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Bass Culture

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Posts posted by Bass Culture

    Overdrive For Active Bass

    in Effects

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

    I am after an overdrive pedal that gives me a little more grunt than my TC Spark Booster.

    I play a Sandberg TM4 primarily. I know some ODs don't work so well with active bass and just end up 'bottoming' out. 

    I'm not after a fuzz or anything like that, more of a valves being pushed into regular overdrive territory. 

    Cheers! 

    On advice from the Forum I just picked up a Joyo American Sounds pedal.  Cheap as chips and sounds good to my ears: https://www.joyoaudio.co.uk/JOYO-JF-14-american-sound-effect-pedal

    • Like 1

    300w bass head - small gigs

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    Second hand TC RH450?  I've got the 750 and love it.  And don't fall for all the crap that was spouted about them during 'Watt-gate' - they're plenty loud enough for your purposes.  Hugely adjustable EQ, three pre-sets, in-built tuner and terrific compressor - what's not to love?  Oh, and portability too!

     

    • Like 1

    Recording video - how and which programme/app to use?

    in Recording

    Posted · Edited by Bass Culture

    Having been impressed by a great number of the demo vids a lot of you good people having recorded over the years, I have undertaken to do one for my Zoot ZB-1000 when it's delivered - it seems the least I can do is return the compliment when a few have asked to hear it.  So, what do you record into, programme-wise?  Preferably something I can add titles with so I can explain in writing different pickup settings etc.  I already have a Tascam audio interface and Red 5 studio condenser mic for the audio side of things.  Any pointers would be much appreciated.  I have recorded into Zoom but I don't know if that lets me me edit the files afterwards.  Don't know if it's relevant but I have both a PC and a Macbook.  Thanks.

    Another vinyl / cd / download discussion . Well, it is lockdown ...😼

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    13 hours ago, Tdw said:

    I've got tape and cd versions of surfer rosa and bossanova by the Pixies, i got the tapes from a second hand shop and later got the cds when i saw them very cheap in hmv.  I've often found tapes to get pretty unreliable as times go by so thats why really. Ive also got rank by the smiths on 12" and 10" vinyl, I saw the 10" version a few years agoin a second hand shop years after i got the 12" and as i had never seen or heard of the 10" version i thought i should get it despite not using the record player much anymore.

    You've reminded me I need to buy all the Pixies post-reformation stuff.  Have everything of theirs up to Trompe Le Monde on vinyl....God, I loved that band (cue wistful staring into the distance with vacant smile on face).

    Another vinyl / cd / download discussion . Well, it is lockdown ...😼

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Vinyl is still my format of choice because it was the one in use when I started to become a music obsessive.  I acknowledge the significant pull of nostalgia but there is still something special about pulling an LP out of the (generally very impressive these days) sleeve and poring over the package/lyrics/artwork as the first side is spinning.  And thank you, BC - so far we've got several posts into this thread without anyone using the aberration that is 'vinyls'. :)

    • Like 1

    Recommendations for sub-£100 distortion pedal

    in Effects

    Posted

    53 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

    Do you have a particular sound in mind?

    The trouble I don't really, except for not needing anything that approaches the mayhem end of the spectrum.  The context will be original rock/pop originals that combine different genres, some veering towards a reggae-ish sound and others being a bit more REM-alike.  It's really to add a bit of grit and dynamics on the odd chorus here and there.

    • Like 1

    Recommendations for sub-£100 distortion pedal

    in Effects

    Posted · Edited by Bass Culture

    I'm putting a small pedal board together to use with my (very) old band - after a couple of decades of talking about 'getting the band back together' this Covid malarkey has actually galvanised us into action, and we're planning some virtual rehearsals.  The pedal board so far consists of a Boss OC-5 Octaver and EBS UniChorus.  I want to add a distortion pedal to complete the set up but the huge choice has left me a bit bewildered - to be honest, I don't really understand the distinction between overdrive and distortion though I sense there is one to players who are more au fait with effects generally.  I just want to add some dirt to passages of a few songs rather then use it to create 'my sound' or anything.  I don't want anything boutique or esoteric and don't want to spend more than £100.  Any suggestions for me to consider?  Thanks.

    Recording to PC from Cassette (!)

    in Recording

    Posted · Edited by Bass Culture
    typo

    2 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

    I'd give the Tascam the first chance. Connect the cassette output to the Tascam Line input and record from there, without passing through the Cambridge. Start off with the cassette at maximum volume, and see how that goes. If it's still too low, it can be adjusted afterwards inside Audacity ('Effects/Normalise'...) which will bring the level up to 'optimum', including any tape hiss, of course.
    I have ancient reel-to-reel tapes from the '60s that I put through my Tascam US144 MkII interface with good results. I treat the signal afterwards in my DAW (Reaper...), but Audacity would do the job, too...

    Hope this helps. B|

    It does - enormously, thank you.  Looks like I just need to buy an RCA-1/4" Jack lead then.  Or find that damn mini jack - 1/4" converter I had lying around somewhere. 😀

    • Thanks 1

    Recording to PC from Cassette (!)

    in Recording

    Posted

    Can anyone tell me how I can interface an old cassette deck with my PC to enable me to preserve some (very!) band stuff?  My PC presently outputs to a Cambridge Audio amp and then into an old pair of Rega speakers.  I've tried connecting the tape deck to its usual input on the amp, which had a dedicated tape in/out section.  Obviously the Out would usually go back to the tape deck to use that for recording so I've instead connected that via a RCA - mini jack lead into the blue input on the sound card at the back of my PC.  I'm trying to record into Audacity.  I've got some sound but at too low a volume to be usable.  I've increased recording level into Audacity to only slightly below maximum and the quality is still poor.  Anyone got any ideas?  I've a Tascam Audio Interface too if that counts for anything.  Anyone got any ideas?  Thanks.

    Video meeting platforms/apps

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Bass Culture

    One for the hive mind this - are there any video meeting platforms that permit simultaneous audio from the different inputters to enable live, remote jamming?  I've used Zoom and Teams through work, neither of which I think have this function (Zoom definitely doesn't and I've usually zoned out of the work teams meetings so haven't established whether it does or not).  I've seen what look like multi-participant performance videos with everyone in different locations but I guess they could be recordings where the additional players 'bounce' onto the original video, could they?   Thanks all.

    (Mods - if there's a more appropriate forum for this please move as needed.)

    New Zoot ZB-1000 Custom

    in Build Diaries

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Cosmicrain said:

    The reason Mark mentioned I had a smile on my face whilst testing his bass,  was this:   I also have one of Darren Snow's original Aria SB-1000 in the workshop at the moment so I was able to compare the two side by side.  In Mark's case I have moved the pickup to a slightly different position than the original Aria.  The main reason for this is due to the 32" scale length on Marks Zoot ZB-1000.  I always work out the pup position from a quick bit of maths and where the closest anti-node would be to the position I'm looking at. If anyone has been to my workshop they would have noticed a one string bass I made myself with a sliding top nut to help work out precise positions of pickups given any scale length, so with a little bit of maths and a one string bass and you can pretty much nail the perfect pup positions for any scale length. Anyway, back to the smiles,  If you consider that Veijo Rautia wired the pickup for me to have four core wires, I was able to add a 3 way mini toggle switch that give the pickup series/split coil/parallel Thus, if you think about it you end up with 18 basic tones when using this 3 way pickup switch with the 6 way "varitone", way more than the original Aria bass.  Basically with the Veijo Rautia pickup and the new BB-NoiseKiller preamp plus the 3 way pickup switch, this bass is a killer in the tone department.  (who needs two pickups?) In all honesty there were some sounds in this bass that truly astonished me considering it's simplicity, and yes, it knocked the original out of the park (no disrespects to the original, because in it's day it was a champion of basses and still is really).  Gear used for testing:  Little Mark 250 head set dead flat, Purple-chili 1 X12" non tweeter cab, Marks Zoot ZB-1000 and Darren's original Aria SB-1000.   Regards, Mike. 

    What he said. 😁

    • Like 2
    • Haha 1

    New Zoot ZB-1000 Custom

    in Build Diaries

    Posted

    1 minute ago, dmccombe7 said:

    Appreciate that and probably take a little while to get the ideal settings form all those presets.

    Dave

    Quite right.  Although Mike was telling me when he was having a test play yesterday there were several settings that put a smile on his face.  And when he's made as many basses as he has that certainly a statement to pique the interest!

    • Like 1

    New Zoot ZB-1000 Custom

    in Build Diaries

    Posted

    14 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

    So so very nice indeed. Hopefully we will get to hear some soundclips at some point.

    I've never heard an Aria SB1000 pick up in a non Aria bass.  

    Dave

    Me neither, Dave!  It may take a little while before I can take delivery of it but once I do I will post some sound clips, promise. :)

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
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