mcnach

As the title says. I need it to be able to take a stereo mp3 (or wav) and convert it to a mono wav, 16-bit. If it can offer things like volume normalisation even better but really not necessary. Happy to use Windows or Linux. If interested, this is why, in case some people may find this useful too. My old band reformed a few months ago and added a couple new people, and we're taking this opportunity to write new material. We tend to meet at the guitarist/singers place out in the middle of nowhere (almost) as he's got a nice setup with drums and PA and various amplifiers permanently set ready to go. We record the sessions with a little recorder in the middle of the room. Sound quality is suprisingly good for what it is. We're trying various ideas and generally messing around with things, as we go, and I'm finding very useful to do the following: Take the mp3 recording, and feed it to an app called Moises which does an amazing job at separating 'tracks' (it also recognised chords, song sections, and even transcribes lyrics... the lyrics part is not 100% but it's pretty good, you can also change key and various other things, it's an amazing app). I then export the individual tracks (as mp3, but could export them as wav too, sound quality is not crucial, considering the source). Now, I like to import them into a Zoom R16 multitrack recorder. Yes, I could use Reaper or whatever on the PC, but I really like the R16 for a number of reasons I won't go into). I convert each track into a mono wav file, and it's got to be 16-bit, and the file name has to follow a particular convention too. Then it's ready to be shuttled into a new project in the R16. I use the R16 to practice: multiFX for bassguitar go into it, and I can use headphones or external monitors. That way I turn off my original bass (but can check it out for when I had a few cool ideas that I want to keep) and I can just jam along and work on various ideas. I'd like to streamline the process by writing a little script that will take care of the file renaming, conversion etc. I just don't have an audio converter that I could run from the command line. A quick google reveals that there's quite a few options, and I don't mind at all paying for the right one. I'm just wondering if anybody has experience and can recommend a particular one. I don't need anything fancy, it's the conversion from stereo mp3/wav to mono wav 16-bit (44.1 KHz preferably) that I really need. Anything else like EQ, normalisation, FX could be interesting but not really in the 'must have' list.

I was going to suggest these. Nice and thin and they seem to last, I've been using them for a few years.

Or even better... that time could be used moving away from that horrible fluid and get something tasty instead (I tried... but I just can't stand whisky, boo )

Oh yess, they are quite something. I had the good fortune to be supporting them a few months ago. The 'backstage' was a huge space at an old converted church where they have a piano, an organ and a kitchen with some very tasty chilli (thank you MacArts!). I was very tired so I was trying to snooze on one of the sofas, but I couldn't sleep... not so much because of the noise, but because they sounded amazing and were goofing around so I had a huge grin all the time. They are really really good. The horns sound sooo tight!

Great band, uber-cool bass player and really nice guy too. They seem to start gaining some traction, well deserved!

You don't need to use their cable. Use a small cable from the bass to the unit, and then a normal one from the unit to amp/whatever and it'll work just fine.

My G2 finally arrived yesterday (preordered in August '22, shipped in late June). Interestingly the postman just gave it to me without giving me a bill to pay for any taxes despite the big sticker saying "this item cannot be delivered until taxes are paid in full", so I'll probably get an invoice later, but everytime I've had to pay taxes they've charged me first... we'll see. First impressions are mixed. It seems to make a huge difference where you put the unit, so I'll have to investigate. So far, I see to prefer it on my waist (on the back, hooked to my belt), and it's easy to operate without looking at the controls. It's definitely a cool experience, but I'm not sure I would have bought it, at the price it sells for, if I had tried it first. I'll experiment more with the location of the unit before I decide how much I like it. I haven't used the cable provided, using two cables is simple enough and their cable looks a bit flimsy to me. I've got a short cable from the bass to the unit on my back, and then a longer cable to a Zoom B6 -> mixer -> headphones. Cables out of the way, that's not a problem. My plan is to use a headphone amp as well, for IEM, so belt-mount seems like a good place to have it. I think I would really like for the app to be available soon, to tweak the response of the unit. It works great with a Precision, but with the Stingray I would like a bit more vibration on the higher notes. Cool unit, just not as amazing as I was thinking it would be. Probably I was expecting too much from a tiny coil attached to my body.

I've got a G2 on the way, made it to Heathrow yesterday morning, so any day now

I'd get the cables checked/replaced

I was in a band for a few years with a guy who used a little cheap Zoom unit, forget which one. Sounded great out front from what I coud hear, and it definitely sounded fine on the monitors. Need to engage the speaker simulation especially if using overdrive. Something like a Helix should sound pretty good!

I have one of those, same thoughts: tuners are terribly and they'll chew themselves off but I still have the original strings on so they're managing, just. Fret ends were a bit sharp, so 20 minutes going over them was needed, but I left everything as it is (except the pickguard). I've played it quite a bit, at home and outside. I thought of putting a preamp to make it more like my Stingray 4-string but I really like the sound... so I have now a Ray35 for that, but the passive Harley Benton is probably my favourite of the two.

It depends. For me it's a question of how bad the risk is, or rather what are the consequences in case of failure? Wedding gig? Yup, there's a backup (not onstage, 'though). Top tier gig? Yup, there and ready to be used. Generic pub gig? Nah. It doesn't take me that long to change strings etc. Too much hassle. The only times I've had two on stage is when I needed a fretted and a fretless. I don't tend to make a display of them 'though. But nothing wrong with putting guitars on display if that's what you want. Hey, I find guitars pretty and I'd rather look at them than at that drunk guy that for some reason feels I'm his new best friend and can't talk without spitting.

You just jinxed it, I'd be very nervous on teh next gig

Same as you: people make mistakes, we carry on and let them catch up (with subtle or not so subtle hints, depending), but if the singer launches into the wrong bit, just follow them.

That's what I hear too

I thought I was having deja-vu for a minute, I was pretty sure I had seen this post before

a bit of Korpiklaani in the morning...

I just see somebody struggling... 😞

I never thought I would ever say "that's a beautiful set of headphones!" wow!

I liked it when I used a stage microphone (actually a Zoom H2 stereo field recorder) in addition to the mix I was given. With a tiny weeny mixer on my pedalboard [1] so that I could balance the mix, my own bass, and the 'ambience'. You're still somewhat isolated in that I don't have a mic on me so if someone talks to me I don't have a good way to hear them clearly but people can be pretty shouty and it didn't seem a terrible problem Anyway... I don't want to preach in case someone confuses me with... (is he gone yet? ) , and I'm very very new to this IEM thing. I got interested in order to hear things better while keeping the volume down for my ears. I've played in some really nice stages where standard wedges/amps worked beautifully, but unfortunately I play way too many that are nowhere near as good, and that's where I find IEM most useful. Pub gigs? I think IEM is ideal for that. I'm waiting for one of those BackBeat units that you out on the strap/belt and vibrate with your bass, which is supposed to improve the experience. We'll see. [1] I'm using a very unsophisticated method, and wired, using one of those combined instrument/earphone cables with the mixer feeding my little headphone amp attached to my belt and one of those multidrive KZ10-something earphones that I sa being recommended on the "IEM Bible" thread. Not a huge investment by any means (mixer was around £50, and so was the cable, the earphones about £30) and I felt it was a good way to give IEM a try. I hesitated for a while because it seemed it could be a faff when you're not the 'important band' and getting a suitable mix would depend largely on others, but my 'ghetto' approach works in any situation and can make some of the venues where I never get a good sound/monitor onstage become a much more pleasant experience. If I can have good mix, brilliant. If I don't, the H2 mic onstage gives me whatever I would normally hear, but at reduced levels, better clarity, and get to balance my bass better for my ears. Aaanyway, whatever system people use, I think having an ambience mic in the mix is really important to not feel isolated.

If you want the drum tracks of existing songs, you can separate any song into 5 individual tracks (drum/percussion being one) using Moises: https://moises.ai/products/moises-webapp/ It works very well.

I think they have 3 sizes, each with a different range, have a look.

Yes, they're fine passive.

I've been using those Lekato straps for a while. Very comfy, I've ended up with four of them. Really nice.

How would you know who stole it?