All Activity

Great review, thanks Luke!

MojoMojo, Blueberry Bass OD, Beta MK II.

I'm not gigging, but I have an EBS Microbass 3 which is rather good. Its downside vs the Stanley Clarke model is that (IMHO) the 2nd "Drive" channel isn't as good as the main one, but its upside is that it has an integral tuner. I previously used a Sansamp BDDI, but the EBS is way better. It's also got an Fx loop, so you can use it as a pedalboard hub if you like and it has balanced XLR outputs to run to a desk. if that's what you need. https://ebssweden.com/pedals/microbass-3/

I remember as a young punky teenager waiting with bated breath through Doctor Hook, Hot Chocolate and a whole host of other MoR pap for a glimpse of Proper Music (eye of the beholder of course!). And sometimes we'd be rewarded with some Siouxsie, or perhaps Ruts, or at a push, Sham 69... And sometimes even 2 or 3 in a programme! Though I got far more joy from the other music progs as they were live and often Proper - there's just no replacement for these (apart from lonely old Jools); instead it's a diet of fake reality shows and appalling game shows with the incredibly annoying Michael McIntyre.

Back in the smoking days that was one of the non-fancy non-smoking areas, which is how a mate and I got to see Betty Carter from about that vantage point. Probably still a lifetime top ten gig.

This week I was kindly allowed into Chateau @Quatschmacher and try the FI4 VIP ... my background, I'm not an amazing player- but not awful and have messed around with synth type stuff in various Zoom multiFX then HX, H9 then the classic octave-fuzz-envelope thing... I've owned a C4 (twice) and sold it each time... One use which is a bit different to the normal synth bass/keybass type sounds is a pad sound I've used to fill in songs while playing at church (small church by US standards so sometimes only 2-3 musicians) I really really enjoyed the FI4 and need to work out if it will fit on my board... My thoughts... - Really premium enclosure - it's really nice metal box. - The tracking is amazing. I've got fairly good at playing clean and slightly before the beat from owning the C4 ... this you don't need too - it's so so fast and seemingly accurate - It can do rhythmic sounds - and works - you can add that little muted thump as a part of the rhythm and works - doesn't trigger the whole sound - a bit of a learning curve but you can choose how it reacts with your fingers - if your next note triggers the envelope again, or just glides to the next. (this has got a proper term in synth land) - The presets... like obviously you can build your own... but from what's available on the top it gives you edits from the preset! ... so rather than an absolute release time for example, it lets you fine tune from what's there! This makes so so much more sense - the sounds are really really good. Im pretty certain if you wanted the sounds of the fashionable MXR synth pedal it would do them... but suspect you have more control over how it articulates... - But most importantly to me - the C4 feels like you're playing a pedal- and the sounds are good enough to do that. The FI4 makes it sound like your bass sounds different. it's feel and how it reacts is so so natural feeling and musical. Honestly it was astounding - I had pretty much given up on synth bass and was going to go buy a wee synth and learn to play it... but now I'm rethinking. - I didn't scratch the surface of everything it could do! Short version: The very low latency makes it feel like a musical extension of your instrument. I like

I wouldn't go as far as saying that EMGs are harsh, but they are always consistently very bright and bitey! They definitely cut through, put it that way.

I get this!

So there's been a slight change of plan..

Man, I’d love that. I end up spending so much on soft drinks (I don’t drink pre gig and usually am driving anyway). Free entry for the wife would be lovely too.

don't grass him up

A busy week next week: Monday is Emma Swift at The Borderline, her hubby Robyn Hitchcock aboard the replica of Drake's Golden HInde in Southwark on Wednesday, then Gob Nation all-day festival at The Dome in Tufnell Park on Saturday, including Ex-Vöid and The Tubs on the bill.

Local boy Robbie McIntosh with his band at The Sound Lounge in Sutton last night Always a quality act, the gig being 10 minutes' walk from my house was bonus

I went through a few years of buying, trying, and selling basses in attempt to find "the one" that would stick I've most certainly had some great basses that I really genuinly regret selling on, but very few that I've been a bit dissapointed with. One that does stand out that came very near to hatred just short of "I totally despise this bit of wood" as I got rid of it before that point was a Retrovibe something or other. Looked like a load of generic bits out of the Chinese factory parts bin thrown together. The body felt like it was made of some light balsa wood, with a neck made from Kryptonite. It looked a bit like a Stingray. Sounded like shite, played like shite.

I guess it's pot luck.

Tech21 Sansamp BDDI Programmable or the Bass Fly rig V2 could be a good start if you need lots of different sounds. The BDDI & VTDI Deluxe have been discontinued, but you may be able to find one second hand on here, or in an online market place of your choosing. Great, because they give you loads of different options. There's always going down the digital modelling route with something like the Line6 PODGo, HX Stomp, Boss GT Core, Headrush, etc.

@Manolo F