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Instruments are still in demand but the idea of a shop has been hampered by the demise of high street attendance in general. Without wanting to state the obvious, the shops that seem to make it work are specialists where people will travel specifically and more likely purchase as a result.

I've played in bands where various members seem to want it sound like the recording on stage, and I have a admit that in the past I was like that too, but now I've realised that so long as I can tell I'm in tune and in time with the rest of the band, that will do me. IMO it's more important to sound good FoH because the audience are the people who are hopefully going to say nice things about the band on social media, buy our merch, and come back and see us play again. If it sounds great on stage too, that's a bonus, but it's the great songs that fire me up for a performance not a perfect on-stage sound. We spend as much time working on the band mix in the rehearsal room as do practicing playing the songs together, so getting a good FoH sound is generally fairly easy. During the sound check I'll go out front and make some suggestions if I think there are obvious problems with the band's overall sound, but in a way I'm lucky in that I play both "bass" and "guitar" parts with my Bass VI and once the "guitar" sounds right the bass will be right too.

I'm reasonably happy with my QC (a limited black and gold edition, but only because Andertons had it for a good price and there were none of the usual grey ones), and don't think I will be bothering with the Anagram, but you never know Still interested in how it will develop though.

So I play a fair amount in churches that, certainly going back to the early 90s, have used projectors for songs/words rather than hymn books. This started off as acetate OHPs albeit some places made up and projected slides (which for whatever reason always had a dark blue background and white text!). But then from about twenty years ago (I make it around 2000ish) projectors have been pretty standard, with large screen TVs beginning to make an appearance over the last couple years. One main challenge is that there is almost always a good amount of daylight coming into the room so positioning of screens is really important no matter how powerful the projector. Also never ever put it behind the band - above the band or to the side of the band is fine, but having to avoid the projection while playing (and getting occasionally blinded) is a real pain. Short-throw projectors can work well, but they do seem to be less powerful. When the room is dark having a dark background for anything projected is a very good idea so as to avoid unwanted light pollution/inteference with any lighting rig. In a bright room during daytime the opposite works best.

Wet, wet, Climate resiliance

No it's normally part of the lighting rig and the projector will be hung from the celling with the lights. There might be a charge as part of the venue hire for the person/people running it (PA and lights), but all the gigs we do are through a promotor so they deal with that side. We just turn up and play.

My ideal, which I have never achieved, would be to persuade the covers band to put together an original set.

If I buy a vegan strap, I go out the back and whip the donkey with it, just to balance things out.

Yeah, fair dos, that's cool.

It's surprising how many pubs and clubs have a TV projection screen, not always in the right place though.

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=666965339388258

Tom Open To Each Person's Opinion and the Heartbreakers.

I Bought an M-Vave IR box from Aliexpress for £22 I mean why not, I'll undoubtedly buy something else before it arrives 😄 Review over on TB https://www.talkbass.com/threads/m-vave-ir-box-review.1668489/

These don't come up very often. Not my thing but surely someone here could give it a home https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146518443184?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=yFb8bu-2SNu&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=6MnoMIQiQQC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

TC looks perfect but I'd almost exclusively using it with the EUB so a pedal that doubles as a headphone amp would be handy.

Looks brilliant, very useful combination of physical and digital controls in a small form factor. Micro USB power connector in 2025 though?