mcnach

I have an ABS case for my amplifier, one of those with pull-off foam inserts so you can cut it to fit. That carries my amplifier and cables. 

Sometimes it's more convenient to use something I've seen described as a 'technician's tool bag' or similar. Big central compartment, with full side pockets (come in different sizes) and various subdivisions, pocket on the top... 

Mine is not this one but it's the same idea:

I put a layer of hard foam at the bottom, and it fits my amplifier and a laptop, or my Zoom R16 recorder, or a multiFX, or... you get the idea. Lots of space for a folder with music, and cables, tools, etc. Quite handy those.

Brilliant!!! 

It almost looks like ffmpeg would make me a coffee too, I haven't checked all the docs yet but after a quick scan it looks impressive, thak you! 

as simple as:

ffmpeg -i whatevertrack.mp3 -acodec pcm_s16le -ac 1 -ar 41100 whatevertrack.wav 

and I can easily add tags etc as well... great! 

2 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

Thanks all...

@mcnach those look sleek, but a little put off by the length of the tab by the jack... the joyo pedals are diddy, and the jack sockets low.

@Jean-Luc Pickguard those look great for my need, minimal around the actual jack sleeve... short and slim.

Now got to find a 3 daisy chain with angled 9v connectors...

I happen to have one of those Joyo Orange Juice pedals, so I checked. When vertical, the end of the cable is exactly at the same level as the floor of the pedal, so it can be used but it would not be a great fit as you can't rotate it. Best using one of the others 👍

On 26/06/2023 at 17:22, StingRayBoy42 said:

I bought a MIM 70s Jazz Bass from the Electronic Bay, and the pickups are rubbish.

They buzz (more if you touch them), they sound weak and out of phase if they're both turned up full and they don't seem to want to be earthed.

Other than that, the Bass is lovely so I'm keeping it - the seller refunded a bit of money so I'm more or less happy.

Can anyone recommend me some replacement pickups?

I like an old-skool thumpy sort of sound if that helps.

I've got my eye on a pair of Bartolinis (Bartolinii?) originals at £156 new, just wondering if there's any others I should know about.

Fender noiseless? EMG? Seymour Duncs? Wilkinson? Any other makes I've never heard of?

Only interested in passive .

All and any input welcomed.

Cheers


Gratuitous pic of the new arrival

I love the Dimarzio Area J for something that sounds much like the classic single coil Jazz, but they're humbuckers. Not expensive either.

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.

On 07/07/2023 at 00:51, rushbo said:

I use these on my RockBoard - they're ace. Available in 10cm length for tight spaces:

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

4 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

It's about efficiency - all that time typing that extra 'e' could have been spent drinking whisky...

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  )

20 hours ago, BassBunny said:

These guys from Scotland are awesome. Saw them a few months ago and booked again in Oct. Tom McGuire and the Brassholes.

 

https://youtu.be/Fhb9VHodGWE

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!  

On 07/07/2023 at 08:33, fretmeister said:

 

 

I recently discovered these guys, and I love it. Some absolute crackers there.

 

I'd love to be in a band playing this sort of stuff.

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

On 04/07/2023 at 14:38, woodyratm said:

Ohh reading it just now. 70% lighter and made of ABS vs the aluminium? 
 

I’m tempted to order. Only concern is that cable. I’ve moved to Dingwalls and not sure how it would sit with the cable input being where it is. Probs would need to point towards me, or towards audience. The design they seem to have had first would have been awesome. 
 

 

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

16 hours ago, walshy said:

This is the difference right here, put the time in and it sounds epic. Played with a fair few guitarists now who do it this way, all sound cracking

I'd get the cables checked/replaced

16 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Just wondering what folk's experience of amp modelling of their guitar players is with their PA@? Guys I've worked with have tried going through FoH, partly with a view to getting a balanced FoH sound and enable us to all use IEMs, but typically get quite a brittle / harsh sound if they are going into the PA via something like a Helix Stomp or a DI out from their pedalboard. The best compromise seems to be to mic up their cabs and use their rigs as a stage monitor. 

 

Be interested to hear where your bands / guitar players have landed on this one?

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!

On 15/06/2023 at 16:43, EssexBuccaneer said:

I’ve been after a five-string for a while, and tbf I’m still saving for the Schecter I really want - but forgot about some shares I had and used them to blow £130 of the finest English pounds on this wee devil. 
 

it looks nice, plays nice. The tuners are *terrible* and the frets need a polish, but at that price I’m not grumbling. 
 

New tuners and a little TLC and it’ll be ace.

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. 

On 09/06/2023 at 11:36, Supernaut said:

One. I've never broken a bass string in 20 years of playing. 

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

7 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

Interesting conversation in the band the other day (no rows or fallings-out, but differing opinions). Thought I'd ask you lot. What should the policy be if someone makes a mistake whilst playing?

 

It's inevitable that mistakes happen from time to time - the question is how to cope with/minimise them. In this case, our singer started another verse, rather than a chorus. I went with her, but a couple of the guys tried to stick to the arrangement. We rescued the situation, but had a discussion afterwards about what to do if it happened again.

 

My thinking is that if one of the musicians makes a clam, the band should plough on and let them realise and correct (with a few pointed looks, etc to make them aware). Very few people in an audience are going to think "That bass player dropped a clanger" or "That guitar player got it wrong". Most aren't likely to be musicians and, crucially, the main focus is on the singer.

 

However, if the singer makes a mistake and the band doesn't go with it and leaves him/her high and dry, people will think "the entire band screwed up". It makes sense to me that one should adapt on the fly in order to escape the situation gracefully and as unnoticeably as possible.

 

Others felt the arrangement should be adhered to no matter what. What are your thoughts?

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.

28 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Hi , it’s not my kinda music but a quick listen sounds like it’s the notes from the G# minor triad, G# , B , D#, but I could be wrong 😁, see what you think 

That's what I hear too

11 hours ago, JohnDaBass said:

All great stuff Guys but just watched a couple of hours of the Jeff Beck tribute concert on UThube, and not an IEM in sight. 

Lots of titchy, tiny (Fender) combos miked and played at comfortable levels. Lovely sounding Laney Digbeth amp & 4x10 or 4x8 cab.

Am I missing something 😒

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... 😞

On 14/05/2023 at 00:45, Ricky 4000 said:

 

I had a set of Prinzsound 909s a while back:

 

 

Lovely leathery head strap, but they were electrically past the point of saving. Would have been amazing for reggae too... ah well...

 

You don't see anybody collecting vintage IEMs do ya?

 

QED, whatever that means.

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

wow!

On 13/05/2023 at 17:50, Raymondo said:

Why would I want to isolate myself when on stage? I am probably not as "Pro" as the OP but ..

.I have had a few years where I paid all my bills by only playing bass, and...

 

If playing to 2000 is a measure ... I have played Rock City a few times....which leads me to my point.

 

The onstage monitoring and overall stage sound at Rock City was phenomenal.

The noise of the packed crowd singing every word was so moving and inspirational.

 

I'm not sure that it would have been so enjoyable with my ears blocked by IEMs.

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.

On 27/11/2022 at 10:35, funky8884 said:

Hi guys,

 

I am looking for a rhythm solution to play percussion backing tracks if popular hits,

 

Is there a good way to buy midi tracks and play these through a drum machine then into the PA ?

My laptop as busted and I have an old windows desktop that can be used to download midi's,

Can I use and old sequencer ?

I'm not looking for ultra high quality sounds

Thanks 

 

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.