alexclaber

[quote name='AM1' post='358950' date='Dec 19 2008, 04:47 PM']Dynamics is part of expressionism and rhythm is a major part of expressionism. You can't technically divorce the two even in any semantic context.[/quote] I'm sorry to come over all Jeff Berlin but that is complete rubbish. Everything in music is interconnected and thus during performance should be integrated as a cohesive whole but if you are to have any structure in your learning then you have to divorce the different components to develop an understanding of them. [quote name='AM1' post='358950' date='Dec 19 2008, 04:47 PM']Basic dynamics yes is levels of loudness but that's just up and down in volume.[/quote] There's no 'just' about it. Most rock bassists I hear don't seem to have the slightest clue when it comes to dynamic control, often a result of spending years struggling to be heard. [quote name='AM1' post='358950' date='Dec 19 2008, 04:47 PM']I'm talking about using rhythmic techniques along with variations to volume, for example a one note accent at the start of a bar, where you play the note slightly off the beat (not syncopated) and with an accent, sforzando style. This can be heard in music on other instruments but I don't often hear it on the bass.[/quote] That isn't just dynamics, it's phrasing with the use of timing and dynamics. [quote name='mcgraham' post='358961' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:00 PM']So... basically... I was right. Glad we established that [/quote] No, you're still as a wrong as a wrong thing. [quote name='mcgraham' post='358961' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:00 PM']Just jesting. I agree that classically the term refers (at least primarily, if not exclusively) to how you use changes in volume, but I'm a subscriber to the more contemporary use of the phrase. See the first paragraph of the wikipedia article on Dynamics (music) for support in reference to such dynamics.[/quote] But is it the more contemporary use? It's certainly the more confusing use. To me, and clearly to classically schooled musicians (which I'm not), dynamics refer to control of loudness (not volume technically but that's another can of worms). We then have other tools at our disposal - timing (position vs the beat, note length, shuffle/swing), tone, and other phrasing (how you come into and out of a note - e.g. slides, hammer ons and pull offs, vibrato). To learn how to use these tools you have to be able to separate them but obviously once you're playing then you should reintegrate them. Along with dynamics these all work together to give you the groove/vibe/attitude/emotion of a bassline and/or piece of music. To use the word dynamics to refer to that overall vibe seems like asking for confusion when there are so many other words available in English. The sad thing about all this is that we all clearly agree on the importance of these weapons of choice but as we're discussing them in the backwater of 'theory and technique' everyone else that's oblivious to them is too busy browsing the for sale forum to see what they can buy to get their 'sound'... Alex P.S. AM, I like your posts even if I don't always agree, nice to have some more intelligent thought on here. P.P.S. Not saying that you lot are stupid... P.P.P.S. Apart from you - you know you I'm talking to.

Personally I rather like the little Peavey 8" combo - it's a great speaker size for bass guitar at low SPL because the midrange extension and clarity, particularly off-axis, is better than with similarly priced 10"s or 12"s. Dead cheap too. Only 20W or so but that's more than enough for home use. Then you can save your money for something much louder for gigging rather than ending up with one of those close but no cigar ~100W combos. Alex

I was just looking for that! No footage but here's Soul Intro / The Chicken from Invitation: Alex

I had some '70s hi-fi speakers with big elliptical cones when I was at uni and they used to get pushed really hard during parties. For the next few days they'd always distort when playing music but it would gradually diminish and they'd go back to their old selves, like they'd worked themselves back into alignment! Was quite worrying the first time it happened though... Alex

One thing to bear in mind is that one really good cab can equal the output of two less good cabs, whilst costing no more and being a lot easier to carry. Don't assume all 2x10" and 1x15" cabs are equal! Alex

[quote name='bumnote' post='358847' date='Dec 19 2008, 02:38 PM']Alex, why do you particulalrly like the kappalight when emminence produce the basslight, which one would assume to be specially voiced for bass.[/quote] Not sure whether it's specifically voiced for bass or whether they've cut costs in a way that works ok for bass - certainly the specs are more like an older bass guitar speaker, with a higher Vas, higher Qts, lower sensitivity, etc. I've just overlaid the two measured plots (see attachment). The higher line is the Kappalite, the lower one the Basslite. When you load them into a cab the Basslite has more of a hump in the midbass due to the high Vas and then when you model the output at full power or full excursion the Kappalite goes quite a bit louder. But it is more expensive. If you have a particularly big cab that you're looking to put a 15", maybe one of those old TE 15"s then the Basslite would work pretty well. I guess some people will buy the Basslite because it's 4 ohm to get more power but the Kappalite is more sensitive so that cancels out. Alex

[quote name='PauBass' post='358824' date='Dec 19 2008, 02:19 PM']More Flea content here: Which bass do you guys think he is using on those recordings? Modulus, Stingray?[/quote] The (obviously not that) famous Wal! I think it's a blue MkII 4-string. Alex

Dynamics is how loud or soft you play the notes. That's it. Everything else contributes to feel and the dynamic (singular) of the music but dynamics on your instrument is ppp to FFF. Yes you can use effects or other methods (double and triple stops) as part of these dynamics, but that's muddying the issue - if you want to improve your dynamics do that, don't pretend that stomping on a distortion box is the same. Michael Manring wrote a fantastic column about this in one of the earliest issues of BP I read. His recommendation was to find the loudest clean note you could play on your bass. Then to find the quietest clean note. Then to find about half a dozen levels in between. And then practice playing lines at specific levels. If you have a VU type meter and stay within a narrow register you can test yourself to make sure you're consistent. It may seems like semantics but in my opinion these details matter far more in 99% of playing situations than any amount of soloing skills. Alex

[quote name='mcgraham' post='358813' date='Dec 19 2008, 02:07 PM']This may be considered heresy, but from the clips of the Millenia and the ART Tube MP on basstasters.com, I could not discern a priceworthy difference between the base sound. I feel if I can't hear a substantial difference in a solo recording, then I imagine it'll have negligible impact in a live mix.[/quote] Two things - firstly the obvious issue of how it's recorded and then how you're hearing it via the interweb. But more importantly, if you don't play through the preamp yourself how do you know what it's doing? There's a complex feedback loop between plucking the string, hearing the sound from your amp and adjusting how you play, and listening to a recording can't tell you about that. Alex

I'm sure it's excellent and I highly doubt it would be a step up to a Milennia or Avalon, merely a step sideways and without the advantage of EQ that is already voiced for bassists. There's an interesting thread or two on talkbass about it which Mike has been participating in. I can totally see why most preamps don't include a crossover - I can't think of a single current bass cab that is specifically designed to work with an active crossover - despite a system designed for biamping from the ground up being potentially extremely effective. Alex

Four brilliant basslines! Ben Shepherd lays down a dirty muddy groove Geezer would be proud of than then overdubs the nastiest fuzz you've ever heard. Jeff Ament proves addicted to flange and slides and very bluesy when it comes to intonation but it hits the spot. Sting shows what you can do if you're not scared of minimal compression - that whole album is so dynamic. And Flea is impressively on it. More beginner bassists need to hear these soloed tracks so they can understand what bass tone really means! Alex

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='358601' date='Dec 19 2008, 10:01 AM']But back to Jaco. I can see that he was innovative, but its easy to be innovative. If I started playing my bass with a golf club and sewing machine, I'd be innovative too. Doesn't make it any good.[/quote] Innovation without reason or advantage tends to fail - look at the Sinclair C5! As a Jaco fan I would never point a non-believer towards any of his solo performances - yeah, they're pretty clever/cool/whatever but they're still pretty 'whatever'... Instead listen to "The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines" off the Joni Mitchell album "Mingus". Jaco plays the baddest funk part on that session and he also scored the horn arrangement the previous night, having never done any horn arranging before. Hopefully there's enough impurity in the jazz in there that jazzophobes can appreciate it. Another similar example is Soul Intro / The Chicken, off Jaco's big band live album "Invitation". Weather Report's album "Heavy Weather" contains some of Jaco's finest performances but for anyone who isn't into jazz it's likely to be way too '70s jazz fusion with a hefty dollop of synth and sax cheese. Jaco's eponymous debut album doesn't have the cheese but it is way too complex for jazzophobes - when I first heard it (and many times afterwards) the bass/conga duet on "Donna Lee" just sounded like mindless widdling. Pat Metheny's album "Bright Size Life" is also held up as a great Jaco album but it's just so gentle and ethereal and totally lacking in Jaco's trademark badassness. So why was Jaco the uber-dude? Not merely his innovation, soloing, clever jazz sh*t, etc. It was his badass attitude, the swagger and confidence he imbued his music with, the sheer aggression and fire in his playing. Personally I find the whole "Invitation" album the finest summary of Jaco, just as "Sinatra At The Sands" is the finest example of what Sinatra was about - both characters of many imperfect facets who played the music like every note was their last. Those live recordings capture the essence of their hard swinging, heartfelt and melancholy yet uplifting, powerful and inclusive music - jazz as it was meant to be, not for polo-necked critics but for the people. They were punkass m*****f***ers who lived it. The worst thing about Jaco is the hordes of pale imitators he spawned - clever jazz dudes that can blow over Giant Steps like it's a 12 bar and skitter through 16th note grooves like they think they're super-Rocco but they do it all with no balls, no soul, no meaning. Blaming Jaco for those (not bad) cats is like blaming Hendrix for Yngwie Malmsteem. Alex

[quote name='Bigwan' post='358055' date='Dec 18 2008, 04:29 PM']Quick question Alex. Will you be offering the Fender grill cloth as an option on all your cabs? May be interested in a compact at some point in the near future and would like that look. Like the logo, btw. But does it look retro enough for the retro cab?[/quote] Yes, I'll do the grill cloth and metal corners for a small extra cost (which depends on how quick I can make the grill cloth fitting process...) I've thought about that too - as it's going to be just black/aluminium I think it'll work fine - a subtle juxtaposition of old and new! Alex

[quote name='JonnyM' post='358030' date='Dec 18 2008, 04:07 PM']I like it! But...I thought the name of the company was Bareface[b]dB[/b]ass - with the d and B in bold - although I guess that'd make for a rather long logo...[/quote] Well it was but it doesn't seem to work logo-wise. Typical that after numerous different complicated messings with graphic software I end up with a logo that's taken about 10 minutes to design... The upside of just being Barefaced is that I can use the same logo/name on future guitar/hi-fi/PA products. [quote name='JonnyM' post='358030' date='Dec 18 2008, 04:07 PM']Are the letters the raw metal of the badge with a black background?[/quote] I think that'll look best, don't you? Thanks for the positive feedback - 2/2 so far! Alex

Unless you're rather cunning with how you implement it then the extra current draw of a battery status LED just ends up killing your battery a lot more quickly. The GB and Audere solutions are cunning but you pay for the privilege! Alkaline batteries die quite slowly so your first sign that they need changing will be when you hear a bit of distortion on the attack of particularly loud notes, especially with the EQ boosted. The same happens with FX pedals, whch was used to great effect by Flea when recording Sir Psycho Sexy - Mu-Tron with dying battery giving a lovely dirty squelch. Alex

Years ago on the Low Down Lowdown Ed Friedland summed it up as well as anyone: "To my way of thinking, the difference between a P and J bass goes way beyond the physical. Yes, P bass - fatter neck (usually), split pickup, chunkier tone, less highs. J bass - slimmer neck, easier to play, dual pickups, more note definition, more high frequency. But... I think P or J bass is a lifestyle choice as well. Committing to the P means taking on a set of preferences, and inherent parameters. You can't or at least shouldn't try to play a P bass like a Jazz. That would be missing the point. The P bass is a fat, chunky-butt animal that likes to take up space. It demands a high level of attention to what you play, because every note hurts - or helps. There ain't no takin' it back with a P bass. You better mean it, or be very good at making it work. You can play fast on a P, but it's not nimble like a Jackrabbit, more like a Grizzly doing 60mph to catch something to eat. Slap on a P? Sure, it's chunkfunk, think Boz Scaggs "Lowdown". The pop on a P is not as sharp as a J. It's like getting sliced with a serrated steak knife. Ouch! Use only when you gots to cut through some tough meat. Classic P guys... Jamerson, Rainey, Rocco, Bob Glaub. The J is a sleeker machine. Being a Jazz guy means having a little more wiggle room. It takes up less space in the mix, so you can get more active without squashing people. With great power comes great responsibility. Just because you CAN move around, does that mean you should? And if so - how to, how much, and why? The J is a bit skinnier, so you have to learn how to use that texture to fill it up, and how to play it fat when it needs to be fat. Soloing? Sure. Slap? You bet. Passive it cuts like a well honed Buck knife. Active with a good pre amp, more like a barbers razor. Classic J guys... Jerry Jemmot, Larry Graham, Jaco, Marcus... Some people make a choice early on and stick with it. Their entire style is built around that early decision, whether it was conscious or not. You may know some of these people. Players that would no sooner pick up the other axe than they would deliberately eat rotten food. There's honor in this I think, it certainly makes your life simpler when it's Friday night and you're trying to decide which bass to put in the bag. I think it behooves (love that word) a professional bassist to have both and spend time cultivating the characteristics of each instrument. You need to make each one speak it's native language. There are some gigs that just naturally call for one or another. Not to say you couldn't switch around. You learn alot about the nature of the P and J when you try to make one do what the other does naturally. Personally, I'm more fascinated with the P because I've always been a J guy by first nature. The J thing is in my DNA, but the P has gotten into my blood. I love chunkin out some fat ass P bass. It feels like I'm on vacation. The J still feels like home even though I've spent years getting used to the 5 string. I am definitely a confirmed 24 fret guy now. I always wished Fender would come out with a killer 24 fret J bass. I know.. the Urge bass.... Like I said..... On most of my gigs these days, there is the expectation that I'm going to solo. If I wasn't so damned attached to what happens between frets 21 and 24, I'd bring a J, but.... Luckily I've found something with 24 that does it for me. But I still miss the opportunity to play my Fenders. I actually go out of my way to cultivate Fender gigs. No solos please!" Tidy, like. Alex

I used an Acme Low-B2 for years for rehearsals, and then a pair at gigs. Glorious sound, just needs a fair bit of power to get LOUD. More recently it's been The Compact (my own superlight 1x15" design) which despite being a single 15" is punchier than the 2x10"+5"+1" Acme (though it doesn't have the same prodigious and unparalleled lwo frequency extension) and despite weighing only 32lbs is loud enough to handle remarkably loud gigs on its own. Alex P.S. Thanks for the plug Bremen!

Being used in anger at a gig (MP3 attached to post in this thread): [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34146"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34146[/url] RIM Custom 5 through Avalon U5, recorded in the room by a minidisc with little stereo mic picking up a combination of FOH sound and the output from The Compact by barefacedBass. Alex

And I generally find that most active basses work fine in the passive input. From an engineering perspective it doesn't make sense to make an active bass with tons of gain in the preamp because it just means you're asking a relatively noisy high distortion battery powered circuit to do what a circuit within the amp could do much better. Unfortunately from a marketing perspective an inexperienced bassist will always prefer the tone of the loudest instrument so if you make your preamp output louder you'll sell more basses. Shame... Alex

Top right so it doesn't block any output from the mid speaker. I like to position the HF sources towards the top left of the cab because that gets them a bit more on-axis with my drummer as I usually put my rig on the hi-hat side (which I gather is more common than t'other way round), so the badge should go on the opposite side. I have a special place in hell for companies that place badges in the way of midrange drivers and tweeters! Alex

Assuming the cab is neither tiny nor huge then I'd recommend an Eminence Kappalite 3015. More expensive than some but you get a lot more performance too! Alex

I've used CDbaby and it looks like we're finally on iTunes! Alex

Logo: Alex

I would LOVE to hear some classic Pantera on this - long have I suspected they were the tightest band on the planet! Alex

[quote name='Galilee' post='357341' date='Dec 17 2008, 09:15 PM']Justin Chancellor, good grief. What a player (I'll let him off the plectrum thing). What a sound.[/quote] Listened to this one earlier. He is in the zone! Alex