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John Cellario

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Everything posted by John Cellario

  1. Thanks everyone...batteries out then. Just another question....when the Volto is plugged into the pedals, but they are not being used or turned on, does this drain the Volto?
  2. To drive my MXR Bass Chorus & Octivider I have been using Duracell 9v batteries which don't seem to last long. So, I have just purchased a Pedaltrain Volto re-chargeable power supply. One person has told me to remove the Duracell battery as it is not needed to make a circuit, in fact, best to remove them to prevent corrosion. Another person maintains you need to leave the battery in, properly charged in order to make a circuit. Who is correct...will the effects work without the Duracell battery? (Am still charging the Volto for the first time so cannot experiment myself.) Thanks in advance.
  3. I have Hartke 1 x 15" and 2 x 10" cabs together in a stack with an EBS head and am relatively happy with my sound. My engineer friend has pointed out there is no crossover device sending the highs or lows to the relevant cabs. How much of a difference is there likely to be if I have a crossover fitted? Would it help in getting the high notes to zing out a bit more, if so, I may try it. Any opinions? Thanks.
  4. I have recently aquired an MXR Bass Chorus De-Luxe and a MXR Bass Chorus pedal. I've found the batteries will only last for around a couple of gigs, even when unplugging when not in use. I'm wondering what's the best method of getting mains power to the pedals. Just a simple mains adaptor and daisy chain the two together or is there an effects pedal board module I could buy? I'm only ever going to run 2/3 pedals max so it would only need to be small. Also having to run a mains cable to the front of the stage to drive the pedals seems to be a bit of a faff. Any ideas?.... thanks in advance.
  5. Interesting piece on the BBC.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29550639
  6. ...showing 'hidden gems' in hand-made basses... http://www.luthiersaccessgroup.com/
  7. Thanks for all the input and suggestions....I have tried turning the 2x10 on end to make it higher as I am pretty tall, but couldn't determine any improvement. I do boost my mids as I like to use a back PU punchy boppy sound ...so I reckon the main problem is the sound shooting straight past me as I can't stand far enough away from the stack on small stages. In rehearsal I'm about 6' away. When you think about it, we're used to hear our sound coming at us from behind, when in fact we could do with receiving it from the front! Maybe a monitor in front of me is an idea or train my ears to swivel around 180 degrees!!
  8. Anyone else frustrated by this? The band I play in is not particularly loud - during rehearsals I can distinguish my sound perfectly well, but when it comes to playing gigs I just cannot hear myself clearly, which means any nuances or subtleties goes out of the window. It's as if I'm listening underwater...I can feel the 'bottom end' thud but individual notes are unclear. The type of gigs we play means small stages so we're all cramped closely together, myself next to the drummer and keyboards. Standing a foot or two away from the stack doesn't help, as the sound is getting thrown past where I'm standing. On the last gig, we were miked from the house PA, so there were monitors with instruments and vocals adding to the sound I was hearing, which from my point of view, worsened the problem instead of helping. My gear is OK...Sandberg Jazz, EBS head, Hartke 1x15' and a 2x10 cab, I go for that back pick up, boppy tone. The guitarist has suggested taking the 2x10 off the stack and placing it in front of me, wedged, pointing upwards as a sort of monitor. I'm just interested in anyone else's experiences on this...I've played for over 30 years and I suppose it's always been a bit of an issue...maybe my hearing is also getting a bit naff.
  9. When I received my new California TM4, the pick-up's at the G string, were tilted down at an angle, some way lower than the E string. Is this done deliberately at the factory or was it set up incorrectly. I've now adjusted the pick-ups to be the same distance away from the strings, and seem to hear a more even string response....anyone have similar experiences?
  10. Really tasty Bill. Keep 'em coming.
  11. The Todd Rundgren one is fantastic...worth watching just to see his house in Kawaii!
  12. Just interested to hear what everyone else usually does. Volume right up on the bass and any adjustments made via the amp, or as I do, always have about 'a quarter ' left to increase on the volume knob...can't seem to stop myself from setting things like this though I'm not sure why!
  13. Always loved this track, and yes that's a very funky bass sound going on underneath!
  14. Thanks men....I'll experiment a bit more with the earth loop thingy and headphones. Just had a reply from Apogee to say unplugging it whilst using Garageband is not a problem.
  15. Just playing around with Garageband on a 10.9 iMac after buying an Apogee Jam. I tried the 'line in' method via the amp and it gave much better results....however, I now have a high pitched whine coming through the Mac speakers which was not there before. It is controlled in volume by the Apogee Jam gain wheel. If I turn it right down, to eliminate the noise, there is not enough signal to record properly. Thinking about it, I did unplug the Apogge from its USB with Garageband open.....do you think I've damaged the Apogee? It didn't make this noise before I unplugged it. It still works OK directly into the iMac.
  16. [b] Read This Before You Play Music In Public[/b] [url="http://somethingyousaid.com/2013/04/25/read-this-before-you-play-music-in-public/"]April 25, 2013[/url] [url="http://somethingyousaid.com/2013/04/25/read-this-before-you-play-music-in-public/spinal-tap/"][/url] These are the rules. I didn’t make them up. These are inalienable truths, a part of the divine spectrum of unquestionable constants that hold our universe together. There might be those who feel deeply offended by some of the wisdom contained herein but I must insist that it is firmly in your interest to understand that the rules are quite infallible and with the greatest of respect, if you take issue with this doctrine, you are very probably a massive douchebag and it is thus all the more important that you adhere to these rules lest you reveal yourself as such. Now read and obey. [b]1. Don’t play a Stratocaster.[/b] Ok, I know this is a controversial place to start given the heritage of this most iconic of electric guitars but playing one in the 21st century is just wrong. It’s like showing up on a first date wearing trackie bottoms: completely lame and half-arsed. The flagship model of the Fender fleet has today become the graceless mule of a million sh*tty pub bands playing Clapton covers and obliviously breaking every rule in the book. Then, having chosen an acceptable instrument to play, don’t suspend it from a strap that proudly sports the name and branding of your guitar’s manufacturer. The Gibson guitar strap should be held in the same regard as the Rolex key-ring and the Ferrari baseball cap. [b]2. Don’t wear shorts.[/b] Everything must exist within the confines of its proper environment. Pele didn’t perform in jeans; Elvis didn’t perform in f***ing shorts. Have some damn respect for your art. (It should be noted that this rule may be utterly disregarded only by Angus Young and by women with nice legs) [b]3. Keep your shirt on.[/b] It doesn’t matter if it’s 110 degrees up there and you have the torso of a curiously bronze Norse God, when a musician removes his shirt, he exposes himself as nothing more than a bit of a tool. [b]4. A drum kit shall comprise of no more than two toms, no more than three cymbals and shall be mounted on individual stands, not on a scaffolding rig.[/b] While it is true that percussion is very important, it remains truer still that a large and complex array of drums and cymbals enhances the experience only of the drummer and of the two drum geeks who seem to show up at every gig and whose opinions are under no circumstances to be treated as valid. NOTE. The role of the drummer is a complex and delicate issue and at its heart lies what might be termed The Percussion Paradox. This is the all too common misconception among drummers that because they play the most inconveniently proportioned instrument and are largely responsible for the rhythmic structure upon which a performance is built, the importance of their job makes them deserving of the attention and admiration of all. This is a grotesquely false assumption. The classy drummer keeps his mouth shut and his sh*t tight, shows up on time and tries not to piss everybody off. There is a famous rock cliché that says a band is only as good as its drummer. This may be true in the sense that a poor drummer can really f*** up a good band but such logic would suggest this statement to be no more meaningful than the assertion that a house is only as good as its sewage pipe and you just wouldn’t make that your major selling point in a difficult property market. But then the original quote has been attributed to Bobby Gillespie and I never heard anything come out of his mouth that didn’t sound to me like cattle. [b]5. A bass guitar shall have no more than four strings.[/b] It should also be noted that an electric bass guitar must have frets and its body should in no way look like it might be made from a moose antler. Furthermore if the instrument entirely obscures both nipples, you’re wearing it too high. [b]6. Do not address the audience using the name of the town or city in which you are performing.[/b] “Helloooo Aldershottt!” Come on, it’s just embarrassing. [b]7. Don’t announce the address of your band website from the stage.[/b] Laboratory tests have confirmed there is just no cool way of doing this. It simply reeks of desperation. [b]8. If you don’t intend to bust out any badass dance moves, you don’t need a radio mic.[/b] Same goes for wireless guitar systems and regardless of the convenience of such a setup, nobody shall ever take to the stage wearing one of those headset microphones like somebody who works in a f***ing call-centre. Dear God no. [b]9. Don’t end every song with an extensive monologue of requests for a perfect monitor balance.[/b] Nothing kills the magic of live music like letting us all in on the secret that you also think it sounds like sh*t. If you can hear anything at all, you can get to work. Pretend it sounds great and we might all believe you. [b]10. If you absolutely must play a shredding guitar solo, do not wear the facial contortions of a man being aggressively fellated.[/b] Yes, even you Clapton. It’s the worst kind of musical perversion. That look of pained ecstasy, eyes tight shut but raised to the heavens, the shake of the head like it’s all too much, the sudden burst of surprise like the angels of axemanship just tossed in a cheeky little lick you weren’t even expecting, those baffling twitches of the mouth as your body and instrument become as one and you are helpless but to reinforce those fretboard acrobatics with wild eyebrow leaps and the silent scat of a terrified half-wit speaking in tongues with his pants around his ankles. You should see what they do to people like you in prison. The End.
  17. Sorry to be dense...does 'switch off all the presets on the channel' mean just select 'no effects' in the bass section?.......and what is amp design?
  18. Anyone have any ideas how to get a decent sound when recording in Garageband? The presets are pretty unusable. ('Direct studio deep' maybe is the best). I just want a clean natural tone. I've just bought an Apogge Jam and have spent an evening doodling around with it trying to get a good tone and don't particularly want to spend more cash on another gadget to try and improve the sound.
  19. Someone else pointed me in the direction of an Apogee Jam circa £70 from GAK
  20. Thanks for the info on the Scarlett...so do I connect this with a USB cable into the USB port on the back of the Mac, then select that as my input device? I thought the whole idea of Garageband was that you can simply plug in and record (even though at a very basic level).
  21. I have an new iMac 2.7Ghz Intel with the latest operating system. When trying to record my bass into Garageband for the first time, I've realised I do not have a built-in input socket, only a headphone out. (All the older tutorials on YouTube, show you just connect to the Mac with a 1/4" jack to mini jack lead, via the headphone input, then record). Apparently I need a audio interface device, costs around £500, to turn my USB socket into an 'audio in' socket. I can't believe Apple have made this change on their newer Macs, or am I just being a bit thick?!!!
  22. I always thought Sting was just a tad...pretentious. My wife went to the school opposite him in Geordie Land so where does the accent he uses now come from? And, he used to be a milkman.
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