urb

Sorry for another post but here's something that's the complete opposite of the 'Giant Steps' shredding I posted elsewhere - here's my first crack at creating a track through multiple loops in Ableton Live - and I'm now seriously hooked on this program, the possibilities are just endless - anyway let me know what you think - lots of phat bass and no solos - and some nice drums too: [url="http://soundcloud.com/munkio/chunk"]http://soundcloud.com/munkio/chunk[/url] Cheers for listening - let me know what you think Mike

[quote name='supabock' post='1098702' date='Jan 22 2011, 03:01 PM']Nice one Mike, What version of Band in a Box are you using and what packs do you have? Do you primarily use it for rehearsing your lines/ Jamming etc. and do you find it and intuitive easy package to use?? Steve[/quote] Hi Steve I'm using the one for Mac and it's still the same old interface with about a million different options on it - it's a typical PC style program giving you a squillion different options for song style and all loads of different settings but it's not at all intuitive - I basically right-click on a chord box use the Chord Builder and select the chord I want, it does have an extensive set of chord extensions so your options are well and truly open there. I usually leave it on the default 'Jazz' setting which does a passable attempt at 'swing', obviously it's noting like playing with a real drummer or pianist but its one virtue is being able to loop a sequence/song over and over and it just repeats itself - which for something like Giant Steps is very useful. The other thing I like is being able to save the song as a MIDI file which you can then import into Logic and the chord comping is quite good and useable but with better sounds in a proper DAW. Hope that helps - BIAB is not a favourite of mine due to the interface but it does work and it's a very useful practice tool. M

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1098482' date='Jan 22 2011, 11:22 AM']Hi, Mike. Its a nightmare, isn't it? I have tried this one on and off for years and have never got anywhere near anything credible on solos and even disappoint myself on the basic walking lines! Despite the mistakes, your efforts are certainly better than anything I can pull off and you have, at the very least, inspired me to try again!![/quote] Yes and yes again - and thanks for the words of encouragement Rob - I'm glad some of what I was doing sounds coherant - I do use this as something of the 'ultimate warm up' as if I can get my ideas going over this then I am pretty much as warmed up as I'm every gong to be! My approach is to try and balance melody with out and out harmonic concepts - it's the only way I can deal with changes moving this fast. The singing thing does help maintain focus and I find just letting band in a box cylcle round it helps me get into the head space of any set of changes - playing in one position on the neck and keeping lines moving in a direction up or down the neck are a couple of the things I'm trying out here - but as it's such a hard to tune to play anything 'definitive' on I'd rather post something that will hopefully show that it's more of a musical exercise, or study, rather than something more creative or expressive. Thanks again Mike

Hey I decided to try filiming some early morning shedding on my iPhone - just me blowing along to Band In a Box trying to get round these changes - it's a bit rough and ready and there are good few mistakes but it gets going about half way through Just a bit of fun... hope you enjoy Mike

[quote name='The Burpster' post='1096760' date='Jan 20 2011, 08:38 PM']Mike, I didn't say that no-one had that knowledge, but I would suggest that you are in a minority. It makes me pleased to know that there are some that have ordered high spec and cost basses and are utterly besotted with them. I'm like that with my PRSs - not everyone's cup of tea but to me they are wonderful, and I feel very lucky to be allowed to play and own them.[/quote] Sorry yes - I was perhaps over egging my current state of wedded bass bliss, apologies for the ego-munguss opinionating - and likewise I feel very lucky to own the instruments I do - your earlier comment re cost and guilt is a biggie though and for all happiness my gear brings me if I really had to part with it, like HAD to, then I would sell - but I'm hoping that my various skills to pay them never ending bills will be enough to keep the wolf from the door - so far so good!

[quote name='The Burpster' post='1095606' date='Jan 19 2011, 08:25 PM']Some good responses above and I firmly believe the answer lies within a combination of all of those responses. Ordering and buying a custom bass is not like pimping an existing one. You have to spec everything to the luthier, and that is an awful lot of tech knowledge to possess and pass on. How many can actually state exactly what it is they want out of a bass, from woods to cuts of wood to finishes to hardware and then electrics. That is an awful lot if info to posses and to pass on, creating what is effectively a shopping list to someone who can create exactly what is asked of them. My guess is that folks ask for what they 'think' will be their Nirvana, but actually ends up being 'just another bass' allbeit a very expensive one that triggers a massive slab of guilt that gnaws away at them for the expense! Then their brain kicks in and tells them its not Nirvana and it was very expnsive, and hence they can recoup some of that by selling it.[/quote] That's why I went for a Sei bass - I couldn't be happier with it because I knew exactly what I wanted when I ordered it - every time I pick it up to play it gives me extreme satisfaction and every time I gig it, it sounds fantastic and pretty much always gets complimented on its sound and looks. Ordering a custom instrument because other people have them and you think you should have one is not, for me the point of owning or ordering one, I played the same Warwick Thumb 1990 original for 18 years - by the time I ordered my firrst Sei (my Jazz is pretty awesome as well) I was heartily sick of my Thumb; it's sound was great but its weight, and feel (the neck needed a lot of work doing to it through wear and tear) and I'd already pimped the hell out of it - getting my Sei single cut was the start of the rest of my bass playing life and three years after first getting the bass its sounding sweeter and playing better than ever: I love it. Sorry but some of us [i]have[/i] reached the point where we know what we want from an instrument and it's a nice place to be - I'm not saying there aren't thousands of other wonderful instruments (in fact there are too many wonderful instruments) out there or judging anyone else's tatstes, I just don't have the time, energy or money to keep changing my mind - I'm very happy with my basses and so I can just concentrate on making music and being the best 'me' that I can be on MY bass. If you're still not sure what you want from a bass, or know how much you will use it, then it's probably not the time in your life to go spending 3K++ on an instrument - at some point you might be - until then patience is a virtue Mike

[quote name='Huwberry' post='1088257' date='Jan 13 2011, 04:28 PM'] Try as I might, I couldn't get the audio to stay in sync. Oh well, enjoy!![/quote] Tha really was lovely - great arrangement for four string bass too - nice work dude. I posted this elsewhere - but here's some more jazz shedding from me Cheers Mike

Hey all Just made a little video of of my gear explaining some stuff and showing how I record audio and video Hope you enjoy Cheers Mike

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1080015' date='Jan 6 2011, 04:00 PM']I love checking out this thread occasionally for the music posted. Still raving over that Pat Methany stuff pasted on page 16. Loving it! Truckstop[/quote] Cool man - if you like the Metheny stuff then a natural successor to him were EST - sadly the pianist Esbjorn Sevensson tragically died in 2008 - but one of my fave albums from them is [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seven-Days-Falling-Esbjorn-Svensson/dp/B0000APYOC"]Seven Days of Falling[/url] - this song is particularly awesome - check the distorto bass solo towards the end: A truly amazing band live - the drummer is releasing a new album later this year too M

'Hymn' by Gary Willis - his solo and sound are just stunning - I've looked for a stream of the track but can't find it - it's the last track on his album 'No Sweat' - the best post-Jaco fretless player IMHO (Manring is up there as well of course!)

Great stuff man - very cool indeed

My short response to this is F**k 'em.... My slightly longer response is I really don't bother with most guitar / bass shops as I really only go to the Gallery - it's always worth the extra effort to get there - even for a casual browse - I quite like GAK in Brighton, at least they have decent amp stock there and tend to be helpful and knowledgeable but typically it's the 'too cool for school' customers that were the biggest twats there, I was in there playing my bass, not slapping a single note I hasten to add, but seeing as I was 'playing some lines' other than hammering out root notes with a pick I overheard some bloke walking past passoing comment to his mates along the lines of 'listen to this w***er' - always nice to feel welcome somewhere!

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1071484' date='Dec 29 2010, 09:34 AM']I have just rediscovered Slonimskys' Thesaurus of scales and patterns. Hours of fun!! And with a bow!!![/quote] Nice one Rob, that's been one of my inspirations for finding new stuff over the last year, I'm still working on the ideas of going 'out' over major or minor scales - playing over C major now has a million harmonic possibilities! But one thing I think I need to go back and look at sharpish are diminished scales - I'm still crap at them! I really want to start transcribing stuff again - just trying to get round to it! M

[quote name='thebrig' post='1070106' date='Dec 27 2010, 01:39 PM']I absolutely love my Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 12T Combo. Light as a feather, I now carry all my gear around in one go! I've gigged it a couple of times, and the 375 watts it puts through the 12" cabinet has been more than enough to keep up with our quite loud drummer. I've now added a matching Genz Benz 210T cab, just in case I need the full 600 watts at a larger venue. I actually tried it alongside the Promethean, and although the Promethean was good, I thought the Genz Benz just blew it away. The Genz Benz cost more, but for me it was worth it. You can actually see in my avatar photo just how small and compact it is.[/quote] +1 for this awesome combo - the GB stuff just has that sheen of quality in the sound but with plenty of balls - the single 12" really does kick out the watts and like others have said here the sound is incredibly focused - it may cost more but it's a good investment in my book. M

Eh up...! Just thought I'd make a random contribution to this thread - just doing that thing that I do so rarely (but am making more of an effort to do it more often) and going back to an album that's been sitting my collection for ages - and rediscovering its awesomeness - I give you: [b]Pat Metheny / Brad Mehldau Quartet[/b] Have a listen to a track [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMFHPe6g260"]here[/url] - it's full of beautiful tunes... I like that sh*t you know

Just remember guys - when you do that white boil wash - don't leave that little Red G string in there OK...

I first saw him live at St Barnabus Church in Oxford in the late 1990s - he's done some great stuff and is super talented and a great guitarist, but his latest stuff hasn't been quite as good IMO - I interviewed him a while back too: [url="http://www.munkio.com/words/nitin_sawhney.html"]http://www.munkio.com/words/nitin_sawhney.html[/url] Mike

FWIW when I listened to Ellie a while back I could hear the auto-tuning a mile away - at least with the X Factor they haven't used that on any of the bits I've watched recently - which I'm really pleased about as it let's the truly good performances stand out - and if anything adds a little humanity to the whole sorry farce that show really is - I like a few out of tune notes as it goes - if they're performed well M

[quote name='Faithless' post='1049055' date='Dec 6 2010, 10:02 AM']Hmm, I've been looking at these Genz combos for quite some time now, and I haven't yet found another thing that portable and that lightweight.. While these things are the main priorities, I got a headache of choosing between 8" and 10" cab versions.. Its' a bit of shame that 10" combo is 60£ more expensive than 8" brother.. Well, 8" inch thing is even lighter, and that's good, but I've been thinking if there's [i]a lot[/i] difference in giving 'air' from different size speakers..? I've been told that 8" combo works for practice/acoustic gigs, while 10" is more suitable for 'usual' gigs.. But does it differ that much? I'm going to use my amp for gigs, (with loud drummers maybe) and only use it as a monitor, as there's always some kind of PA around.. Can I get away with 8" thing? any thoughts welcome cheers Faith[/quote] I have the T112 on loan right now and it's an awesome speaker - very light and portable but kicks out huge amounts of tone, I've also tried the 10" version and that sounds really 'full' as well - but as a long term investment in a cab that will cover more small to medium sized gigs I'd recommend the 12" wholeheartedly - I say a guy playing with the GB 6.0 + 12" combo with a 16-piece big band at an 800 capacity venue and that was more than kicking butt with that band. Hope that helps - an 8" just won't handle the same frequency range as well IMO - a 12" is a great middle range size.

[quote name='thebrig' post='1054125' date='Dec 10 2010, 03:07 PM']I might look into a custom made bass, thanks for the idea. Did a four hour rehearsal last night with my bubinga corvette, suffering big time now! It's the heaviest guitar I've ever picked up! But it plays and sounds wonderful![/quote] There are loads of good UK luthiers across a variety of price ranges - but if you can afford between £1.5K and 2K then you should have a good deal of choice - you never know you might see a used one that ticks your boxes - I know the single cut design is something of an acquired taste (I have one and I love it but that's just me) but there is one used Sei at the Gallery right now - and having played this a few times I know it's super lightweight with a stunning tone and extreme playability: [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=1612&type=Bass%20Guitar"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_deta...e=Bass%20Guitar[/url] Anyway it's worth a thought - a custom bass is an investment but if you get it made to your spec and the way you want it, i.e. you specify that it must be lightweight, then it's definitely a good option - it's the way I went and I still feel having custom basses saved me time finding a bass that really matched up to what I wanted from an instrument. M

I may be biased but my two Sei basses are very lightweight - mainly because they are made of ash and maple - so I think body woods are definitely a factor here - my trusty old 1990 Thumb bass was made of Bubinga and wenge and weighed a ton and the longer I played it, the more I noticed the weight and its affect on my left shoulder and how it was beginning to hurt after long rehearsals and gigs. Loads of great suggestions here but going down the custom route and getting a bass made with lightweight woods could be the best possible way to sort this situation out in the long term. Just my thoughts. M

Well I'll leave it to some of my Youtube comments to blow my trumpet for me... [i]"I'm gonna have to agree with everyone that hates your playing. I hate it because I'm not even 1/10 the bassist you are. lol I challenge Victor Wooten to do any better, and will be purchasing your album ASAP on iTunes. Freakin awesome." "You're freaking amazing. This video alone has greatly influenced my technique. thank you." "Great playing - gorgeous bass - great sound - love the thumb playing too, I'm still working on getting that down. Thanks for posting - certainly inspirational"[/i] ... but seriously I am proud of what I have achieved playing-wise, and all these mad positive YT comments are lovely and everything, but I know there's still a mountain to climb in some areas of my musicianship, not bass playing, and that's the stuff I need to work on more. I have played some awesome gigs, and some awful gigs, I'm more into writing and recording now than performing but wish I had the time and the energy (and opportunities) to play live more, but hey I've done a shed load of gigs so far. I do wonder if being into slightly weird/specialist music was the right choice, it feels like the right choice but I know if I was playing covers (like a buddy of mine who does it professionally and to thousands and thousands of paying punters) I think I'd go slightly mad, but the moeny would be nice! All I really want to do now is play with great musicians and learn from them - that's my ultimate goal - and to have a hit single! Mike

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='1050026' date='Dec 6 2010, 11:15 PM']Hey Mike Did you get your scarf by the way? Just waiting for my new Blackberry to arrive, then I'll be able to upload some of the pics I took on the day Nik[/quote] Yes thanks Nick - it arrived yesterday - and no worries about the pics - whenever you get them is cool. Cheers mate M

This should get your week off to a good start...

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1047631' date='Dec 4 2010, 06:27 PM']I'm glad he got rid of that P/J Fender bass as it just sounded dire. And when you compare to that how good his Schack basses sounded it was enough to make you weep![/quote] The second clip I posted is Kai on his new bass which was made in Africa, I think it sounds wonderful M