ASW

Thanks. As it's a separate signal from each board, no issues with phase, so the XLR summing box Stofferson mentioned above seems sensible. As the signals cannot have their levels set at the desk, you will need a way to set the levels from your pedal boards. Presumably there is a way to set the output level on one or both boards, but if not, the Sonicake Portal seems like a good option.

I've got an RM800 evo III on its way to me, so look forward to trying it. I've never owned an Ashdown amp (I had a 6x10 cab once though). I have used them before though and have a question. Does anyone actually use the drive, compressor and sub controls or are they just gimmicks best left turned off? I seem to recall that the ABMs I've used previously were much better with the compressor and sub completely off.

Can you give more info as to what your current setup is? I've got some ideas, but all dependent on what you're using.

Whatever "AGS" is, it's not on the Tone Hammer 500 I have and doesn't appear to be on the 350 either. There is a drive control.

I'm not sure I understand why Paul McCartney would be interested in buying Hofner. He's played the same one for the past 60 years has he not? It doesn't appear like he's a prolific buyer of Hofner basses, but I could be wrong.

Does anyone know the difference between the German Artist series basses and the other German basses. Looks like the vintage ones are a "relic" finish, but not sure what the differences between the other models are.

My festival experience this year has been different. I've played a few festivals and venues with its own back line and it's all been quite good. There was an Aguilar Tone Hammer and 4 x 10 at one festival. I liked the amp enough to buy one myself! I always carry a small pedal board with an Origin Effects Bass Rig so can DI from there if necessary. I'm sure that every gig I've played this year, we got a list of the back line and if we didn't we asked for it, so we knew what would be there to use. This enables us to ascertain whether the back line is suitable and can negotiate beforehand if we feel we needed to use our own equipment (we didn't). Admittedly, it doesn't help if the equipment doesn't work though, but still worthwhile. There will always be outliers, such as the time I played a gig years ago and their "bass amp" was some child's practice amp from the 80s with a blown 8" speaker. No proper foldback either so I couldn't hear anything I was playing and taking a preamp pedal would not have helped. That was before I learned to find out what the back line was!

The whole album has a great groove. All the players are amazing and Donny's voice is sublime. One of the best versions of What's Going On in my opinion. The album sounds good from a production perspective too. All the instruments can be heard clearly, yet you can also "hear" the room it was recorded in and the audience participation is electric. The bass playing is the icing on the cake. I'm going to have to listen to it today!

Bizarrely written article which misses out some key points and includes odd sections such as "what can we learn from Antigua". I also suspect it's an AI created article.

I left Facebook over 10 years ago. It never really worked for me to just promote gigs. I did try sometimes, but because I rarely posted and probably didn't have the right people as "friends" it didn't seem to gain much traction. I sometimes thought that I should post some important life events on there, like passing my driving test, completing insurance qualifications, getting Grade 8 Classical Guitar, moving house etc. but couldn't bring myself to do it. It just felt narcissistic to me as I wondered why anyone should care. I'm not saying Facebook users are all narcissistic, but that it didn't really work for me as a means to share important things with people. I'd rather tell them in person or not at all. I also detested what many people would post on Facebook. Opposing political views that I don't care for, or attention seekers, or irrelevant and uninteresting information. I can't remember when I joined here, but I didn't start using it until quite a while after quitting Facebook. I much prefer it here.

I wasn't there unfortunately. Although I prefer smaller venues in general, I quite like the O2. Easy to get to from where I am, the facilities are good and the accessibility is great for those who are disabled. The sound can be hit and miss, especially if you are sitting up in the gods, but live sound generally is patchy at best in all venues. I'm up for going @hiram.k.hackenbacker If you are.

That reminds me of a gig I did a few months ago. Tribute band on a decent large stage outside in a park somewhere in West London I think. For some reason, we'd not loaded the drummer's stool/throne into van. When we looked in the band dressing room/marquee, the band the night before had accidentally left behind a single piece of equipment... which happened to be a drum stool. Very weird coincidence, but one that we were grateful for!