flyfisher

[quote name='1976fenderhead' timestamp='1329918315' post='1549670'] So only this one, shorter with 2 right-angle plugs is a little duller than the other 2. [/quote] Probably the high frequencies are having trouble traveling round two right-angles, compared with just the one. [quote name='1976fenderhead' timestamp='1329918315' post='1549670'] I've looked at it again and there's a tiny single thread of the mesh which may be touching a metal part of the plug (hard to explain), could that be it? [/quote] More seriously, if the 'mesh' - I presume you mean the cable screen - is touching the outside metal of the plug then it's unlikely to be causing a problem, but if it's touching the signal pin metalwork - I.e. the tip - then it might affect things, although that would normally be a dead short and the cable wouldn't work at all. In either case, just cut back the 'mesh' with some small side-cutters.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1329823078' post='1547811'] You have to be dead before you skip a gig. It's the law [/quote] Still a poor attitude though.

+1 Surely this is about as personal a thing as 'tone' - there's no right or wrong, just what you like best. I'm sure different densities and sizes of foam will have differing effects but I can't see how anyone could say which is 'best' - only which one they liked the most. So experiment away and have fun.

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1329767790' post='1547075'] Do you ever look out at your audience and think "you pathetic bunch of idiots; dancing (!), singing along (!!) and generally having a good time (!!!) to Brown eyed girl, Walking on sunshine, Sex on fire etc, etc. [/quote] More to the point, does your audience look at your band and think "you pathetic bunch of sad losers pretending to be rock stars but the only gigs you can get are sh*tty ones like this etc, etc. Just sayin'

[quote name='MartyBRebelMC' timestamp='1329315941' post='1540512'] thanks for that i will have a look... might be i can record the drums as a single track to start with then re-record them with multiple mics after a guide track is in place. [/quote] I've been using a drum machine to provide a simple click track to record the whole band except drums. We then have plenty of inputs to record the drummer later. Alternatively, use a small mixer to 'sub-mix' the drums into one or two channels. I've not yet tried this method but have just bought a small mixer for this very purpose. I guess it's less flexible in terms of the subsequent drum mix, but I'm assuming it should be OK if enough care is taken to get a good drum kit balance in the first place.

I've been wondering about DAW drums. I've listened to the EzDrummer demos and they sound pretty good. But, in practice, how easy is it to define a really good drum track for recording? I've got an Alesis SR-16 drum machine which is pretty good but the 'fill' facility is a bit restrictive it seems to me. Do things like EZdrummer provide more 'fill' variations or do they need to be programmed drumbeat by drumbeat? Probably a dumb question for the experts out there but I've never used a DAW drum synth.

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1329677351' post='1545763'] Err, actually I mentioned it and so did Max in the original post [/quote] Ahh. I'll be working on my speed-reading skills, or lack of them, next week then.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1329675607' post='1545712'] No two bits of wood are the same. . . . . . . Too many variables going on to say what effect the wood has on the end result. [/quote] Yep, and I'm also surprised that nobody has mentioned how the original wood is sawn. Flat-sawn, quarter-sawn or rift-sawn could all be expected to make a difference. [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_sawing"]http://en.wikipedia..../Quarter_sawing[/url] I'm sure the amp eq controls and plucking technique and position would completely overwhelm any subtle effects that the body material might impart on the sound of a bass. Of course, the placebo effect can be extremely potent and if someone [u]believes[/u] they're playing the best-sounding bass in the world then I wouldn't be at all surprised if it improves their performance. (and since we're comparing qualifications, I've got a cycling proficiency certificate from school, so I think that qualifies me to have an opinion. )

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1329384597' post='1541462'] My point was that, when you break down all the details and have all the knowledge required, you still can't comprehend the magic. If the whole of English Literature is down to 26 letters placed in various orders, William Shakespeare is no better than Jeffrey Archer. But its the ideas behind the letters that count and, in this case, knowing the notes and the chord is only half the story. The arrangement is another part of it and then there is the question why did they chose to open the song like that'? Add those factors together and you have something that is pretty much unprecedented and unrepeateable. Its brilliant. [/quote] Can't argue with that. Lowdown is right, of course, that the magic of music can be subjective - but the fact that there exists somewhere a little bit of magic for everyone is, well, just magic and 'that' chord is a near-perfect example of what it's like when it happens.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1329347946' post='1541252'] Keep it simple and fun. Maybe ask your friend what what sort of music she likes and work out a few simple bass lines she can pick up easily. I think the first time anyone holds an instrument they'd be quite chuffed I they could come away from the experience making a noise that bears at least some resemblance to a song they know. [/quote] Spot on. 1. Play the "Grand Prix" riff from The Chain to warm up 2. Then show her how to play along to one of her favourite songs, starting with the root notes. 3. Then hand over the bass to her for the rest of the session, as per Musky's point.

I don't get what you're trying to say; that music becomes mundane once you understand how it's put together? Isn't that like asking what's the big deal about English literature because it's just a jumble of 26 letters?

OK, I'm not proud, I'll admit it . . . that was a real 'hair-on-the-back-of-my-neck' moment. Thanks for the link.

I bought a small mixer from Dave. Paid by bank transfer and the mixer arrived a few days later. Very well packed - I don't just mean a strong cardboard box but well-packed inside as well. Must have been good as it arrived in perfect condition. A pleasure doing business! Thanks Dave.

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1329238352' post='1539377'] I wasn't a punk 'fan' at the time and I'm still not. For me, it was too noisy, too extreme and I felt it relied too heavily on shock tactics to distract from the lack of musical ability. [/quote] That's my view as well. It was just a flash in the pan - a bit of shocking fun at the time but it had no any lasting legacy that I can see.

[quote name='NJE' timestamp='1329240997' post='1539453'] Does noone else think that this is likely to be a joke? [/quote] Don't bring Herman's Hermits into it.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1329166292' post='1538327'] We have this kind of debate every year.. and I don't see why he MUST be relevant. He either is or he isn't to certain people [/quote] It's not necessary for people to 'know' someone for them to be relevant to their lives. How many kids today have heard of Tim Berners-Lee or Jonathan Ive, yet it's a fairly safe bet that they've both had a big impact on their lives. I suppose it's possible that some kids have absolutely no interest in popular music, but if they do then Macca has played a big part - whether they know about it or not.

Why the surprise about a bunch of kids not knowing someone from their grandfather's generation? I couldn't tell them the names of half the kids in the charts, which is the same sort of thing isn't it? I was listening to R4 earlier today and they had Trevor Bayliss talking about inventors. He gave the name (which I've forgotten already) of the man that invented the Workmate. he said that 70 million have been sold and that the inventor (whose name I've already forgotten) should be given a knighthood for his achievement. He then went on to say that 70 million must be comparable with the population of Europe, which the presenter had to correct him about. Not knowing some facts doesn't make someone stupid, it just makes them someone who doesn't know some facts. hence the old saying 'there's so such thing as a stupid question'. Well, except perhaps 'who is Paul McCartney?'

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1325998956' post='1490851'] I would just like to state that I have nothing against bagpipes - having some scottish blood in me I actually get quite emotional when I hear them - [/quote] I would also just like to echo that sentiment, even though I have no Scottish blood that I'm aware of and my emotions on hearing them are probably rather different to most Scots. I find that living in Hertfordshire is pretty safe as far as bagpipe audio exposure is concerned, though I'm looking forward to even tighter export controls if the Scots get the independence that Salmond craves.

Buddy Guy. That is all.

[quote name='leftyhook' timestamp='1328893242' post='1534534'] sounds like someone kicking a dustbin down a fire escape to me! [/quote] Still sounds better than our drummer though.

And there was me thinking I could never make a living out of playing bass. I play notes other than G,C,D but have never thought to charge £30 for each one of them. What a mug I am! I can also "[i]do fancy stuff like go back and forth between G and D while you hold a G chord[/i]" . . . bloody hell, I should turn pro.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1328632016' post='1530370'] The trouble with men in the mid life crisis phase is you can't tell them. Like bigots, they cannot but see themselves as reasonable people, unaffected by such things. [/quote] To paraphrase an old joke about Yorkshiremen; you can always tell a man having a mid-life crisis but you can't tell him much.

[quote name='binky_bass' timestamp='1328627786' post='1530247'] Just to be a big hairy hypocrite, If I had money pouring out of my ears, I'd probably have a fodera made for me... a buckeye burl emperor 7 string would be nice. [/quote] I don't think that would make you a hypocrite though, because if you had and excess of money then you wouldn't think of a Fodera as expensive. It's all relative.

Sounds like that particular brand of racism needs deep pockets.

Hmm, not so sure that's racist. 'Country-ist' perhaps. In the 70s, Japanese electronics were generally regarded as superior to Taiwan/Hong Kong goods. Sony tends to still ride that wave today. Not sure how that can be interpreted as racist from a western perspective. German cars have a high quality reputation, American cars have a poor reputation, in Europe at least. Is that racist? I would never defend true racism, but I do think it's an overused excuse for many things.