flyfisher

I don't get all this "why aren't these people in pro bands" thing. Why should they be? Who says that being in a pro band is the only qualification for being a great bassist? I'd say it just goes to show that talent and skill is not synonymous with the music business and, frankly, I'd be surprised if it was. Anyway, the facts of the matter are there for all to see. These guys are all highly competent players yet not pro musicians. What's the problem? As RogerStodge points out, a lot of most musicians time is pretty dull really and why should we be surprised if a lot of people think that the price of an hour or so in the spotlight is rather more than they're prepared to put up with. Unless a musician really hits the big time, it can be a life of low pay and travel drudgery so why not choose an easier job, for a lot more money and just playing music for pure fun? Horses for courses.

So how do we decide when they are necessary? I appreciate the better-safe-than-sorry approach, but I reckon I often play my Hifi as loud as we usually rehearse so should that require hearing protection? Also, if I'm on my tractor all morning (doing proper high-revving work like mowing or ploughing) then my ears will ring slightly unless I wear ear defenders ( which I do). Same thing with clay shooting. But the band doesn't seem to cause the same problem.

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1359065270' post='1949475'] Hard day's night, surely? [/quote] Doh! Yeah, that's the one.

Is it a reasonable assumption that if your ears don't ring after rehearsals or gigs then you don't need hearing protection?

That reminds me of the story about Gary Moore asking George Harrison how to play 'that' chord (the opening of Help!). Harrison showed him and Moore replied "are you sure?" to which Harrison replied "well I was there at the time", making Moore feel a bit daft. I'm not really sure if it's really true or a well-evolved urban myth, but it's such a lovely story that I like to believe it anyway.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1359046477' post='1949009'] In order to 100% guarantee that everything is absolutely perfect they would have to do so much testing that it would cost significantly more than £235. [/quote] Yep. Engineering is all about figuring out the best combination of a load of conflicting things to best achieve the desired result. Someone has already mentioned the Boeing Dreamliner, but recalls happen all the time across all manner of products. Here are some current examples: http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/advice-recall-list.cfm

[quote name='morsefull' timestamp='1358977035' post='1948105'] I've tried the hat and sunglasses. Made me feel a pratt ............. [/quote] I've never seen him wearing sunglasses and a hat . . . . (sorry Guy )

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1358958552' post='1947662'] Dont give it up and sell up just yet, and dont even think about quitting in January. See how you feel in the spring. [/quote] Good advice. Everything is better when the daffodils are out.

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1358957169' post='1947623'] Due to various things going on I haven't touched my basses in about 2 months. Plugged one in today...and I can't play. Not a thing. No rhythm, no nothing. [b]And what's more, I don't want to play[/b]. I've no interest in bass or bands. [/quote] So what's the problem then? There's no law that says you have to play bass. Edit: re-reading my comment, I should point out that I'm not having a dig. I haven't played football since I was at school but that's only because I don't want to so it doesn't bother me at all. Seriously, don't worry about it, just chill and do stuff you do want to do instead.

"The item [b]may [/b]have some signs of cosmetic wear,"

Welcome Doug. I have a good friend in Virginia (Annandale) and have spent many happy weekends driving around there, including Skyline Drive through Shenandoah. Lovely part of the world.

[quote name='AnalogBomb' timestamp='1358865160' post='1946235'] I see what your saying her mate, but stuff shouldn't be prone to breaking when it's been out no time at all. Yeah, good on TC for recalling it, that's responsible, but make sure things are right at source, then they will save themselves the trouble of having to recall god knows how many units!? It's just a major inconvenience, not just for me but for many other TC users. [/quote] From the description of the problem elsewhere on BC it doesn't sound like a 'hard' problem, i.e. it's a nut that MIGHT work loose and then rattle around inside the case. So, more of a potential problem that they are trying to actually prevent. If I was an owner, I'd give the amp a gentle shake to see if I could hear anything rattling around inside. If not, it's probably OK and I wouldn;t panic to get it fixed as soon as possible but leave it until it was a more convenient time. Actually, if it wasn't for warranty concerns, I'd probably just open the case, remove the offending nut, apply a bit of threadlock and replace it. I've had my eye on the BH250 for a while and this hasn't put me off.

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1358857961' post='1946040'] I reckon these guys got into guitars after spending their teenage years lisening to lots and lots of dace music.... [/quote] I know I'm finding it hard to keep up with all these genres but 'dace music' sounds a bit fishy to me.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1358847665' post='1945838'] If you concede that you need some mids (something somewhere between 200 and 800Hz lets say) to convey pitch and transient attack then the following instruments could easily be in your way:- Floor tom Low tom Kick drum Snare body Baritone male vox (go down to 80Hz fo rthe really deep chaps) Rhythm guitar Lead Guitar Hammond Clavichord Piano Strings Congas Djembe Didge Female contralto (seriously!) Baritone Sax Tenor Sax (in a section especially!) Tuba [/quote] Not in my bands. Seriously though, yeah fair point, and it makes me wonder how those big live shows with loads of musicians can get such a good sound. For example, Concert For George had loads of players towards the end of the concert yet the sound is not at all muddy. Perhaps they don't actually include all the players in the final mix?

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1358798181' post='1945296'] Ok, I've got to ask... what is 'Post Rock'? [i]'Slow melodic themes', 'Seemingly ambiguous chords'[/i], you've got me interested. I'm an old geezer who doesn't get out much - humour me... any youtube links? [/quote] You beat me to it by asking - thanks. Anyway, so I followed the wiki link and read about Tortoise, who I had never heard of, and am now enjoying the performance below. If I discovered them all by myself I'd have embarrassed myself by calling them prog-rock, having never heard of post-rock Genres eh? I s'pose they can be helpful in helping to find new bands but a lot of that wiki article seemed to be all about who had first invented the name of the genre in the first place - which matters diddly-squat to the actual music itself. Ho hum. Still, I've discovered a new band that I really like, so all's well that ends well. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sps7YxLeYM[/media]

[quote name='bassintheface' timestamp='1358806334' post='1945531'] Free (Andy Fraser is great on things like 'Going Down Slow') - [/quote] Very nice indeed, but for my money Duane Allman's version of Goin' Down Slow beats it hands down for sheer laid back soloing. Talk about leaving space . . . (solo starts at 2:12) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkFOBZRAbMU

Interesting comments, as usual for BC. Seems like the phrase can mean different things to different people, which might be why I've found it confusing. Interesting point from 51m0n about how to improve things when mixing a recording. I've done this in my own clumsy way when trying to improve the overall sound of a recording and it's very interesting to use a spectrum analyser vst to see what each instrument is doing and how things can be eq'd to improve the overall mixed sound without significantly affecting the individual instrument sound - well, to my cloth ears anyway. But it's one thing doing that in post production and quite another for an entire band to get it right in the heat of the gigging moment. Bloody hell - this music thing doesn't seem to get any easier no matter how much I keep learning!

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1358771954' post='1944632'] IME this is not a problem that afflicts bass players in 3-piece bands. Add a second guitar, though, and things can get tricky. Add a second guitar [i][b]and [/b][/i]a keyboard player and yes, cutting through can be an issue. [/quote] OK, but how do the two guitars then handle the problem of 'cutting through'? Presumably by not just both playing the same thing . . . So is that a clue for bassists having this problem? Are they trying to play too much the same as the other instruments? After all, the bass [u]can[/u] be played as a 'lead' instrument can't it? Why else does it have all those high frets. LOL

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1358771183' post='1944612'] Yes, to me, the bass is easily audible, but maybe this is more to do with each note clearly being heard, rather than in a supporting role. Really the way to cut through, to me, is to lose some of the lows, rather than boost the highs, and then if not able to be heard, turn up a bit. That way there`s no competing on those high areas. But personally I like a lot of lows and am not really into cutting through, preferring a support role on which the guitars can build. [/quote] That makes perfect sense to me, so perhaps it's more of a style issue - perhaps for bassists who like to play almost as a 'lead' instrument? (which is definitely not me).

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1358771106' post='1944610'] I imagined it was because bass frequencies have long wavelengths and need exponential amounts of extra power to be perceived to be at the same 'volume' level as (say) guitars, which is why bass amps are rated at hundreds of watts and guitar amps rated at tens of watts? [/quote] Agreed, but wouldn't that just make the issue a matter of power? What I'm thinking of are the frequent posts we read about people changing basses, pups or strings etc often in the quest to better 'cut through the mix'.

I've read this phrase here a lot and have often wondered what it really means. Simplistically, I assume it means being heard clearly, but I'm wondering why this should be a particular problem for bassists because I don't associate the phrase being used by vocalists or guitarists, for example. Even more simplistically, I'd have thought that bassists should have an advantage when it comes to being heard because they've almost got their very own sonic space to work within. Yes, a kick drum will overlap our main frequency region, but singers won't and nor will guitarists usually. So what's going on to make it apparently so difficult for the bass to 'cut through the mix'? All I can think of is the trend/fashion/desire, call it what you will, of some bassists to have a bright, zingy sound. This will obviously require some much higher frequency components to the bass 'sound', which will compete head on with vocals and guitars. If these higher frequencies somehow get lost 'lost in the mix' then then would this explain this phenomenon? Which makes me think of double basses and EUBs. These don't strike me a bright, zingy instruments so do these players also experience problems with 'cutting through the mix'?

I'm not a big drinker, maybe a pint or two over a whole evening but more likely a few glasses of wine. Unfortunately, this means I frequently find myself in circumstances where the people around me have been seriously drinking all evening. I say 'unfortunately' because I can think of few things less entertaining that chatting with (or more usually being chatted to) pissed up and barely coherent people who are usually taking nonsense. Fortunately, they usually can't remember what arses they've been the night before and I'm too gentlemenly to remind them, so all is well.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1358684891' post='1943196'] No, you're normal like me. Except for the diet coke. [/quote] Ditto - in both respects.

Interesting that the chap was described as a 'gentleman farmer', perhaps that means he's been using vintage tractors without a cab because in the late 70s legislation was brought in to require safety cabs to be fitted to all tractors to reduce roll-over injuries and noise levels. So I'd be surprised if this was still a problem for full-time drivers of modern tractors . . . though there's no denying the problem in that video! I have an old tractor without a safety cab and I can confirm that mowing a field for a morning leaves the ears ringing, which is why I always wear ear defenders.

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1358604441' post='1942056'] That reminds me of how indignant I feel when the england football manager says 'the whole country will be celebrating tonight if the team wins' and I think 'well, not me, I couldn't give a stuff either way, i don't even *like* football let alone care when someone scores: the world isn't made up of people who think just like you you arrogant little ****' [/quote] Ha ha! Glad to hear I'm not alone