Tripehound

I've tried IEMs - I really have - but they're not doing it for me yet. I've tried one of these boards and they are fantastic but I'm not sure how I'd use one live. I normally play via either a Helix or an MXR preamp on my pedal board then straight into the PA. Do I really need an amp?

I've acquired a Duesenberg Starplayer bass and a lovely thing it is to look at but I'm not there with the sound yet. I'm finding it a bit - nasal? I suspect flat wound might be better than the rounds that were on when it arrived. Any recommendations?

They look both lovely and interesting - I had a brief unrequited infatuation with the Motown bass. Our guitar player has several of the six-stringed things and I've had a quick go and they are very good to play. However, apart from that bloke in Tears for Fears, I can't remember any significant players using a Duesenberg bass and if they were that good...

Bought myself an MXR M87 Compressor off the eBay a while back and for a time all was good. Great sounding pedal. After a time, all the LEDs mysteriously stayed on for a while when the device was powered up but went back to normal after a moment. The moments got longer until they now stay on all the time and so it's hard to know what (if anything) the pedal is doing. After some digging around, I was advisedly MXR to send it to their UK distributor who subsequently said they didn't deal with out of warranty products. I sent it off to a nice amp repair chap in Newark who was able to reproduce the fault but couldn't find a fix. Anyone else had this with these pedals and more to the point, do you know if it's mendable? Here's a video of the problem

This may be a stupid question but... After years of using a regular amp I have recently moved to using a DI pedal straight and floor monitor. Sounds good to my ears and positive feedback from audiences. So far so good but I'm never completely satisfied so... I started to look at cab simulators - examples are the TwoNotes Torpedo Cab and the considerably-cheaper Digitech CabDryVr. 1) Is this worth investigating further - worth the effort and the expense? 2) Why don't they have XLR output if they are last in the signal chain, after the preamp? Oh - that's two stupid questions....

I've seen good things said of the OmniCabSim - can you only get them mail order (from Chile isn't it)? There's also a Digitech pedal - Cabdryvr? Like the Torpedo it lacks an XLR socket which seems odd for an end of the line pedal.

One of the attractions is that the Torpedo seems to have power amp simulation as well as speakers. I have a Helix but I've not yet managed to get it to sound as good as the MXR!

I’ve started using an MXR M81 straight into the PA which is one of those fancy line array setups. Sounds very good - and I’ve finally gotten round to this approach after a lifetime of substantial amplification. Lacking much experience on this topic, can anyone advise whether things could be further improved by using a speaker sim say like this? https://www.andertons.co.uk/two-notes-torpedo-cab-pedal-torp-cab?LGWCODE=TORPCAB;56375;6335&gclid=CjwKCAiAhMLSBRBJEiwAlFrsTgV5xF-9dNO-jsJqVL7hjt1rN_NAfrvk4wy4jawuGbJhdaf_LsKxbhoCfJ0QAvD_BwE

I'm currently using a Fender Super Bassman (300 watts valve) into a Neo 410 cabinet. Rig of my dreams and sounds amazing but sadly I don't have a roadie to move it around for me. Classic dilemma. Just bought a Helix LT and loving it which has led me to wonder whether I should invest in some sort of FRFR arrangement. The FR800 seems to get a lot of positive press, and I hear good things about the Yamaha DXR10 and 12. Also the HK Audio L5 115FA. I could really do with some reassurance and recommendations from people who have used this arrangement in anger. Is it an idea worth pursuing? Is the Barefaced worth the (considerable) difference in price? Should I try a halfway house with a power amp and use the 410? Any contributions welcome!

Any chance of an update on the old Helix/FR800 thing? Considering the same arrangement..

What is the view on the choice between the Helix and the Helix LT? I'm trying to decide whether the scribble strips and the extra I/O is worth 300-odd squid, money that could go towards an FR800....

Splendid chap - went out of his way to expedite a pedal so I could rush into a gig with it! Buy with confidence.

Any thoughts on how the b3n compares to the new Boss unit - the GT-1B?

Playing a Ric 4003S and a Dingwall SJ5 through a Super Bassman 300 usually through the 'vintage' channel but I find myself coveting those Darkglass pedals for a bit of dirt on traditional rock numbers. Can anyone offer advice on the difference between the B3K and the Vintage Microtubes? Or should I go back to the 'modern' channel on the amp?

It seems impossible to avoid the ads for the Big and Little Sister bass and guitar. They do look pretty and the demo for the bass sounds as good as these things sound. I guess there's zero possibility of ever running into one in the flesh so I wondered if anyone else here has had the pleasure? The price for a standard issue one looks to be about $3450 (presumably plus VAT and import duties); I get the feeling a fair bit of that is going towards the marketing budget...

If I've got a GR-55 do I want a V Bass?

I know it's normally the other way around. I recently bought a Roland GR-55 guitar synth together with the GK-3 which I fitted on a Reverend Double Agent - this combination sounds fantastic but at the moment it's more of an expensive toy than a usable tool. I want to use it in the band where I play bass and so have bought the bass version of the pickup - the GK-3B - excited at the prospect of all those synth sounds, fretless basses etc which you get by flipping mode on the GR-55. Question is what to fasten it to? I wouldn't dream of drilling holes in any of my lovely basses and there are warnings about damaged finish if you ever try to take the thing off should you use the supplied double-sided tape. I managed to use the mounting bracket on the Reverend thanks to the bridge design so it wasn't a problem there. That leads me to thinking what I should get to mount this on to; I'm thinking relatively inexpensive (= not a lot of cash ATM) and have been told that Jazz style tends to lead to an easier installation. It's mostly going to be a platform for the synth but it would be good if it was a decent-sounding bass for those songs that need both. Squier VM Jag or Dimension? Ibanez Talman? 5 or 6 string? Short scale OK? Any suggestions or advice very welcome.