flyfisher

Fortunately not, but then I don't play in 'bleeding ears' type bands. Frankly, I've never understood musicians - who depend on their hearing - not taking more care of their ears, especially when it is so easily done. It's like a painter or photographer sticking pins in their eyes. Why?

While I don't like a lot of the acts on the show, isn't that just part of the deal of pretty much any eclectic music prog? At least it's all live.

Wouldn't make much difference. Driving licences don't prevent car crashes when idiots decide they know everything anyway.

[quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1337035113' post='1654548'] Sorry but I strongly disagree here. In the example as stated, leaving kids of that age by themselves in a van isn't a question of good or bad parenting, it's a question of law and your complicity in leaving kids in a dangerous situation. So a kid has broken away from a parent and is about to run across a busy road, do you put an arm out to stop them or go "not my responsibility, it's the parents" and sod the consequences? [/quote] I wasn't defending the parent's behaviour, just pointing out that it's a recipe for disaster to start telling such parents the error of their ways.

I'd be surprised if 99% of bass/guitar amp manufacturers don't allow some form of mains switching. Is that one of the 84.6% of statistics made up on the spot? Globalisation is the driver for things like universal PSUs and IEC mains leads as it allows manufacturers to reduce their model variants and stock inventories, which are big advantages for any company selling into global markets. dincz is right about SMPS; they usually have a 'universal' mains input.

[quote name='Lewk' timestamp='1336992288' post='1653541'] Wadya think? [/quote] I've never understood the appeal of tattoos and have never seen one that has been an improvement over bare skin. Well you did ask.

[quote name='3V17C' timestamp='1336996296' post='1653630'] I play in an originals band which is very much the singer/guitarist's project (we go out under his name so essentially myself, the keys player and drummer are the backing band). [/quote] I'd say this is the key point and a lot will depend on how formalised this arrangement is. Are you really part of the band or just a hired musician? A subtle but important difference. If the former, then all members should have a say in touring matters and conditions etc. If the latter then, frankly, it's their band and you have to do as they say (or leave). My bet is that these things are not clearly defined and that each band member has their own idea of things, and that they are not in harmony with each other. The first thing is to decide if you can put up with the situation. If you can then fine. if you can't then you should call a band meeting, raise your concerns and propose the sort of changes you'd be happy with. But you should first consider what to do if no-one agrees with you as it could result in your being forced out. As for the wisdom of taking kids on tour, I'd steer clear of that discussion unless expressly asked. They're not your kids so they're not your responsibility. Suggesting to parents that they are not doing a good job (whether it's true or not) is a recipe for disaster and not really any of your business.

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1336897940' post='1652338'] "I find it astonishing that perhaps 20% of the guitarists and bassist that use the rehearsal studio that I frequent have either no protection at all or just a bin-bag for their instruments." See? That's the spirit! Are the 20% youngsters? If so, maybe I'm wrong and just a lot older and move in the wrong circles. I think I'm now changing the question to 'Are Older People Too Precious About Their Gear'. [/quote] One of the guitarists I play with doesn't have a case for his guitar, another uses a plastic carrier bag for all his cables and accessories. The drummer doesn't have a case for his drums (though does for his cymbals). All are in their 50s. Apart from my carpet-covered cabs, all my gear is cased in some way - I've even got a couple of wheeled Peli-cases for cables and misc bits - so everything can be 'thrown' safely into the car. I don't think it's an age thing.

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1336919663' post='1652689'] Joking apart , this his isn't a moaning punter issue - it's a player confidence issue. One of us has been knocked back and the more experienced of us should be helping to explain he has no need to feel bad. [/quote] Spot on. This is the bit of the story I'd be focussing on: [i]"Speaking to other people confirmed that this guy is a real PITA, and not to worry, the sound was good and he is known to be a smart@rse tw@t."[/i]

Saddened to hear this on the radio earlier today. Glad I got to see him play (during the Clapton RAH concerts in the 90s) but sorry to see him go, especially at only 70. Great legacy though. RIP.

Not sure if congratulations or commiserations are in order. Kudos for holding your nerves though.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1336649185' post='1648842'] All this 'big rig' stuff came later (and the sales of ear plugs soared...). [/quote] I guess that must be right, but big PA systems we're certainly available by the end of the 60s, as used for Woodstock and the Stones' Hyde Park gigs, to mention just two examples, so there was pretty rapid progress.

Tools. But a good craftsman will always look after his/her tools to kept them in tip-top condition to allow them to do their stuff. A blunt saw is no good to anyone. As far as I'm concerned, the pleasure is not in owning the tools but what they allow me to do. Tools can be broken, fixed, stolen, replaced, but the music and the memories will alway endure.

[quote name='Stu-khag' timestamp='1336577378' post='1647826'] Loving the minimal set up. And not a monitor in sight! I am in awe of how well they gel. They epitomise the importance of gig fitness! [/quote] Indeed, though they had quite a few years of constant gigging under their belts by the time of this concert. It would be interesting to know where they were on the '10,000' hours spectrum. The minimal set-up is amazing though. No wonder they gave up touring within a few years because nobody in the audience could hear anything. Surely decent PA systems were available back then?

Great footage. I was expecting the drum riser to collapse at any second.

Is it legal to advertise for a female singer in these days of sex-equality? Not moaning, just asking.

Seems to me that the question is too generalised to be useful and that the actual answer will entirely depend on the two people concerned rather than their working arrangements. Show business is full of examples of couples who have been happily married for decades and others who've split up after a few months apart.

Anything in front of a speaker is bound to interfere with the sound - even metal grilles, which are really only put there for physical protection. I'd go with the 'suck it and see' approach - or should that be 'suck it and hear'?

A bit like helping your Uncle Jack off a horse or helping your Uncle jack off a horse.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1336070587' post='1640561'] Also, What is "bus pass"? What is "muso"? What is "neo speak"? [/quote]

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1335966953' post='1638755'] But interest free is quite handy at times... [/quote] . . . except it is never actually free. Someone, somewhere, pays for borrowing the money - usually the customer in the form of a higher initial price. If someone is offering interest-free deals ask them for a discount for cash.

Yes, that would be my interpretation, but it would be interesting to hear the official line from Ashdown. On paper, the amp can deliver more power than these cabs are rated for - singly or as a pair - so my bet is that Ashdown wouldn't recommend this config. We all know that amps can be used with lower-rated cabs without problem as long as care is taken, but accidents can happen . . . .

I bought the same amp new but I bought my two Ashdown 210 cabs and an Ashdown 115 cab from some lovely BCers. They seem to come up fairly regularly on here - I guess it depends how desperate you are. Ultimately it's all personal choice but I would stick with separates for flexibility and ease of carting stuff around. I would stick with 8 ohm cabs. By the time 200W-ish into a 210 is not loud enough another cab will make more difference than another 100W into the same cab.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1335743787' post='1635445'] At the risk of being kippered, I'd say that a class D amp [b]is[/b] digital, in that the output devices are either 'On' of 'Off' (apart from brief transients) In the same way that digital computers works with "ons" and "offs". Not digital in the sense of a CD or MP3 where a digital value represents an instantaneous volume level, but digital in the sense of Pulse Width Modulation. Unlike analogue computers which used to work with, well, analogue signals. [/quote] No risk of being kippered by me - that's a very fair description.

Interesting point about speaker vibration. My Ampeg combo developed an intermittent problem a couple of years ago. I opened it up and discovered that a high wattage (i.e. big and relatively heavy) resistor had become disconected from its PCB track. The resistor was only held in place by the legs and I'm pretty sure that years of vibration of these heavy components resulted in the PCD track fracture. Good practice is to mechanically fix large/heavy components in place before soldering the connections. Anyway, it was a simple fix but it did make me wonder. Years ago I was involved in a project to install LCD screens in railway carriages. The electronics we built had to comply with various international standards for railways (not surprisingly) and a big part of this was resilience to vibration. In practice this requirement was quite easy to meet by applying a transparent conformal coating to the PCB, which also has the additional advantage of protecting the circuitry from dust, moisture etc. So it's quite possible to easily protect against bass-induced vibration, if the manufacturers deem it worthwhile and customer are prepared to pay another couple of pounds.