Count Bassy

[quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1396531734' post='2414729'] I remember reading somewhere about sound proofing, for Guitars its generally easy, but the low frequency of a bass however travels through walls considerably more - Which is why you only really hear the bass player when you go to the toilet at a gig. (I had to tell my girlfriend to go do this once becuase she didnt know what I was actually playing ) I would just try and add as much thickness to those walls as possible or turn down. [/quote] Noise getting out of the room is not a problem - its pretty good at that. Its the boominess inside that I need to sort out.

While I think that E-bay fees are way to high I do sympathise with them on this. People use to take the piss- t[size=4]here used to be (and still is it seems) a place 'in Portsmouth' that would sell a bit of stage lighting for say £70, with £400 P & P.[/size]

I have a practice room built into the back of our garage which generally works really well. The room has 3 brick walls, one staggered stud wall with double plaster board & Green-Glue, concrete ceiling and a carpeted concrete floor. Shape wise it's pretty much like a single garage (slightly smaller) This is pretty effective at stopping noise getting out, and everything sounds pretty good if we've got the whole band in there, but if in there on my own or just with my wife the bass sounds boomy/boxy, and playing with the EQ doesn't seem to help much. All I've done in terms of sound control inside the room is to have a few bits of left over carpets hanging on the wall (which seems to work reasonably well for vocals and guitar), and a 600 x 1200 slab of rockwool stood in a corner. I know you can get proper foam bass traps to go in, but these are quite expensive, so: Does anybody have any idea how many (as yet unspecified) 'bass traps' might be needed to make serious improvement. Has anyone made their own bass traps, and how cheap & effective were they? Perhaps I should pay 3 or 4 unemployed people to come in and just stand around! Many thanks in advance. Clive.

I've been in a similar position with a singer. She was way too quiet, and was always moaning about her sound and feedback. Claimed to know nothing about it technically, but when we suggested "have you thought about a better mic" (she had a very cheap one), or "could you sing a bit louder", or "could you get closer to the Mic"? she always responded "Oh no, its not that, it must be the PA". It wasn't the PA becauue anyone else sounded fine through it. Band split in the end.

Mic technique, singing technique, and some mics definitely feed back sooner than others. Has she considered/had singer coaching to bring her strength and tone up? [size=4]I am not a great singer by any means, but am having some lessons from a professional singer and it has transformed my tone (volume was never a problem!). Larynx, soft pallet, tongue and jaw positions all help to get the sound. It's been quite an eye opener for me![/size]

Very happy with my Status half rounds!

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1395246100' post='2400177'] I so want to like the latest crop of micro heads, and my back would love me for doing so, but somehow the Class D stuff just doesn't have the heft of a big power transformer. I don't think this is particularly a transistor vs valve thing, I think its a choice of power supply thing. As to whether an audience can hear/discern/be bothered by the difference is of little import, I can hear/feel it and it doesn't work for me. There are some 'modern' amps that have heft (my SWR for one, and others include the Boogie M-Pulse and Walkabout heads, the Aguilar AG500 etc) but they are not in themselves lightweight heads. [/quote] I don't think that there's anything inherent in class D or their power supplies to stop it having the grunt. Whether the designers cut corners on the specs to keep the costs down however, is a different matter. I believe that with a transformer supply you can overload it briefly without any dire consequences. The DC voltage will drop but the transformer will deliver a bit extra current to recharge the cappies, with out instantly blowing up. I think that transistors are less tolerant. You might therefore spec a 10 amp transformer system knowing that it will give you more for short bursts, where as a 10 amp switch mode supply (or indeed) switch mode output stage will not! - unless it's been specifically designed to do so. Having said that it might all be bullshit! Hey - I can say 'Bullshit' (and 'twat').

If solid state amps had come first then valve amps would probably never have happened and if they had we'd probably be asking "can a valve amp sound as good as a vintage transistor one?"

[quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1395181815' post='2399628'] As a result, when I now go to gigs I'd would be surprised to see two bands featuring bassists with the same model of bass. [/quote] Seems to me that the vast majority of bands I see are using a Precision or Jazz (or derivative of), or occasionally a Stingray.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1394563115' post='2392794'] and sometimes think its cool to hate them publicly [/quote] Yep. It seems that within basschat that it is "cool" to dislike songs because they are popular and have stood the test of time. I cant't help but feel its a bit of musical snobbery. Much more kudos to play some sh*tty obscure song that the audience have never heard of! If you want to choose good songs that the audience will love then find the ones that people slag off here. Songs like Mustang Sally are still being played 50 years after they were written for a very good reason!

[quote name='Phil Adams' timestamp='1394974660' post='2397211'] Personally I like it and admire him for doing it. He has played all the notes, and he had to know how to time it all and blend it all etc etc. Works for me [/quote] Just to make it clear that I admire him for having the talent to do it (I certainly haven't), and doing it, even if it's not the sort of thing I'd listen too much. It was a genuine question as to the semantics of whether this should be called a 'solo' or not, not disparaging him/it in anyway at all.

All very impressive (I mean it), but a serious* philosophical question: Does this really count as a solo, as claimed by the header on the first video? Yes it's one person, but with it being looped/multi-tracked like this can it really called a solo? If some one lays down and loops a bass track, then a keyboard track, then a guitar track, you would hardly call it a solo, even if it was one person doing it in real time (well I wouldn't), so would you call looping the same instrument a solo?. * serious as in I'm genuinely interested in peoples views, not serious as in "Important".

Currently I am exclusively a fingers player, but think its about time I branched out into being able to use a pick. Any handy hints as to how go about it, technique wise, what type of pick to start with, etc.? Clive

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1394758245' post='2395035'] I agree. I have bought (and sold) loads of stuff on this site, and [i][b]usually always[/b][/i] for a bit less than it was advertised for. Some things I sold knowing I wanted pretty much the asking price, some other things I was just glad to get shot (eg. effects pedals that I didn't get on with) of so took a lot less than I'd put it up for. The hassle is doing the pictures, but once they are done it is usually quite satisfying to sell it and wave it goodbye . [/quote] Come on: Make your mind up!!

Never seen the Stranglers, but Nine Below Zero are great.

I agree with the OP - A Bison, not the Shadows special.

If you go quickly from one song to another then avoid songs with keys a semitone apart!. Can make the first few bars of the second song seem out of tune. In practice we've tried going from Pick up the Pieces (F) to Superstition (E) and it really sounds weird.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1394053072' post='2387500'] The amp I'm using is a Roland 100w cube [/quote] Great little combo. My teacher has one & I love it. Just waiting for one to come up at the right price, and when my wife isn't watching!

[quote name='JazzBassfreak' timestamp='1393810326' post='2384642'] Most of you will cringe at what I'm about to say but if this was to go to a luthier I'd have that p pickup out for good and have it routed for something like a nordstrand j pickup maybe, Or a humbucker, I can't stand p pups. Any of you reckon it'd be possible? [/quote] But in your first post you said [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]"Definitely worth the money best bass I've ever played to date, not to mention the variety of tones and workability is on another level"[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]So why would you want to swap out the P Bass pick up?[/font][/color]

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1393685139' post='2383334'] I must admit that I'd not heard of Jenny Haan or Babe Ruth Band, so have done some Googling - wow, what a top band, and a front person with a powerful presence and voice and unique style. What a great kitchen find! I'm just imagining how excited you are at the moment. Here's one of my favourites so far: [media]http://youtu.be/jad9YFROKuw[/media] [/quote] Yet more ammunition to bring back TOGWT!

It's great and everything, but how does your usual singer feel about this?

And regarding the Class D digital thing I'd still maintain that as the output devices are essentially always ON or OFF (apart from the slew time) then, at that point, they are operating digitally. Yes it is then filtered to analogue by the amp and the electrical & mechanical characteristics of the speaker, but at some point in the amplifier it is in 1 bit digital form, even if that is PWM rather than multi-bit 'level' signal.

I can understand that bass amps and cabs might deliberately go for a signature sound, but as a Hi Fi 'layman' I would have thought that the whole point of the system was to be completely transparent, and any hint of a 'signature sound' would thus be seen as a negative.

I remember my first gig at the age of 49! I was on a high, I mean really buzzing, for about a week afterwards, and I still recall it fondly. Everything's been said, so all I'll repeat is "Enjoy it".

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1393410544' post='2379811'] Why wouldn't you prefer the piano? It is all there. I can't play it but wish I could (clearly not enought oactually TRY!!)! I have one but never got passed a few basic exercises and some chords. In short, I am a s***load better as a bass player than I am at anything esle so that is where my efforts went. [/quote] Which remind me of: Man 1: Can you play the violin? Man 2: Don't know, I've never tried.