum to high, but then again I've got a thing about it, drives me mad

as several posters have said, IMO, it's todays production values that are the problem, no space around the different instruments, not all old is good, always thought Spectors stuff sounded horrible. On the subject of mp3's I saw a TV show a few years ago where they did a blind listening test in a acoustically designed theatre. top notch HiFi listening to Floyds Other Side of the Moon, on vinyl, CD and mp3 at 320mbps, the mp3 won.

must say I'm surprised how many people don't take a spare, transport issues permitting, how much does a second hand squier cost? £100? It'll get you out the sh*t, and I have seen basses pack up at gigs, and guitars, it happened to our guitard, bad connection on his Gibson selector switch, and yes, he had a spare

I've put it on Audacity, see what you mean, it seems to be when the guitar (or keyboard) is cutting out or getting lower in volume, if you can be bothered you can do what I suggested earlier and amplify the quiet bits, but the guitar (or keyboard) still isn't there, obviously

if the volume changes are sudden and not too often you could select the low volume sections and just amplify those bits

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1418740879' post='2632849'] Is this agent in Canada? I feel we need this information to formulate a response. [/quote]not sure what Canada has to do with it, I'm from the "once you've said you'll do something you do it" school of thought, I was merely trying to point out that if the boot was on the other foot there'd be a load of bassist on here saying what a miserable bunch of robbing bastards agents where.

just wondering what everybody's reaction would be if an agent changed his mind about a series of gigs after the contracts had been signed

we had a gig on Friday, just a small pub gig using PA for vocals, backline and unmiced drums, A guy came to see us who'd only been once before, which was to the support for Vice Squad I mentioned earlier, [quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1417255784' post='2618558'] did a gig last night at a small venue supporting Vice Squad and sound wasn't good, muddy, indistinct vocals and something was booming, my partner reckoned it was my bass but but on parts of songs where I played on my own it was on the trebley side, at least 2 people went up to the sound man to tell him but it didn't seem to make any difference and Vice Squads bass sound was a muddy mushy mess (stingray with a pick) [/quote] he couldn't believe how much better/clearer we sounded, his question which is often asked when using a full PA "Why did they have to have it so bloody loud before?"

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418294891' post='2628826'] Open mics here are for the same reason... always on a quite night...and the house band gets paid but the guests don't. This would be an occasion where the hat could go round, but it is probably better it doesn't.. [/quote]the open mics I attend don't even have a house band, I do hear criticism of them, some how they're devaluing live music by giving the pub free entertainment but as JTUK points out they're always on a quiet midweek night, there's no way the pub could afford to pay and stay in business, I enjoy doing them, a night in the pub doing a 15-20 minute slot, chatting to other open micers and helping the pub stay viable, I don't really see the problem.

be careful not to mix up open mics with jam evenings, they can be totally different animals, in my experience open mics are where people who know what they want to do get up to perform, whereas Jam sessions are are a lot more suck it and see.

on the subject of monitors, according to Rod Stewart in ear monitors saved his career as his voice was giving him trouble because of straining with normal monitors, tried to tell our singer that but he won't listen just like he wouldn't about ear plugs, he's now got tinnitus, and guess what, he now wears ear plugs, just the same as me

I carry a spare, my very first bass, a Hondo, I leave it in the car most of the time as I've never needed it, but being cack handed the chances of me being able to borrow someone else's is pretty slim

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1418055601' post='2626348'] Some people just have the luck to have a great voice with no tuition or care of said voice. [/quote]remember an interview with Eric Burden (of the Animals for our younger readers) and he said he never does anything to protect his voice he just calls it up and it's there, who said all men are born equal? load of old bollocks

our singers always getting colds and being the front man he is a complete narcissist, so we're always getting emails from him saying he's not sure whether he'll get through the gig, he always has so far, drinks copious amounts of honey and hot water.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1418036109' post='2626096'] There's a smallish festival I've been going to for a number of years; audience of maybe three thousand, fairly large main stage. The music tends to include folk-based things, some world music outfits and a fair bit of reggae but very little rock. Because it's a remote site down a long access road, most bassists use the rented gear on stage. They hire in a decent system and sound guys each year but the quality of the bass sound has been variable to say the least. Many years it's been the sort of indistinct mush complained about in this thread. One year the bass sounded better than usual, not overwhelming in the lows, plenty of mids and nice definition. As it happens, the supplied backline that year was an SVT and 8x10" with a mic in front of it. I have no idea whether that was the root of the better bass sound or just a indicator that they had a different and more sympathetic sound team than in other years! I'm prepared to accept that mic-ing cabs isn't always the solution, but I wonder if it tends to correlate with better sound simply because it's a sign that the sound guy is paying some attention to the band. [/quote] I play a very small festival every year, they use the yamaha mixer/amp for vocals/keyboards and mic up the guitar, snare and bass drum but not the bass, just use the back line, and every year the bass sound is music to my ears, mind you the sound on stage is crap

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1417726194' post='2623575'] but a bass player's cool is able to pervade the surroundings and mesmerises the rest of the players, translating even a mediocre player into a veritable force of nature and they all think he's ([i]edit: [/i]or she's) amazing. It's our secret weapon. What do you mean, you didn't know that? Are you really a bass player or do you just play a bass guitar? [/quote]Oh I just thrash hell out it playing Punk Rock with a pick, so I guess it's pushing it a bit to say I play a Bass guitar

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1417719606' post='2623472'] Damned right! Why would I do anything else? [/quote]maybe so you can help out a not so good drummer?

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1417711601' post='2623368'] I don't do compromise. I insist on playing with drummers who are better / more experienced / more talented than me. Strangely enough, I'm not trying to be funny. I genuinely believe that I'll only improve as a bass player if I face the challenge of not embarrassing myself in front of the other half of the rhythm section. [/quote]so you expect drummers to play with an inferior bass player so they can improve but not the other way round?

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1417703835' post='2623237'] Kevin Ayers Bob Dylan Steve Harley Tom Waits This could be a LONG list. [/quote]Dodgy singers can add character to a bands sound, dodgy drummers, or bass players or guitarists don't, as with anything it's how dodgy that's the vital ingredient here, our drummer speeds up a bit but I can easily live with that, in fact I don't notice, when listening to a recording of a gig it's my partner that will say "you speeded up there". I have played with drummers that slow down, that is irritating.

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1415524654' post='2601057'] I nearly always have a mild overdrive on, so that's my compressor! [/quote]^ this