Jakester

15 minutes ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

Power conditioners don't do much, if anything. The best method of power conditioning is to rectify the AC to DC, then remove any ripple with filtering capacitors. The thing is that's what your amp power supply does. Besides, noise isn't necessarily on the AC line. It might be airborne RFI or EMI. You mention having a complicated set up. That could be introducing ground loop noise. First things first, run the amp with nothing plugged in. If there's no noise that rules out the AC mains. Then just the bass. If there's no noise that rules out RFI and EMI. Then add the effects. If noise results it's probably a ground loop. There's also the possibility of a bad ground on the AC mains. It's a good idea to carry a plug in mains tester to be sure it's not dodgy.

Thanks Bill, but I already did all of that - the noise was coming from the amp with nothing plugged in, hence my question. 

So, I was fully prepared to come on BC today and rant about how I had reached my wits' end with Mark Bass stuff, problem after problem etc. 

Yesterday I had a rehearsal with an orchestra I play with. I play both electric and DB (sometimes in the same tune!!) and also occasionally need effects, so I have a fairly complicated setup. 

The rehearsal was at the same venue we always play, using my usual set up, but this time I was experiencing a really loud humming. I tried adjusting the EQ, but even with everything muted, or just going bass direct into the amp (i.e. with no effects in line at all) it was still doing it. I tried plugging the amp into a different socket, but had the same issue. We'd played in there for years without any issues, but the only difference being we'd set up in a different layout, so I was in a different part of the hall. 

After endless problems with the CMD121P cutting out, having been sent to Real Electronics, them charging me £160 and the problem coming straight back, I ended up dropping an LM3 head in instead. I'd assumed this had finally given up and developed yet another problem, so I was about to post seeking alternatives to MB gear. 

However, it seems I owe it an apology - I tried it at home and it's almost entirely silent - no humming at all. 

All I can think is that it was dodgy wiring on that part of the hall and even though I tried a different socket, it was on the same circuit. The one I usually use is the other side of the hall, so I'm assuming it's on a different circuit. 

Anyway, I'm aware you can get rack mount power conditioners, but I was wondering if it's possible to get something like a single socket thingy that would do the same job - like those RCD or surge protectors you can get? Something that I could plug into the mains end of things at different venues?

A vid of the noise (ignore the rest of the orchestra running through parts!):

And a good price for an 12MTK here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/492238494192273

9 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

FWIW - I understand the Soundcraft Signature 12MTK is also fully analogue. However, they've added a multi-track recording option to enhance the capability of the unit as compared to the non-MTK version. There's a £110 price-hike for this added capability, but given a latency of 3.5ms vs a latency of around 2ms for a high-end audio interface such as a Focusrite, that's still pretty decent. And I'm not sure there are too many decent audio interfaces offering 12 multi-track recording, certainly for £110?

This looks like a decent option: 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1271824040214866/

https://www.presonus.com/products/studiolive-ar16-usb

I was looking at Signature 12MTK before I ended up just getting a Scarlett interface and Saffire via ADAT and they looked like great mixers. I had the Signature 10 (which was only stereo USB) and the mixer side of it was great - quiet preamps and really good effects. 

Silly question, but are they both active? Or is one active, one passive (powered off the active)?

If both active, have you got the input set to line or mic? If it's set to line, try changing it to mic - it might make a real difference as the amp in the monitor when set to line is expecting a louder signal. 

TBH though, if you're using them for bass monitoring, I'm not sure 10" floor monitors (and in particular Sub Zero, being G4M's budget brand) would necessarily be up to the job. I'd say their specs would be *very* optimistic in terms of both bass response and overall "power" (see infinite threads here about RMS, power etc etc). 

They'll probably be fine for reproducing vox or guitars, but probably not powerful enough to accurately reproduce your bass. 

I ended up with a separate audio interface simply because derigging my setup from my old XR18 each time I had a gig was a PITA. Though my setup is a large, close-mic’d drum kit. If you’re only running one or two things, it would be less of an issue. 
 

Also depends on whether your desk does 1in/1out or just stereo in/out. But if you’re happy setting it up each time you want to record at home, then it makes ample sense to use a suitably capable mixer. 

My dad has music/volume-induced hearing loss, so sometimes wears hearing aids. 

He has said that they tend to amplify everything, so it can be hard to distinguish signal from noise (so to speak) in some environments - such as a bar with lots of hard surfaces. 

3 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

Like "vintage" and "rare", it has lost all meaning aside from something to catch the eye of a desperate buyer. Get all three words together in the same ad and you should win a prize. Other personal favourites include "L@@K!!!" "Matsumoku" and the wonderful "golden era"

“Those who know, know” 

11 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

This bass is all original, apart from changed pickups or scratch late, or tuners, or bridge. 

 

How many times do I see this? I messaged a seller and he said “it’s all original, apart from a refinish”, which would inevitably (if done properly) necessitate the removal of the pickups and wiring.

 

Its a small thing, but language matters! Apologies for the rant, but the cat didn’t know what I was talking about.

 

 

 

 

Yep, I saw one 70’s Jazz advertised as all original, but it had been refinished, the pickups rewound, the pots replaced, oh, and potentially the neck wasn’t original either. 🙄
 

The thing was basically Trigger’s Broom…

I took one of those wire cable ties and wrapped it round a few times. Works fine on both sets of my IEMS. You can still slide it up and down to change the tension too. 

I do not need this, I do not need this, I do not need this, I do not need this, I do not need this…

Let us know how you get on!

Basically, now you have asserted you are the legal owner of the bass, as a matter of civil law, Cash Generator can’t legally sell it and give good title to any purchaser.
 

You need to be clear with them that they need to hold on to it, and that if they do sell it, or try to deny your title (I.E. your right of ownership) you will sue them for conversion (essentially the civil name for handling stolen goods).

Make sure you give them full details of how it was stolen from you so they can’t try to say that they were unaware it was stolen. 
 

I would also notify the police and, if you can afford it, speak to a solicitor about how best to recover it. 

On 21/12/2022 at 23:24, Jakester said:

Just to update this, I did and they sent out some mediums. They seem better but I won’t be able to test properly until my next gig, which isn’t until late Jan! 

So I did try them last weekend; the isolation was much better than the large size, but ultimately I still ended up going back to the Etymotics with the 'christmas tree' triple flange tips. I do think that the 'stage' volume (and in particular the bass - I was playing drums) was just too loud, so I was having to turn the IEMs up and I was worried about the volume levels. 

The actual sound was brilliant though - noticeably clearer and 'more present' than the Etymotics. 

Going to try to get some flanged tips which, if I can find some that fit, should deal with the isolation issue for me. 

6 hours ago, Paddy Morris said:

This is interesting.  So the Thumpinator fixed it for you?  Do you feel like it has affected the tone much?

 

I bought a Westbury, just after f-its stopped producing covers.  It's a lovely dark instrument, but real handful to amplify.  If I can't get f-its I might try a Thumpinator.

It hasn’t so much fixed it, as reduced it’s so it’s less of an issue. It’ll still feedback, but the point at which it does so is higher volume and it’s less affected by hollow stages. I have still ended up turning the bass down on my preamp but less so. 

35 minutes ago, dyerseve said:

Well I have now decided to return the bass for a full refund. Last night I was showing the bass to my GF when I discovered, under a brighter light, that there is a small crack where the headstock joins the neck. The Fret buzz thing is also totally bizzare - the buzzing occurs between (roughly)the 5th and 12th frets of all the strings, yet the relief is set correctly, as is the action at the bridge and at the nut. So it appears that the neck has developed a "hump" in this region.

So im going to wipe my hands of this bass and this terrible seller. 

Just such a shame that this once incredible instrument is now close to useless and worthless...

Make sure you document the condition closely before sending it back so as not to find the seller suggesting some of the damage was caused in the returns process...

2 hours ago, DaytonaRik said:

 

I'd argue the opposite - previously a desk would have been shoe horned in somewhere on the side of a stage or perched on an amp somewhere, where now my iPad is on my mic-stand right in front of me with the DCA pane running - one mute button for each DCA group and a single fader for all instruments in that DCA group - kit, backline, vocals, monitors, FX and Aux's (iPod, ambient mic's etc)  I can usually manage to make small adjustments on the fly.

 

Also the ability to save your gig and recall it next time you're at the venue does away with a lot of the sound checking - bring instrument levels back up to the same gain levels as the last time you played that venue (and stop the guitarists fiddling with the volume/fgain once you're done!) and you're 90% of the way there  - monitor, IEM and FOH EQ's and levels, FX levels, channel volumes and EQs,  - all saved.

 

Maybe as I've worked in IT all my life (now coming up to working in that industry for 37 years) technology doesn't hold any fears - mixing is mixing is mixing...it's just that now it's done on my tablet (or control surface if preferred) rather than on a desk...which wouldn't have been in right in front of me anyway!

 

I ended up with a digital desk with a smallish physical control surface - I found trying to adjust on an iPad while playing next to impossible. I replaced my XR18 with a QSC Touchmix which has all the features of the XR18 but IME/O easier access to the controls while playing. It also does the iPad/phone control if required.

3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

In terms of your entirely valid question of "why most small bands don't have one of these or a similar from another manufacturer in their setup" - I think some bands prefer to have the immediacy of onboard controls and faders, rather than being obliged to use a separate tablet or phone, either from an accuracy of adjustment perspective (sliders on a tablet or phone won't generally have the precision of a manual slider) or from a performance delay perspective i.e. needing to fire up a tablet or unlock a phone mid-set, which can't so easily be done anyway whilst holding a microphone in one hand etc. 

Definitely. 

26 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Luckily enough, feedback turns out to be a renewable resource so all this wanton 'feedback destruction' does not represent a problem for humanity's long-term future. 

I've taken a more benevolent approach now and release it back into the wild....

57 minutes ago, Beedster said:

 

My lot are keen to use that tech on my DB, I'd be keen to know how many people are using it successfully on DB, my gut feel has always been to adopt the @Silvia Bluejay approach?

Chris, I have a feedback destroyer which I *think* used to be @Happy Jack's which is not in use any more, if you'd like me to send more details over?

Looks like my rock covers band is about to implode so this weekend will be our last gig. 

I thought I'd put myself out and about to the fine members of Basschat as a drummer in case anyone's looking. 

Lots of experience in many different styles - pop, rock, blues, jazz, funk, soul etc.

Have own pro gear and reliable transport, home studio/recording facilities. I also play bass, so I know where you're coming from! 

Looking for rock covers, blues, soul/funk bands but happy to consider anything.

Vids etc available on request. 

It depends what it is. If it's a genuine masterclass, i.e. small numbers, actual teaching, then I think that's more than reasonable. 

If it's just a performance, then perhaps a tad steep. 

16 hours ago, Jonesy said:

 

Is it the Jaguar mute you're thinking of? 

 

It's spring loaded, but requires quite a sizeable hole in the middle for the spring and won't fit under the cover. 

 

That’s the badger! Thanks. 

18 minutes ago, lidl e said:

There's that product bass mute but i dont think it will fit under cover.

 

It is an elegant solution though.

 

https://www.bassmute.eu/bm_mainframe.html

I have one - it definitely won't fit. Works really well though! 

I do remember someone installing some kind of sprung mute on a short-scale Fender - possibly a Mustang? - and it sort of 'popping' on and off with the heel of the hand to activate it. It might be possible to jury-rig something on the inside of the bridge cover like that, but no idea where you'd start! 

Looks like Source Audio are launching a MIDI adapter for use with their pedals:

https://www.soundonsound.com/news/source-audio-launch-midi-adapter

Interesting it uses the 'standard' MIDI plugs rather than USB. I guess that means less of the need for ugly kludges like the collection of USB cables daisy chained between my C4 and DMC Micro, and means a wider range of controllers can be used. Surprised it took this long, TBH. 

Can you not use the new X-tender with the old bushing?