Dad3353

Someone has to carry the stuff (lazy as I am...), and a camel bell doesn't have the same 'ring' to it.

I tethered the cow.

Good evening, Adam, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Kiemsa started out, and continued until the end, as an Originals band, (bass, drums, two guitars, three brass and a lively singer...). The very first dates were self-promoted concerts, but quickly expanded to all venues in an ever-widening radius from the Home Town. After self-financing (from gig takings...) their first CD, they became regional, then national. That's when I 'stepped off the bus' (I started off doing the sound, then the lights when the drummer changed; the ex-drummer did the sound...). Having been self-managed up till then, a management deal was struck and they carried on for a couple more years, touring France and Germany. I was invited to the extremely lively 'Farewell' concert when they split. None of the material was covers, from start to finish. Difficult, even, to categorise; I used to say 'ska/punk/rock'. It always went down well; I have many memories of cafés, bars and pubs where the jammed-in crowd exploded the place with exuberance. It's true that the original songs (and their performance...) was very good indeed, and Martin, the front man, took on the role like a fish to water. If the songs and music are up to it, I see no reason why they wouldn't be well received (but they have to be darned good..!). Here's extracts from one of the larger concerts; the repertoire and energy was the same in tiny bars and clubs (Our Eldest on guitar, stage left; I did the lights...). Happy daze..!

[Mod's hat on] One option would be to allow this topic to run; there is debate even in the Upper Echelons as to why Religion should be exempt from mockery where other subjects are fair game. Still, The Rules is The Rules, for now, and it looks as if this topic has had its best replies; any more risk stepping into Forbidden Territory. Goodnight, all, then; thanks for the positive contributions. Topic locked. [/Mod's hat on]

I have a small stable of robots, when lyrics are de rigor, or samples, if it's just vocals for vocals sake. I've yet to find anything with convincing operatic capability, though, which is what I'd really like to offer. One day, maybe; one day.

T'would need the processing power of Deep Blue to even try to get my 'singing' even remotely in tune. I think I'd be best relegated to the 'Lee Marvin' camp (and even then...). I envy anyone with a voice (except maybe Lurks...), and applaud anything that improves anything. Precious, me..? Precious little.

Indeed. I just stay at home and listen to recordings. I'd try getting out of my armchair if a Grateful Dead tribute came playing within a 5km radius, but I can't think of any other magnet strong enough to have me tempt fate further. I'd add that, for the purposes of the poll above ^^, I've never assisted at any tribute band concert, ever.

Good morning, Jamie, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

I've an acoustic kit (well, two, actually, but... whatever...) and a modest e-drum set, but often have occasion to assist at a jam session with chums, sometimes outside, and it's not that easy to lug a kit around. One option would be a cajon, tambourine, bongos, maracas etc, and a very good option too, often enough. I've found, however, another option (which includes much of the former...) which allow for a full kit, in one compact unit. It's the Alesis CompactKit7, which has, as the name implies, seven pads, plus two pedal switches; they even supply a pair of sticks (which I hastily swapped out for my own favourites, naturally...). Here's one I prepared earlier a (bad...) photo of the unit at the foot of my armchair, in my 'pica-studio'... It's all self-contained, and can rest on a chair, or table top; I've popped it onto a spare snare stand, and use the feet of this to block the pedal-switches, to stop 'em skidding away. To be fair, they don't skid that much, but the snare feet are there; they may as well serve..! The internal sounds are pretty good, for the use I'll put it to, but I'll usually use the headphone socket to send audio to the small PA our singer uses. The sounds are even better, naturally (but the internal speakers are not so bad, at a pinch; I practise with them and they're OK...). It has a MIDI-Out, and I've done a short clip triggering Superior Drummer 3 through Reaper; it's modest, but it was very easy to do.... Soooooo... Anyone wanting to try drumming for recording at home, with limited space, limited budget and limited ambitions, this could work for you..! No more 'piano-roll' programming, play 'real-time' on a 'real' kit without disturbing the neighbours. The pedals are 'soft' switches, so no floor-born noise to annoy the old couple living below. It's compact (the clue is in the name...), so doesn't eat up precious 'real estate'. OK, I shan't be abandoning my other kits, but it's already found its place in my almost daily practise routine, and will be useful on many different occasions. Are there any 'downsides'..? Yes, of course there are..! I play 'leftie'; this is not an issue with 'real' kits, but I have to programme a User Preset to get the snare where I want it. No worries..? No, but the unit has 45 Factory Presets (fine, but I can't play those; they're for 'righties'...), one of which includes the percussion stuff mentioned earlier. There are only five User Presets, so I have to choose wisely exactly what I want in the five kits I can use. No big deal; as I said, it's for modest practising or jams, so... but I would have liked either a 'leftie' switch, or more User Prestes. Not an issue for 'normal' people, though. Another limitation is the bass drum pedal, which is, as I mentioned, a switch. This mans I can't use any dynamics there; it goes 'Boom', s'all. Again, for my use that's fine, and if recording, it's easy enough in any DAW to modify the velocity of MIDI events to compensate. The Good News..? These little limitations are simply the result of having such a low cost..! Amazon sell 'em for £135, which I found to be a Good Price for the results it gives. It won't suite everyone, but it's not a toy; it records almost as well as my e-kit (another Alesis, Nitro Mesh, as it happens...). Anyway, it's a new option; hope someone finds this useful. Edit: I forgot a do an audio track, just to demonstrate (badly...) what the on-board sounds are like. This is the 'leftie' kit I've set up as a User Preset; there are 45 Factory kits to choose from, with many different flavours and colours. This, then, is just a tiny snippet, badly played...

You're supposed to use them for keeping bass straps attached, not as nipple ornaments.

The question is rather 'Is metal any good without them..?', to which the answer is 'No'.

Good afternoon, @GazzaJAnimal, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Hence the expression 'a bed of roses', maybe..? (Wrong war; yes, I know, but the joke doesn't work, otherwise...)

Not in Leicestershire. In Paris, however...

Good evening, xxxxx , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Mmm... Tea..!

Mmm... Tea..!

I'm sorting out (by 'Hiding' an awful lot more 'Double Posts' than usual, in the Sections that I peruse. I suspect there are many others elsewhere. Just sayin'; it may all calm down once folks get used to things; meanwhile the Double (or more...) Posts abound.

But deaf folk would not clap; they'd 'wave' their appreciation...

How odd..! In this browser (Chrome, Windows 10...), 'Enter' provokes, now, a single line feed, whereby before, it was double. I preferred it to be double, using 'Shift + Enter' whenever I wanted a single line feed. Is it now double for you, @skankdelvar dear friend..? Can we swap, maybe..?

Whilst I'm here, I've another complaint, and not the least... Where have the 'power' and 'base' format options gone..? How to express 3ft2, or show binary numbers..? I can 'cheat', calling up the Windows Character set, and get 3 ft² (Alt 0178), but for 102 (2, in binary, base 2...) it's even more of a faff. Why have these formatting options been removed..? (Progress, eh..? More like regression, I say..! Can't leave a Good Thing alone; has to be tinkered with until all the qualities that made it Splendid have been squeezed out, 'dumbed down', all in the sacrosanct name of 'progress'. Progress my eye..! Harrumph..! ) Potters off to put the spuds on, can't find the kitchen door and wanders outside muttering to ... nobody...