pete.young

I've just bought a new mixer (Yamaha MG206C) because the band has outgrown it's old one, and it's occurred to me that I'd better get my head around how it works, for self-preservation purposes. Guitarist uses a system which is baffling in it's complexity, but seemingly involves him giving me a stereo left and right signal via a pair of balanced cables with XLR connections. He's demanding to use 2 mono channels (based on wanting to plug XLRs into the desk). I think he actually needs a single stereo channel, which has two 6mm unbalanced jack inputs. It seems to me that if I obtain a couple of Jack - XLR adaptors I can plug these into the jack sockets for the stereo channel, and connect his left and right signal XLRs to the adaptoprs - job done . Is this right? If so, can I use a TRS-type stereo jack adaptor, which would put the 'hot' signal from pin 2 onto the tip of the adaptor? If i were to humour him and allow him to plug into the 'mic' inputs on two mono channels, would I be right in thinking that this would be bad for the mixer, since I'd be putting a line-level voltage into a mic pre-amp designed for a much lower signal? It seems to me it'd be better to plug him into the 'line' input, which is a TRS balanced Jack - so I'd need the adaptors as above, or a balanced cable with a TRS jack on it instead of an XLR. Is this correct? What about keyboards? Any reason why I can't just use two unbalanced jack-jack connecters to plug one into a stero channel? What about DI-boxes for bass, acoustic guitars etc - should these also go into the TRS line input or is it OK to connect these to a mic pre-amp input? My brain hurts, think I'll take an asprin and lie down in a darkened room!

And all of it is filtered through whatever speakers and soundcards you're using on your PCs. So everyone's experience will be different.

Someone got a pretty good deal with this. I'd have bought it myself, but couldn't face a trip to Reading. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251101232264?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Anybody here get this?

Wood? How primitive. If you must use materials from the last century, what is the most sustainable? If this involves actually cutting down real trees, I'll take something sustainable and replantable over exotic jungle hardwoods every day of the week.

How do you know that it's MIJ, the seller tell you? It's not stated in the ad. If 'MPN' in the ad refers to the serial number, a 'T' followed by 6 digits would be right for a MIJ from 1994-1995.

[quote name='Cjd191' timestamp='1340525742' post='1705498'] ... the last trip ended up at Thomann and took in the Nurburgring on the way back. [/quote] Best lap time for a Vauxhall Corsa with an 8x10 in the back?

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1340360560' post='1703243'] Thanks. The ebay one could be a great bass for the money. [/quote] I think £500 is on the high side - in these troubled times you might pick up a not-for-export MIJ/CIJ Fender for that sort of money.

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1340374800' post='1703622'] I think I'd look at this from a different angle, say 47 degees. You arrive at the Dog & Custard pub and the landlord says to you, "Lovely evening, I'll have you playing in the beer garden tonight". What do you do? [/quote] You say, sorry, we don't play outdoors, equipment is too valuable .

I'm with AndyTravis on this one. Don't do it. Makes me regret even more that I didn't buy it when it was up for sale. Besides ruining an unusual and interesting instrument, what you're proposing to do won't work. It will never sound like a traditional fretless jazz bass with those horrible strings on it, whatever pickups you put in it. If you absolutely have to do it, take it to a proper luthier to get it done - I've seen so many original '70s Precisions that have been destroyed by cack-handed routing in a vain quest to make them into something they're not. [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1338556966' post='1676320'] I have a router, if I get a good template I might just go at it myself. [/quote] Oh well.

Would the 5th string be a low 'B' or a high 'C' ? I think it will be difficult to achieve a decent low 'B' with a 32" scale length.

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1339503734' post='1689367'] If you are using a Roland Pickup (GK3B) then yes you can use the original bass sound along with synth/sampled sounds. Roland pickups have a three position switch. Synth/mix/original sound. Can't speak for other systems but I would imagine that would be the case with those too. [/quote] GK3B is not Midi. You would need to fit something like a hexpander to it.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1339706663' post='1693240'] I think you might be right there. Just read that the V Bass (not VB 99) doesn't transmit note data through midi. [/quote] I can confirm that you can't use a V-Bass as a synth controller - just about all you can do with the Midi is save patches.

The Bed's Too Big Without You, Sly & Robbie featuring Sheila Hylton. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh76luVPpw0

Johnny McDonagh in his prime at the start of this show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbGEYLOacV4&feature=related

Two Tribes. We've been working on it. It's nearly ready!

[quote name='Jesso' timestamp='1338229618' post='1671237'] Maybe an 8 ohm EBS 115 will work better. Hmmmmm...... [/quote] An 8 Ohm Tecamp 2x12 extension cab would be the way to go. And repeat after me "Tweeters are the work of the devil....."

To me, practice includes working on a skill, a technique or a short passage from a piece, that you're having difficulty with. Take it down to component parts, understand it, build it up until your fingers know where to go. Then start to put it back into context by playing the few bars leading up to it. This is a bit different to just playing along to stuff or rehearsing your set (there's value in that sort of thing too of course). It's hard and takes concentration, but definitely pays off. I'm also a firm believer that practice is more effective if you can develop the habit of listening critically to what you're playing. One way to do this is to record yourself and listen to the playback for missed notes, off-timing etc. It's really painful sometimes to listen to yourself but it will improve your skills.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1337432187' post='1659837'] My stuff is priced so well that it's worth the journey from within 200 miles easily to come collect it IMHO. [/quote] At current fuel prices, it costs me 20p/mile in diesel, so a 400 mile round trip would cost £80 in fuel alone.

Glad you're having fun Wayne! Heres a sad story with a happy ending. I bought a really nice Eko mandolin off the bay a few weeks ago, one of the new-old-stock instruments that Roberto Brandoni is assembling. I took it to a gig where we had a request for 'Maggie May'. I opened the boot of the car, the mandolin case fell out onto my foot. When I'd stopped hopping about in agony, I opened the case to find that the headstock had broken off , the same way that Les Pauls with mahogany necks do. Turns out that the OK-looking case was (a) chipboard and ( b ) not supporting the neck of the mandolin, so that even a small impact transmitted the shock right to the weak point of the instrument. The happy ending - I took the broken bits to the local luthier and guitar genius, Colin Fulton, who has done an incredible job of fixing it. If you know where to look you can see the repair, but it's stronger than ever and I think it looks pretty good. It's been strung up for a week now with no apparent signs of moving so I think it's going to be OK. Photos, some before, some after the repair, can be found here: [url="http://photobucket.com/ekobrokenheadstock"]http://photobucket.c...brokenheadstock[/url], not for the faint of hearted! A new case is on order. The old one will probably be made into a pedal board!

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1337779273' post='1665311'] Well, the actual description is "ex Black Dyke Mills Band owner, old and rare", although whether it's the banjo or the owner that's old and rare is open to creative interpretation. I thought pete.young must be making some reference to political correctness, as I'm sure that there would be great exception taken to a Black Dyke band these days if it didn't contain a significant number of Afro-Caribbean lesbians. [/quote] I haven't seen them play for a while, so they might well. I've had a nice chat with the seller who seems like a thoroughly nice chap, and he's edited the description. I was just baffled by the idea that anyone could think Black Dyke would have a banjo player, but maybe I'm too Brass Band geek for my own good.