Skol303

Gotta love this forum; you folks on here are always so damn helpful! Cheers as always for the sound advice :-)

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='1185054' date='Apr 1 2011, 06:06 PM']I've got an E840 and an E845 which I'm considering moving on, if you're interested - both with minimal use (mainly micing guitar cabs, not had people singing into 'em), would much rather keep 'em but the CSA are chewing my arse off - £40 the former and £50 the latter?[/quote]

^ Thanks Ian, that's a very good offer! I'll weigh up my options and get back to you in due course... probably by the end of this week.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1185095' date='Apr 1 2011, 06:42 PM']Can I just point out that, especially second-hand, £50 for a microphone is not cheap. There's any amount of low-end Chinese stuff that sells new for a tenner, and with your budget you should have no problem sourcing a pre-owned SM58 or similar.[/quote]

^ Good point. I was basing the "cheapness" on some of the £500+ mics I've come across whilst Googling; but you're right that there are plenty of bargains to be had around £50 or less. Too many bargains, in fact, for an indecisive so-and-so like me! Decisions, decisions...

Hi folks,

I'm looking for a "cheap" microphone for home recording use - vocals, that is - around the £50 mark or ideally less.

As usual this is the old: I want something cheap, but also something not too shabby sort of request! In other words, probably impossible to answer!! ;-)

It's not for professional use - obviously not at that budget! I simply want something for playing around with at home, so I can record the missus and a few friends of mine who can actually sing (I personally sing like somebody with their privates caught in car door...). I don't need anything gig-suitable either.

I already have an audio interface (a Tascam US-122mkII USB) so I'd rather something I can plug straight into that, instead of via USB. The Tascam has a 'Phantom Power' option for condenser mics, if it helps to know that.

Anyway... if you can recommend anything suitable then please let me know, as mics are something I know nothing about!

Ta :-)

[quote name='Doddy' post='1184925' date='Apr 1 2011, 03:59 PM']It depends what level you are talking. If you are talking Oasis original then obviously they'll pull massive crowds,but then
in every town there are loads of original bands that never play to more than a few people-in that respect a good cover band will
pretty much always draw a bigger crowd.[/quote]

^ Very true. I guess there's no "one size fits all" answer to this topic!

And there's a good argument to suggest that most crowds will respond much better to a band playing covers, which they recognise, than a band playing their own material, which they don't...

Where I live (Manchester), covers bands are rarely found playing the larger venues (clubs and concert halls) which are almost exclusively the home of originals bands; albeit those that have been signed and are well-recognised by paying punters. There are, of course, exceptions - venues like the famous Night & Day Cafe, which is pub-sized but a great place for listening to original music.

Commercially, I'd put money on the covers bands earning a more regular wage, if that's any kind of answer! ;-)

[b]Q: "Do Covers Bands 'pull' an audience?"[/b]

I guess there's no reason why not... that said, I guess people are more inclined to make the effort to see an 'originals' band, simply because 'originals' bands tend to bring their fans with them. Whereas covers bands tend to be in residence at a particular venue. But that's my experience as an ex-music journalist, not as a performing musician.

I think tribute bands would fall into the 'originals' category, in that people are more likely to travel/make an effort to go and see them.

But to come back to the original question: I think the answer is "yes"; I'd expect a covers band to pull a bigger audience than no band at all. So yes!

Would a covers band pull a [b]bigger[/b] audience than an originals band? Not necessarily... but beyond the pub circuit, probably not. At that level I'd expect an originals band to pull the bigger crowds.

[quote name='Phil-osopher10' post='1182683' date='Mar 30 2011, 08:17 PM']I'm just curious what is needed to make a decent studio.[/quote]

This:

[url="http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/in-pictures-abbey-road-studio-two-403975"]http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/in-...udio-two-403975[/url]

We can but dream... ;-)

I've got slight, low-level tinnitus in both ears from working as a music journalist about 10 years ago... too many gigs and club nights with my head in the bass bins!

It's nothing major - a typical high pitched 'whine' in both ears; I only really notice it when I'm in a quiet room.

In all seriousness though, it's something to be wary of. Hearing damage - and tinnitus in particular - can literally ruin your life. Attenuating earplugs are a great investment in this regard...

Nice tune, Wooks! Really like it... I was humming this after listening to it last night

PS: your old OC-2 pedal is doing me proud; thanks again for that mate.

Ditto comments here... nice website!

I like the page where you illustrate different playing styles.

Bookmarked for future reference

The whole guitar vs bass debate is an interesting one that'll no doubt keep rumbling on until the end of time itself! ;-)

I think a lot of it has to do with an individual's own personality, to be honest. Me, I just love the sound of bass - be it an upright or an electric - much more than I enjoy the sound of a guitar.

I find it a more 'satisfying' instrument to play: not necessarily easier than guitar, though bass is arguably easier to pick and play at first. Just more satisfying.

The Japanese have a term called "umami", which refers to a "pleasant savoury taste" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami)... and for me that's the closest way of describing it: bass just has more "umami" than guitar!

Yeah, that probably sounds bonkers, but heh.

[quote name='Kev' post='1180787' date='Mar 29 2011, 02:04 PM']I'm sure its good but can't bring myself to listen to that sort of music[/quote]

Oh c'mon, be brave and give it a listen! I double-dare ya!! ;-)

Gotta love Q-Tip... he's got such a unique voice; instantly recognisable.

Tribe Called Quest have always been a favourite hip hop band of mine. And they're a goldmine of great basslines. Classic stuff.

[quote name='daz' post='1179767' date='Mar 28 2011, 05:23 PM']Is someone gonna tell us who this band is then, or is it a secret ?? [/quote]

The image link suggests it's a band called 'Immortal'... this lot:

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal_%28band%29"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal_%28band%29[/url]

From Wikipedia:

"Immortal is a black metal band from Bergen, Norway. The band was formed by Abbath and Demonaz Doom Occulta after their previous band, Amputation, did not take off."

^ I guess someone needed to give them a hand!

... I'll get me coat.

Slap bass?

It's not my cup of tea, but I appreciate it when done outside of the usual "80s funk" context - e.g. I don't mind the likes of Les Claypool, Squarepusher, Flea and so on.

Other than that, I just find it too cheesy! No disrespect to the slappers among us here... ;-)

Sounds great to me.

Let us know the confirmed date once you have it... I live in Manc + love the Castle pub = win! :-)

[quote name='EskimoBassist' post='1174921' date='Mar 24 2011, 05:01 PM']Check out the EHX Bass Big Muff, a Bass specific variant of the Big Muff, modelled on the old Green Russian. Cheap too![/quote]

^ Nice pedal, though I personally prefer the Little Big Muff - I've tried both and I found the Little pedal to be much brighter and less 'muddy' than the bass-specific version.

But heh, that's just me! Can't go wrong with EHX either way...

Hmmm... this has made me realise just how weirdly eclectic my music tastes are! Anyway, off the top of my head I'd pick:

Brown Paper Bag (Roni Size)
The Day Everything Became Nothing (NoMeansNo)
Call of Ktulu (Metallica)

... all very different, but I love playing each for various reasons.

[quote name='bartelby' post='1172088' date='Mar 22 2011, 01:44 PM']The Kong patch is one I set up from scratch.
I really like the bass tone too. It's my Ibby BTB through the built in input on the iMac and a tweaked Line6 bass patch (I think, I was messing with the Scream unit and some of the Mastering Suite boxes at the time).

I'm a huge NoMeansNo fan, so I like the comparison!
[/quote]

Ah a DIY Kong patch, makes sense. You've picked some nice noises for it; very natural-sounding.

I play an Ibanez as well (an old EDB600), but it doesn't sound as nice as yours, I must admit! The Scream distortion is a real winner though, innit? I use Scream on nearly all of my tracks - in fact, I should probably give it a rest and use other distortion for a while, but it's just too damn addictive

Anyway, nice track like I said. Good to hear yer a Nomeansno fan too - I f-king love that band; Rob Wright is a seriously under-rated/unknown bassist in my opinion.

[quote name='Rumple' post='1171768' date='Mar 22 2011, 09:16 AM']Good idea about trying all the demo versions first [/quote]

No probs.

It's a bit of a faff having to download and try them all out - especially as most of them have the 'save' function disabled, which is obviously frustrating too - but it's definitely worth the effort of trying them out before you decide on which one to splash some ca$h on.

You might also want to consider which DAWs your friends are using (if at all), as that can be of great benefit in terms of sharing hints/tips and music files.

Also, think about whether you want something for home use, or something that's good for live performance. If it's the latter then be sure to check out Ableton Live - studio-wise, it's not especially different to most other DAWs, but it really comes into its own for live performances.

Anyway, I'll shut up now! Good luck with it.

[quote name='Marvin' post='1171182' date='Mar 21 2011, 07:54 PM']QUOTE (silddx @ Mar 21 2011, 02:31 PM)
I need to pretend I'm a cello sometimes.

Really? This is very worrying. Have you sought professional help? [/quote]

^ My wife calls me a total pianist sometimes... at least i think that's what she's saying...

Very nice indeed!

Dare I say this kinda thing would normally be a bit too jazzy for my tastes, but this is an exception. Really like it... funky as a motherfunker and brilliantly played!

I must look into getting myself a loop pedal sometime; I can imagine they're great fun.

[quote name='bartelby' post='1149779' date='Mar 4 2011, 07:01 PM']I'm currently using Record to transcribe drums, so I can program my drum machines (as our human drummer quit).
As I'd used the Kong module to do the drums I thought I'd quickly record bass and my hamfisted guitaring.
The result:
[url="http://soundcloud.com/warm_leatherette/gearbox"]http://soundcloud.com/warm_leatherette/gearbox[/url]

Bass and guitars in one take each[/quote]

^ Just listen to this... good work; really like it!

Nice drum pattern you have going on there (mind if I ask which Kong patch you're using?). And a nice bass tone too - it reminds me of Rob Wright from Nomeansno; might be 'cos I'm listening to them a lot at the moment but it's got that hard, crunchy edge (sorry, adjectives ain't my thing!).

Like I said, nice one :-)

[quote name='robocorpse' post='1171034' date='Mar 21 2011, 06:28 PM']... one mans talent is another mans bag of cold sick... [/quote]

^ Now THAT's a t-shirt slogan if ever there was one... ;-)

[quote name='BottomE' post='1170699' date='Mar 21 2011, 02:09 PM']Sure, i can see the use of effects being influenced by the genre. The thread was really seeking to find out how commonplace the use of effects is amongst basschatters. And so far it seems that most of you use effects irrespective of genre. For me, distorting a bass is a hanging offence but i am an old fart that doesn't like heavy metal. Live and let live and all that.[/quote]

^ Ha! Yeah... well, I've committed a few 'hanging offences' pedal-wise, put it that way! ;-)

Personally, I own/use a wah, distortion, fuzz and octave - not all at the same time, of course. The music I write is mainly electronic-influenced stuff: dubstep, drum 'n' bass, breakbeat, etc. But I also write some 'clean' folky numbers from time to time! So yeah, all fairly eclectic. Virtually all of my music is produced or recorded digitally, so using effects is a big part of what I do.

Plus, I don't own a 'brilliant' bass (got an old Ibanez EDB600) and I only have a small practice amp... so I'm not especially proud of my clean sound!

In short: live and let live, as you say :-)

I personally use Reason and absolutely love it - I prefer it to Ableton and even Logic, but that's just me!

People always have their own preferences ins response to this question, as you'd expect, and normally recommend whatever DAW they themselves use. My advice would be to download the various demos and check them out for yourself, 'cos what suits one person's needs might not suit yours so well.

As a cheaper alternative to Reason, etc, I'd recommend Reaper:http://www.reaper.fm/

You can use it for free for as long as you like; the 'commercial' version costs around £60-£80 if you want to support to the developers, but the demo contains exactly the same functionality (very generous of the devs in my opinion...).

Anyway, have fun with whatever you choose!

PS: here's another thread on Basschat about Reason, if yer interested... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=121281&st=0&gopid=1170686&"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...id=1170686&[/url]

[quote name='gilmour' post='1168992' date='Mar 19 2011, 11:08 PM']I've just had my first day playing with Record.

It was an upgrade from Reason 3.0 (upgrade to Reason 5 and Record for about 100 Euros )

Really easy to use straight out the box, and great for those less technically minded like myself, but if Reason is anything to go by then you'll be able to push the software really far.[/quote]

^ Yup, I couldn't agree more! :-)

I love Record... been using it over the weekend in fact. As with Reason, what I really like about it is that it's so 'instant' - I get an idea in my head and 5 minutes later I have a rough recording of it to work with.

My background is more in using Reason, but I'm slowly starting to get my head around the extra features on Record. Must say that I really like the Line 6 amps and the mixing desk on Record is better than the one on Reason. IMHO.

Anyway, good to see so many Propellerheadz on here!

Surely the answer to this thread is: it depends on what genre of music you're playing (?).

I mean, if you're in a metal band then it's likely you might want some distortion or overdrive/fuzz from time to time; if you're playing drum'n'bass or dubstep then I guess you'd most likely have an octave pedal at your feet... etc.

Can effects hide bad playing? Probably, but not easily so. You might think that a distortion pedal, cranked up to the max, could hide poor technique - but the thing is, you have to be fairly tight when playing with distortion, otherwise it just sounds like a mess. So perhaps not.

This definitely isn't something to get all 'purist' about. A nice, clean bass has its place in music, for sure. But then so do effects - it's simply a case of "horses for courses"!