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Leonard Smalls

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Posts posted by Leonard Smalls

    DJing

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I used to DJ in Leeds during the 80s at the Phono, Warehouse and University - mainly funk and general indie oddities... That was in the days when a Citronic Hawaii with Stanton carts was the beezkneez!
    I remember someone once asking me to play some "Proper dance music {I was playing "Flashlight" at the time} like the Virgin Prunes". Unfortunately for him I had "Pagan Lovesong" which he was obliged to dance to, on his own, in the meddle of the University Refectory in front of 1000 wannabe funksters!

    Snake oil... - Power Cord: a measly $149

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1419413111' post='2639624']
    I know a man who has, as part of his HiFi setup, an Isotek power conditioner. I think that they are about £2,500.
    [/quote]

    I know the guy who started the company, though he runs Isol-8 now.
    And to be fair, there's much more of an argument for using a power conditioner than an uber-mains cable!
    Some audio kit - usually because it hasn't got a robust enough power supply - is very susceptible to mains-borne noise, dc offsets and voltage fluctuation and reacts by either having humming transformers, or giving out low level white noise etc. Supply filtration or even re-generation in extreme cases can sort that out.
    However, a re-generator needs a lot of headroom if you're going to play loud and expect loud bass - unless you've got flea-powered amps and enormously efficient speakers.
    But as far as I'm concerned the power supply should be able to cope with any extreme of power supply that falls within the ESQR regs (electricity safety and quality) - my Bryston power amp specifically says don't bother with any mains foo as you'll restrict what the amp can do!

    Snake oil... - Power Cord: a measly $149

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The standard audiophool response on being told the science - whether it's to do with room tuning RFI suppressors or mains cables or even hi quality "hifi" consumer units and plug sockets - is to say "well science doesn't know everything, and how can you know this doesn't work unless you try it?"
    The usual answer is "I've never jumped off a cliff either but know it will hurt because science tells me that gravity will smash me very hard into the ground...
    The point is that you [i]have to believe it works [/i].

    Using a music stand in a covers band

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    You lot with your music stands'n'bits of paper/ipads/whatever!
    I once did a gig with a free improv band; the lady trombone leader issued us all with a piece of paper with some different coloured daubs of paint on.
    She said "we'll improvise around whatever you see in those colours".
    How we laughed!
    I ended up playing mainly wah-wahed bass with maximum distortion, which was no doubt lovely for the audience...
    Still, nobody threw stuff and there was roughly the same amount of folks there at the end as at the beginning, and they clapped (a bit!)

    December Composition Challenge - GET RECORDING!

    in Recording

    Posted

    [quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1418418848' post='2630170']
    I think about fireworks is the complete lack of rhythm. I'm worried that the only way I can respond to this image is with some ludicrous, unlistenable, arhythmic "free jazz" nonsense...
    [/quote]

    I did unlistenable free jazz for September's compocompo. I actually got a vote!!!!

    Colour of the cable...

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='jmchich' timestamp='1418231443' post='2628261']
    We got a work experience kid to ring up and order sky hooks... with hilarious results when the clueless phone operator at the suppliers didn't realise it was a pisstake and started searching the computer for them
    [/quote]

    You can actually buy skyhooks - I've used them many times while rock climbing:

    Should I re record my part in this song?

    in Recording

    Posted

    I'm afraid I have to disagree a bit with Douglas...
    There's room for improvement in both snare and kick, and there's room for making the bass sound better.
    However, I like the bass part - it's just too toppy which exacerbates fret buzz. I'd take out some top end and some high mid and pump up the low end a bit. That might not completely fix the bridge bit but there's an amazing amount you can do with eq, reverb and variable band compression!

    The story of Funk: one nation under a groove And Funk compilation programme BBC4 Dec 5th.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Talking of Eddie Hazel, I just bought a mint copy of THAT album from our local 2nd hand record shop.
    Seriouslyfunkin!
    I was a little bit disappointed with the documentary. Nowt on Mama Funk, very little on Bootsy. As for the "Genius of Funk" live prog, surely they could have done a lot better. A bit of poorly mixed George, lots of average Jamiroquai, big chunk of James Taylor and Raydio (!).

    Living Colour

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Leonard Smalls

    [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1417377260' post='2619767']


    There's some good ideas in there. I quite like it but it does sound like a bag of spanners falling down a lift shaft. Could do with the old Booker T and the MGs treatment. They would jam for hours then come back the next day and pull out the riffs tang work and strip it down to the essentials.

    Only my opinion of course.
    [/quote]

    That's improv for you!
    Reminds of the story about Derek Bailey recording an album for Bill Laswell; he turned up and was told the duration of the album was to be 1 hour. After playing for precisely 1 hour he got up and left...
    Compared to Derek the FreeFormFunkyFreqs are as polished as the JBs!


    Edited to add: darned automatic spell check sneakily making improv improve! Don't impose your taste on me, you machine, you!

    Living Colour

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I saw them at least twice in the early 90s - once at the Electric Ballroom which was most excellent.
    However, my tastes now run more to Reid's free Form Funky Freqs improv band with Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass and Calvin Weston as drummist...
    [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtPZUEUiSYE&feature=player_detailpage[/MEDIA]

    Play of the Day : ‘Dance Until You Drop’, from Leonard Smalls...

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1417088280' post='2616913']
    [size=4]Completely in harmony with the photo, this work takes us on a journey, although I'm unsure as to the amount of tongue in cheek involved. The composition, arrangement and execution are of a very high standard, and interest is maintained from beginning to end. A coherent progression throughout, underpinned by the relentless but discreet percussion and bass. I'd have liked to distinguish better the lyrics, but that's perhaps my failing hearing..? Very good work, in any case.[/size]


    [size=4]Douglas [/size]
    [/quote]

    Cheers Douglas - nice review as always!
    Lyrics are partly tongue in cheek - as I'm afraid is most of what I do... And my "singing" doesn't help - you don't want to hear tto much of it!

    [i]Being old is just a state of mind
    Your mind is what you get
    Being old is just your time of life
    Your life is what you get

    Dance until you drop etc

    They say you can only be young once
    Or be immature for ever
    The idea is to die young late
    Your life is now or never

    Sanatogen, Zimmer Frame, National Express
    I ain't got nuthin' 'gainst bein' old
    But the Funk is the best

    Tena Lady, Wagon R, No more fancy car

    Cups of tea, Songs of Praise, worryin' 'bout achin' days

    Dance until you drop

    Hip op. don't stop, dance until you drop[/i]

    Sorry!
    :blush:

    New PC for recording/multi-use/gaming

    in Recording

    Posted

    My one and only win and subsequent ability to actually choose next month's photo was such an amazing power-rush that I've re-mortgaged my house to fund purchase of a 128 channel Neve desk complete with outboards by Klark Teknik and custom monitoring by TAD and Bryston.
    And besides, my old laptop was 8 years old and often fell over with just a Word document and Internet Explorer running - which would have been embarrassing if us Weeds had been playing a gig with flawless backing from the laptop, only for it to crash leaving the unfortunate audience to hear only our over-the-top noodlings...

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