BigRedX

I've just had a look at the very basic "Quick Start"guide which is on the TC website, and you may be right. Why is there no complete manual available? So in "play" mode the foot switches simply turn on and off each of the three effects? I was hoping that the "up" and "down" arrows next to them meant that you could use them to scroll through the various "boards" you create - is there no way of doing this from the device itself?. If you can only change "boards" via the computer or MIDI then you will need another device to do this. Are you sure the Disaster Area Micro is the best solution for this? I'd be looking at the Behringer foot controller that is shown in the Quick Start guide as it probably do far more.

Very few cabs will reproduce the fundamental of low E on a bass, you are mostly hearing the harmonics and your brain fills in the gaps. I also assume that you have got your high pass filters the wrong way round the guitar amp signal should be filtering more low frequencies? Also most guitar combos are open backed and therefore the speakers are not at all happy about lots of low frequency content at any significant volume. What are you hoping to achieve with your bi-amping? I ran a bi-amp system very successfully for most of the 90s, but it was done using a proper crossover that sent just the low-frequency component to the "bass" speaker and high frequencies only to a 2 x 8 cab I made based on the specifications of my favourite guitar combo of the time. I can't remember the actual crossover frequency I used, but I'm pretty sure it was a lot higher than 82.4 Hz. This was used mainly so I could stick serious amounts of chorus, flanger and delay on the high frequency side without loosing any bottom end. It was IMO less successful with anything but the most subtle of distortions since the differing envelopes of the distorted and non-distorted parts didn't sit right to my ears, even with additional compression on the low frequencies. I was happier sticking the distortion before the crossover and then using an additional EQ on the low frequency side to maintain the bass feel.

You'll need to consult the Plethora manual and MIDI implementation chart to be sure, but just looking at the device, if the foot switches include program up and down functions (which they appear to do) then it should also transmit these commands out of the MIDI out socket - you might need to enable this somewhere on the device. Hopefully also either the Plethora or the C4 include MIDI program mapping so you don't have to spend ages shuffling programs around so that the correct patches on each device match up.

For any MIDI functions that do not involve connecting the C4 to a computer you need the Neuro Hub. This is because the C4 doesn't have a standard MIDI interface, and uses either MIDI over USB to connect to a computer or the Neuro Hub to connect to devices that sport standard MIDI sockets.

AFAICS the OP isn't intending to use one. Proper MIDI is a peer-to-peer network. You simply connect the MIDI out of one device to the MIDI in of another not need for hosts or any of this other nonsense that "MIDI" over USB requires. Hence the need for the expensive Neuro Hub, when if the C4 had proper MIDI sockets on it the OP would simply need a standard MIDI DIN lead or if they were planning the use more than 2 devices and sending timing critical data they could get away with a MIDI Thru box at less than half the price of the Neuro Hub.

You will probably need a TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) barrel jack because usually the active circuitry is switched on by the TS jack plug shorting the R and S contacts when inserted into the socket. However a few active circuits need a special jack socket that has a switching mechanism that is separate to the audio path. Have a look inside the control cavity to be sure.

You should be able to do all of that from the foot switches on the Plethora. Have a good read the manual and the MIDI implementation chart that comes with it. You need the Neuro Hub, because the C4 doesn't have a "proper" MIDI interface on it.

But surely the power stages of all non valve amps are designed to be as transparent as the price point allows? The "sound" is mostly in the pre-amp section (and any short-comings due to cost-cutting).

On the whole UK mains is far more robust that in other countries, so unless you are connecting equipment that is very sensitive about its voltage requirements (usually something old) you'll be fine with any earthed extension cables. If you need more than that you are probably better off with an appropriately rated UPS.

To the OP - I take it your are also using the loop switching features of the Micro, because otherwise you should be able to everything you want using the Plethora as your controller, although you will still need Source Audio's overpriced Neuro Hub to interface the C4 to it.

For solid state amps the cabinet impedance must be equal or greater to the minimum impedance marked on the amplifier's speaker output sockets. For valve amps with multiple speaker outputs marked with different impedance values the cabinet MUST be of the same impedance as the output it is connected to.

What exactly do you want to do? If it's simply programme changing you'll probably want both receiving devices on the SAME MIDI channel and ideally for at least one of them to have MIDI programme mapping so that you don't have to spend ages making sure that the patches on each device are in the correct place.

The tuning of the harmonics at any position other than the 12th fret will always be slightly "out" as the fret positions are compromises to allow fretted instruments to be tolerably in tune in all keys, and are only as accurate as the fret slot cutting and fret dressing allow, while the harmonics the mathematically correct pitches arrived from the pitch of the unfitted string. So using the 5th and 7th fret harmonics are fine for getting the strings in relative tune with each other, but don't ever expect the 7th fret harmonic to be in tune with the fretted note.

Doesn't work for me either as I wasn't really interested in any kind of music until I was almost 11. By the time I reached 14 glam rock which was the music that had got me hooked was very much in decline, and punk was still at least 2 years away.

That looks great, although I suspect the string spacing will be too tight for me.

I had another look to see if I really could find a 10 continuous span when there was plenty of music I liked, and have come up with 1977 to 1986 and it ends up being these years rather than 1976 to 1985 simply because one of my all-time favourite albums (The Wrong People by Furniture) was released in 1986 which gives it the edge over 1976...

IIRC that's just for solid state amps. Valve amps need to matched exactly to the correct impedance. The valve guitar amps I've owned have all had multiple speaker outputs marked for different speaker impedances.

But if the reduced tension of the strings was the problem we'd be seeing an obvious back bow of the neck. This sort of thing can be quite difficult to sort out on an internet forum, where despite the large number of knowledgeable musicians available, there's is not substitute for actually having the bass in your hands. I thought from your OP that you bought the new string because you didn't like the pervious ones fitted. Whatever the case then you should get this bass sorted out for the strings you like. That might mean a trip to a reputable luthier in your area. Where abouts are you?

Probably time to start working your way through the numerous FRFR threads. But before that, ask yourself "what do you need your amplification for?" Having had some sort of backline for everything except when I was playing synths in an electronic band in the 80s, I went the Helix and FRFR route a about 5 years ago. Since then the FRFR part of my rig has been getting less and less use. In one band we have ditched personal on-stage amps completely and everything goes straight into the PA - easy when you instrumentation is Synthesisers, Drum Machine Bass VI and Vocals. Since the stage is now silent apart from vocals even when the foldback is less than brilliant we can still hear ourselves well enough to play from the FoH. For the other more conventional line-up band the FRFR is only used for rehearsals, and on-stage monitoring at gigs where the quality of the foldback is not particularly good. Then it is usually placed firing sideways across the stage for me and the rest of the band to hear, and the audience gets the bass sound from the PA. For the bigger gigs I don't even bother bringing it as the on-stage monitors will probably be even better than my RFC745. Since I stopped using a "conventional" rig I only had to do two gigs where the FRFR was needed to supply bass guitar FoH because the PA was strictly vocals only, and on both occasions due to its superior dispersion characteristics, I was able to be only slightly louder on stage than I would normally, as opposed to so loud I could barely hear the rest of the band in order to be loud enough out front. For home use I have decent set of headphones or my "studio monitors". TBH unless I'm actual working on sounds for the bands I usually practice acoustically at home. So what I am saying is that if you are using your MOD Dwarf for your "sound" then you are best off with amplification that imposes the least amount of additional colour to this, but depending on whether you gig, and if so what kind of gigs you do, you may not need any kind of personal amplification at all.

I'm sure there's loads but I'm dyslexic so I'll never see it unless someone points it out.

Stick those knobs on a boutique effects pedal and people will be raving about their looks.

There are hundred (if not thousands) of bands that would give anything to have an opportunity for a gig like that. If Royal Blood can't make the most of it, then they should probably pack it all in and give those opportunities to bands that will.

There's no should about it. UK law states that if you are supplying electrical equipment to the UK it MUST come with a lead fitted with a UK mains plug, or at the very least an adaptor that fits completely over the non-UK plug with no possibility of the user being able to touch the contacts of the wrong plug. Any retailer that is not prepared to fulfil these legal obligations should be be selling electrical equipment to the UK. If I was the OP I'd be reminding Bas of their legal obligations, if necessary by social media so that the rest of the world can see how poor they are.

For me it's impossible to find a 10 year period when there was lots of great music released every year. Almost every decade (or any continuous 10 year period) has a couple of years when the majority of new releases were decidedly dull - in the 70s from the end of glam rock until punk properly took off; the 80s between the end of synth pop and start of acid house. And then from the mid 90s onwards when house/EDM got mainstream and boring, and while there was some decent music being released I really couldn't get behind bands that had all the personality and looks of a bunch of quantity surveyors on casual Friday. I'd have to say for me the best 10 year slot is 10 years counting back from today, simply because now genre, "the charts" and mainstream media options no longer matter, and while as always there's a ton of stuff being released that I find vapid and dull, or worse "worthy"; there's also plenty of great music being released by people who simply don't care about what is supposed to be fashionable".

Two things: 1. the fuse in a mains lead is there to protect the lead only, not the equipment it connects to. 2. Any retailer supplying electrical goods to the UK market are legally obliged to supply a mains lead with a UK plug on it. Get in touch with the shop that sold it to and remind them of their legal obligation.