Practise Aid

[mikeh]

I have been using a little mixer through headphones and running my laptop into it to learn new songs and practise. After spilling a pint on it, its given up the ghost. So Im looking for something to replace it.

What Im after is something I can plug in my laptop/stereo or can store music. Ideally something with a drum machine, although I could possibly buy a drum machine seperatly. I dont know whether to get a usb interface and run through my laptop.
One thing I've seen is the Boss Micro Br, which looks quite good. Any other recomendations.

[birdy]

Hi Mike,

Whats given up the ghost? Your laptop or the mixer? If you still have the laptop then you have more potential solutions I think.

I have ditched my Tascam CD bass trainer in favour of my apple mac with garageband and itunes/the amazing slow downer software. I usually just play along with itunes unless I need to change the key or speed to a song and then I use the amazing slow downer.

I would like a usb interface for the bass but at the moment I just go straight into the sound card and its reasonable. I can mix the different levels using garageband and itunes seperately.

If you have a PC and not a mac there will be alternative software which you can use including free basic drum machines.

Hope this helps,

Steve

[mikeh]

Id be really gutted if it was the laptop, having just replaced the last one I broke by standing on it!! lol

Its the mixer thats buggered. I've tried just plugging the bass into the line in socket but dont seem to be able to get a signal, not sure why. Thats why I was thinking along the lines of a usb interface. or even firewire. but I would like a drum machine as well. which was why I liked the look of the Boss Micro BR. 4 track recorder, with built in drum machine and effects.

[birdy]

[quote name='mikeh' post='168945' date='Apr 3 2008, 11:07 AM']Id be really gutted if it was the laptop, having just replaced the last one I broke by standing on it!! lol

Its the mixer thats buggered. I've tried just plugging the bass into the line in socket but dont seem to be able to get a signal, not sure why. Thats why I was thinking along the lines of a usb interface. or even firewire. but I would like a drum machine as well. which was why I liked the look of the Boss Micro BR. 4 track recorder, with built in drum machine and effects.[/quote]

Aah, ok, my mistake.

The Boss Micro BR does look nice but I have no experience with it, I am sure others will have other options for you as well. If it were me I would probably get a usb interface and keep everything in one place on the laptop but what works for me may not work for you.

Another possibility may be the Tascam MP player thingy that some people have on the forum?

Steve

[mikeh]

Cheers Steve, thats what Im thinking to be honest. I can always get a pc based drum machine? I do like the look of the Tascam things, but the realiability seems to be a bit suspect.

Mike

[mikeh]

Cheers Steve, thats what Im thinking to be honest. I can always get a pc based drum machine? I do like the look of the Tascam things, but the realiability seems to be a bit suspect.

Mike

[birdy]

[quote name='mikeh' post='169028' date='Apr 3 2008, 12:35 PM']Cheers Steve, thats what Im thinking to be honest. I can always get a pc based drum machine? I do like the look of the Tascam things, but the realiability seems to be a bit suspect.

Mike[/quote]

I haven't checked for ages but my guess is that there will be loads of 'free' drum machines of a very basic nature to download and better ones available if you are willing to pay.

I am now interested in any other recommendations on this situation also and what would people recommend as a usb/firewire simple interface?

Steve

[ednaplate]

[quote name='birdy' post='168932' date='Apr 3 2008, 09:55 AM']Hi Mike,

Whats given up the ghost? Your laptop or the mixer? If you still have the laptop then you have more potential solutions I think.

I have ditched my Tascam CD bass trainer in favour of my apple mac with garageband and itunes/the amazing slow downer software. I usually just play along with itunes unless I need to change the key or speed to a song and then I use the amazing slow downer.

I would like a usb interface for the bass but at the moment I just go straight into the sound card and its reasonable. I can mix the different levels using garageband and itunes seperately.

If you have a PC and not a mac there will be alternative software which you can use including free basic drum machines.

Hope this helps,

Steve[/quote]

I have the Tascam MP Bass Trainer and have had no problems regarding reliability so I would recommend it. I have a mac with Garageband installed but have no idea how to use it.

[birdy]

[quote name='ednaplate' post='169129' date='Apr 3 2008, 01:16 PM']I have the Tascam MP Bass Trainer and have had no problems regarding reliability so I would recommend it. I have a mac with Garageband installed but have no idea how to use it.[/quote]

The Tascam bass trainer is great, I just got fed up with having to burn cd's each time I wanted to do something different as most of my music is now based on the Mac.

Garageband is fairly intuitive, just open it up and then add a new real instrument and turn the monitor on and you should (hopefully) be able to hear your bass. I am sure someone else will explain it easier than I have but give it a shot and see what you think.

Steve

[stevebasshead]

There could be hope for your old mixer yet!

Mate of mine spilt beer all over his TV remote and it stopped working. I fixed it by opening it up, making sure it was all dry and then spraying the circuit board, both sides, with electrical contact cleaner spray to remove the sticky residue. Fixed and working in minutes.

The Gadget Show (Ch5) have done tests with things like mobile phones etc, immersing them in water, drying them thoroughly and in every case they worked again.

Hope this helps,
Steve.

[Paul Cooke]

[quote name='stevebasshead' post='169939' date='Apr 4 2008, 06:12 PM']There could be hope for your old mixer yet!

Mate of mine spilt beer all over his TV remote and it stopped working. I fixed it by opening it up, making sure it was all dry and then spraying the circuit board, both sides, with electrical contact cleaner spray to remove the sticky residue. Fixed and working in minutes.

The Gadget Show (Ch5) have done tests with things like mobile phones etc, immersing them in water, drying them thoroughly and in every case they worked again.

Hope this helps,
Steve.[/quote]

mobile phones.... rather than doing something to make them waterproof and survive accidental splashing and brief dunks... the manufacturers went out of their way to incorporate tamper proof indicators that change colour once they've been wet (they won't change back). So even if you have managed to dry it out and make it look like it's never been wet, if you try to make a warranty claim on it they'll just laugh in your face as the one big thing excluded in the warranty is damage from getting wet...

I ended up having to get a new phone after mine died last year when trying to make an emergency call in the middle of that torrential rain... I didn't drop it in the water, it just got soaked while I was trying to make a call... never worked again after being dried out carefully using a shoe box and hairdryer... It wouldn't take much for them to conformally coat those circuit boards and make them truly waterproof...

I lost a laptop as well a year ago when my daughter spilled cola on the keyboard... now that's nasty stuff