Dad3353

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1497178171' post='3316280'] You soulless old buggers... [/quote] Hey..! Less of the 'soulless', if you don't mind..! ... ...

I've had entire satisfaction from the Superlux range, available from Thomann (other sources exist...). Excellent 'bang for buck'; I use, intensively, the HD669, at £23 or so. I've had 'em several years now, and no sign of deterioration, either physically or sonically. There are other models; worth a look..? [url="https://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_hd_669.htm"]Superlux HD669 ...[/url]

There seem to be two uses for this... 1 - Recording oneself, and 2 - Slowing down tunes to be able to follow at a slower pace. For the first, I would suggest buying a decent USB interface, which should not cost more, and for the second, using software which is freely available, all of which assumes that you have a PC of sorts (Mac, laptop, whatever...) Not to say that the gadget won't work, but I'd suggest that it's of limited usefulness for the cost. As an 'add-on' for practise when travelling, for instance, maybe, but there are more cost-effective ways of learning songs, I feel. I would add that, cost for cost, a couple of lessons with a good bass teacher are maybe the best 'bang for buck' to be had. It needn't be a long-term commitment, but would assure a good start on which to build, and maybe a way to pick up great tips on how to learn songs more quickly. Just sayin'; hope this helps.

I've no experience with 'tools' of the sort, but it looks, to me, to be darned expensive for what it does. In what way would this be beneficial to you..? Do you have a bass teacher..? What, exactly, are you wanting..? Play more songs, or learn how to play the bass..? Do you play with others at all..? There is speed-up/slow down software out there for a PC which cost nothing at all (Audacity; there are others...) if that's what you're after. I may be off track, of course, in which case: ignore.

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1497100629' post='3315851']...my guitar into focusrite sounds shocking. [/quote] My guitars, recorded 'dry', are not all that inspiring, either, that's why I use virtual fx, such as Amplitube (there are tons of others...) and such to get the recorded sound I'm after, depending on what I what to hear. I have a physical pedalboard, and a whole range of decent pedals (Boss Fender Deluxe, Akai Headrush, EH Germanium Big Muff, Loop Station and many more...), which I use when playing through an amp (Fender Bassman 50, or Jazz Chorus, or others..), but for recording I get far better results by going in directly to the interface and treating afterwards. On occasion I'll treat whilst recording, but usually have a second 'dry' track in any case, and often end up not using the track with 'baked in' fx; they obviously cannot be 'tweaked' after the event. To each his/her own, of course, but unless going the full-on 'studio' route, with decent micing of the amp and cab in a decent-sounding room, I don't see any real downside to using modern virtual stuff. I should add, for those not aware, that I'm quite hard of hearing in my doddery old age, but have always been, and remain, rather 'old school' when I can. Here, though, the modern stuff is so much better than the way it was done 'back then'. To get the 'amp cranked' sound, we'd put the cab face down on the carpeted floor and turn up the wick..! Hiwatt Heaven..! Happy daze.

Using a system as above ^^, it is not necessary to run backing tracks from end to end without a break. Depending on repertoire, it can be useful to have 'em cut into shorter segments, which would allow for breaks for 'only live' periods, and allow for easily accounting for any 'drift' that may occur , to re-synchronise the ensemble if required. We've used this in the past with a ska/punk/rock group that had sampled parts, triggered by a clicked Danny Boy on drums.

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1497090522' post='3315776'] Do you think I can use the FTWS output to connect to interface? [/quote] Not a very precise question, in my view, but if FTWS (or FTSW..?) means FooTSWitch, it cannot be used for audio, as it is only for switching, and has no signal at all. Could be wrong, of course, if it refers to summit else.

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1497086886' post='3315729']...guitar plugged into interface sounds unbearable... [/quote] It's really a case of treating the guitar, either whilst recording, or after the event, with virtual fx. That's what I do, every time. There are, however, several guitar multi-fx pedals which have a DI built-in; the Boss GT-6 comes to mind, but there are others. There's no secret, though; if you're after the sound of cranked Hiwatt half-stack, you'll have a hard job getting that without micing up, and even then, there are pitfalls. It was quite rare, back in the day, to DI an electric guitar, until modelling came to the rescue. Nowadays, I quite happily forgo any amp and cab miced up for a decent Amplitube rack, by IK Multimedia, and do it all virtually.

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1497084426' post='3315706']...goes into Focusrite 2i2 recorder... [/quote] The interface has an instrument input which will accept signal from the guitar (or the fx...). It's as if it had a built-in DI. Have you tried using that..?

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1497082736' post='3315682'] Just spent about 20 mins on Youtube... [/quote] I concur with my aged colleague. Underwhelmed, to say the least.

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1497081416' post='3315676'] Can anyone recommend a guitar di for recording guitars. I'm using Ableton live lite... [/quote] What hardware are you using presently for recording..?

I'd leave the headstock alone, and just enjoy the bass. "What's in a name..? A rose [i]etc[/i]..."

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1496921290' post='3314682'] The best one I ever had... [/quote] Reminds me of a story (translated from the French...)... [b]The cucumber tart[/b] One day a small boy goes into a bakery and asks the baker: "Do you have cucumber tarts..?" - No, sorry, I haven't. He comes back the next day and asks again... "Do you have cucumber tarts..?" The baker replies the same way... - No, sorry, I've not got cucumber tarts. This is repeated for the next three days... "Do you have cucumber tarts..?" - No, sorry, I don't. Feeling a bit sorry for the kid, that evening he asked his wife to prepare some cucumber tarts, specially for the young'un. The next morning the boy enters the bakery and asks again... "Do you have cucumber tarts..?" This time, the baker says... - Yes I have..! And the boy says, pulling a wry face... "Beuh..! They taste horrible, don't they..!"

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1496871210' post='3314476']... I offer you ... [/quote]

[quote name='christofloffer' timestamp='1496869973' post='3314467']...really not liking the new keyboard, a casio ctk-631. the sounds seem cheap and flimsy... [/quote] Can you not capture only the MIDI, and use VST's for the sound..? Treat the Casio as a master keyboard, and not use its internal sounds..? Just a thought.

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1496856599' post='3314344']...to be fair he's made quite the career out of it. [/quote] Mussolini 'made quite a career out of it' in Italy in his day, too..!

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1496828169' post='3314072'] Try it in Google Translate ... [/quote] Translates it into French as 'Hasta la vista!'..! Very useful.

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1496827371' post='3314056'] Oh right... suspended acoustic baffles. [/quote] Baffles me, too.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1496824246' post='3314023']... Any language that can turn [color=#006400][b]'Bye!'[/b][/color] into [color=#0000cd][b]¡Hasta la vista! [/b][/color]must have something going for it. [/quote] Isn't that rather 'See you soon'..?

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1496816481' post='3313974'] So it's ok to be sh1te then? [/quote] So you watched Gallagher 'singing' too, then, eh..?

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1496742439' post='3313516']...it's still a work in progress at the moment. [/quote] ... and has already improved, I'd say. May I make a suggestion, please..? Yes..? OK, thanks. It would interest me, and maybe others, to have some inkling of what is behind compositions of this nature. The end result is what it is, but having the composer's eye view would, at least academically, assist appreciation, and could teach us quite a lot, I'm sure. It wouldn't require a 'blow by blow' account, just the basics of how the piece is constructed, and why the key choices have been made in the way they have. Just an idea; forget it if it's a pain in the [insert anatomical preference here...]. Looking forward to hearing more, in any case, although, as my hearing deteriorates, there's less and less for me to enjoy..! Respect.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1496751091' post='3313603']... I must admit that I was slightly mythed... [/quote] It's a rather long-running 'stand-off' between ambient and myself, based on my being exceedingly hard of hearing, but still wishing to (try to...) appreciate the published offerings of our Basschat colleagues. Our friend's speciality is quite a way below my threshold for the most part, which makes honest critique rather hit and miss . It's become almost a standing joke between us; I rarely deign to comment on his works, as I'm probably missing most of it..! My loss, I'm aware.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1496742361' post='3313513']... I've turned it up a little [/quote]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1496689690' post='3313256']... The questions are, can you play anything all the way through on your own without accompaniment and/or what part of this thing called music leaves you wanting? [/quote] I can't play much, but have one or two 'party pieces' that I can call up, when trying out a someone's guitar after repairing it or such (no, I'm rarely asked to play anything at all..! ). What's lacking..? Singing, mate; singing. Can't do it for love nor money. I'd really like to, but it's no use fooling oneself. The world has no need of an extra fog alert. The key, I'd say, for playing on one's own, is 'chord/melody'. That's where I spend my time. I've been working on several versions of 'Misty' for three decades, and have (or rather: [i]had[/i]...) a fair grasp of it, now. Joe Pass, anyone..? Look up a couple of the simpler 'standards' that you like, and work on a chord/melody version..? I find it the most satisfying of 'solo' stuff. (But, then again, I'm a drummer, so 'solo' is an anathema to me, really...)

The French rugby final was on, but we did zap to this during the half-time break, as it was broadcast 'live' on French Channel 2. We must have just been unlucky, then, as the few minutes we could stand (all the family, not just me...) were dire, to say the least. Whilst applauding with both hands the spirit of the thing, that Gallagher bloke can't sing for toffee, and his lyrics are sub-Dylan, too. Saw a couple of girls singing (they all look the same to me...), and was seriously underwhelmed, musically. The rugby second half quickly took our interest back. Well done for the event; pity I missed the good bits.