vsmith1

I also got the Bass Aerobics book and a Larry Graham DVD Funk Bass Attack. She was inspired after seeing me be inspired watching him on Later with Jools. Also book about Led Zep and a special shirt to wear at our New Year's Eve gig where it will be fancy dress.

I use old laptop bags.

I have used Doodle to arrange times for rehearsals etc. as you can give a set of dates and times and get each to respond to say which is best for them. Again used in conjunction with Google Calendar.

Exciting - we need new pictures and an audio clip at least.

We'll be playing Merry Christmas Everybody on our gig this coming Saturday - I surprised myself by picking up the bass line quicker than I expected, though I doubt I've got all the nuances of the original. My little brain is getting confused on the run down as its the same as Wonderful Tonight. I'm also shocked by how neat it actually is, but I've been practising against a karaoke track - so no vocals.

My free Corona Chorus pedal arrived today. So far in a rehearsal and a gig the BH250 has been fine with just my ABM mini15 - when the Midget arrives then I'll be even happier. I can foresee some of my existing kit will be up sale. I'll give the Corona pedal a whirl at the next gig.

Also remember the Fletcher-Munson curves - ie what we hear at lower volume levels is not the same as at higher levels. So sat in a bedroom with the amp down low won't same the same (nevermind room acoustics) as in a gig situation (nevermind the rest of the band playing as well).

Reminds me of a Hawkwind song - Sonic Attack! Quotes: "Do not waste time blocking your ears Do not waste time seeking a soundproof shelter Try to get as far away from the sonic source as possible Do not panic..." Do not panic.

Thank you all for being so honest. I'm finding this discussion thread really helpful and encouraging. I would agree that a) I must make a small number of fluffs per gig most of them are hardly noticed by the rest of the band c) very exceptional ones are noticed by the audience. I'm my own harshest critic. In our band it is the drummer often who makes more obvious glitches, the keyboard player failing to change the transposition setting on her keyboard or the male vocalist who fluffs a vocal line.We all occasionally get the tempo wrong when we start a song - sometimes too slow but sometimes too fast.

My new BH250 and footswitch arrived yesterday. Too much work, college evening course, dentist, car in garage to get to it yet. But I will put some labels on the footswitch to remind what does what. I got the iPhone app for the TonePrints and will be trying the Octaver as soon as I can.

I get this also this morning in Safari but not in Camino on OSX.

Thanks to this conversation, I've just ordered a BH250 and footswitch from Soundslive. I have picked up the Rebate form, so I'll get myself a Corona Chorus as well in a while (they say 6-8 weeks). Then it be a battle to see which will stay out of a) the TonePrint chorus or the Corona pedal or c) my existing MXR M234 Analog Chorus pedal. Already picking up the iPhone app and Octaver TonePrints. So if the Octaver is good then that means £100-ish deducted from the purchase as I won't need to buy a pedal.

http://www.presonus.com/support/downloads Presonus are a good set of people.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1350548690' post='1840254'] He's never played bass on that number with Zeppelin... or Kashmir, or Trampled Underfoot, or Four Sticks, etc. He's a hell of a bass pedal player, though. :-) [/quote] Do you mean that he's never played bass on Since You've Been Gone with Zep in a live situation? Because I'm listening back to the tracks (granted some studio ones) and either he's pretty good with his feet or he's playing bass.

I went and saw the film last night. I was very happy. I agree that Jason's drumming was the underpinning to the gig. He was magnificent without being a clone of his dad. It was moving to see him very much in the mind of doing it for his dad. Robert Plant's voice was great - he's kept performing and unlike others of a similar generation - he's not lost a lot of the voice that defined a genre. Jimmy Page still strutted his stuff but I found some of it a bit re-enacting of times past. JPJ was brill - thunderous tone - but I was disappointed that he played keys with foot pedals for bass on several numbers - I especially wanted to hear his bass on Since I've Been Loving You. Strange to think that about 35 years ago I saw TSRTS down the road in Morecambe and watched this in Lancaster. Though I've been in many other places in between those times.

I get goosebumps when our covers band play Chasing Cars - yes it is simple to play but complex is not always great.

Great article, good to focus on the bass-side of their business.

I also read this as I was playing my first ceilidh last Saturday. Thanks for the advice. I didn't have to use the Yeehaa coverup. But we had been issued with simple scores for each song. I kept it simple root and fifths mainly, but the rhythm was important I felt. I confess that I was like a "rabbit in headlights" by intently following the score to make sure I was right. The score did include the repeat marks. By the time I was getting comfortable and starting to relax - the song ended and I started again with the next song. There were a few that combined two songs together - switching back and forth. Thankfully the penny whistle/mandolin player called the change. It was quite relaxed as there was a long gap between songs as the caller had to teach the dancers the particular steps for the next song. We must have played 6 songs in just over an hour! I hope that your experience was as pleasant and constructive as mine.

Off to see and hear Wishbone Ash next month in Kendal, but as I read stuff that is the band with Andy Powell but not Martin Turner. Now I have mixed feelings.

If this is any like the world of fonts then the name of the font is the protected thing - hence Helvetica [i]is[/i] trade marked, but the shape is not. Hence back in the ancient days of computer fonts there was a font called Swiss - which coincidently was rather like Helvetica. This is also why there was Times Roman and Times New Roman, again a name variance. I would assume that something similar is happening in the world of amp modelling. I have some of the Ampeg models in the Amplitube - and I read that Ampeg actively worked with them to get the model sounding like an Ampeg. This is why the models are called Ampeg B15, etc. Whereas the Line6 just bought the kit and played and recorded and analysed to produce their models - which are not called Ampeg - but are given names that imply. A very thin line between being sued and not. Also Pocket GK worked with Gallien Krueger to produce their models for the iOS app; Ampkit have worked with Peavey and now Ashdown to produce their models. The same applies as I see them in the FX pedal, cab, mic models.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1344861117' post='1770193'] However standard Cat5/6 cable is terrible for live use. It's designed for permanent installations where it's not going to be flexed and the connectors simply aren't robust enough for constant plugging/unplugging. I'm on my 3rd cable for connecting my Shortboard to my Pod the previous teo having failed at either the plug or the conductors. [/quote] I agree that the RJ45 connectors are not designed for multiple re-use and the Neutrik connectors should be better. Even at work the office desks are littered with RJ45 plugs with broken clips. The cables also need to be more robust. Maybe wireless will be the way forward.

Just a bit irritated by the blatant tape covering Ampeg on the head and cab, then noticed that Ashdown was covered up for Madness bassist, then Fender covered for Pete Townsend back line. I didn't notice that the Logo Police had covered up the RR and Spirit of Ecstasy on the three cars!! I was wondering whether they'd have to cover Fender on the headstock of the Strats.

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1343590623' post='1752494'] Once set up, I turn mixer vol to 0 and get everyone playing and singing to make sure input gains are ok. Then I set mixer master vol to about 15% below unity and stand out front and start by getting the drummer to play. I'll tweak him as needed then pick up a bass (wireless) and start playing along. I tweak my settings to fit then get guitarist to join in and make any necessary adjustments to make him fit. I then set lead vocal mic to unity gain and all other mics to about 2/3 of the main vocals. The last stage is to play a song that uses all mics. I then make sure vox are coming over loud and clear. If needed ill boost the vox a little but 9 times in 10 i have to pull them back a little. Finally i set monitor levels so vocals are clear on stage. Sometimes I put some guitar into the mix but I'm lucky that our guys are all sensible with vol so I can use the PA to build a sound and not rather than use it to compensate for someone being too loud. [/quote] Sounds familiar - except that I usually do the monitors first then the FOH, I'm not sure why I do this, but your approach has me thinking - is there a reason to do the FOH first then the monitors? Normally if I try to get the band to do a song they (vocalists) whinge that they cannot hear themselves. Thankfully I don't mic the drums - but the drums set the level for everything else! I don't DI my bass rig - since I got the HA3500 and 15" cab - I seem to be able to pump it out unaided. I have to keep an eye on things as of course everyone gets louder once we really get started. I always seem to be struggling with the rest who a) aren't bothered as long as they are alright cannot be bothered to do anything much c) forget everything from one time to the next.