TimR

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1438854854' post='2837976'] ... As for the 'bass is made to be a supportive instrument not a solo instrument' comments. Sorry guys but who put you in charge? All instruments are made for whatever the artist chooses to use them for. No instrument inventor I know of ever put conditions on it's use. Your preference may be for solid bass lines underpinning a song but that isn't everyone's bag and composers and performers alike are entitled to use them for whatever context their vision suggests. ... [/quote] I agree. I'm really hoping you have misunderstood what some posters have written. I really can't believe anyone actually does believe bass should only be a supporting instrument. Particularly any decent bass player who regards themself as a musician. Scary.

I've played with singers (and brass players) who you really don't want to have at a gig any longer than they have to be. In one band the guitarist used to really moan about the singer. I told him to just accept it because the alternative would be painful. Anyway, he had a word with the singer who turned up at the same time as us for the next gig, left his bag and mic stand right in the middle of where we were trying to set up, moaned about having to be there so early and then spent the hour chatting to his mates and getting drunk at the bar. The gig wasn't too good We went back to the old ways after that.

The secret of a good solo is having the bits that are missing when the bass drops out, covered by the other instruments. If you have no solid groove behind the music then the audience cannot understand what is happening. So an out and out solo, where the drums keep the beat, everyone else drops out and the bass goes off on one is never going to appeal to anyone. Likewise, if everything drops out but the bass and drums keep the groove (not really as solo, just a break) all is good. If the guitarist or keys player are regimented enough to play a solid groove under the solo there is absolutely nothing wrong with the bass player soloing.

There is an awful lot of good bass solo work out there. You just have to look for it. Jaco's wise words: before you even look at the bass line, learn and understand the melody.

I am working on a solo for Saturday night. About 16bars long tops with a repeating motif following the underlying chords. It should sound quite nice as the guitarist will stick to the basics. One song only.

That is a seriously dangerous suggestion. Do not do that!

Unfortunately there are people who are so passionate about the Beatles that they're still convinced Paul Mcartney is still producing music that is better than anything else anyone else is producing. That's why I find it difficult to take these people too seriously. Try to keep it in context. Were the Beatles singlehandedly responsible for creating teenage culture in isolation. What was going on in Carnaby street, the Cambridge Set (Pink Floyd wtc), and elsewhere in the UK and the world? How much were they the cause and how much were they being carried along on this massive wave? .

When you touch any metal parts of your amp does the buzzing go away? What kind of buzzing is it? Is it 50hz hum or something else. Have you turned absolutely everything else off and unplugged it. Fridge/freezer, central heating/water pump? Is it there 24/7 or could it be related to a dodgy outside halogen spotlight nearby? Which earth did you disconnect?

Yes. You can still dance if the singer and guitarist are all over the place. In fact in some genres I'm sure that's normal.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1438533631' post='2835226'] Maybe it would be less of a curse and just accepted that what was earth shattering to you was different to others, and stop trying to make the point to people who disagree! [/quote] With respect. This IS an Internet forum. And Blue is American.

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1438511697' post='2835005'] Saw a band play at a party last night and they had a reasonably decent set etc but the drummer was shocking. It took me a song or two to work out why none of it was hanging together properly, and the feel of the songs was all out as a result. Regardless of what the rest of the band did nothing was going to disguise that. My missus told me to stop being so rude about them. [/quote] The big question is; what did the audience think. I've seen bands, I've even played in bands with shocking drummers. The bass player seems to be the only person who knows what's wrong. Sometimes the rest of the band know there's something wrong but not what it is. The bands never seemed to get re-booked but there was never any feedback why, even though the floor was filled. Music is an odd thing sometimes.

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1438521456' post='2835115'] The explanation of sensitivity of new house electrics is higher than the older ground spike seems to make more sense. I remember years ago being told that you should only earth one amp in the loop when using PA systems to reduce earthing loops. Not sure whether it was genuine or not tho. Dave [/quote] That's a completely different situation. That's gross loop hum. When a loop is created through the building's mains into an amp, through the instrument lead, then into the mixer/keyboard and back into the building via the mixer/keyboard power lead. In that case the loop needs to be broken at the instrument cable using a ground lift device. In this case noise is being injected from the building's earth somehow. Or there is airborne noise that is somehow not being drained down to a proper earth.

He did that and the noise went away. The worry is that they've taken the earth spike away and his mains are now earthed through the spikes in the other houses. Which sounds to me is exactly what has happened.

A band I used to be in has recently set up as a limited company. The whole lot. Submits accounts, bank accounts, directors. I say recently, they did it a couple of years ago. No idea why. They're finding it a right hassle now. I can understand the idea of a joint account. The best way is just to have a normal bank account. It's not like you'll be doing anything other than paying in one cheque and then paying out 4 or 5. No huge numbers involved. No messy payroll bacs or anything else. No corporation tax or VAT. Just keep accounts so that the rest of the band can see it is transparent. I can't think of anything worse than getting a cheque for a couple of grand into your personal account around about payday, all starts to get messy.

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1438465328' post='2834760'] 'Interference' would be more of a harsh buzz than a hum. [/quote] If it goes away when he disconnects his earth and there's nothing on in his house then the 'hum' must be being induced through the earth via a source outside his house.

Earthed back at the substation and picking up interference from your neighbours.

A huge amount of guidance in the studio.

They may have. They were only a few weeks behind. Whether they rode on the back offer English pop wave you'll never know. Were they as prolific? Like most things the product had to be right first but as most originals bands find to this day, you need to push the product in the right areas. Perfect storm describes it very well. Especially when you look at all the other bands who were around in the 60s. If the Beatles had been the only band and there had been no other bands, they would have simply disappeared. I think taking the Beatles in isolation and crediting them with the explosion of music in the 60s may be why they're quite often regarded as overrated.

They were only able to take the U.S. By storm because they had a back catalogue ready to go. They managed to book the Ed Sulivan Show for three shows straightaway, something that relied on the rapid uptake of TV. Even from their day as a cover band at the Cavern club they're a very good example of how to successfully market a band/product. They took what was available to them at the time and very cleverly pulled it all together.

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1438267050' post='2833067'] I have, and it's not mentioned at all. Have found my old A/B box and tested it so will go with that into the L(mono) as pointed out, it will also cut the instrument not in use. Easier all round. Thanks everyone for your "input" (see what I did there?) [/quote] Page 20. Number 3.

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1438248779' post='2832827'] You mean thers another E. Where is this secret note you speak of? [/quote] It's on the second fret on the D-string.

I don't think so. My dad was 25 in 1964. He had been playing in bands since the 50s. Mainly piano based trios but there was rock'n'roll before the Beatles came along. The Beatles were just very cleverly marketed.

Ok. Assuming you have the mixer switch in the correct position the stereo pair are mixed before being sent to the busses. So just plug one instrument in the Left and one in the Right. You'll have to adjust the level at the instruments to mix properly. http://www.whitelight.ltd.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/emx512sc_manual.pdf

Edit: Just read the manual.

It's guaranteed to empty the dance floor. We dropped it after 5 times trying to shoehorn it into a set and force people to listen to it.