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LLOYDWT

⭐Supporting Member⭐
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Everything posted by LLOYDWT

  1. I don't expect these to sell, and to be honest I won't be disappointed if they don't. Offered here are two CSM 12s, made by the fine folk at QSC. These are, without hyperbole, the finest speakers I have ever used. If I had roadies, I would use these on every gig, the clarity, range, volume and fidelity are all *chef's kiss*. They're currently permanently installed in my practice room, as they are heavier than the sun and I can no longer face shifting them to and from gigs. The reality is, they're overkill for me now, and their current use is a ridiculous indulgence; if they sell, the funds will be used to replace them with something lighter. I'm also offering the QSC GXD4 that I use to power them; it's not the perfect power amp for the job, but it's been more than powerful enough for my needs. It comes housed in a flight case. The details for the wedges can be found on the QSC website, here. The details for the power amp can be found on the QSC website, here. I'm happy to sell the monitors individually at £600 each, but I'll be keeping the power amp if it doesn't sell with the monitors, as I have plenty of use for it. These are, for obvious reasons, collection only (Ipswich).
  2. Offered in excellent, 8.5/10 condition are two examples of my favourite 112 cabs. I'll doubtless regret this, but the reality is they aren't getting used, as I'm opting for an 4x10 on the types of gigs I used to use these on. These come complete with official Bergantino covers, in tatty but serviceable condition. The details and specs for these cabinets can be found on the Bergantino website, here. I'll entertain shipping these, but it'll require my finding big enough boxes; I imagine the quote'll be somewhat expensive. Collection, from Ipswich, is preferred, but I may be persuaded to deliver if you aren't too far away. £400 each.
  3. Thanks, Franz. Exactly, no matter what you do, it sounds glorious. A passive Precision into a compressor into this was my go-to setup for wedding gigs for years. If that were still my bread and butter, this'd be staying.
  4. There are four FX blocks, so you can choose up to four effects to use at any one time. All channels can be routed to all FX, much like you'd route a channel to a bus, and FX can be routed to other FX too. So by default, if you put say a reverb on a vocal mic, you're sending a clean vocal signal and an affected vocal signal to FoH and you can make changes by riding the two levels, sending more dry signal to the FX channel, or changing the quality of the reverb from the FX sub-menu. You can also change the FX from "Shared" to "Inserted" which then requires you to specify a single channel (or stereo pair) to receive that effect, which is then not available on any other channel; but that then means you lose the dry signal, and you control your affected output via that channel's fader. It's more intuitive than it sounds and allows you to control the FX any way you can imagine with a lot of detail. The presets are really good and I've been able to dial in exactly what I've wanted within seconds of hitting the FX sub-menu. I did an acoustic duo gig last month, and used the double tracker on the guitar which added some missing depth; I've not used it on vocals yet, as I don't think it's an effect I want on all the time, and my hands are busy playing.
  5. This is, and has been, a lovely amp, but, alas, I have too many and too little space and time, so it's offered here to you fine ladies and gentlemen. The full specs and details can be found on the Demeter website, here. This is the stock (non-Jenson) transformer version. The condition is, as far as I can tell, immaculate (it's been babied by me in my ~9 years of ownership), bar some paint chips on the carry handle. Shipping is possible; I'm happy to source a quote for any interested parties; collection is preferred; I'm located in central Ipswich. I'm often in Mayfair, London, so a meetup around there is possible too.
  6. I bought an amp and cabinet from Daryl today. Great communication and a easy and stress-free exchange. The amp and cab were in excellent condition; Daryl clearly takes care of his gear. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from him again
  7. The WiFi has been faultless and was worth the cost of entry alone. I really don't miss having to use a router in addition to the mixer. Mixing Station does not look as user-friendly, or as "aesthetic," as the native CQ app, and, aside from some missing features, and the disconnecting when idle, the CQ app is the best tablet mixing experience I've ever had.
  8. It's been statically installed in my practice room for the last couple of months, so I haven't really been fully utilising it (the only gigs I've run sound on have used a Midas M32). I'm still really enjoying using it; the interface and navigation within the app have grown on me with more use. I'm enjoying the quick presets more than I thought I would; without those, I think I'd be dialing in very similar settings to those I would on any mixer, but this allows me to cycle through some contrasting setups quickly, and I often arrive at a sound distinct from what I'd normally be looking for and that I'm really satisfied with. I've been lamenting the loss of my mute/sub groups less than I thought I would, but I imagine if I were micing a full drum kit, I'd miss that feature more. I think I'll have to check out Mixing Station to see what the mixing experience is like in that; but I'd miss some of the quick setup functions if I gave up on the CQ app completely. Perhaps I could dial the mixer in using the CQ app, and then do the levels in the Mixing Station app (this is probably ridiculous). I'm doing a major software rollout at work over the next few weeks, so music is going to be quiet for me until late December/early January; I've got a few coffee shop/wine bar gigs in early 2024 where I plan on using this with my FBT Vertus CLA PA, and I'm more excited about it than I should be. I've yet to persuade singers and guitarists to claim their own monitor mixes with the CQ4YOU app yet; which is disappointing. Not a failing of the mixer or the app, just Luddites shirking the job; they'll get there. The tech-savvier musicians I've shared it with have found it straightforward. The learning curve is less steep than the Midas, and the results are usually better. It was an indulgent purchase, but I don't regret it.
  9. They exist in the monitoring app, so the functionality is already there. It's such a daft response too, even if it were true; "we didn't include this useful feature that could be easily achieved on the existing hardware with minor software changes and that has no down sides by design"??? I'm used to not having the mute groups now as I have the soft keys setup for what I used most frequently on my MR18. It's still a great mixer, but these feel like missteps from A&H.
  10. I've yet to use the W950, but I've heard great things. I've got a few Lewitt instrument mics and a kick drum mic as well as my 540, and they've all been excellent. I imagine the W950 would keep up with the heavyweights of the condenser vocal mic world.
  11. Yeah. They were super selective about what they were willing to talk about when engaging with me. It seems like the engineers don't really communicate with the support/promotional/social teams, and if it's not the press release, they just don't know. I think in the long wrong the CQ20 would be a wiser buy than the UI24R; it's definitely, even with its teething issues, a more capable device; but I would understand choosing a more mature device rather than waiting for updates that may or may not come.
  12. I really dislike 58s. I think their ubiquity is often misconstrued as universal approval. There are so many great mics that can be had for the same, or less, money. Need's never had anything to do with it. Buying frivolous and expensive toys purely for the fun of playing with frivolous and expensive toys is one of my top hobbies. And if you can pick one up for the right price, you won't struggle to move it on for the same money should you ever tire of it. I say get one! 😁
  13. I've got a few of these. They're great as a universal clip — https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Universal-Quick-Release-Mic-Clip-by-Gear4music/1OJH
  14. Fair points, but with the volume of items that are being sold, allocating staff to the appraisal of questionable listings seems somewhat sensible. You don't have to be Rupert Neve to be able to figure out half of these things aren't legitimate. And, if a seller has conceded that an item is fake and offered a full refund, why allow that seller to continue selling the same items without some kind of intervention and assessment? Perhaps the threat of some actual consequences would deter the less hardy fraudsters.
  15. Some of the nicest, and rarest, gear I've bought has been from eBay; it does feel like it's gettiing worse, and eBay as a company definitely isn't pulling its weight in dealing with the issues. But there are still some brilliant sellers on there and I'm going to continue spending too much time and too much money navigating the listings. What really irks me, though, is that this guy has sold at least 4 other fake mics, and eBay, despite being made aware by me, is going to do sweet F.A. about it. He sold one of them after I reported him for selling fakes (he reduced his asking price by £70 to encourage a quick sale!).
  16. No, at least not to my ears; but if you can pick one up for <£250, then I'd say it's worth it. I have one just as a different flavour to my KSM8. If I'm being honest, I can get a serviceable sound I'm happy with from near any dynamic mic, but the KMS150 sounds excellent effortlessly, and the less effort I have to put in, generally the happier I am.
  17. I navigated eBays, incredibly unhelpful, contact page and managed to get through to their first-line support, who insisted I send the counterfeit goods back to the seller. I asked to speak to a more senior member of staff and was on hold for 40 minutes. I was told they would "initiate a callback" and I'd hear from a second-line support agent within 72 hours, which I declined. I advised them that I will make Trading Standards aware of eBay's instruction to me to return the counterfeit goods to the seller. The first-line support agent confirmed eBay would do nothing regarding the defrauded buyers who've unknowingly bought a fake, though they say they'll remove any future listings of this item from this sellers account. I'll send the goods back to the seller, await my refund and then report them to trading standards and the police. I'll also try and shame eBay on social media to do the right thing re. the already defrauded individuals.
  18. I filled in an "Item not as described" report, and it went to the seller for a refund. There was and is no option to involve eBay unless the seller doesn't respond or refund me.
  19. I buy and sell a lot from eBay, Reverb and Facebook Marketplace; I often take advantage of people's unwillingness to ship larger items, to get hold of some fun toys for small prices. I've recently sold a load of Shure wireless mics I pulled from a conference room in Mayfair, and have been using the proceeds to upgrade my PA and practice room equipment. I won an auction for a Neumann KMS105 for £205 last week. This might seem like a red-flag price for this mic, but I'm pretty sure I paid somewhere in that ball park for the real one I already own. The seller had 100% feedback, is U.K. based, had a "legitimate" reason for selling unused mics and even had recent positive feedback for selling an identical one. I paid via PayPal over eBay, so had no worries regardless. The mic arrived this lunchtime. It's garbage. The box looks legit; my first KMS105 was old and didn't come with a box, so I can't comment on the accuracy, but it looks and feels as I'd expect. The wrap case is identical to my real one, and the weight felt about right, so far so good. Next, the mic holder; this is obviously a fake. Real Neumann clamps have the logo debossed; this fake has the word NEUMANN (incorrect font) printed on it. The adjustable thread isn't real; it cannot be removed. The bolt on the hinge is cheap, the wrong colour and ill fitting. Now the mic. It's a pretty good aesthetic match for the real deal. The Neumann logo is present, in the right place, and the colours match; though it's rough around the edges and doesn't sit perfectly within the diamond. The weight of the mic is slightly off; it's not light but it doesn't have the heft of the real thing. The external and inner shield look identical to the real deal. The underside of the XLR PCB says "KMS105" at a jaunty angle rather than "Made in Germany" inline with the pins. Unscrewing the shield isn't a fun experience, the threading is dirty and poorly applied; the capsule is cheap and completely unlike a Neumann one. Even before unscrewing the main PCB, I can see it's nothing like the real deal. The Neumann capsule is directly attached to the PCB, this fake is loose with a 1" long grey wire connecting the two with a sloppy solder job on the PCB. The Neumann PCBs are green with gold Neumann logo and writing. The KMS105 has 2 capacitors and very tidy gold components. The PCB has some snaking between its main body and the XLR section to allow some bend, the join between the main PCB and the capsule is covered with black epoxy. This fake is a black PCB with silver components and 4 capacitors. The XLR is connected directly to the PCB, with a very sloppy solder job. My curiosity got the better of me, so I plugged the mic in. It functions; it's a microphone, but it is not a good microphone, let alone in the league of the real deal. I requested a refund within 20 minutes of the microphone's arriving through my door; the seller, who does not accept returns, accepted my return within 5 minutes of my request. I'll be dropping it off at the post office later. A quick look on Ali Express shows these fakes can be bought for less than £40. Quite a good money making opportunity even if they are only selling for £205+P&P. There are a few other listings for this mic, and other high-end microphones, that I can now see are fakes; and a few more where the price has me sceptical, but there are no red flags visible in the listing photos. eBay doesn't seem to have a facility to report fake listings, neither does Reverb (which had a listing for one of my basses, using the Bass Gallery's photos from when I bought it, up until recently). There seems no avenue available through eBay to get my money back without sending the seller his counterfeit goods back and allowing him to continue with his scam. Luckily, there is a "return to" address with his full details on the delivery label. I'll be reporting him to his local police force and trading standards after my refund has been received.
  20. I really rate the MXL CR77 as a vintage-looking mic at the cheaper end of the spectrum. I've heard great things about the Heil PR 77D, if you want to spend a bit more money. The industry standard for dynamic mics with a vintage aesthetic seems to be the Shure Super 55, but I don't get on with them at all; they do look the absolute business though.
  21. I'm a bit of a mic addict, so I have/have had loads. I always carry, and usually use, a Shure KSM8; it's a brilliant mic to work with, it's very easy to EQ, and it seems to sound great with any singer and is very forgiving of imperfect mic technique. I often use a Neumann KMS105 too; I rarely use it if I'm not doing the sound as it requires phantom power, and I don't like to give the engineer anything else to think about; but again, it's a really easy mic to work with and you can score a really quality vocal with very limited EQing or effects. I also always carry a Lewitt MTP540 in my spares bag; it's a lot cheaper mic than the Shure or the Neumann, so I'm a little less protective of it (if I'm forced to loan a mic, it's usually this one) but I still find it to be a great mic, it sounds not dissimilar to an SM58, but a little less harsh, and it's definitely easier for me to dial in a sound I'm happy with. I also own, but rarely gig with, a Shure Super 55 and an MXL CR77; I used to use these a lot with a couple of function bands I played with where a more vintage aesthetic was desired. I bought the MXL because I wasn't the biggest fan of the Super 55 (it has the same harshness that I find in the SM58 and struggle to EQ out). When I'm engineering, I usually carry a couple of beaten up Heil PR 22s, as they're close enough sounding to 58s to satisfy most people, but have less handling noise and are easier for me to dial in.
  22. On an average gig, I have redundancies for everything. Multiple basses, multiple amps, multiple cabinets, multiple mixers, spare mics, etc., a bag full of spare 9 volts, XLRs, 1/4" cables and strings, and I make sure that everything is fully charged before leaving the house, and I carry chargers/cables too...; I carry two iPads and can mix from my laptop and phone too (and my backup mixer is an MW1608 with physical faders). This isn't about being cheap or cutting corners; it's about not having my mic stand looking like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. I've been mixing from a tablet for the best part of a decade, and it's confusing, and frustrating, why the functionality in this feature is now less than it was 8 years ago. This is functionality that exists; it's more convenient to run it all from one device and I'd like to be able to continue doing so. If A&H have a legitimate reason for its omission, so be it, but right now, Midas/Behringer can do it, so I don't understand why A&H can't.
  23. The Midas mixing apps (for the MR18 and the M32 variants) maintain connection, or at least functionally appear to, to the mixer; there is no resource drain on the iPad. Regardless of the technological assumptions, my question is, if Midas/Behringer can do it, why can't A&H? It's not a deal breaker for me, but it definitely feels like a step backwards compared to this feature on the MR18.
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