Pete Academy

Doddy?

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='852786' date='May 31 2010, 05:49 PM']Fibbers. The same guy also does sound at Stereo. One silver lining is that Fibbers has been bought recently and is going to be redeveloped through August, the downside is that I think they'll be focussing on club nights instead of live bands in future. The band we're opening for should bring in a crowd that will like our stuff and maybe haven't heard us before, so it seems like a good date to play on the face of it, it's just such a shame that we are almost guaranteed to sound like sh*t.[/quote] Fibbers. Aaaarggghhh!!!

We have a sound guy who has mixed for us since we started. He's great. My beef is with the in-house engineers that set the equipment up and are extremely patronising. At one well-established venue the engineer couldn't understand why I wanted the bass gear lifted up to ear height. I said it was because I can't hear top end very well. What I wanted to say was: 'What has it got to do with you? I'm doing the gig, not you.' Why?

Who's the bassist on Same Ole Love?

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='852568' date='May 31 2010, 01:19 PM']That's interesting, Pete - It does seem that on the higher quality preamps (such as Roscoe & Status) that the frequencies are very well chosen, so lots of boost doesn't seem too boomy or too harsh.[/quote] Mine lacks a little in top end zing, so hence the treble boost. There are two mid-frequency boost options with pull-pot. Mid cuts through, especially when there's a piano in the band.

On the Roscoe 5 I boost the mid to about 80%, bass and treble to about 70%, and favour slightly more back pickup on the pan. The Jazz I have both pickups full for slap and back off the front slightly for fingerstyle. Tone set on about 50%. Then the fingers do the work.

The new Spyder 550 head is amazing.

Whatever is posted about Jaco, his solo album is the best ever bass project ever. Nuff said.

It could be a spoof, Nige.

sh*t happens.

Saddening.

Nearly Dan play The Waterfront in Belfast on Friday June 4, and The Forum in Waterford, Southern Ireland on Saturday June 5.

Great tune. Who's the bass player? Louis Johnson?

Discipline.

The missus said, 'If you don't stop buying gear, I'm leaving you.' I really miss her.

[quote name='teej' post='847882' date='May 25 2010, 08:23 PM']Red Jackson in Brighton... [/quote] Love this!

Rough filming.

Rough filming.

My original point was that the 'bass is bass' attitude is sometimes annoying, like I turn up for the gig with a 5-string because it's a gimmick or something.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='847318' date='May 25 2010, 11:23 AM']Good point but looking at it from the other side, why buy the Jazz if you arent going to use it? Why buy a 4 string when you need a 5 string? I would think the reason your drummer asked is because you just brought a bass you dont intend to use. Im not having a pop at you or anyone else, but i can understand why the rest of the band might be a bit confused.[/quote] I used to have a Steinberger L2 which I never used, so I sold it and bought a Jazz, which although I don't gig, I play at home. I have another soul/funk band but we aren't playing at the moment. If we do, I'll use the Jazz for that.

[quote name='OldGit' post='847191' date='May 25 2010, 09:08 AM']Well the singer bit sounds very positive. At least he asked you and you were able to give him an explanation. Hopefully he'll understand now. I play in a band where two of the members also play bass in other bands but play guitar and guitar & keys in this one The drummer is genuinely interested in what I'm using each gig and can hear the differences. The other members just takes the p155 in a friendly way. In private they are interested in the differences but in public it's "take the p out of the bass player" time. I guess they suffer in their other bands I get my own back though. PA people are another thing: [b]It's not their fault, it's yours [/b] How are they supposed to know what you want to sound like if you don't talk to the PA person beforehand and explain. Last I checked mind reading was not a normal skill for PA people. So a 20 second line check and womb womb womb is all you're going to get. If you do approach them and ask for Marcus Miller glassy high and a good bit of mid range growl you'll need to speak PA man dialect and use tekkie terms they understand. They may not know how to make your bass sound like JJ Burnel's or Steve di Giorgio's do on their records. And, in truth, that may not be the best thing to do for the venue, crowd or event. Next time you work with a guy you know and like ask for tips and a language lesson, and write it down. Next gig buy your sound guy a drink and have a chat before your sound check and explain what you'd like. Works wonders. of course he may say. "I'd love to but the overhang on this part of the room boosts the 20Hz wave back at the wall and thus adding super lows to your sound will kill the whole room, Sorry. I'll do my best for you though" Maybe one of the bass playing PA people on here can coach us in what to ask for. Maybe a chart of what EQ settings will get a few famous bass player's sounds?[/quote] Good points.

[quote name='bigd1' post='847159' date='May 25 2010, 08:31 AM']I think we are being a bit up ourselves. Yes we are musicians just as the rest of the band but at the studio/gig with a sound engineer just ask it really does work very well. Isn't it good that other members of the group/band you are in are interested in what type of bass you use, and notice what you are or are not using. I feel it a bit odd you see this as a negative thing. Maybe I have missed the point but I can't see what you have to moan about. I do agree with you I was disappointed by the TV rock band show, but then again it is for the masses who are only really interested in the singer and lead guitarist they don't really want to know about the music makers of the band. Just my 2p worth Ta very glad BIGd[/quote] It's mainly the fact that after such a long time, they can't discern the difference between a four and five string. For example, the version of Josie we do is from their live album and the riff starts on a low D. This song has been played in the set from day one hundreds of times. I don't really care if they don't dig my gear, but I do make a lot of effort to sound as good as possible.

[quote name='gafbass02' post='847142' date='May 25 2010, 08:03 AM']um cheers, lol, im sure ill upset someone!, really didnt mean too if i do, i should just quickly add all IMHO, IME etc lol[/quote] I don't think you'll upset anyone. You've told the truth. I also get the requisite 20 second soundcheck. Also, the singer/guitarist uses a 335 but I never suggest he uses a Strat instead because I actually know the tonal difference. The 'bass is bass' mentality amongst other musicians seriously pisses me off.

[quote name='gafbass02' post='847138' date='May 25 2010, 07:50 AM']I too have found a massive amount of ignorance often tinged with a sort of patronising amusment towards the bass, noticeable when i try to explain things like how a bass wave behaves, how our ears are 'tuned for mids', how string tensions affects things etc etc. (ie NO!! i dont want to tune down to blah blah, i spent hours getting my bass perfect at normal tuning, if i change it, it sounds and feels all wrong!) Its like 'look at the cute failed guitarist trying to make his job sound more important' (which is another tag/assumption that gets my goat, I never wanted or tried, or was interested in playing guitar or anything else ive only ever wanted to play bass.) I find bass a massively complex instrument with a difficult sound to understand and manipulate, its easy to learn, but hard to play well, and forms the link between rhythm and melody, giving the music its 'heartbeat'. How many times must i get a 20 second riff at soundcheck compared the guitarists?,(before its, 'alright mate, OK ..guitars!) I have many different sounds too, many more extreme and potentially more difficult to manage in a mix than 'clean and distortion' that Jonny guitar hero over there has!, (synth, octaver) Why not think to ask Mr sound guy, and no, i dont want to use your £20 behringer DI box, i have a much better one thanks, and while were on it, how about a mic to mix in there too! Recently in a studio i got just a nasty dry sound while they spent forever on amp/cab sims for the guitarists....hello!!!!!!!!!!, im here too!!!!!! When we got the result back, sure enough, the same totally unaltered tone, nothing done to spice it up at all. This is why when i soundcheck i try to play harmonics, chords, melodic pieces, low notes, flurries, slap, and a nice funky finger line that uses a wide range, hoping the engineer will notice that i tend to play more than just 'dum dum dum', and think, 'oh hang on, this guy can clearly play and does a bit more, Ok, lets make sure its sitting right so we can hear it all', but nope. They give me 20 seconds and set the same woofy settings that they 'always use for bass cause it sounds best innit' NO!!!! Im not supposed to be just an inaudible low end mush under the guitars, im an integral part of the shape and form of the song contruction, if I add subtle details its because it improves the music (not just to show off) and as a band we have decided thats what sounds good, so why should you as an engineer who has preconceived notions about how bass in rock bands should sound/be mixed/ED'd be at liberty to so dramaticlly curtail my additions to our songs?, would the chorus work so well without that high chord being heard?, NO!, we like it!, else i would have left it out! etc etc Rant over!!! (and yup ive done my time as a sound engineer too, but i just find on the whole the attitude to bass outdated beyond what it should be, esp when you consider that many of the guys out there werent around in the 'kay bass, 30w amp' days of yore, and even if they were, they still lived through the 80's with all the tech advances in bass and it coming to the fore, as well as the 90's and the likes of Flea et al, so WHY the 1950's/60's attitudes in the year 2010!!!!?!?) Ok, rant def over this time! [/quote] Great post. Says it all.

The fact is, I could use the Jazz, but it would mean the songs would sound different. Besides, do people think we spend all our hard-earned money to get the best gear and sound for nothing?