Beedster

All sorted, NKRV/Rick dealt with it all very professionally C

Thanks very much all, RME incoming

Thanks guys, yep, turned out to be a faulty amp as suggested Chris

Got a session planned for next weekend and a cajon could be a useful addition to the percussion. Any folks here with experience of the what's and why's? C

Well, they're probably talking too much actually. I jumped at the opportunity to buy an early 80's all tube Bassman 15 combo, firstly to have a studio bass amp to replace my recently gone Mesa, but also for guitar and mandolin. Anyway, it arrived yesterday and is lovely, almost perfect condition. Plugged in my Precision and all I could hear was string noise, buzzing and other unwanted and very un-bass sounds. Changed cable and it was the same. Plugged in the Strat and it was better but still noisy. I plugged in my Gibbo acoustic and it was lovely, quiet as, same story with my Ovation mandolin. So, I went back to playing the Precision through it thinking that perhaps the tubes needed some time to warm up, but it was the same problem, awful. So, the problem's clearly the bass, but it's not been a problem before. So I tried the bass through my Acoustic Image rig and it was nothing but lovely sweet bass P-Bass tones all the way, I couldn't get a nasty buzz or noise out of it no matter how hard I tried. To cut a long story short, the Bassman seems to be perfect with my electro-acoustic instruments, sightly noisy with my Strat (although to be honest the Strat's always been slightly noisy), but awful with the Precision. In fact with either treble or mids rolled up even a few numbers the amp produces some very nasty noises alongside what is clearly a very sweet core bass tone. I noticed that the unwanted sounds dropped if I touched the input on the front panel of the amp suggesting earthing problems. The noises are also very responsive to touch, i.e., fingers going on or coming off strings, also suggesting earthing problems. However, I've had no such problems with this bass through a number of amps previously or through the AI last night? I'm assuming this is the result of an interaction of two problems, one with the bass and one with the amp, that need each other to cause problems. Any thoughts? C

Thanks all. As ever, my brain is wandering......... Is it worth me spending the extra and getting a rack-mount pre with multiple channels such as the RME Firewire 800 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RME-Fireface-800-Firewire-Audio-Interface-NEW-/310635049939?pt=UK_Musical_AudioMIDI_Interfaces&hash=item48534ab3d3? I really want quality pres with both economy of space and ease of use (which for mean means a rack-mount unit that sits under my iMac with as much as is possible being done on the screen). Whilst i doubt I'll be recording multiple instruments often, the option to do so without having to compromise on quality does appeal. By that I mean that if I have a two channel unit and want to record 4 instruments live I'm necessarily limited?

Thanks very much for the above folks (I'd completely forgotten posting this). The shop in question was New Kings Road Vintage, and they've since been very professional about things. In fact I suspect that early communication - referred to in my original post - was not indicative of their approach at all, as having spoken to Rick, the owner, I've had nothing but positive communication. The guitar's going back tomorrow with assurance of a refund as soon as it's received so I'm sure all will be OK. Thanks for your help Chris

[quote name='Zenitram' timestamp='1364298056' post='2024444'] Oh, hang on, you want to go straight to your computer from it... so it has to have A/D converters as well. Hmm. [/quote] Thanks Zenitram, yep, that's the plan. This is the kind of thing i'm thinking about http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/art-digital-mpa-ii-2-channel-mic-preamp-and-a-d-converter--76323 If I get a pre that doesn't have an A/D converter, is the best bet to buy an A/DC that goes straight into ProTools or to run the pre through a DAW? The latter seems a little daft but from reading around it seems to be what a lot of people do?

Hi folks Recent downsizing of the studio means I'm looking for a space-saving but high quality mic pre to replace my Mackie desk. Nearly all of the recording I'll be doing will be either one-track at a time or simultaneous guitar/voice (each mic'd separately). I'd like a unit that will run directly into Pro-Tools via my iMac (I can't see the point or running a decent pre into another interface before it goes into the computer, although i might be wrong here...). I'd also prefer a rack-mount unit, although quality/functionality is the primary concern, I cannot spend much more than £500. Although I probably will. Any suggestions welcome Chris

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1364054707' post='2021455'] There was similar thread to this a few weeks ago. In light of that thread the person you're looking for might have 101 genuine or personal reasons for losing touch - or he may not. He would almost certainly have valid complaint at having his surname & home town posted on a public forum without his knowledge or consent, which (IMHO-FWIW-YVMV) is equally "bad from". Such questions are best done initially via the mods rather than publicly for best results. [/quote] +1, no disrespect Daf, but if you're marketing/PRing your products in this manner this kind of thing is surely one of the business risks? There's 1000 legitimate reasons that he might not have got them back to you, and on that basis the thread is inappropriate. Chris

Option 5. Buy a used original or aftermarket fretless neck for one of your basses (I recently sold an EBMM fretless neck, they come up quite often. Jazz necks even more so). If it doesn't work out, you can sell it on with little or no loss and neither of your current basses are any the worse for it. C

Hi folks, a bought a used acoustic last week via the internet from a London shop. The invoice stated that I could return within 14 days. I really didn't like it (I've played the same model elsewhere and this instrument didn't sound anything like as good as that one had) so I emailed them and asked if I could return as per the invoice. They've said a flat no as, in their words, the returns policy only applies to damaged or not as described goods. Any thoughts? Chris

Thanks guys, and good point re moving stuff on Paul! Seems the guy who offered the trade has disappeared so perhaps I'll never know. Amazing how big a Precision feels after a week of playing guitar!

Use flats, I love the fatter tone of slapped flats compared to rounds, a much fuller, almost kickdrum-esque thud. You lose zing at the top, but not as much of the highs as you'd perhaps expect.