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Backbeat


Twigman

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Keeps popping up on my fb feed. It's a start up looking for funding at the moment but seems to have some very credible backing from the likes of Victor Wooten and Marcus Miller amongst the big name bass players helping them to push it.

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I think of it as a much more practical alternative to the Tecamp/Eich BassBoard. Potentially a great option for those who run IEMs. Obviously the proof of the pudding will be in the using but on paper I actually think it looks pretty good.

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I think the guys priced it too high. If it were  @ £100.00-150.00 I think more would take a leap of faith and if its any good the news will spread faster. I like the idea of it though. Walking about the house with ear phones on and this thing strapped to my back.

"whats that dear? sorry cant hear you. Im playing with my vibrating strap on."

I've had a go on the platform thing by Porter-Davies  which is excellent fun but again  its a lot of lolly for the discerning weekend warrior IMO.  Too much for me to justify on it anyway. If my regular job consisted of touring and using IEM though I would have probably brought this (back beat) by now.

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5 minutes ago, bassjim said:

 If my regular job consisted of touring and using IEM though I would have probably brought this (back beat) by now.

If my regular job consisted of touring and using IEM I'd have enough clout to get an endorsement deal.

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I don't really get it. Are people really suggesting you play better if can feel the vibrations as well as hear them? I don't play much at high volume anyway, so perhaps it's not for the likes of me.

I can think of some interesting alternative uses for it though...

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13 minutes ago, Japhet said:

Nah! I like the sound of my amp and cab.

Me too. But if it were more on the cheap side it would sway me enough to have a go with it. I can see how it would help out on a quite "can you turn it down. We're trying to watch the football/get married/have a chat/whatever" gig.

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4 minutes ago, JellyKnees said:

I don't really get it. Are people really suggesting you play better if can feel the vibrations as well as hear them? I don't play much at high volume anyway, so perhaps it's not for the likes of me.

I can think of some interesting alternative uses for it though...

I had a go on that Porter Davies thing and to be fair it really is very inspiring. I honestly would have said "no " prior to that but having experienced it I can say its more than just a quick thrill. I just couldn't justify the amount it costs for the amount that i would use it plus its another bit of kit to lug around. The Backbeat thing however is small enough to not put you out when using it on a daily basis,rehearsing, practicing ect.

It couldn't obviously make you better as in 'now you suddenly have gained extra theory knowledge' or can now play something without practice, but it claims to make the whole experience more enjoyable and perhaps more  inspiring without playing at a loud volume. 

I've almost talked myself into getting one. 

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  • 7 months later...

Mine turned up today. Safe to say it’s an excellent bit of kit! Will be using it live for the first time at my next gig just after Christmas, so i’ll report back on how it fairs in a gig situation.

Initial testing at home using just some iPhone headphones and no amp has been VERY cool! Getting my new IEMs on Monday too so I think that will be a drastic improvement on what is already pretty awesome!

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I've just quickly tried and failed to find an ad I saw for a little square you could stand on which would vibrate with the bass and send the sound back up through your feet. 

I've only twice (at Bourbon Street Blues in Nashville) played on a raised stage and loud enough that my bassline was coming back to me up through my legs. It was pretty special. I'd love it to happen again. But it was also part of the whole surrounding experience of a small high space (including balcony) crammed with tourists, so my sound wasn't coming just from the floor but also from the walls and the crowd. 

Ot (thinking about the jam thread) - the first time, the lead guitar asked what I was comfortable with before we started, and we did a few 12-bars and it was all good. The second time, some young shredder just said "Hey Joe" (which I know now, but didn't then) and I just had to blag it (which I can do much better now than I could then). Embarrassing, but I did get compliments from some in the crowd after, which adds evidence that bass players can get away with pretty much anything with a typical audience. 

Edited by josie
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11 hours ago, josie said:

I've just quickly tried and failed to find an ad I saw for a little square you could stand on which would vibrate with the bass and send the sound back up through your feet.

Have a look for Eich or Tecamp Bassboard or Porter and Davies.  They both do these.  I took the DIY approach and bought the parts from Ebay/Amazon/Homebase for the platform and secondhand Markbass Nano to drive it.  I also have a small mixer so I can mix my bass with a microphone in the kickdrum.

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On 25/04/2018 at 15:13, bassjim said:

I've had a go on the platform thing by Porter-Davies  which is excellent fun

I know a drummer who uses mostly IEM's and swears by the Porter Davies drum stool, but, as a bass player, I think I'd put that money into better IEM's.

Edited by chris_b
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The placement of the feedback on your back is flawed. Your back has the least nerve endings in your body and the placement of backbeat can be awkward. The concept is good but could be executed better imho. The best feedback is through the hips - hence I prefer the Woojer (you can also place it so it feeds back through your chest and back) although they probably aren’t as well known in music circles as they went for the gamers market.

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Used my Backbeat tonight for the first time with my new Cosmic Audio CE6B IEMs (also for the first time) and it was outstanding! The rumbling on your back combined with the clarity of IEMs is a formidable combination. I can honestly say it was one of the best live experiences of my gigging career. I’ve always loved playing with an amp and cab, and could never see myself playing without them. Until tonight! I had my rig (Darkglass MT900 and Bergantino AE210) on stage just in case, but its safe to say I didn’t need it. For the first time ever I can actually see myself forgoing the use of a bass rig entirely in favour of this setup.

The Backbeat is a seriously cool piece of kit for sure. Combined with a decent DI and some decent IEMs, it really is the best of both worlds - Pristine audio and ‘physical’ feedback similar to what you would get from a cranked amp behind you. Highly recommended!

Edited by Higgie
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