discreet

That's cute, but I think I'd be afeared for my cones...

I don't need a compressor for actual compression duties, either. My playing is very consistent and my dynamic control is good. No special skilz involved though, one does naturally tend towards consistency after forty-odd years of playing bass.

It is, IMHO. But I use it more as a tone shaper or enhancer. If you need transparent, remedial compression that doesn't change your tone, you'd probably be better off with an Aguilar or an Empress.

Whatever kit you have and regardless of how happy you are with your 'tone', the Diamond will instantly improve it and add an indefinable professional 'sheen'. It's a great circuit and just having it in your chain does the trick. It won't make you a better player, though. It's not that good.

Yes. I don't need a compressor for 'remedial' reasons, but I like the Diamond bass compressor because it instantly makes a bass sound big, fat and lush.

...and I have to put up with this dingy 1X10 bedsit...

Oo-er. I'm guessing you're a close friend..?

I've read that book, it's great. Even bought a squatty-potty.

An audio clip I posted on TB got a response from someone who asked which flats I was using. I was using rounds. However I don't ascribe this to any weird skill on my part - I think he probably needed his ears syringing...

Can't agree with that. My Euro tended towards a Jazz rather than a P neck. Mind you, that was coming from a 1.75" nut-width P Bass, so... I can agree with this, however. It's a controversial stance, mainly because people who don't think that tone comes from your fingers don't get their tone from their fingers...

Can't compare the two in any meaningful way. I can only post my own experience, which is that every single Ric I've ever played has been a dog. I'm quite prepared to accept that I've just been unlucky, however. I owned a Euro4 Spector for a while and loved everything about it except the colour. Great sound, great ergonomics and playability, great build quality. Very versatile too, and really what an active bass is all about. I'd get another one today if I could justify the expense. Mind you, a lot of very famous songs have been recorded with a Ric and they do look amazing. In an ideal world I'd have one in my arsenal, but I'd need to spend time playing as many as possible to find 'the one'.

So true. Given good songs and playing, a pro band is going to sound good because they have a pro crew, pro engineer, pro producer, etc. etc.

There's a half-finished BFM cab been holding up a table lamp in my conservatory for years.

Surely 'All Of The Above' would be a better name??

Oh dear. You have my sincere apologies. And sympathy.

Thanks for that John, good to know our bumbling about hasn't caused any damage.

D'OH!

I'm not going to fret about it. *Ba-dum tss* ...I'm here all week.

This. And have all the bells and whistles in the 'off' position. If it then sounds OK, leave it. If you do make EQ changes, make them small. Then play a few numbers before you decide if it sounds better or not. Remember that each room you play in may need different settings. As uk_lefty implied, basic is generally best. Clarity is in the mids. If you can't be heard, it's often better to boost your mids slightly than to turn up.

No, he said 'world class rock bands'. *Gets taxi to airport, flies to south America, hides in hot smelly cupboard in Venezuela*

Yes. The compression you get from all-valve amps could be part of the reason they're seen as sounding 'better' than SS amps. As you say, valve compression is natural whereas if you're using a pedal, lots of extra 'user available' parameters are introduced - which perhaps is why people get a bit hung up about them.

I find with flat boards I have to look at what I'm doing, whereas with a 7.25" radius board I can whiz around quite happily while leering at scantily-clad women in the audience. But I'm prepared to believe that's purely because I'm used to curved boards. Maybe I should get a flatter board though, it might keep me off the sex offenders' register...

Well... beer does have Oestrogen in it - so when men drink it, they start talking rubbish and can't drive properly. *Runs away*

Another reason I stopped drinking. Maybe I'm getting old, but these days I prefer to know who I'm going to wake up with.

There's a joke in there somewhere about entering the dragon but I can't quite sort it out. Still, the elements are there - do what you can. Edit: Very nice bass, by the way!