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urb

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  1. urb
    All great advice but don't forget the value of using your ears and listening and learning music and within that, theory. Ear training and being able to hear what certain chords sound like is another skill not to be overlooked on the flip side of looking at loads of dots or frets...
  2. urb
    [quote name='Matty' post='846230' date='May 24 2010, 08:58 AM']Award winning journalism [/quote] That's the interweb for you, full of razor sharp wit and wisdom
  3. urb
    OK last bit of showing off from me, some pics from the night, and yes I look very pleased when I got it, and it's the jazz singer Christine Tobin presenting me with my award, click on 'awards speeches': [url="http://www.hayleymadden.com/pplvpl/20100519appjag"]http://www.hayleymadden.com/pplvpl/20100519appjag[/url] thanks for all the good wishes, it's a nice feeling after ten years of hard work, and it's a good start to the next ten Cheers Mike
  4. urb

    British Jazz

    urb replied to Bilbo's topic in General Discussion

    [quote name='OldGit' post='845829' date='May 23 2010, 04:04 PM']On TV, prossibly not but quite a lot on BBC Radio. I've heard several of these on the [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/"]Radio 3 jazz[/url] and world music programmes. Plus the new [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rr86v"]Radio 2 Jazz programme with Jamie Cullum[/url].[/quote] Absolutely jazz record requests on Radio 3 is very good, heard some great Django Bates and Loose Tubes stuff on there yesterday and Jazz on 3 with Jez Nelson is great, I've been lucky enough to go to several of their live broadcasts and they always pick some cool bands to play on the show, listen again on the iPlayer is the way to go with this stuff Oh yeah and Mike Chadwick, Sarah Weller and Helen Mayhew are all worth checking out in the evening on Jazz FM which is on DAB if you have it, daytime it still very 'smooooth jazz' which I can't stand... but the evening shows are very good, plus they are getting about 500K of listeners every week so well done Jazz FM. Mike
  5. urb
    [quote name='derrenleepoole' post='843881' date='May 21 2010, 09:59 AM']Nice one matey! A little slower than the original mind But hey, what do I know I can't even play it to begin with! I think you need some Squarepusher esq drum beats on that though [/quote] Thanks man - I thought about making the drums more intense but I thought they'd get in the way of the solo - but I would like to make the recording more 'extreme' - maybe soon when I get some time. Cheers for checking it out Mike
  6. urb
    The band are at Ronnie Scott's for three nights on 14 - 16 July with Hiromi - he's good value live is Mr C - and his bass does sound rather good
  7. urb
    [quote name='silddx' post='844133' date='May 21 2010, 01:43 PM']Told you you were a bloody good writer, didn't I. Keep the size of your testicles in order now Seriously, congratulations man, a fantastic achievement![/quote] Thanks fella - much appreciated Mike
  8. urb
    Hey All Just listening to an advance copy of the new Stanley Clarke album and it's actually really pretty good - typical fusion stuff but he plays some pretty funk-tastic bass lines - all on electric - and his solos are really rich and full-sounding - and they even go into some drum and bass and rock things alongside the Chick Corea style latin-jazz-rock a la Return To Forever - and Hiromi is on it too and plays great. Anyway more here if you're interested: [url="http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/The-Stanley-Clarke-Band/"]http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/Th...ey-Clarke-Band/[/url] Cheers Mike
  9. urb
    Hi all Just a quick update - here's a new version of this with much more in the way of a drum and bass feel - and you can download it for a limited period - hope you enjoy: [b]'Dub Steps'[/b] [url="http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=141776"]http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=141776[/url] And here's the original video Cheers Mike
  10. urb
    [quote name='tauzero' post='843755' date='May 21 2010, 01:14 AM']Congratulations. I'll let the Big Beef Chief know right away.[/quote] It's alright I called him yesterday to let him know - he told me he'd just subscribed to Jazzwise - it's amazing how some people can change... Thanks for the nice words all - it's a great honour - I promise not to bring it up again and you won't even know I'm here most of the time Cheers Mike
  11. urb
    Hi Folks Just wanted to share some good news that I was awarded [b]Jazz Journalist Of The Year[/b] at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards last night, I was chosen by the All Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group - the event (for your info) is actually sponsored by PPL the copyright company that helps musicians get paid for their performances. I was nominated last year but lost out to a fine colleague at Jazzwise magazine - but when my name came up on the nominatiosn list again this year I thought I stood a reasonable chance of getting it - as did Jazzwise magazine as Publication of the Year - anyway I'll go away now but just thought you'd like to know this - more info [url="http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/component/content/article/51-2009/11413-jazz-breaking-news-jazzwise-scoops-jazz-publication-and-journalist-of-the-year-at-parliamentary-jazz-awards"]here on the evening at the Houses Of Parliament[/url] last night. Cheers Mike
  12. urb
    [quote name='Linus27' post='839133' date='May 16 2010, 07:21 PM']That is so accurate is scary. Great stuff.[/quote] Wise and painfully funny words indeed sadly I know at least one person who needs to see this - being a bullshit promoter and all that... and several musicians too. Mike
  13. urb
    Hey People I'm having a bit of a music software clearout and as I've found that I'm not really using BFD I've decided to offer it here before various other options - it really is a staggeringly good piece of software and really delivers the goods. I am offering it boxed with all orginal packaging - the box is a tiny bit scuffed but the inner CD case and DVDs are all mint: [attachment=49698:BFD2_pic.jpg] [b]Fxpansion BFD2 Description[/b] BFD2: an acoustic drum production environment for your computer with unprecedented power and flexibility. Extreme realism and sound quality, fast and easy set up, total plug-in integration to your digital audio workstation. Highlights * 10 full kits, extra snares, cymbals, and more * Incredible detail: Multiple mic positions, expressive articulations, up to 96 velocity layers * User stereo multi-velocity layer sample import * EQ and FX suite containing everything from flanger, bitcrusher and delay effects to circuit-modelled dynamics, filtering and distortion * Great-sounding presets let you concentrate on writing and playing instead of engineering * 5000+ Grooves ready to use in your projects * Built-in multi-channel audio export * Better management of kits, instruments, Grooves and other files * Easy mapping for keyboard/pad controllers and automation * Electronic drum triggering support including expressive hihats and snare positional sensing * A huge range of powerful new features and workflow enhancements Sound On Sound Review: "Given the combination of price and features, BFD2 is perhaps not for producers who prefer their drums pre-packaged as loops. However, for those serious about their acoustic drum sounds, BFD2 is an equally serious application. It might be a little daunting at first but this just reflects the sophisticated control on offer. The level of attention paid to the sampling borders on the obsessive, and for many users might be a little over the top, but the end result is a set of acoustic drum sounds that could grace almost any recording, with quality that would be well beyond what most home and project studio owners could dream of achieving in their own studios. These Big F***ing Drums are definitely B***dy F***ing Good!" System Requirements Mac: G5 or Intel CPU, 1GB RAM, 60GB hard disk space, Mac OS 10.4 or higher, DVD drive, internet connection (for authorisation). PC: Pentium IV CPU, 1GB RAM, 60GB hard disk space, Windows XP or Vista 32, DVD drive, internet connection (for authorisation). I'm looking for £120 including P+P - bank transfer or Paypal PM me if you are interested Thanks for your attention Cheers Mike
  14. urb
    [quote name='EBS_freak' post='837059' date='May 14 2010, 12:20 PM']I still think he is personally not a fan of Buckeye or Spalts... but to quote the man himself, "The customer pays, the customer says".[/quote] Yeah I agree - I guess it's down to personal taste - as it happens in truth I'm not a big fan of all the quilted maple he uses but I was just over on the GB porn thread earlier and some of the recent work he's done has been really impressive and I can see he's branching out and trying new things - which I can only applaud. He's been making some very fine looking instruments of late so I have no doubt this one will be just as stunning.. Cheers Mike
  15. urb
    That looks lovely - funny how Bernie is now using a lot more spalted and buckeye top woods after having been a might disparaging about the pieces used on my Seis...
  16. urb
    [quote name='bubinga5' post='836394' date='May 13 2010, 05:22 PM']Playing triplets in themselves doesnt make anyone a dickhead, but overdoing them does...IMO any flashy technique over played is not in the interest of the listener...i can play triplets in slap or finger, but in a song or bass line i would prob play one once,.. if that..its a feature...[/quote] I totally agree
  17. urb
    [quote name='JTUK' post='831256' date='May 8 2010, 10:19 AM']He is just goofing around and showing off some nice chops. If this was an audition tape then a lot of the critical points can be relevant but it seems to me he just posted it and wanted people to know he can play..and he certainly can. If he wanted you to see how he played in a groove context, he got it wrong, but I doubt he wanted that...and besides, the easy part would be to edit and tidy the video up... All we are seeing is a guy letting off a few ideas. It isn't a composed vid, it is a selection of his party pieces. Something which a lot of us may be guilty of at bass bashes etc etc ... I don't see anything wrong with that in itself, if it sounds good.[/quote] +1 He's a really good bassist, who in a band/live context would (hopefully) be great, the 'musical content' of this vid is a bit disembodied as he's neither playing a tune as a solo piece or over some form of backing - his lines are extremely well executed and his slap and tap are solid... but since when does playing 'triplets' make anyone a dickhead?
  18. urb

    British Jazz

    urb replied to Bilbo's topic in General Discussion

    Try these out... British jazz is in rude health - except you won't hear/see ANY of it on TV (thanks to the BBC's obsession with chasing ratings) or read about it in the papers (outside of [url="http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/"]Jazzwise[/url] and a handful of reviews in the Grauniad and Independent) Neil Cowley Trio [url="http://www.myspace.com/neilcowleytrio"]http://www.myspace.com/neilcowleytrio[/url] TrioVD [url="http://www.myspace.com/triovd"]http://www.myspace.com/triovd[/url] Minghe Morte [url="http://www.myspace.com/minghemorte"]http://www.myspace.com/minghemorte[/url] Led Bib [url="http://www.myspace.com/ledbib"]http://www.myspace.com/ledbib[/url] Troyka [url="http://www.myspace.com/troykaband"]http://www.myspace.com/troykaband[/url] Outhouse [url="http://www.myspace.com/outhouseloop"]http://www.myspace.com/outhouseloop[/url] The Mighty Jeddo [url="http://www.myspace.com/themightyjeddo"]http://www.myspace.com/themightyjeddo[/url] The South Trio [url="http://www.myspace.com/thesouthtrio"]http://www.myspace.com/thesouthtrio[/url] Zed-U [url="http://www.myspace.com/zumusik"]http://www.myspace.com/zumusik[/url] Acoustic Ladyland [url="http://www.myspace.com/acousticladylandmusic"]http://www.myspace.com/acousticladylandmusic[/url] The Final Terror [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/introducing/artists/finalterror/"]http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/introducing/artists/finalterror/[/url] Polar Bear [url="http://www.myspace.com/sebastianrochford"]http://www.myspace.com/sebastianrochford[/url] Adam Waldmann [url="http://www.adamwaldmann.com/fr_home.cfm"]http://www.adamwaldmann.com/fr_home.cfm[/url] Portico Quartet [url="http://www.myspace.com/porticoquartet"]http://www.myspace.com/porticoquartet[/url] Manu Delago [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ojj7tgrqw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ojj7tgrqw[/url] M
  19. urb
    [quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='820175' date='Apr 27 2010, 01:19 AM']Hi folks, I've been working on the Willis technique (thumb + 3 fingers) on and off for a while now, but when I do it for any extended period or at high speed I find I get a bit of pain towards the base of the thumb. For those of you who have been playing this way for a while, is this normal? Should the movement be coming from the base of the thumb, or somewhere else? I can't see any other way of doing it effectively. Thanks Kyle[/quote] Hey Kyle All I can suggest is keeping your thumb quit rigid, and straight, like a good slap technique - I see from your avatar you have your bass quite low which could (in theory) mean your wrist might be at an angle that causes you some kind of pain - whatever it is you are doing wrong getting a pain means you are hurting yourself and should probably stop doing this style for any long periods of time. I know from having used this technique for a few years that if you do for more than 5 or 10 mins your muscles will feel tired - it's quite an intense technique - the softer you pluck the better, which means playing with a light touch and low action - the less resistance you have to deal with on the strings the better. Have a [b][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PigAe4VIMI"]look at this vid[/url][/b] I made a year or so ago and see if there's anything I'm doing that makes this a bit clearer. Just ask if you have any other questions. Mike
  20. urb
    I guess it's high time I posted some kind of How To... thing on hooking up a DAW and movie making software - so here's a really quick overview of how I do it now. It took some trial error before I finally got it sussed but here's how I did it for this vid. First of all plug yourself into Logic or some other DAW - Garageband will probably be fine. The tricky part is filming and recording at the same time so I always hit record on the camera first then on the computer - then keep going until I nail a take I'm happy with: Then it's over to iMovie with the footage - it's best at this point to have mixed your track to your satisfaction, this is where any 'tweaking' goes on (I've found the default 'bass amp' in Logic to be very good at bringing out certain frequencies i.e. the Mids, I usually go for the 'Top Class DI Warm or Mid) - edit the footage to the exact length of the audio - that way you'll be able to sync the two very precisely. Then open up a 'Mastering' template in Logic - Import a bounced file from your audio project - i.e. a Wave, AIF or MP3 but the higher quality ones are preferable. Then you can tweak some more on the audio with your various additional compressors and FX but this is optional - then from the File menu go 'Open Movie' - then go 'Export Audio to Movie' - this will then replace the not so great camera recorded sound with some lovely full fat Logic sound - then save the movie file to your hard drive. For a finishing touch you can then re-import the movie back into iMovie and add some smooth in and out transitions or text or whatever else you might want to do. It sounds a bit complicated but the more I've done it the quicker I've got - the key is getting the movie and audio clips exactly the same length then syncing the two is very straight forward - that's been the biggest headache for me in the past! I have this ace Canon High Def handicam the Canon HF200 HD: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/camcorders/253063/canon-legria-hf200 And here's the finished video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHEvEssOVeY I hope all this helps - just ask if you have any questions and if anyone else has any tips please add them. Cheers Mike
  21. urb
    Cool and congrats - um just in case you hadn't made the connection I write of Jazzwise as well - don't be shy tell us what it's called and post a link, I'd like to check it out Mike
  22. urb
    My default setting on any bass I play or try out is to go straight for the bridge pup, kill the treble, boost the mids and voila, tone! I often switch between having both pups on with less mid in the mix for lower, softer grooves, but then dial in the back pup and the mids and suddenly I'm cutting through more - the whole scooped slap thing used to appeal to me a few years ago - when I was using EBS funnily enough - but then I started using Epifani (and now Genz Benz) amps and they are a lot more mid-friendly IME - so I can really emphasize the mids and create the perfect sound for any gig I happen to be playing. M
  23. urb
    Sorry for the re-up but I just changed this vid for a High Def version Ciao Mikee
  24. urb
    Damn - I forgot this - James Genus killing it on bass here with Dennis Chambers, Mike Stern and the Brecker Brothers: Enjoy...
  25. urb
    I would really love to be at this but the 6th is out for me - got a relative's wedding to go to - the 27th is best for me after that... just so you know
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