mcnach

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1496050508' post='3308332'] Also, don't get fixed on putting a compressor at the end of your chain (unless you are looking for limiting). I far prefer a compressor at the beginning. What exactly are you hoping to achieve from a compressor ?? [/quote] Do you know that I never tried a compressor at the beginning??? (well, you know now... you can finally sleep calmly ) I've always automatically gone for last in the chain... I should definitely explore, although I do rely on playing dynamics to get different levels of effect (overdrives, for example, envelope filters...), so it may not work the way I like best. But explore I must!

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1496048096' post='3308291'] Having been a "compressor denier" for several years, I've been persuaded of the benefits of adding one to the end of my pedal chain by a couple of my fellow BCs. I was about to push the button on a TC Spectracomp yesterday, but came across a very timely thread on the pedal: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/306380-npd-spectracomp/"]http://basschat.co.u...pd-spectracomp/[/url] A quick summary of the unresolved concerns raised by a couple of recent owners: - the pre-loaded default tone print is pretty meh from what fellow BCs have found; - [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]the downloadable ones from the TC website seem to be more of an "effect" than is required;[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]- the solution would to use the PC Editor feature (which is a bit off a faff for the less techy of us), HOWEVER it isn't [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]holding its Toneprint on power down/up cycles and apparently[/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] this seems to be a still as yet unresolved issue with this pedal for some.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]So I'm kinda back to square one, but glad I've been saved time and wasted effort on the Spectracomp. I should probably also avoid the TC Hypergravity models if I want to avoid the faff of dealing with Toneprint issues.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I'm looking for a [b]compact [/b]compressor that is not going to take up too much space on the pedal board, good quality, [b]transparent[/b] and as [b]noiseless[/b] as possible.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I've been through a couple of other threads and seems that my choices for compact footprint pedals are:[/font][/color] [u][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Mid price range[/font][/color][/u] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]- EBS multicomp (£145) - apparently adds a bit of colour?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]- Seymour Duncan Studio (£159) - nice blending feature[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]- MXR M87 (£173) [/font][/color] [u][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Mid / high[/font][/color][/u] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]- Keeley Bassist (£199)[/font][/color] [u][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]High end [/font][/color][/u] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]- Cali 76 Compact Bass (£279)[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Two Qs - any issues or particularly great experiences with any of the mid price range compressors or the Keeley? Is it worth spending the extra for the Cali 76 - what is it doing better, if anything, than the other comps?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Cheers BCs![/font][/color] [/quote] I only have experience of some of the midpriced ones. I like the EBS multicomp a lot... but it's got a sound of its own, it's not transparent. You may like it, but if you want transparent... I'd move on to something else. The MXR M87 is very transparent. It has the ability to adjust parameters that other compressors in this price range usually don't let you touch. That can be a good thing, or a not so good thing. It frustrated me a bit at first because I'm a tweaker and I kept fiddling with it . The good news is it's not hard to get it to do what you want it to do... and then a bit more. I still have mine... but not for long. Because I decided I like another one better... the BBE Opto Stomp. The BBE Opto Stomp is cheaper... although there are various versions and it seems the original is the one to go for, hence used... I used to own one a while ago and I just managed to get another (typically around £60). It is *very* transparent, very smooth, very subtle. It's limited compared to the MXR, but if it does what you want, then it's very nice as it just has two knobs. Can't be simpler. It suits me better than the MXR M87, which is why I prefer it, but sound wise they're both very good and affect your tone very little (unless you want it to, on the MXR). The MXR is more versatile... but for a simple good sounding transparent compressor, the BBE is great. Unfortunately, it's a little bigger than others, about 1.5x the width.

[quote name='Scoop' timestamp='1497446269' post='3318212'] Although I've played bass for over 40 years in blues and classic rock bands and I have thousands of gigs under my belt (quite literally) I've never really used many pedals. I'm a complete pedal and effects novice. I have a compressor, a Yamaha NE-1 parametric EQ, and a Boss bass chorus and that's pretty much it. I've simple never needed to process my sound for the sort of stuff I do, so it's never been an issue. However, it was recently suggested that my four piece band (guitar, bass, drums, vocalist) might cover the NIN version of Gary Numan's Cars. As the guitar player will be playing the big sustaining synth lead lick, I'm going to need something to really grit out the sound for the main riff while he's poncing about with that. I'd prefer a synthy sound, if at all possible, but what else might work? A big muff? An overdrive? What do I need? Basically, listen to the youtube clip below and tell me what you'd use to get as close to this as possible. Alternatively. Would it make more sense if I played the big sustainy lead riff using a synth bass pedal and the guitarist carried the main riff? If so, what would I need for that? When it comes to sound processing I'm an idiot. All suggestions gratefully received. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qlUFKFHNIU"]https://www.youtube....h?v=6qlUFKFHNIU[/url] [/quote] Oh, hola David! Someone suggested a Digitech Bass Synth Wah pedal... and it's a great suggestion. If you want a single pedal solution, it's great. It will get you very close (and sounds really nice on guitar too, better than the guitar version!). In addition, it gives you a decent octave effect and a passable envelope filter (it has 7 modes if I recall correctly) so you get to experiment a bit with different effects without having to start going crazy buying lots of different things, which is handy especially if you're after sounds you might only use in one song or two. Alternatively... an overdrive plus a phaser or envelope filter (or a wah if you want to get more adventurous) can give you some really cool thick sounds. One of my bands is a RATM sort-of-tribute band. When we play "Renegades of funk", there's the whole outro where the guitar is soloing and in the record there's all kind of guitars layered in, and vocals... so I end up kicking in my overdrive (EBS Multidrive, but lots others would work... The Ibanez PD7 'Phat Hed' is a favourite of mine which costs peanuts and is pretty versatile... use your treble control -if using an active bass- to go from gritty aggressive overdrive to softer fatter one without fiddling with the pedal) and either an EHX Small Stone phaser to add some slow swirl effect, or my bass wah (G-Labs, touch activated).... That fills in the sound pretty nicely. In fact, at home I sometimes just fire the drum machine and play with overdrive/phaser/wah until I get in a trance Jose

As others have said... no problem. Just don't go crazy with it, especially boosting lows, and listen for any signs of struggle: if in doubt, turn down a bit. But chances are you won't bother it one bit. One other thing you might like to consider is a high pass filter of some sort (HPF for short if you search for it). It may not be necessary in many situations, and some amps have one built-in already in fact, but I still often use one. It cuts the lowest lows and lets the rest through. The purpose is to eliminate frequencies that are amplified by the amplifier, and sent to the speakers, which move accordingly, but that don't result in an audible sound for us. Something like the SFX "Thumpinator" has no effect on the sound (some claim it tightens the low a tiny bit), but the speakers work less, and so does the amplifier. That could be helpful to use. There are variable HPFs, and they can be pretty cool as you can adjust the cut frequency a bit higher into the frequencies we do hear and they can be very useful when your bass sounds a bit boomy/muddy, as it happens on some stages/rooms, to tame the very low bass and as a result get a tighter clearer bass. I used to use a pair of small TKS S112 cabs a lot, which are rated relatively low, and I used the Thumpinator as an extra level of protection. I noticed that with the Thumpinator, the master volume ended up set a little lower than without it... which I liked and made me feel a bit happier about using them with powerful amplifiers. Just a thought.

Nah... they still avoid maple fingerboards on the versions I like best. My wallet is worried, but still safe

I just bought Dave's BBE Opto Stomp compressor. Easy going, great communication, nicely packed and fast delivery... it could have only been better if he had delivered it in person and brought me an icecream at the same time. Hazelnut. Thanks, Dave, it was a pleasure

[quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1498680798' post='3326343'] Here's the thing (as has been explained at some length by other posters already, but I'll try to keep it simple for you): Liam Gallagher is, IMHO, one of the most singularly unpleasant, obnoxious, self-important arseholes ever to have stalked the face of the earth. If he had any sort of musical talent I still wouldn't like him but I'd let it pass. But he hasn't, and never has had. He's the living embodiment of standing on the shoulders of giants, and pissing on their heads while he's doing so. [/quote] That, Sir... was beautiful. Brought a tear to my eye, it did.

[quote name='Hellzero' timestamp='1498838493' post='3327496'] Just for the record (funny, no), to record "analogue" music on that ugly noisy warping black disc, you have to compress the bass and enhance the treble. The bandwidth goes from 20 Hz to 15 KHz, when the cd goes from 0 Hz to 20 KHz. All of this being theorical. There is no compression on a proper made cd as it's not necessary. [/quote] Right, is that the RIAA EQ curve thing that is 'inflicted' upon recordings before making the vinyl records, then? (just remembering very vaguely things I half knew years ago ) So dynamic range *is* wider on CD, then, as I thought.

[quote name='LeftyP' timestamp='1498836543' post='3327485'] As someone who works in the broadcasting industry, I can certainly confirm that old vinyl records offer far more dynamic range than modern CDs. If I'm recording a vinyl record into the computer - and watching the wavy line (technical term!) to ensure I don't over record - the line rises and falls all over the place. I need to ride the fader to stop the levels going into the red. With a CD I get a solid bar with little or no variation in level. [/quote] Isn't that a reflection of the production of the individual CD? I say that with regards to relatively modern music being quite excessively compressed on purpose (re: volume wars, where dynamic range was reduced "on purpose"). I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm genuinely asking, I don't know the answer and it looks like you may have a better knowledge of these things. Also, wasn't there some special EQ curve applied to recordings prior to vinyl pressing, and subsequent inverse EQ curve applied at playback, to be able to better deal with bass frequencies which would otherwise result in too wide groove 'swings'? How does this relate, if at all, with the available dynamic range on vinyl? [quote name='LeftyP' timestamp='1498836543' post='3327485'] As for MP3s - well, they are very handy but are so compressed that most of the music has been squeezed out of them! [/quote] I was under the impression that MP3 do not add compression... the reduction in file size is achieved through a mix of *data* compression -not sound compression- and complete removal of some data that it's judged to not be noticed by the listener based on their algorithm...

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1498823155' post='3327325'] I never did that because I would have killed music... [/quote]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1498816272' post='3327221'] to be fair, it was a warm up set before midnight. It used to get packed after midnight when all the pubs used to close and we'd play til 3 am, it was a 'club'. [/quote] I have no good excuse for mine. It was just... an unpopular place with a band nobody yet knew who had not tried to promote much since we thought after the first gig that people would naturally seek us and queue for miles to see

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1498813466' post='3327184'] The demise of the cd was well in progress before the big music companies got on the vinyl resurgence hipster bandwagon. Ever tried buying CD storage these days? You just can't get anything half way decent. Since moving house my six hundred odd CD collection has remained boxed in the loft. What's crazy is having the option to buy a download album at 10.99 or buy the cd with free instant download for 4.99. Am sure in ten years my daughter will be excitedly asking me "dad did you have a Sony minidisc? Got any in the loft? They're sooooo cool!!!" [/quote] what gets me is that tape is now also considered cool... TAPE!!!!!!! I don't mean fast dense wide studio quality tape... I'm talking standard C60 and C90 slow sh*tty hissy tape. Our singer was talking about issuing our next CD on tape. I laughed very loudly... they think it's just because I'm set in my ways, being older than most of them (15 years older or a bit more! but I'm immature enough to still fit in ) however, they forget that I WAS THERE WHEN TAPE WAS COMMON. And it sucked. That's why it was dropped fast as soon as we had any other suitable portable platforms. Tape!!! (waves walking stick in the air)

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1498681481' post='3326355'] Thats because there's nothing remotely musical as far as slap bass goes. Well, there's exceptions of course, but they're in the minority Mark Plati springs to mind and shows how its possible to be musical [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNqo0kIR-TU[/media] [/quote] hmmm, lovely sound... I love that growl... beautiful bassline too.

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1498807916' post='3327124'] I should have said a week is too close to change strings UNLESS you are gonna get 4-5 hours to play them in. Dependant on what strings, rounds might sound too clanky new, flats not so much re your two audience members, I can beat that from a gig in 198? " Thank YOU. You're a lovely audience, Wayne " true story [/quote] !!! ON my first gig ever, we played to a full bar. It was awesome. A week later at a different place there were 6 people. SIX! And I knew them all. We could have thank them individually by name too

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1498808239' post='3327126'] Don't get me started on 128kb MP3s..... [/quote] If that's your digital format comparison, yes... digital will not win. But we've come a long way from 128kbps MP3. In fact, we've moved beyond MP3 although I still use them... I converted my CD collection -and some vinyl!- to 320kbps MP3 years ago... for my listening habits/locations they work really well and they're certainly no worse than the turntables the vast majority of people used to own. Comparing vinyl in an 'audiophile' setup with a very lossy digital encoding played on average equipment is not exactly a fair comparison. In addition, we seem to be ignoring that most of modern music will actually be *digital* by the time it gets to be pressed... so whether it goes into a CD or vinyl is little more than an anecdote in the whole process. edit: I do think that 'average' music equipment is of inferior quality today than 30 years ago. The vast majority of people have never listened to music through decent equipment. Maybe it's a reflection of how we seem to focus less... while before it was common to sit and listen with full attention, now music often becomes a background activity. Quality of sound is not so important when we're not actively focusing on it most of the time...

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1498808818' post='3327127'] Yes, carefully, but by just using a wood block with sandpaper held at an angle. Really close up you can see that it is nowhere near as perfect as a machine produced edge, but its pretty good, and good enough for me. No-one would ever tell the difference from a yard away. [/quote] Sanding will be then Thanks again!

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1498723688' post='3326517'] I love slap. This guy on FB is quite cool - he responds to requests from people to do all sorts of things like 'play bass with a fidget spinner' and 'play guitar strings on a bass' so I presume this video is a response to a challenge. [/quote] That's exactly what it is. These days some people can make some nice extra income from YouTube, and why not? He has this "challenge me" silly thing that leads him to post all kinds of videos... it's entertainment, and he does it well. His video of himself playing RHCP basslines with a chili (and a few extra sounds from other kitchen utensils) was as silly as it gets... but good fun. I like him. He always manages to come up with very cool funky lines... although I will not watch his whole 5 hours. But I'd love to see the stats about it. There must have been somebody somewhere who played the whole thing

[quote name='Earbrass' timestamp='1498757127' post='3326878'] Not sure whether to be depressed that people are so gullible, or pleased that this will boost the value of my 300+ vinyl collection (all purchased before CDs were available). Got to get round to selling that stuff one of these days. I will keep a handful just for the cover art / sentimental reasons. [/quote] That's what I'm thinking... I should cash in my collection before the fashion is gone!

[quote name='oldbass' timestamp='1498753016' post='3326854'] [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40445192"]http://www.bbc.co.uk...siness-40445192[/url] Hope so... [/quote] It makes sense to take advantage of the current fashion. How long it'll last, I don't know but if there's a market... it makes sense. Killing the CD? If it dies I think it won't be because of the vinyl comeback. I think it is dying because as a digital format, there are much more convenient platforms these days. Unlike the vinyl records, the CD is not likely to have a nostalgic effect, so once it goes it'll probably be gone forever... so it's interesting that the vinyl record may outlast CDs in the end!

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1498732135' post='3326612'] I remember finding the bottom end a bit mushy, but these are very old memories ! [/quote] it can get a bit too unwieldy, that's why I generally bring the bass control down a bit... but if you have a variable high pass filter later in the chain, you can remove all the excess flab and just leave the delicious bits in.

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1498729302' post='3326573'] I'm not sure where this idea has come from that a week before a gig is too late to change strings? Have i missed something? I've regularly changed mine the day before a gig - as long as you keep giving them a good stretch and play them a good bit before the gig they will have settled down and will stay in tune no problem. I did exactly that last weekend. Quite whether the change in sound was appreciated by the punters is a different matter tho! I should have asked them both... [/quote] Indeed. You can change the strings right before the gig, it's fine (if you like that bright sound). A new string will be perfectly stable if you take a little care when you put it on. Don't put excessive unnecessary windings on the tuning post, ensure there's no slack, help create 'witness points' at the nut and bridge where the strings naturally bend... and you're ready to go. I don't even stretch them, I don't find that necessary if I was careful before... but it won't hurt and could help relieve some slack you may inadvertently introduce...

[quote name='Froggy' timestamp='1498411847' post='3324390'] Im looking for some advice from more experienced players, I have a gig next Saturday, first one ever, I'm slightly scared but excited too. I'm as prepared as I can be (6 weeks to learn 20 songs, I'm winging almost all of them!) I have 2 spare batteries for my bass and 4 spares for my wireless transmitter and a set of spare strings for the bass, I can't think of anything else I might need. The question is, the current strings on my bass have been on it for at least 18 months, since I bought it, so longer in the shop obviously. They don't seem to be showing signs of wear, and I play fingerstyle quite lightly, I don't hit the strings hard. Should I change them now, 1 week before the gig, or leave them for now and change them afterwards? [/quote] Do they sound ok? If yes... leave them. Do you use effects? Overdrive/distortion in particular? If the answer is yes... beware a fresh roundwound string will be noticeably brighter and your overdrives will sound a lot grittier, so make sure you get a good practice with the new strings to figure out your gain levels again.

[quote name='Byo' timestamp='1498696298' post='3326447'] The PD7 is the first effect pedal I ever bought and I still have it. It was my main drive for a few years too and used to pair it with a Darkglass B3K (1st edition). Awesome sound and extremely underrated. My sound was setting to OD, gain to around 9-10 o'clock, a little Bass boost and a tiny cut on the highs and it was an awesome OD with a P-Bass. Nice to see that I am not alone! [/quote] and those push-in buttons... love those! Find your setting, push them in... settings safe! I had once a scare when my pedalboard stopped working. No sound at all.. but all lights were on. This is for the RATM band, so I really didn't want to play clean all night... I needed 2-3 overdrives, the wah, a phaser... I traced it back to the second to last pedal in the chain: an EBS compressor. I took it out and played the gig. Later I realised that the level control was at zero! The pedal was absolutely fine, but somehow the cable inside the pedal board had turned that knob down to zero. Of course, now I check and recheck those things, but still... the push buttons to save settings are a great solution

[quote name='Jus Lukin' timestamp='1498696233' post='3326446'] I have one of these and am rather fond. The built in, fixed blend makes it quite easy to use, although it is quite a scooped, 'distortion' pedal regardless of settings. Nevertheless, it's a good sound, and does get those 'oooh, that's nice' reactions! I used it to re-record the bass for a remix of an industrial-cybergoth-metal track once, and as much of a niche genre as that may have been, it suited the context well. The sound it makes reminds me of a little bass break in a Morbid Angel song, maybe off the first or third album. Also, for anyone chasing John Entwistle's later bass tones, the Phat Hed with the right flanger would do a very good job. I have heard the micro-switches are prone to wearing out and aren't the standard boss type, but otherwise the pedal is solid and the 'sinkable' knobs are a great idea. [/quote] The two I've had, I had no issues with the switches... fingers crossed for the one I still have! I find the distortion a little too scooped for my liking. It works, but if it's a busy sound with the rest of the band you need to EQ it carefully, however the overdrive works very well for me. The 2EQ is very effective, I find I nearly always have to cut bass to make it sit just right. I get very nice fat gritty low gain overdrive sounds (think Audioslave "Be yourself") or grittier higher gain ones (think Biffy Clyro "The captain") simply by adjusting the treble/bass controls on my Stingray (those are two songs we do in a covers band I've just started playing in, and that's exactly how I manage the sound...)... I find with overdrives, if you have an active EQ in your bass, the treble/mids are fantastic at shaping the distortion, so you can set a drive level that with the treble down a bit doesn't feel very distorted... and then you turn up a bit and you get a very dirty sound. One pedal does it when I used to use two for that. The PD7 works very very well that way.

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1498705239' post='3326456'] Yup, done loads. A Dremel is my tool of choice. - First, mark out (or trace) your outline on the back of the blank. - then cut out the shape with a few mm clearance using the dremel circular cutting tool - Then use the abrasive grit cylinder attchments to gently take the material back nearly to the level you want. - I always find it easier to finish off with various grades of sandpaper/ wet'n'dry paper. Something like 100-200 grit to get the basic shape (including the bevel) and then something like 400 then 600 to finish it off. - I have a large but fine toothed square-edged metal file which is very useful for finishing off the shape off non-bevelled bits like pickup holes and the neck slots. - For pickup holes when I'm "freestyling" it, I cut one hole in the scratchplate where I'm damned sure the pickup is, and then slowly, slowly enlarge the hole with the dremel, continually matching it up to the bass, until I've got a decent fit for the pickup, finishing up those edges with my big file. It all takes a while, but don't rush it and you will have something unique and special ! [/quote] That was very useful, thank you. I'm planning to make one in the near future (got the blank and tools, just looking for the time and will to colocalise ) and that was reassuring. I didn't want to go all the way to make a template etc. I figured that with a dremel, slowly and carefully I should be able to do it. How did you manage to do the bevel edge? "carefully", I guess