SteveXFR

Do hybrid amps (Ashdown ABM 600) need servicing and if they do, how often?

Before we recorded we did a couple DIY recordings, one with a click and one without. We all thought the one without felt like it had more energy in the chorus so that's how we chose to record. I don't think it will always be the right way for us to record. I think one of our new songs would benefit from a dead solid tempo.

The mix wasn't done on the day. The mix was done separately by a friend of the recording engineer who had more experience with heavy music. It was done over about a week with us going in for final tweaks

We recorded a four track EP in a day, it was live recordings so all instruments playing together and we were absolutely solid with the songs after rehearsing plenty so took three takes for each song and then added vocals at the end of the day. Even then, it was a long day.

I've only been in to a studio to record once. I arrived with donuts for the recording engineer. Put him in a good mood at the start of the day before we irritating him with our unholy racket for 8 hours.

Do you get a lot turn up not knowing how to play their own songs? Or have instrument faults? Or no spare guitar strings?

Did you expect musicians to be easy to work with?

I'm having a day of Killing Joke to enjoy the work of the late, great Geordie Walker who passed away on Sunday. I think this will be the end of the band as well. I'm currently on the 2003 album

Stoner metal - Weed, smoke, driving, guitars Doom metal - Weed, smoke, wizards, demons Pirate metal - The sea, rum, treasure

Here's my current setup. The ABM 600 seem to fit in with it perfectly. It sounds huge.

Turn down the input volume and possibly switch on the active input pad?

I'm hoping you people can give me some advice. I read that the input should be set so that the vu dial is averaging around zero. With my active five string, the gauge is showing an enormous difference between the G and B string levels although the volume sounds about equal. My bands sludgy doomy sound means probably 75% of what I play is on the E & B strings so should I set it to average zero while playing on those? What happens if I'm getting off the top of the gauge a lot? Is it a problem? Am I thinking about this to much? Should I be more concerned about the futility of it all as the sun will eventually swell up to swallow the earth? Edit - It's an ABM 600 IV

Thanks to you I have now rediscovered Sebadoh. They were awesome.

Shedding skin - Pantera

It seems to me that to achieve greatness in terms of record sales, your music needs to be as mediocre as possible. See Coldplay and Ed Sheeran for examples.

I saw Skunk Anansie when they headlined Glastonbury. I've seen dozens of bands at Glastonbury over the years but that set was probably the most memorable and best, closely followed by Queens Of The Stone Age in 2003 with their best ever lineup (Josh, Troy, Nick Oliveri & Dave Grohl)

I bought an Ashdown MAG 2x10 300w Combo for my daughter and thought it sounded better than my Orange Terror so just bought an ABM 600 head for myself as well. Ashdown make some top quality amplification equipment.

The world's itchiest bum - Suicide doors

The Clap - Yes

Going to Brasil - Motorhead

Amerikkka - Ministry

Disemboweled with a wooden cooking spoon - Pig Rectum A beautiful ballad

Territorial pi55ing- Nirvana

I got my ABM 600 IV from @ern500evo last night. Got home and plugged it in. Once I'd realised that the mute button was on and and got some noise out of it, I'm well impressed. It sounds awesome and I've just got the eq set with everything at 12. It's a huge improvement over the Orange Terror I was using, much bigger sound, clearer, nicer valve drive sound. I think I might actually be able to stop using my preamp pedal that I needed to make the Orange sound acceptable. Can't wait to get to band practice now and crank it up loud.

I'd love to see them. Just checked and the nearest show to me is over 100 miles away, in London