thunderbird13

Sorry if this is in the wrong section But I was thinking of buying one today . Does anyone have any experience of these [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=222445"]Guitar interface[/url] Does it work with passive pickups or would I have to boost the signal through an amp first ? Does it work with a bass guitar as well ( either active or passive ) ? Can I plug a microphone into it as ? Is it worth the money or should I look at something else TBH all I really want to do is record a few chords to play bass lines over. Cheers

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='985895' date='Oct 12 2010, 04:36 PM']It's all famine or feast with you.[/quote] / Derail/ Give me a month and I'll on my own again /Derail /

I'm currently in 2 bands - one original ,one pure covers . Can I vote twice

I’ve never been much of a composer but I ‘ve started writing stuff for a band. I was wondering how do you lot write music – does it just happen or do you have to work at it. And if you have to work at it what techniques do you use. I’m finding that I can write fragments of melody quite easily but then when it comes to extending them into more of a complete song I run out of ideas.

[quote name='silddx' post='981241' date='Oct 8 2010, 09:18 AM']Thanks for coming Alistair. Good to see you mate.[/quote] Always a pleasure Nig, a very enjoyable evening.

count me out - I've always despised that band , horrible songs, horrible image , horrible tone , horrible .........everything

Damn - thats just beside where I work but I've got another engagement that night so I cant make it

I dont want to sound funny but you must get this checked out straight away by a GP . I have a mate who has got tinnitus and its seriously screwed up his quality of life. There's nothing particularly macho about not wearing ear protection

Actually more seriously not knowing every note on the fretboard - there's really no excuse for it and it limits your note choice or forces you to overstretch

[quote name='TimR' post='972500' date='Sep 30 2010, 11:18 AM']You ACTUALLY did that in an audition?[/quote] I know - and I wasnt playing a Fender either . I have no shame

Well its all totally subjective but after failing what seems like hundreds of auditions the feedback I have received for myself and on why I didn’t get it are ; · Not using dynamics enough · Playing 8 th notes when something else would be appropriate · Playing over the 12th fret ( some people really hate this) · Overplaying / Underplaying · Having inappropriate gear ( I was not allowed to play with a punk band because I had a headless bass ) · Having no gear · Not being familiar with the style of material · Using a pick or fingers depending on what the guitarist thinks is cool · Turning up dressed a as a wizard Not sure what to make of that list !

Sweet Home Chicago - really easy to remember and you can add loads of chromatic runs which sound like you know what your doing ! Anything by Creedance Clearwater Revival but particularly Bad moon Rising and Fortunate Son Paranoid Black sabbath - surely everyone knows the riff Personally I'd avoid any ACDC - its easy on paper but it reallty ................

[quote name='Marvin' post='961656' date='Sep 19 2010, 10:27 PM']This sums it up perfectly for me. Why should the forum have to [b]bare[/b] the responsibility of policing avatars to protect individuals from something that perhaps they shouldn't be doing in the first place. Especially when alternatives are already available.[/quote] was that a pun or a freudian slip ! Personally I dont think it matters what the contect of the avatar is as its pretty obvious to anyone who looks over my shoulder that I'm looking at a website which is not work related. The ones which I find most annoying are the flashy animated ones as they attract more attention to the fact that I'm not working. My solution is to reduce the size of the window so that none of the avatars are showing , then I open a spreadsheet alongside it and reduce that so the screen is 50 % spreadsheet and 50% basschat!

[quote name='BigRedX' post='959527' date='Sep 17 2010, 02:55 PM']So who's avatar in particular is causing problems? I've not noticed any that are particularly NSFW so I feel I'm missing out! If you run an ad blocker then you should be able to add the URL of any avatars you don't want to see to the blocked list and then they'll be gone.[/quote] I'm taking a guess here does NSFW mean Not Safe For Watching

If the OP is simply saying that he isn’t going to “ make it “ simply because of his age then I totally disagree but if he’s saying that its due to a more mature perspective then I agree .I spend most of my teens and twenties deluding myself that I was going to make it big simply because I wanted it so bad and that the only reason it hadn’t happened was because I hadn’t made the right contacts or gotten the luck break . It was in my thirties that I was mature enough to realise that what was holding me back was simply the fact that I didn’t have the talent, the looks or the personality that is required to be allowed a chance to make it in music. It was a bit of a blow initially but once you accept it then you can move on it life . Now I am just happy to play with anyone just for fun and have bassplaying as something I do to forget about work and all the other pressures of life. Of course it would be nice to play a really big gig just to see what its like but I think I have more chance of seeing Northern Ireland winning the world cup than I do of playing anywhere other than a local pub !

[quote name='Hamster' post='954636' date='Sep 13 2010, 12:48 PM']What I do now is just browse the set-lists of local bands (Blues/R&B/Rock) and just try and learn everything that I don't know. It takes a long time if like me, you learn a lot of songs but don't play them everyday - you quickly forget them again![/quote] I've got a similar thing where I have a playlist on spotify with all the covers I've learnt - sometimes when I'm bored I'll play a few at random [quote name='Adrenochrome' post='954643' date='Sep 13 2010, 12:51 PM']Assuming that you're allowed some cheat sheets in the audition then I reckon you should be able to have a go at about that many songs in about a week. You could perhaps highlight the ones that you're most prepared for in advance to the band.[/quote] Yeah I think a week is fair enough and anything less than that seems to me to be asking for a bit too much commitment if like me your only a part time player.

After taking a 3 month break, during which time I didn’t touch a bass once, I ‘m back on the look out for bands (yet again - I’ll never learn!) and have replied to a few adverts. One guy I came back to me yesterday afternoon and asked me to come down for an audition on Tuesday and sent me a list of about 8 songs to learn. Most of them are of the R& B and Blues variety but if I’m honest I ‘ve never heard of any of the songs before – apart from Mustang Sally. I’ve now decided that I don’t have enough time to learn them and rather then waste my time I’ve decided to cancel the audition. So out of curiosity what would other people consider a reasonable length of time to prepare for an audition, bearing it mind is playing cover versions rather than a free form jam and assuming that you work during the day (as apposed to being a professional player)

I never had that much contact with him but I always read his posts as they were either funny or useful - RIP Si

[quote name='Prosebass' post='859687' date='Jun 7 2010, 11:32 AM']stick at it and things will come good eventually. Remember all good things come to those who wait and perseverance is always a good character trait. The alternative is becoming another Les McQueen [/quote] So perhaps I should try and form a Creme Brulee tribute band !

Following on from my thread earlier on this year about the Hawkwind tribute band, who had another bass player which I wasn’t told about. Anyway ,I decided to give bands one more try and joined a blues/ rock covers who played regularly in working mans clubs around the southeast. I spent 3 weeks learning about 60 songs only to be told on the day of the audition that their drummer had disappeared – turns out his coke habit took over and he severed all contact with everyone. So I waited a month until they got a replacement who turned out to be a good professional drummer that I enjoyed playing with. Two rehearsals in the new drummer cant rehearse anymore as his wife is seriously sick. So we take a break for a few weeks until we see what is happening with his wife. Now today I’ve had a phone call from the guitarist saying that he’s quit as he has just been sacked for crashing his work van and he needs to sort his life out. I know its just bad luck and I really hope the drummers wife is OK and the guitarist gets something sorted out but I still feel pissed off that I put all that effort into something not to get any benefit from it – AGAIN !! I’m beginning to think that I’m just destined not to do certain things

[quote name='ahpook' post='818552' date='Apr 25 2010, 10:09 PM']i miss ahpook[/quote] There's always one

Zoom B2.1u

thanks guys - tbh I'm just happy to be in a band again I was on the brink of packing it in ( again !)

Had a funny audition the other night, a covers band sent me a set list of 30 songs and told me to learn a few , so I learnt 10 and arranged to meet up with then for a jam last night. Turns out the guitarist has forgotten all the songs which I learnt so we jammed the other songs which I hadn’t heard before let alone learnt to play After about an hour of playing 12 songs they stop and then start talking about what gigs they have lined up and it turns out their on the club circuit and regularly get over 150 crowd. Then they gave me a list of songs to learn and say see you next week! So looks like I’ve joined a working band with a bunch of paying gigs lined up – all through busking blues in E all night Result

I had to learn Aqualung for an audition in Jan. Fortuneatly the audition was cancelled but I'm still struggle to play the middle section where it speeds up properly I should add that what makes it more annoying is that its the same notes and the same riff - just using 1/8 notes instead of 1/4 notes