xgsjx

The watts from the amp is an “up to” amount & not continuous.  Use your ears when playing & if it sounds bad, turn down. 

I’ve been a mix of pic & fingers, depending on the song. I’ve always kept the same setting on the amp for both & use the bass’ twiddly things to dial in the sound (if needed).

Conan’s suggestion of a compressor to level things out might be worth investing. 

On 25/01/2019 at 07:44, Sharkfinger said:

I've used the BSS at a gig and a rehearsal my thoughts so far are this: while it adds the overtones I'm after, it doesn't quite have the EQ or 'low end grunt' I'm looking for. 

Was fiddling with the pedal's EQ but as it just scoops and 'moves' that scoop around, wasn't quite getting what I want, so tweaked the EQ on my amp.  Getting there....

I'm going to use it in combination with my ampegulator pedal, see where that goes.

If you're not getting the low end grunt you're after, it could be your pickups or your bass that are the culprits.  Though it depends on what gear you've already tried.

Another thought for low end grunt, have you considered an octaver with just a touch of -1 octave dialled in with clean?

Tubes cooling down is a great end of set sound.  👌

One big downside of valve amps is the weight.  Mine has 2 handles, but I still use a sack trolley to move it to & from the car.

Looks is another great thing about valve amps.  They just look so danm awesome.  

7 hours ago, Sibob said:

I agree with the first two, but with the greatest of respect, I’ve never known anyone worth their salt take a line from an acoustic pickup when a decent mic setup is available. Not even ‘for an option’.

If there are no mice available, it’s still a poor substitute, however good you think your pickup is.

Si

You make a good point there, Si.  The pick up is in the body of the guitar...  No one sticks their head through the soundhole to listen to the guitar.  😁

On 29/12/2018 at 20:45, Sibob said:

I think it’s pretty rare to record guitars with anything more than 2 mics?! I’m not sure what you’d really be gaining. I guess it would allow you one DI, plus a close mic and ambient mic.

I believe to get a great acoustic guitar recording, it is common to have a mic pointed towards the soundhole, a mic over the fretboard (to get the ambient sounds such as string noise, aka fret noise) and if it's an electro, take a line from that too.

I tend to go with tuner > octaver > dirt > filter > chorus > DI. But it’s good to play around to see what you prefer. 

My previous board had split signals with different fx on each. 

On 16/01/2019 at 11:00, Sarlscharisma said:

That is if your happy with a bit of weight!

A bit of weight?  My amp alone is 33.4kg. That’s more than the cab, bass & pedalboard combined. 🏋🏼‍♀️

I remember when Billy Sheehan was asked why he doesn't play a 5 string, he said something along the lines of that he's still learning how to play 4 strings.  😀

I've been playing the same 4 string Ibby since 1990, though I find I could now use a 5.  So it's on the cards (has been for some time, but keeps getting delayed).
I'd like a fretless as well.

If you can take a little pain, then a stanley to the webs between your fingers will allow that extra reach.  No pain, no gain.

Like above, as long as the cab is rated at 8 ohm (which is most likely), then the only reason would be is how it sounds to you. 

Here’s another thought... have you tried changing the strings to a different brand or even to flats?

Wow. What a flange!

2 hours ago, Sharkfinger said:

Tried a couple of digital modelling preamps. Not in the league of this Kemper but they felt lacking somehow.

Could that be due to your amp/cab?  A valve preamp isn’t gonna be any warmer than a good digital preamp. Maybe a more coloured cab would be better?

I agree with Sibob about Ableton probably not being the best value for your needs.  Though I have a friend who doesn't play electronic stuff & uses Ableton as a DAW with great results.

I used to use Cubase, Reason & Reaper.  All great in their own ways.  I'm now a Logic user & love it, but I'm tempted to give Ableton a blast.

What about a Kemper Profiler?

https://www.kemper-amps.com/news/1/Bass-Rig-Pack-II

Get a Valve power amp to finish it off. 

Warm soiled state?  💩

As per the other thread, digital modelling can accurately emulate a valve pre.  The only part that can't be replicated is a valve power stage.  It's hard to get the bounce of KT88s or 6550s digitally.

If you like the sound you have, get another 2x10. It’ll give you more of the same, but a bigger sound. If you add a different cab, it’s gonna sound different & you won’t know if it’s gonna be any good until you’re at the gig. 

Do they show that sort of stuff on Youtube?  Maybe better with Pornhub?

Anouthe bit of software worth a look is Ableton. You get a lite version of it for free. 

If you’re doing this just to chuck ideas down, then just use your hifi to play through. If you’re going to be making demos or producing music, then a set of studio headphones, monitors or both. 

For headphones, superlux 688b are great value, though after 3 years my plug has become iffy (but they were only £30).

From the feedback on here, Focusrite make decent interfaces & Dannybuoy’s 2i2 sounds like a safe bet. 

I looked at several interfaces & opted for the Native Instruments KA6, as it had more of what I need. It’s a solid built device with 4 audio inputs, midi in/out & spdif in/out, all in a compact package.  Sound quality is very good too. 

If you've used a DAW (recording software) before, then try all 3.  If you haven't, then choose one & learn it.  They're all good.

If Traction comes with the drums, then I'd go with that one.  Reaper has a bit of a learning curve & set up process & doesn't come with much in the way of instruments & fx, but once you learn it, it's pretty good.  You can get instruments & effects for any DAW (known as VSTs).  You'll find plenty of free ones as well as ones you have to pay for.

GripFill FTW!

I put the hook side on the pedals.  My Diago board is covered in loop inside.

2 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

Nice to find another BCer here into ambient electronica. I didn't mention Woob and his two must have albums 1194 and 4495. There are a few of us around here not many but that's ok.  Do you like the Bladerunner 2024 soundtrack too? It's excellent. Worked brilliantly in the cinema. I too like John Carpenter's soundtracks. Prefer him as a composer than film maker though.

The 2049 soundtrack is excellent. They did a brilliant job of it.

I'll need to have a listen to Woob.  Really liking Solar Flares.