All Activity

IF you can stretch this to 49 keys, the simple Midiplus AK490 spawns enormous quality and playability for the money. Expect to have to search, though Bax seem able to deliver next week. 5-pin DIN. IMS, it spawns a battery compartment, which in case I've used extensively. Maybe obsolete, the M-Audio Keystation 37 is a bit more spongy in its keys' response, but still quite alright. 5-pin DIN I've recently also bought an Icon iKeyboard 4S (three octaves, not four, so 37 keys), which surprised me positively to the degree I'll go for Icon from here despite its higher price point. 5-pin DIN. Icon has cheaper models too: the iKeyboard 4 and iKeyboard 4X, which I feel still are impressive for the money. Sadly, Icon make things a bit complicated with the enormous range they offer. They offer three different key sizes (regular, mini and nano), lengths from 25 to 88 keys, and also different levels of being advanced and knobby. If you can, visit a shop and compare them. Be aware that the more knobby models have better keybeds, and sometimes the longer models spawn better keybeds too. I'm not too knowledgeable about USB stuff, and know zilch about the disabling you mentioned, so can't help there.

This is very effective. I listen to stuff I want to learn whilst I'm driving, doing the ironing, etc, etc. It seems to seep into the brain almost un-noticed if you're not making a conscious effort to listen/learn.

There's plenty to choose from, but it depends what you mean by reasonably priced. Maybe Akai mini plus? If you want to connect using USB then you'll need a MIDI host which is kinda like an adaptor.

I had one for a while, never used it with a band but did use it at home connected to a Barefaced Big Baby, imo that set up would have been ok-ish for stage use but nothing more.

I agree, dynamic pricing is ridiculous, and my thoughts are that I won’t purchase tickets for anything where this is applied.

Who was it who did a pedal a couple years ago with both top and side mounted jacks so you could choose which to use - I thought it was a brilliant idea but it never seemed to catch on?

Well it's a different audience, isn't it, and you'll often find folk either into classical or pop/rock with some in the overlap group. I really enjoyed going to the Proms! 1 orchestra can have more musos than 10 cover bands. And let's not try to compare musicianship 'cos it's not going to come out too well for the average pub rocker is it? Nope, what I'm saying is pretty much in line with what @Ben Jamin said - live performance is, for me, where it's going to be at. Btw Elvis sang some great songs, the point is no one remembers who wrote them, they remember him though. And it wasn't just about looks, the man could sing and he could also perform.

What can I say? We did an exchange. Rory's courier got to me in 3 days, from Argyll, but he had to wait a week for my one to get to him. Twice, this has happened. There is no-one more understanding, patient and honourable than this man. A real credit to Bass chat.

The next step is when AI learns to read the audience's reactions and understand their emotional state. At that point they will be better than a lot of the original acts that I see who obviously pour a lot of effort and emotion into their songs, but just don't build a following, understand stagecaraft or song composition. And many continue flogging a dead horse hoping one day for that big break. I saw 4 bands on Sunday night. The last two of them were musically and stagewise superb, but older probably all 50 and over. The first band on played songs that all sounded identical and had no life. The front man/guitarist was good with the patter. The second band were a bunch of school age teenagers who seemed to have bought a load of their classmates, who were only interested in leaping around. It was refreshing to see. The front man was funny but the musicianship was novice level. I can see having an AI critique would really help some of those bands.

I was in Edinburgh last year with my wife and we asked our hotel for a live music venue recommendation and ended up here - what an absolutely brilliant venue that is!! We got there as it was filling up quickly, went to the bar and the barman took one look at us and decided we were the oldest pair in the room - well yes we were 🤣 'Would you like two stools?' That'd be great thanks 👍🏼 'Just wait up against the back area there and I'll bring them for you' Best seats in the house with a bar in front of us! Bands were brilliant, and @theplumber that looks like a great night you had! The rig and the lights were great as I recall, fantastic place Stramash 👌🏼

65? you're practically a toddler around here, most basschat members here knew God when he was little. The majority saw the first dinosaurs 🤷

Check out “patina” guitars, from same company as Jet. No basses yet, but nitro finishes, beautiful colours, look fantastic. I’ve asked for some basses around the same money. Circa £599. No affiliation!

I should have said at the start, I’m 65. Don’t look/act/feel like it, but might be too late for world tours. I’ve jumped about different instruments, I could probably manage to play Drums or Rhythm G####r or Bass in a Country Band. Wouldn’t mind that TBH if it was Johnny Cash stuff, not Achie breaky heart bollox! My plan is to learn to play some stuff I like, then go to some jam nights. See where that leads. I’ll definitely be enquiring about lessons this week, I’ve just been tied up in some business.

Someone brought their posh camera to our jam night last night… Me playing my new Sandberg SL ^^^ and inadvisedly using one of those short necked things and singing Crazy Man Michael… ->

Excellent! I’d hazard most people who are starting only play one instrument and more than likely listen to one style of music. I’ve taught both young kids and retired gents that benefitted from learning more about music beyond what they knew, and it helps that I was once exactly the same. I think SBL can certainly help a beginner in this regard because the have such a vast array of content.