vsmith1

I am happy with it. I got set up with a Hotone Ampero Controller using MIDI and able to switch between presets, and toggle the FX in a preset on and off. Saves a pedalboard.

Pub gig with my Barefaced Midget and new Darkglass Exponent 500. Playing my Sire V7. We have a Presonus sub in support too.

Further developments: Hotline Ampere Controller connected with MIDI cable to Exponent. Set up the four footswitches in two banks: my main three presets are on switches 1,2,3 on bank 0 and switch 4 is to bypass the main FX in each preset; bank 1: is the same except switch 1,2 are presets 4 and 5 and again switch 4 is to bypass the main FX. For the bypass, I set it on the controller as Toggle mode with A as a value of 0 and B as a value of 127. And on the Exponent I made dial E the virtual pedal switch. Unfortunately, the Mute MIDI CC control does not operate as a toggle - which strikes me as very poor. So cannot use the Mute CC control to turn the Exponent to mute and press again to un-mute.

Used it in a gig last weekend. DI'd into the FoH as well as into my Barefaced Midget. I had to slightly drop the Master Vol and the FoH fader. Good results. As a cover band I find it useful to have the various presets as we cover a variety of genres, so the chorus was good using the factory preset, using the Tube preset mostly and also I had added a gritty preset using the VMT rather than the B3K. Now I am trying to get sorted with a MIDI pedalboard to change presets, bypass the Chorus, switch the Mute on and off, etc. I have the Hotone Ampero Controller - 4 footswitches, MIDI, again configured with an app and Bluetooth and small, good construction. Just wishing that Darkglass would have more MIDI control options and some tutorials!

Thing to note is for performing, better to have white text on a black background - means that the tablet screen is not illuminating your face, probably washing out any nice coloured lighting. Our lead singer has a small iPad with a magnetic mount so very inconspicuous.

Well it arrived a day earlier. Only had a little time to play through it. Got the app on my iPhone talking to it. Plugged it into my home practice set up: Ashdown Mini15 cab. Though my very small room is not the place to open the master volume. Must say I like the red lights when adjusting the input gain.

Well I have just pressed the button on getting my own Exponent 500.

This is highly interesting. I have a few questions: I have not seen any FX along the lines of an Octave, which to me seems to be one of the essentials. Is this right? Have Darkglass added such in an software update? Or could a combination of other included FX be combined to get close? As I have a Behringer MIDI foot board, I wonder if that could control the Exponent? Anyone any experiences? Any news on Darkglass foot controller - with the unique 7-pin connector? Thanks

I wonder if Vox are going to issue a new version? From Vox direct, I got my Artist 1H at £799 delivered. I see at the usual websites (eg PMTOnline) that the Artist 1H is listed at £1594.52 - strange price! But "Available to Order". They do have the non-Artist Starstreams from £425 to £500. Bass Direct have a Artist 2S and 1H at £1199. So I feel I have a bargain.

Well not a good start on that. On the Starstream, the fixings for the strap buttons are bolts, not screws. As the Loxx buttons are a single piece, I looked on the Loxx website. They do not make any buttons with a bolt. Loxx do make an adapter for acoustic guitars with a Fishman style jack socket: https://www.loxx-produkte.de/images/schaeffertec/UbersichtOverviewLOXXMusikBoxAdapter.pdf This is effectively what @scrumpymike made and showed in this thread. Needs some thought. In the mean time I have some D'Addario strap locks to use with a dedicated strap (ie without the Loxx strap lock fitted).

I have just joined this list of Starstream owners. I bought direct from Vox a Starstream Artist 1H, and think I might have got the last. Mine is black. I just arrived today - pretty quickly since I stopped dithering and order it over the weekend. Just had a quick play, once inserted the 2x 9V batteries, and feels good, sounds great. Very first impressions. I am going to see if I can swap out the strap buttons for Loxx buttons. But that will be later.

I have had and used a BF Midget (Gen2) for a number of years now, and have just replaced the handle. I got the kit from BF, which required some dismantling before using on the Midget. Also I noted that there were two bolt holes, whereas my cab has only one. I was, as instructed, very careful unscrewing the bolts so that the nut inside the cab did not before detached. All looks good with a new handle with the rubber grip not ripped as the original one had been. I am happy with the BF Midget. Easy to carry, it has been reliable.

Kinky Afro - Happy Mondays (RIP Paul Ryder)

I have used Schallers, and the later Schallers with the lock ring, but my nice Mono Strap ended up pulling the Schaller strap through the keyhole in the end of the strap. It was difficult to "repair" as there was insufficient depth on the threads on the lock to add additional large diameter washer. I have switched to the Loxx strap locks, from a purely mechanical perspective the height of the pin and the lock on the strap are much less, so less leverage than Schallers. This was a good thing. The lock on the strap is nicely wide and the tool included allows tightening of the lock. This is also a good thing. Tightening the Schallers needed two tools (eg small spanner and hex socket).

Though I mostly agree. The main volume on the stage is from the acoustic drum kit. Oftentimes it effectively drowns out all other sounds on the (usually tiny) stage space. That is then overcome by having monitors or IEMs or the guitarists, bassist etc. turning up their backline, which exacerbates the problem. We (in a 5-piece band) have used more IEMs (lead vox, drummer, bassist), but the guitarists (x2) share a floor wedge. This does not resolve all the loud stage issues, but helps. In very small areas, we use a small electronic Drum kit and as the bassist I do not use a backline just a DI, but we have two tops and a sub.

Yes have suffered the high pitched whinge/squeal from the SCR-DI as the batteries run out. I run it always off a USB battery pack with a suitable cable to power it. I use the Ripcord (https://myvolts.co.uk/Ripcord). Means that the battery pack and SCR-DI can sit at my feet without needing a power strip and PSU to be run to my position.

Have to agree - that Rod was dire; but Diana Ross was poor - clearly she was fiddling with her IEM controller and couldn't decide whether to take off the stole or not. Duran Duran were the highlight for me. Still wonder who was the grumpy woman was sat behind Prince William?

I've joined the Sandberg club. VM4 blueburst, ebony fingerboard. Happy.

I did try mine with my Barefaced Midget. It's my gig set up! Though that is now a historical statement!

Next gig is 1 Nov. I'll let you know how I get on.

I visited my local store, Promenade Music in Morecambe, and tried out the following with a passive Yamaha BB with a MarkBass cab: MarkBass Little Marcus 500 Ashdown MAG RM420 Ashdown Retroglide 800 (Ashdown RM500-Evo II - not available) GRBass ONE 800 I mainly focussed on the Little Marcus, which sounded great, but I was not getting much from the Millerizer control. But I could have gone with it. But I tried the Ashdown's and they felt nowhere as full-bodied as the Little Marcus. I guess I'm the sort of person that has to make huge changes on the EQ then I'm less keen. I tried the GRBass as a last minute and was impressed. So impressed I went back the next day after some additional research and bought it. Gary in Promenade had picked up GRBass after the show in London as he'd been impressed. So a quick view on what I like: The sound was full - and back at home with my Ashdown MIni15 cab - just as good. I have to try it with my BB Midget. Not needed to have much EQ fettling to get a great sound Nice set of EQ - with switches for the frequency of the Low-Mid and High-Mid And switches for extra Low and extra High A mute button with indicator light A built-in tuner (including up to 6-string) EQ-bypass switch with indicator (they call it Pure) Light, small and well-built - ie metal case And a 9V power outlet for some pedals Pimp-my-amp LEDs! What I would like to see: Built-in Limiter/Compressor Foot switch controls Some will want rack ears Not a lot really. It came in white and you can get black and custom colours as well a range of cabs.