Baloney Balderdash

So as some of you might have noticed from several posts I have really fallen in love with my new Ibanez SR306EB bass, my very first 6 string, in the just a matter of under the week I've owned it. So I guess it is time to give it a name. I always otherwise always thought it was strange to give your instruments name, but that changed with naming my old main a lowly, but very much beloved, 28,6" scale Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass, "Dud Bottomfeeder", so now I want to give this, my new main, a name too. And my name for this glorious beast, very much in line with the name I gave my Mikro, is : "The Noodle Queen" Another contesting name was "Noodle Thunderrod". Also I have grown accustomed to the wide fretboard of a six disturbingly fast, in such a degree even that what before looked abnormally wide to me now looks normal, and what looked normal to me before, aka 4 string basses, now look abnormally narrow. Though I suppose this is perfectly normal for incarnated respectively 4 and 6 string players. However I still every once in a while stumble over the narrow string spacing, though I really wouldn't have wanted it to be any wider, I can totally see the advantages in that too, as soon as my muscle memory has adapted.

I won't promise I'll get to do it, but sounds interesting, so count me in. So the piece is required to have bagpipes and panflutes? Or was that a joke? Edit!! : Well, after reading the replies it seem like the whole thread was just a joke...

So here it is, a first take noodling session on my new Ibanez SR306EB, my first 6 string bass, recorded through my ampless setup directly into my audio interface, without any editing or effects added post production (not even EQ or compression) : Signal chain : 6 string Ibanez SR306EB bass (strung with gauge .105 - .080 - .060 - .045 - .032 - .024 D'Addario XL nickle roundwound steel strings, tuned in D1 standard tuning, 3 half steps above B standard 6 string bass tuning) ->> TC Electronic SpectraComp (always on compressor) ->> TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini (always on digital polyphonic octaver, used as an 1 octave up effect mixed with clean bass signal, giving an effect similar to that of an 8 string "octave" bass, with pairs of respectively bass and octave strings) ->> Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz (Boss FZ-2/Univox Super Fuzz clone, octave fuzz, set to [Mode 1]) ->> Boss LS-2 [A+B Mix <-> Bypass] (parallel effect loops mixer/switch) ={ [Loop A Send] (empty effects loop used as clean {bass+octave up} signal blend for the RAT distortion in parallel effects loop [Loop B]) ->> [Loop A Return] ->||<- [Loop B Send] ->> Mosky Black Rat (RAT clone, in [Vintage] classic original RAT mode, quite raunchy high gain distortion, mixed with the clean {bass+octave up} signal from parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> [Loop B Return] ([Loop A] + [Loop B] mixed at an about 40/60 ratio) }=>> Boss LS-2 [A+B Mix <-> Bypass] (always on, parallel effect loops mixer/switch) ={ [Loop A Send] ->> Joyo Orange Juice (low gain overdrive, with some highs cut via the tone knob, always stacked into the flanger in front of it) ->> Boss MT-2 Metal Zone (currently basically just functioning as an additional buffer) ->> Monarch MFL-22 (flanger, always used with the Orange Juice behind it stacked into it, and most often used mixed with phaser in parallel effects [Loop B]) ->> [Loop A Return] ->||<- [Loop B Send] ->> Behringer VP1 Vintage Phaser (EHX Small Stone clone, used in the high feedback and deep sweep mode, almost always used mixed with flanger in parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> Joyo Orange Juice (always on, relatively low gain, overdrive, [Tone] set at about 11 o'clock, [Voice] set to boost a wide curve around a 800Hz center frequency about +3dB pre gain stage, always mixed with the clean {bass+octave up} signal from parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> [Loop B Return] ([Loop A] + [Loop B] mixed at an about 50/50 ratio) }=>> Boss TR-2 (tremolo, almost always used combined with the chorus effect in front of it) ->> TC Electronic Shaker (Vibrato blended with clean signal, via the Toneprint editor, functioning as a deep lush chorus effect, almost always used combined with the Boss TR-2 tremolo) ->> NUX Tape Core Deluxe (Roland Space Echo tape delay emulation) ->> Zoom G1Xon (exclusively used for reverb effects, which are as follows:: a very subtle, always on, main plate reverb :-: a more prominent plate + hall reverb :-: a thick lush plate + hall + tape delay reverb :-: and finally an extremely thick and lush reverb pad used with volume swells consisting of plate + hall + tape delay reverb) ->> Zoom G1 Four (exclusively used as an always on EQ, utilizing five 1 band fully parametric equalizers to fine tune the tone by boosting the 63Hz, 200Hz, 250Hz, 400Hz, and 1khz frequency bands +1 to +2 dB) ->> Zoom MS-70CDR (used exclusively as an always on faux cab sim, made by staking five 2 band parametric equalizers in an always on patch, boosting and cutting different frequencies) ->> Behringer Tube Ultragain MIC100 (tube preamp)) ->> M-Audio Fast Track (audio interface) Utilizing of course all the always on effects (in [bold] letters in the above signal chain description) on this recording, as well as the Mosky Black Rat, RAT clone distortion, and my NUX Tape Core Deluxe, Roland Space Echo tape delay emulation. The bass tuned in D standard tuning, as in 3 half steps above regular 6 string bass B standard tuning, or 2 half steps bellow regular 4 string bass E standard tuning, and strung accordingly. And pickup blend on bass about 20% neck/80% bridge, active preamp EQ set with [Treble] boosted till around 2 o'clock, [Mids] boosted till around 1 o'clock, [Bass] left flat.

The Statue Got Me High (by They Might Be Giants)

Here you can hear me noodling on the bass, recorded directly through the setup described bellow with absolutely nothing done to it post production, not even compression and first take : [Video deleted, see update!] Signal chain : 6 string Ibanez SR306EB bass (strung with gauge .105 - .080 - .060 - .045 - .032 - .024 D'Addario XL nickle roundwound steel strings, tuned in D1 standard tuning, 3 half steps above B standard 6 string bass tuning) ->> TC Electronic SpectraComp (always on compressor) ->> TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini (always on digital polyphonic octaver, used as an 1 octave up effect mixed with clean bass signal, giving an effect similar to that of an 8 string "octave" bass, with pairs of respectively bass and octave strings) ->> Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz (Boss FZ-2/Univox Super Fuzz clone, octave fuzz, set to [Mode 1]) ->> Boss LS-2 [A+B Mix <-> Bypass] (parallel effect loops mixer/switch) ={ [Loop A Send] (empty effects loop used as clean {bass+octave up} signal blend for the RAT distortion in parallel effects loop [Loop B]) ->> [Loop A Return] ->||<- [Loop B Send] ->> Mosky Black Rat (RAT clone, in [Vintage] classic original RAT mode, quite raunchy high gain distortion, mixed with the clean {bass+octave up} signal from parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> [Loop B Return] ([Loop A] + [Loop B] mixed at an about 40/60 ratio) }=>> Boss LS-2 [A+B Mix <-> Bypass] (always on, parallel effect loops mixer/switch) ={ [Loop A Send] ->> Joyo Orange Juice (low gain overdrive, with some highs cut via the tone knob, always stacked into the flanger in front of it) ->> Boss MT-2 Metal Zone (currently basically just functioning as an additional buffer) ->> Monarch MFL-22 (flanger, always used with the Orange Juice behind it stacked into it, and most often used mixed with phaser in parallel effects [Loop B]) ->> [Loop A Return] ->||<- [Loop B Send] ->> Behringer VP1 Vintage Phaser (EHX Small Stone clone, used in the high feedback and deep sweep mode, almost always used mixed with flanger in parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> Joyo Orange Juice (always on, relatively low gain, overdrive, [Tone] set at about 11 o'clock, [Voice] set to boost a wide curve around a 800Hz center frequency about +3dB pre gain stage, always mixed with the clean {bass+octave up} signal from parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> [Loop B Return] ([Loop A] + [Loop B] mixed at an about 50/50 ratio) }=>> Boss TR-2 (tremolo, almost always used combined with the chorus effect in front of it) ->> TC Electronic Shaker (Vibrato blended with clean signal, via the Toneprint editor, functioning as a deep lush chorus effect, almost always used combined with the Boss TR-2 tremolo) ->> NUX Tape Core Deluxe (Roland Space Echo tape delay emulation) ->> Zoom G1Xon (exclusively used for reverb effects, which are as follows:: a very subtle, always on, main plate reverb :-: a more prominent plate + hall reverb :-: a thick lush plate + hall + tape delay reverb :-: and finally an extremely thick and lush reverb pad used with volume swells consisting of plate + hall + tape delay reverb) ->> Zoom G1 Four (exclusively used as an always on EQ, utilizing five 1 band fully parametric equalizers to fine tune the tone by boosting the 63Hz, 200Hz, 250Hz, 400Hz, and 1khz frequency bands +1 to +2 dB) ->> Zoom MS-70CDR (used exclusively as an always on faux cab sim, made by staking five 2 band parametric equalizers in an always on patch, boosting and cutting different frequencies) ->> Behringer Tube Ultragain MIC100 (tube preamp)) ->> M-Audio Fast Track (audio interface) Utilizing of course all the always on effects (in [bold] letters in the above signal chain description) on this recording, as well as the Mosky Black Rat, RAT clone distortion, and my NUX Tape Core Deluxe, Roland Space Echo tape delay emulation. Pickup blend on bass about 20% neck/80% bridge, active preamp EQ set with [Treble] boosted till around 2 o'clock, [Mids] boosted till around 1 o'clock, [Bass] left flat. Edit!!! : Since I made this recording I have rolled the pickup balance slightly more towards the neck pickup, so it instead of being something like 5% neck 95% bridge it is now more like 20% neck and 80%bridge, which gives a slightly warmer and rounder tone that doesn't drown as easily in harmonic content from the strings being all over, like on this recording, which ironically caused it to be somewhat muddy (or blurry), just in the treble register instead of the lower frequency register, as is what you traditionally would expect to cause mud, but while still retaining a lot of the same snappy aggressiveness as in the recording above, just much clearer and defined, though slightly warmer and rounder as well. I also changed the my RAT clone from being in "Turbo" Rat (diode clipping) mode, to "Vintage" classic RAT mode, which makes the distortion blend in much more nicely with the clean signal, and removes a lot of the really low end mud from the distorted tone that the above recording suffers from whenever the distortion is being used. I might make a new recording with these improved settings at some point, but for now you'll have to imagine the changes. Update!!! : So here's the new audio test of the bass is using the new settings (signal chain description above edited as well to match the new settings) :

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra :

1.000.000 Died to Make This Sound (by Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra)

The best must be my first 6 string bass ever, the Ibanez SR306EB in Weathered Black finish that I got home just before Chritmas, and which has become my main in that very short time span. Such a great bass, and not just for the money. I am seriously in love with it. Feels really nice to play after I got used to the wider fretboard (compared to the 4's I am used to), and sounds no short of amazing as well. : The worst must be one of those couple of phaser effect pedals that I returned, among them a TC Electronic Helix phaser, before settling with an ultra cheap Behringer VP1 Vintage Phaser, which is a pretty accurate clone of the original big box EHX Small Stone phaser, unfortunately including the volume drop of the original when engaged, though I've found ways to work around that, otherwise it sounds amazing.

All the Pretty Little Horses (traditional that among others Current 93 has recorded several versions of)

Mister Would You Please Help My Pony? (by Ween)

Seems like it was likely the Dimarzio Model P pickup i had installed as the only pickup in my Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro bass, cause the tone seems to be consistent with my new 6 string Ibanez SR306EB bass. I also tried resoldering the P pickup in my Mikro with no results, so seems like it really is the actual pickup that's somehow faulty and not just bad soldering.

In Memory of the Truth (by Coil)

Nick Drake - "Three Hours" from his debut album "Five Leaves Left", 1969 :

Third Uncle (by Brian Eno)

I am sure the people who make DI boxes with this purpose in mind have thought of that and taking account for it. It's not like converting a hot signal to less hot signal is magic or even all that advanced technology. It's fairly common practice.

For everyone who doesn't want their amp just to be a glorified stage monitor, and I would think that would at least include those people who still bother dragging a tube amp with them to gigs, getting the actual tone that their amps produce would be by far to prefer. In fact why bring an amp at all if you are not going to use it anyway, and would be as good off with a regular stage monitor.

Can't see how that would be more difficult to understand than for example a post EQ DI out from the preamp of your amp, or even just a DI box placed between your bass and your amp input, sending the signal of your bass untouched through to the input of your amp and a line output level to a mixer.

Yes, but then you wouldn't get the tone of your amp, which is the whole point in doing it the other way. Some DI boxes are designed to be able to handle a speaker level signal, so you can place them between the speaker out and the speakers of the amp.

Dropout Boogie (by Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band)

History is getting old, now is the new future!

Not ultra cheap and technically Ibanez's step above their GIO budget line of basses, which my 4 and 5 string Mikro Basses belong to, namely the Iabanez Soundgear Standard line, but my new Ibanez SR306EB 6 string bass, and my first 6 sting bass ever, plays and sounds no short of amazing. Best damn bass tone I ever had, despite having owned a couple of 1000$+ basses. Just amazing value for the money (just about 2999 Danish Kroner/372£ at Thomann). Here it is, tuned in D standard (as in 3 half steps above regular 6 string B standard tuning, or 2 half steps bellow regular 4 string E standard tuning), and strung accordingly :

I haven't tried it in person, but watched quite a few YouTube demos featuring it, and judging from them it's an amazing unit that can cover a lot of ground, and even doing so astonishingly well, far from only for Steve Harris fans. Congratulations.

21st Century Schizoid Man (by King Crimson)

No such thing as a digital poweramp, I am sure you actually mean Class D, which is still fully analog. As to your question as other has said, yes it will be perfectly fine.