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In my experience it is almost always the room/PA. The only time I can hear the difference between a very expensive and cheap DI is through headphones or in a studio. As soon as you project into an imperfect room through an imperfect PA there are other factors that make a much bigger difference (although I agree there is also quality of construction differences and the more expensive ones are built like tanks). BTW did you put something over the soundhole? This does a slightly different thing to the sound and also helps stop feedback.

Depends if you want the Bells in real GMT or streamed (slightly delayed) time. Real time best option is VHF Radio (yes I know its almost insanely old, but it doesn't have any discernible latency) If streamed then any broadcast feed - TV, Radio etc should do the trick and you can bluetooth it into your PA from your phone/laptop/tablet thing. It won't be accurate to actual GMT, but if its the only source of the Bells available, then most people won't notice

A bit of dyslexia 😉 , as it's indeed a Le Fay (Remington Steele), just like mine...

No - you are right - I meant 1/4" and 1/8" which are easier to write than 6.35mm and 3.5mm! What was actually confusing me was the number of rings on the connectors as I always thought that more than the normal two ment there was also a mic line, so didn't realising that there was also a wider jack 4.4mm connector with four rings! Then I thought maybe it was an IEM thing and I had inadvertently bought the right thing, but no, the "pentaconn" connectors are a cork-sniffing audiophile thing! Anyway the adaptor has arrived now and all is good.

I'm definitely in for the Tier 1 challenge, but reckon that it will be almost impossible to achieve Tier 2 across an entire year. However, nothing ventured...

Do tell. I shall update the scoreboard later, folks.

I am @thebrig, just been away doing Christmas stuff and being ill. Will shoot you a message when I am free. There’s shed loads of bands in the county, lots of busy function bands and plenty of pub bands too. There are a good few different venues in and around the county, but most will squeeze ten-years-ago pub pay out of their takings for entertainment, though there are a few that genuinely do their best to look after bands in the county. I teach bass (and guitar) here and yup, there’s one or two of us bassists in the town. I haven’t been out in the town for a while for, well, reasons, so I can’t comment on which of the pubs are still doing bands, but of the pubs we do have, they are nice, good food and generally, not too much trouble even when the Wymondham Massiffff are out.

How efficient have they been?

Either prog or jazz fusion. Either way, music for musicians.

TODAY’s THE DAY FOLKS!! Come get your EARLY NYE PARTY started with us at Precinct - Tap & Table!! Doors open at 3:30 and show starts at 4! It fills up fast and seating is limited so don’t be late!

It makes no sense. They can see the audience isn't in to it with no exceptions. Just drop the song. Daryl

There's no replacement for displacement. Well, there is, horn loading, but then you're talking about a much larger cabinet. The displacement of a premium 4" driver is around 30cc. A middle of the road 8" is around 75cc, a middle of the road 10" is around 150cc.

👍

Sounds a bit proggy to me...

It's that time of year again, the slate is wiped clean and it's time to pledge to abstain from the capitalist consumption of bass gear (or any music gear at all, if you're going hardcore). I would like to thank @Richard R for his sterling work during 2025, and for these well crafted rules which I will be copying wholesale The RULES Tier 1 Challenge During the calendar year of 2026 (01/01/26 00:00 - 31/12/26 23:59:59): - No bass gear purchases/trades whatsoever, be that amps, pedals, basses, accessories. Tier 2 challenge (should you play other instruments, engage in music production etc) - As above, but extended to your other musical gear Allowances in both tiers: - Consumables such as Strings (sticks, skins, reeds, batteries etc) Buying a set of new strings that happen to be attached to a bass is out. - Maintenance/setups that only involve work on existing aspects of your bass (ie no purchasing a preamp to add to it) - Breakages. If something breaks through no unusual intervention of your own, and is unable to be repaired, you may replace it. - Already committed purchases. If you have purchased something in 2024, you are able to take delivery of it within 2025. If you have put down a deposit on something before committing to this, which then requires a final payment within 2025, that single payment permitted. - Genuinely unsolicited presents, which you had no involvement in choosing. (So going out with your partner to play a bunch of bases, choosing one, and then them buying it for you would be a fail. But we would all applaud and cheer you and your partner and want to know what you got and why!) - Educational purchases, ie tutorial books, lessons, anything that furthers your playing is permitted. Buying a proper usb sound card so your on-line lessons work better would probably be OK. Buying one because you might have on-line lessons but haven’t boked any is definitely out. (A bit like the cops overlooking you speeding to take your wife to hospital to give birth, but they wouldn’t overlook you speeding to a date where you might get her pregnant!) Amendments: Without setting precedent for future years: 1.Normal cables are allowed this year, even if they aren't replacing breakages. (Wireless or any non-conventtional systems aren't) 2.Purchases made with music-store specific loyalty points are allowed. We could get tighter with the definition, but let's just allow if for now. (But I couldn't use the Amazon points I am racking up on work travel and hotels to buy a set of machine heads) 3.Asking for gift vouchers for a present then spending them on gear is still a fail when you spend them. Straps, plectrums and sundries are still OK. Grey areas: - PA equipment has been a Tier 2 fail, but if it’s for a band you don’t play in but do sound for then we can probably argue it’s OK. - There used to be a convention that things not in the signal path didn’t count. So straps, stands and the like were allowed. I'm cool with that - what do others think? - Parts for bitsas I think are out. MOST IMPORTANTLY This is a bit of fun. The idea is just to make us think "Do I really need it?" before buying something, and to maybe focus on playing more than purchasing. Nobody will get punished for buying another Fender, or even a Ric, it's your time and money to do what you wish with. So see how long you last, enjoy seeing how far you and others get, and let's try to keep the economy flatlined for as long as possible. The runners and riders will appear here: @neepheid @Suburban Man

Ovacandidaphobia?

Nothing for 2 years. Next year might be different.

AliExpress's new year sale starts at 11pm, so that's an hour to get a Chinese mystery bass before the 2026 thread starts.

I have now! For £21, which feels like a bargain (until I add the cost of the rail trip to Neath....)