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Showing content with the highest reputation on 03/05/18 in all areas
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This irrational dislike of Markbass based on the look is not shared by most bass players, 99% of bands and 100% of audiences.6 points
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Manchester...erm, mid-80s... Our drummer (in an originals-with-the-odd-cover 80s Rock Band) was about to become a Dad, and had reluctantly decided he'd have to shelve the rehearsals and gigging for a good while, so he'd stepped down, and we were on the urgent look-out for a replacement. As a thoroughly nice chap, and knowing we had gigs booked we needed to fulfil, he had even left his kit at the rehearsal rooms for new drummers to use, in part or whole, for the auditions. We organised a Sunday afternoon, with an hour slot for each drummer we'd contacted, and it started unremarkably, but then, second to last, was the standout. And not in a good way. He turned up in a six-wheel Transit, immediately earning about a thousand bonus points, but it became terribly clear that all this thing held was his kit...and there was little room for anything else. After refusing to use of any of the already-set-up kit, he began ferrying kit in. And more kit. And more kit. After ten minutes of watching boxes piling up, and with his end of the rehearsal room beginning to look like the dockside of the Queen Mary before a round the world jaunt, we volunteered to help, and then we all spent the next 45 minutes setting up a furry tigerskin-covered double-kick kit, with six raised toms, three floor toms, eight rototoms and so many cymbals we couldn't see him any more. As he tightened up the third china cymbal, I said "No gong, then?", and he froze, looking concerned. "I didn't bring it...should I have done?" I assured him it wouldn't count against him, and eventually, with about five minutes left of his allotted hour, he was ready. The singist had been forced to nip outside to intercept the last auditionee, apologise and ask him to bear with and go for a pint in the local for twenty minutes, and then our hero launched into the first intro, to a then-bog-standard Bon Jovi tune we'd decided would make a good starter audition song. Now, in 35 years of bands, I've never played in a freeform jazz ensemble, and I certainly hadn't back then, so I was unfamiliar with the five-count intro, and the thirteen-bar drum fill*, but this chap was clearly a master. We couldn't possibly fault him for brio, enthusiasm, and certainly energy...it was his counting which left quite a lot to be desired**. In addition, having taken so long to set up his mahoooosive kit, he was determined to hit every single drum and cymbal as often as he could, with scant regard for the song, or indeed the befuddlement he was creating amongst his prospective fellow band-members. I shall leave to your imagination the meal he made of the drawn-out ending, suffice to say Richard Wagner, had he been hanging around the rehearsal rooms (unlikely) and not dead for about a century (for once, fortunate), would probably have shaken his head and said something unflattering about bombast. In German. He finished by standing, his arms aloft and his eyes shining. Had that thing Usain Bolt does (not the running, the archery-arms thing) been around, he would have been doing that. We shuffled our feet, unable to maintain eye contact with him or each other, for fear of collapsing into hysterics. Eventually the singer thanked him for his time, and we all heaved-to loading his van again, while the singer went to buy the other auditionee another pint. He didn't get the job. * I'm probably doing an enormous disservice to freeform jazz ensembles around the globe here, so apologies if so, but I'm at a loss as to where else to place it musically. Perhaps amongst those gangs of glassy-eyed, saffron-robed enthusiasts one encounters on the city streets, each banging a drum in a random manner with a blissful expression and no regard for hard-pressed shoppers... ** I note that 'dyscalcula' is the numerical equivalent of dyselxia, and apparently A Real Medical Thing. It may have been that he was a secret sufferer; that would explain an awful lot. Edit: I've just spotted that I've spelt 'dyslexia' wrong in the footnote above. Oh, the irony...4 points
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Hi guys, Here for sale a wonderful Marleaux Consat Signature 6 String, which I bought some months ago from the best bass player in our country. 🙂 I am not sure of the exact year (I didn't check with Mr Marleaux), but I am guessing it is around 2004. It was his main bass for 5 years, but an year ago the guy ordered a new Consat 6 strings, so I got this one in order to check it 🙂 That bass has absolutely wonderful sound and has no issues. Why I am selling it: (I guess you know my story, but if not...) - I love checking different bass guitars, which I buy for my wife (she plays bass), but at the end she always prefers her Consat 4, and so I put back the basses I bought for sale. I usually sell on the price I bought...or often below 🙂 The price included the shipping to UK Here are the specifications: Walnut body with poplar burl top 3 piece flamed maple neck Ebony fretboard with 24 frets 6 point bolt-on Matching Headstock Scale: 34 Black Hardware by Schiller Active/passive switchable 3 band EQ Sound: detailed, boutique, individual Electronics: Marleaux “Programable” 3 band EQ 2 humbucker pick-ups from Delano Comes with original gigback Marleaux Here you can see the bass in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAQXPFe7PxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auNepppLTyU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OVsxpec8MQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScAR1BcyHzw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seh-QgQtrKg3 points -
We're called The Cheeze We play 60s & 70 pop, rock and prog mainly Every Christmas we have a band curry where we discuss what to rename the band. Every year after a load of silly and non-PC suggestions washed down with several pints, we come to the conclusion that we are too well established to change. However it is a name that is remembered. We also get a fair bit of "they can't possibility advertise that they play cheesey music, so they must be good" effect3 points
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The best advice I've heard on auditions was from Juan Alderete and it's something that seemed obvious to me, but apparently not obvious to a lot of people who've tried out for bands I've been in: If there is a recording of the song - album, demo, live tape, youtube, whatever - learn the part as it was recorded by the old guy, irrespective of what the band say about your artistic freedom. You can change it later if you get the job and you're more likely to get the job if everyone is hearing what they recognise as being right.3 points
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Keep it, you`ve got a Mexican Wall before Trump gets his3 points
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So I took a trade I didn’t really want, but it was for a Basschatter who I consider a mate and it was a fair deal and he wanted my bass more than I did so went ahead. He offered a Roger Waters Precision in great nick and all the bits. It sat in my car overnight, such was the way - I’ve got a new daughter who’s been in hospital since she was born on the 4th April. I came home and plugged it in. Christ it’s lovely. So what do I do? I wasn’t selling to raise funds, I don’t “need” it. But the neck is very similar to my old MIM 50’s which I enjoyed...and it plays really well. I thought I liked skinny necks?! The black/Black/Black/chrome thing doesn’t work for me...so it’d have to see a few new bits to stay. The Bitsa I was debating keeping definitely has to go if this stays...2 points
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So, here is a Mexican Fender Jazz, I'm not sure of the model, or year, probably not important. I bought this a couple of years ago to relic, as I always wanted a '64 Burgundy Mist Jazz with matching headstock, but Guy seems to have the only one, so this was the next best thing. Edit: Since listing, I have been advised this is a Factory Special Run (FSR), very few in the UK, 60's Classic Series reissue, Limited Edition (Oh, and apparently listed too cheaply!), this range spurned the Roadworn series that came after, apparently. I didn't like others that I'd seen, like Limelight, because the burgundy mist colour was completely wrong. Its stock, except for the addition of some Seymour Duncan (So i was told) pickups (Unsure of the model, so attached a pic), replaced before my ownership, and a mint green guard. There is also the original white guard, so you can take your pick, its pictured with the mint green. Virtually unmarked, previous owner tried to remove the Mexican decal from the back of the headstock, leaving a small mark, didn't bother me, and the lamination is lifting slightly on the front of headstock, as is often seen, see pics, again, not an issue for me. These are getting hard to find now, it took me a long while. No case, so initially cash on collection only, if it doesn't shift then I may consider putting in a non-Fender tweed case and shipping, but not for the next few weeks, sorry about that, but don't have the time. Fender Jazz Amber aged neck (See pic of tuner removed), with slab rosewood board Metallic Burgundy Mist custom colour with matching headstock Threaded saddles Reverse, vintage tuners Mint green guard Seymour Duncan pickups Not sure what else to say, pics below Reason for selling: Too many basses, and another Project build on the go, and something has to give. Collection from Northampton, so pretty accessible to many places. Thanks2 points -
Prob just someone saying what s legend you are2 points
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I keep trying to start an INXS tribute band named Stranglew4nk, some right weirdos come to audition2 points
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I have a gen 2 2i4 and love it. Working via a Mac and Logic Pro X. No issues at all2 points
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^ 'chocolate starfish' - nice one, profanity filter!2 points
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I had a band called Not the Hoople once. We did two gigs. We were not a Mott the Hoople tribute, it was a silly joke name because one of the local bars had tribute acts with really lazy names that may as well have been "not Queen" and so on. We were an acoustic duo. We did have a Mott the Hoople fan arrive who thanked us at half time before leaving saying "it's good but not what I was expecting". To be fair, it wasn't even good.2 points
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So the moral of this seems to be "Buy but don't sell.." Well, that's what I'm sticking to then!!2 points
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I've used Jacks Instrument Services in Manchester for the occasional oddity. He's pretty good imho.2 points
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£150? It's worth that just for the original knobs ...2 points -
At which point you whip out your smartphone, plug it into the PA in the rehearsal room, play them the original to prove that you're right and they're wrong ... and end up wondering why you didn't get the gig.2 points
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My KZ ZS10s arrived this morning They take quite a bit more energy to drive than M6 Pro's but they definitely have more separation and clarity, and sound bloody great, but a replacement for 64Audio, UE, JH, etc they are absolutely not! I was expecting more low end, sub and low mid... However, they were £33!! For spare Generics (for deps, etc) I'll probably stick with carrying some M6's, but for myself, I will happily use the ZS10s until I can afford to get customs done... Has anyone else pulled the trigger yet? Would be interested in your thoughts!2 points
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Chrome bridge and knobs. And swap the scratchplate - still for a black one, but with the Black / White / Black construction so you get the outline. Would be perfect then.2 points
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Sadowsky are certainly entering a fairly crowded area at that price point, especially if you open that up to what you can get secondhand for that kind of money. The Sadowsky is a very different beast to the American original Fender and I would be as bold as to say that as good as Sandberg are, the Sadowsky name carries a bit more weight and pedigree for a lot of bass players. I would be very surprised if there is a noticeable difference in sound between the Metros and the new Express models. There may be some noticeable differences in fretwork and feel of the neck but I would go out on a limb and say it won’t be worth the approx £700 difference between models. So where is the appeal in the existing Metro range? I guess the same appeal that makes folks buy any variety of expensive instrument, because they have the money and are happy to spend that much. Also there is a certain level of exclusivity attached to it and a certain level of romanticism that the Metros are crafted in small batches by fine craftsmen in japan and not made in some generic factory that churns out models for almost every other guitar and bass company out there. It will be really interesting to see the first lot of real world reviews come in.2 points
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Huis Clos - un drame de JP Sartre (Scène: une chambre en enfer. Entrez John et Henry). John: Regarde! Une guitare basse qui intègre des fonctionnalités de marque déposées par Rickenbacker! Où est mon avocat? Je veux menacer quelqu'un! (Henry inspecte la basse) Henry: Est-il possible de fabriquer cette guitare basse mais beaucoup plus bon marché? Et de le fournir dans une couleur que personne ne veut? Avec des potentiomètres qui ne fonctionnent pas parce qu'ils n'ont pas été soudés correctement? Les deux ensemble: L'enfer c'est les autres! Fin2 points
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It sounded great thanks, I played it for an hour and am really pleased. I fixed the output jack (just needed the contact bending in a bit). A pleasure to play such a light bass, my dodgy shoulder is very happy. My fingertips are sore though, not used to those 105s! The band liked it too, so once I’ve fine tuned the set up I’ll take it to a gig. Here it is tonight alongside my number one, and the studio’s house amp.2 points
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Or a chrome bridge and knobs. The “all black” look is a bit too rawk for me...2 points
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Keep it, but get some black tuners on it2 points
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And finally, it lives!! (Minus some knobs, I need to order those...) I set it up well, and I now have a low action and good intonation. It’s very, very light and is obviously quite neck heavy. But the strap I’m using is really grippy so it’s not really a problem. The Wilkinson pickups are a revelation; for twenty quid they’re incredible - all the thud you’d expect and really punchy, but if you turn the mids up on the amp it gets honky, almost Jazz bridge pickup like. I’ll definitely use them again. Brilliant. The only issue is that the output jack is intermittently cutting out, there must be something not connecting properly so it needs sorting before I gig it, but I’m going to give it a go at band rehearsal tonight and see how I get on with it. I’m really pleased with it. There are things I’d do differently next time, but that’s all part of learning isn’t it? I’ve leaned a lot, surprised myself and really enjoyed putting this bass together. I wonder what’s next?2 points
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Hi All. Up for grabs is my Sterling By Music Man Ray 35, awesome bass, but the project I was going to use this for has fallen through so i'm letting it go as I already have 3 other basses. Basses from Sterling by MusicMan are perfect for players seeking the MusicMan vibe at a more affordable price. These instruments are accurate versions of popular Music Man guitars and basses with no compromise on quality or materials. Sterling by MusicMan pledges to make a bass that will deliver the performance you need. Each instrument is inspected, setup and played. I have done some significant upgrades including changing the stock electrics out for much better quality gear. This includes: A Nordstrand MM 5.4 pickup & a John East MMSR 3 Band/4 Knob Preamp. I no longer have the stock electrics, but I firmly believe that the upgrades wouldn't require you to ever need them anyway. This was all professionally fitted by Matt Bascetta at House Of Tone and it truly is a beast of a bass. It kicks like a mule and is super versatile and adaptable with the upgraded Preamp and Pickup. These are circa £950 brand new and that's without any of the above changes/upgrades (which in total cost over £400), so come on & grab an absolute bargain. Make me an offer, worse I can say is no :-) Will come with its gigbag. Shipping included in price. Any questions, please feel free to ask away. Make me an offer, the worse I can say is no 🙂! Techy stuff: The BTB-MMSR 4 Knob, including Mid Sweep, has been designed with characteristics very similar to the original MM Stingray© 2 Band EQ, but is not a copy of the original circuit. The original used a single op-amp chip (single amplifier stage in the form of a chip) for both bass and treble circuits, whereas this unit utilises a more modern dual op-amp chip (two amplifiers stages in a chip). The bass and treble are stacked which allows inclusion of a mid sweep, along with original MM style bass and treble, on a 4 knob plate. When the mid boost/cut is centered, its effect is neutral and the EQ is purely late 70s MM style. This unit is supplied fully wired, including 3 single pots, 1 stacked pot, knobs, jack and battery clip, which may be spliced into an existing battery box, as would be available, in most cases. · Single Knob - VOLUME · Single Knob - Late 70s MM style TREBLE · Single Knob - Late 70s MM style BASS · Stack Knob - MID / MID FREQUENCY SWEEP (Mid Sweep 01) POWER REQUIREMENTS: 9-18V, 2.5mA Technical BASS & TREBLE CONTROLS The design of the 2 band EQ in the early Stingray© basses is unusual in that it does not follow the types of topologies around which the majority of equalisers are designed. It would seem that Leo Fender designed it to create a particular sound rather than follow any conventions, such as symmetrical EQ curves. Consequently the figures shown may appear unusual to those familiar with such specifications. In fact it's not easy to portray what this EQ does with a few numbers, but in any case some figures, based around a flat response input signal, are quoted as reference points. NOTE: Like the original Bass/Treble EQ, this circuit does not have a flat response when the controls are set midway. This unit is not designed as a clinical tool, where what goes in, comes out at some reference setting. However, the Mid Sweep circuit does have a neutral setting in order to preserve the original feel of the Bass & Treble EQ. TREBLE (+20dB / -16dB @ 10 kHz) There is more boost than cut, giving rise the characteristic 'sizzle' associated with the Stingray© style of EQ. BASS (+14dB / -7dB @ 40Hz) The bass control has a little more boost than the original. The boost curve continues to rise towards the lower frequencies, without flattening out at any frequency within the normal bass guitar range. Conversely the cut characteristic is shelving, having an essentially flat response from 30 - 100Hz, when fully cut. MID LEVEL & FREQUENCY BOOST/CUT (+/-12dB) The upper knob sets the amount of Mid boost or cut at frequencies according to the setting of the Frequency knob. The midway indent is the 'flat' setting. FREQUENCY (100Hz - 1kHz or 200Hz - 2kHz) The lower outer ring sets the continuously variable Mid frequencies for boost or cut. DIL switches on the circuit board allow low or high ranges to be set. Both switch sections should be set to ON for the Low Range and both set to OFF for the High Range. VOLUME Sets the level from the bass and treble section of the preamp feeding the mid section. This means that the pickup feeds the preamp directly, allowing the best possible transfer of signal, and full interaction of the pickup with the preamp. Since the mid section is after the volume control, it feeds the jack directly with a low impedance output. Nordstrand MM5.4 The MM5.4 is the 5 string version of the MM4.4 and is split in similar fashion, except that it has a 2 string coil (B and E) and a 3 string coil (A, D and G). The pickup can be split and remain hum cancelling in any configuration. Front coil, rear coil, series, parallel... This pickup has all the basses covered, and is particularly suited to a Lakland installation where the 3 way switch selects front, rear, or parallel coils.1 point -
Well that works!!1 point
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Ha ha, having met you in person mate, I can vouch for that not being true! All joking aside, plenty of shops behave worse. For example, I could tell you about........... Just realised why he's in no rush for delivery though, I imagine he hopes it will sell quickly and he will arrange the delivery from me to go the new buyer, so the new buyer pays for the courier! That of course is where it could go wrong for me as it will not be going to his registered PayPal address. I'll keep y'all posted1 point
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Ain't that the truth. I've been permanently put off quite a few bands/artists I'd previously liked only to find they were utter tools.. Viz the 'The' thing I have a particular loathing for anything classified as 'indie' after about 1988 and lo and behold most indie bands, esp the toot derided as 'landfill indie, have had 'The as a prefix e.g. The Cribs, The Kooks, The Automatic, The Libertines, The Kaiser Chiefs, The Wombats, The Fratellis, The Pigeon Defectives, The Hoosiers, The Libertines (these need repeating), The Enemy, The Maccabees. I rest my case. . Admittedly there were also dire landfill indie bands without a 'The' prefix e.g. Scouting for Girls and Razorlight.1 point
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I shouldn't beach...but that doesn't mean I won't! One of our previous singers was technically excellent: great ear, plenty of power huge range, but...she used to insist on singing everything like she was Shirley Bassey belting out the theme from Goldfinger. With subsequent singers, obviously we'd use the studio recordings as a reference, but always with the subtle hint of, "that was her style, of course, but feel free to put your own spin on this one..." The improvement was remarkable...1 point
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I am still awaiting my KZ ZS10s. They are probably on a slow boat from China.I got them as demos in the hope that I can persuade the others in the band to go the in-ear route. I used my own InEarz P450s for the first time at a gig last Friday as my band has now got a Behringer XR18 digital mixer and someone who knows how to use it! Multiple monitor outs meant that we could all have an individual mix, although the others used floor monitors. For me, it was excellent, with clear reception and a true revelation. I could hear my vocals so could pitch and as I took my signal from the amp to the mixer to my inears, my bass reproduction was clear and uncoloured. It was so clear that I had to visually double check a few times that I was fretting the notes correctly as it sounded almost a half fret out as I was playing up the dusty end of the neck. I reset the intonation on my bass last night as it was slightly off so that was probably the reason. We're gigging again this Saturday so I can check that again. Well happy.1 point
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Oof, bit sparse, but if it feels good keep it! best wishes for your little one btw, i’ve had one newborn be seriously unwell, not fun.1 point
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Either way, tiny transformers compared to the toroidal ones.1 point
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500 Watts, 37 lbs, never skipped a beat in over 3 years of gigging. VLE control to provide a more vintage sound, if desired. It is indeed an excellent combo. Two points to be aware of / take into account: Markbass cabs tend to roll off the high end a touch. Gives a more rounded / mellow tone than some of the flatter response cabs eg BF or VK. But works a treat with brighter, more aggressive pups eg the Nords on my Ibby. The LM3 heads have a gap in the EQ in the 3kHz to 5kHz range, with the treble being centred at a higher than I'd like 10kHz. Something very easily sorted with an EQ patch on a Zoom MS-60B (or an EQ pedal), if this is a concern. But you can pick up one of these, second hand, for around £600 and, remind me, just how much are Aguilar asking for one of their cabs?1 point
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This ^^ from a bloke named 'BreadBin'.1 point
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Drinking on the job, something I don't do and frown on. However, Musicians are going to drink, a battle I don't want to take on. Blue1 point
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In that case, it sounds like you're ok as far as everything being in the same key is concerned. You're in the key of B major and implying these chords: E* | B/D# | B | F#/A# B | * If you've got E and F# as the only notes for this chord then you could call it a couple of different things, but it's functioning as an E major chord.1 point
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I cannot answer that at this time... I will do once the poll has closed! My own position on this has been lodged in a secure and trusted brown envelope, in safe and trusted hands, to be shared publicly tomorrow evening! Glory or humiliation, public either way! All I can say, by way of explanation, is that between Devonians and the Cornish, there is an ongoing argument about the correct way to present scones for a "proper" cream tea! In Devon the clotted cream is put on first, almost like butter some would suggest, followed by the jam. However, in Cornwall (weirdos), they put the jam on first, followed by the cream.... Who is right, who is wrong, and why.... More importantly the betting world is watching! However, I would request that this is a poll about FOH PA, not scones, or the bitter and sometimes violent rivalry between the good people of the South West corner of this fair isle! We can do a poll about that tomorrow evening, but keep this Music based please!!1 point
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I'm soooo tempted by this, been looking for a ACG for ages but the timing couldn't be worse 🙁 I'm going to regret missing this, surely it won't be around for long it's absolutely beautiful. Glwts!1 point -
I don't think there's any danger in me not doing that, Silvia You know me - I even stop strangers in the street with an 'Excuse me, but have you seen my new build? Here, I've got a few hundred photos. Oh, wait a minute...can you see them properly if you're walking this fast???'1 point
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It's arrived!!1 point
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Despite suggestions that Mr Henry Juskiewicz may continue as CEO one hopes that whoever assumes control will sideline Hapless Hank into a powerless 'continuity' role, wrap him up tight in an NDO and pay him for a year to keep his mouth shut, at the end of which period they fire him out of a howitzer into a barbed-wire factory. It's a tragedy in the truest sense of the word. A man sets out to do good, succeeds for a while then succumbs to hubris and madness. Fate beckons. The cannon roars. Curtain. One of the most piquant details of this sad drama: having tried - and signally failed - to thrust auto-tuning upon guitarists, Gibson now finds itself being sued by Tronical Systems, the license-holder for the much-despised digital Min-e-tuners. Indeed, so loathed are these excrescences that there is actually a land-fill the size of Wolverhampton comprised exclusively of Robo-tuners removed from Gibsons. It remains to be seen why the Hamburg-based Fritzes at Tronical have it in for Hank but being sued for $50m can't have helped Gibson in the last week or so. Juskiewicz: victim of circumstance? Or just a hopeless tw4t?1 point
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I wish Aria UK had the Selected Wood series! Just look at these two!1 point
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Still for sale ??1 point -
To echo comments made elsewhere, Gibson was/is a brand you aspired to; I remember when I started out, I'd get a Bells catalogue or drool over stuff in Beat Instrumental, but on my paperboy salary Gibson (and Fender) were well out of my league. From a bass perspective, our Gibson choice has been very limited; by comparison with our six string bretheren, we have experienced limited model choice, limited colour pallettes, limited options. Yes, I know other manufacturers are available, but when you want something, you want it, eh? I've seen that Joe Bonnamassa is interested in taking the business over. Honestly, love him or not, having a musician running things might make things better. There was an interesting video posted elsewhere where three guys were discussing the decline of Gibson and summed up that you need to be able to buy a decent guitar for $1,000 as beyond that figure, you're looking at people on doctor and lawyer salaries. Perhaps (if Gibson survive), it'll be a case of giving the publice what they want, less custom shop pricing, more choice, less reliance on Les Pauls and SGs. There's a lot of demand for double cut Les Paul Juniors, so why didn't Gibson start making them again, preferring to go with the Firebird X or these ridiculous limited run models? Because they became detatched from this customer base and diversified into other markets. They're a company selling (apparently) 170,000 guitars a year. They shouldn't be in the state they're in.1 point
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Perhaps if they spent less money on unfounded legal challenges to small guitar companies they'd have some cash in the bank. ;-) *ahem* *ahem*1 point
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1. They must have a plan 2. No "classic rock" 3. All gigs are paid 4. Gig at least 4 x as often as they rehearse. 5. Bloody good drummer 6. No divas 7. Everyone pitches in with set up and tear down. 8. Whole band continually aims to improve.1 point
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I really couldn't be in a band which is named after one member...stinks of narcissism and egotism.1 point
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The support band won't have been mixed by the same engineer, and won't even have been mixed through the same mixing desk. There's so many variables involved in getting a good sound. Taking Brixton as an example - it's a beautiful and storied venue. I was really excited to be mixing in there and ticking it off the list. The advice I got from colleagues that had been through there was that it's a hideous sounding room when it's empty, but more manageable when full, and that the sound at the mix position doesn't reflect how it sounds across most of the rest of the room, especially around the tricky bottom end. So - you're on the back foot with the room before you've started. Then - many venues that size don't have an installed sound system. It's brought in show by show, by the artist or promoter's chosen supplier. The system will depend on the budget, and the headline artist's brand preference. This has to be flown/stacked, configured, time aligned to suit the space. This is largely science with a splash of art, and is a skill set in itself separate from being a mix engineer. A great system tech is a desirable thing. They create the canvas that the FOH has to work with, so is again filled with variables. Soundcheck comes - taking that Brixton gig as an example, the headline band had a closed soundcheck. I didn't even get to walk up to the desk until they were done. They ran an hour over schedule. I raced to FOH with my carefully prepared show file on my USB stick, filled with confidence because I knew I'd prepped the file well and could start quickly. I got to the mix position to find I'd been supplied a completely different desk from the one in the advance, my show file was now useless and I was starting from scratch on am unfamiliar desk over an hour behind schedule. The ten minute rushed soundcheck we had meant I didn't get the opportunity to walk the room enough to get a proper feel for how it sounded away from the mix position, and also meant I didn't have time to do anything but the very quick basics to throw a decent mix together. When it came to show time, I discovered all the little issues that the rushed soundcheck had hidden - like just how over-egged with bass and lacking in mid some of the bass sounds coming from the SansAmp on stage were. Whilst there was plenty of low end, there was next to nothing I could do to dial the clarity back in to the midrange because that detail just wasn't reaching me at the desk. In every song, I had effects changes and constant fader rides to do to suit the arrangement, lift key parts in the important places etc, so trying to firefight sonic imperfections around that. The half our set is over before I know it. Band and management made up with the mix, I know it was ok but would have been much better given more favourable circumstances. [Edit to add: When you're in a full venue, with regular adjustments to make, it's often just not practical to go for a wander to hear how it sounds across the room. In a sold out gig, to get far enough away from the desk to hear the difference, means there's too many people in the way of you getting back quickly to react to something hapening on stage. I don't know many engineer's working directly with a band whose mix stays static throughout a show. If you know the material, you play the mix to suit and it's constantly changing. ] That's a pretty typical day and regular set of challenges on a live show of that scale, and that's barely touching on the amount of things on stage in terms of tone, musical arrangements, performance, stage volume/spill etc that you can't control from behind the FOH desk and just have to deal with as best you can. If it was that easy to make everything sound great in every corner of every venue, anyone could do it. Sometimes it's easy, but sometimes it's really bloody hard. "Turn the kick down" and "tweak the mids" doesn't really cover it!1 point
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Thanks man! Aye, they are relatively rare. Made from the end of 1996 until 2000. This is from the first year of production, when they used wenge (as opposed to ovankol) for the necks. It’s not a split coil pickup, no. it’s actually two separate J pickups in the same housing, with a dummy coil between, for noise cancelling when soloing either pickup. So a bit more versatile than it first appears. The pickup position rests in the ‘Stingray’ sweet-spot though. That was the point in the Pro M. It’s like a hybrid between a Streamer and a MM Stingray.1 point
