nuno1959

[color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Hi guys[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i'm afraid i don't even know how to title this right but hope i'll succeed to explain myself in the text below :[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i have an iMac 27'' which, among other things, i use to record stuff in GarageBand & as i become a bit better at it, will go into Logic X…[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]then i have a Zoom B3 which besides being a very nifty effects unit, also works as a USB interface to input my bass/guitar/other into my recording software & it couldn't be any easier to operate + it comes w/ this very basic yet very useful patch editor[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]recently i bought a TC Electronic Nova System 'cause i fell in love with it's Choruses, Reverbs, Delays, etc….sonically it's definitely in another league when compared to my Zoom B3 ! HOWEVER…..it NEVER even occurred to me it couldn't be connected via USB to my iMac as the Zoom + it's a bit of an handful to import/export presets or edit them via the iMac & as far as i could determine, one needs a MIDI to USB interface & you need a program someone made ( NOT TC.. ) as mentioned here : [url="http://forum.tcelectronic.com/topic/8264/nova-editor/"]http://forum.tcelect...64/nova-editor/[/url] to do any of the above + update the Nova's firmware, etc….[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]now, what i would like was to get something which would work BOTH as a MIDI to USB interface between the TC Elec. Nova & my iMac AND would act as a regular audio/USB interface to allow me to record[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]can anyone PLEASE shed some light on what would be a NICE MIDI to USB & audio to USB interface ? i know NOTHING about MIDI, am dreading dealing with it but can't help feel that if it's the only way to access my Nova's well….what can i do ?[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i just want a gizmo i can plug my Nova into it's MIDI, then plug into my iMac via USB to import/export, edit, reorder my presets & when all that is done, use as a simple audio to USB interface to record my stuff[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]PLEASE write your answers as if addressing an idiot because, that's pretty much how it is …LOL…i'm at a TOTAL LOSS HERE & any help/suggestions WILL BE most appreciated[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]thank you very much for your time & patience[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Nuno[/font][/color]

Hi CD David many thanks for your compliment !! that ReBop is a beauty isn't it ? but that 8 string of yours left me watering 'cause on top of it, i love to play the bass with chords so given the clarity/definition AND punch of mine, your 8 string must sound ABSOLUTELY fantastic with all the harmonic content of both the low & higher strings ringing…. would ''chime like'' be an apropriate description ? oh man, i just got goosebumps just imagining it's sound & figuring out the wording for it !!….

[quote name='cd_david' timestamp='1397647265' post='2425964'] [url="http://s519.photobucket.com/user/cd_david/media/Basses%20To%20View/186A56D7-91FA-4141-AB4C-89A6ACC92E3A_zps8pqd1cwg.jpg.html"][/url] L-R 8 String Legend Prototype, NS CR5, Euro 5LX, Euro 4LX TW [/quote] OH…..MY…..GOODNESS ! that 8 string must be……... let it be publicly AND officially known that i HATE YOU !!!

FINALLY !! just got my 2nd hand but brand spanking new ReBop 4DLX EX today & WOW ! it's way more than i bargained for : upgraded EMG pickups ( which ones ? haven't looked round their back yet.. ) EMG BQC preamp at 18V… when i plugged it in i was simply blown away ! my goodness, the punch, the grunt !! it resonates, sings, zings & exudes harmonics through each & every pore, i'm gasping for words !! i had never even held a Spector in my hands let alone play one but now….well, now i can see what the fuss is all about - i LOVE MY REBOP !! only one problem though : if this is what a ''lowly'' ReBop can do, oh boy, i can only imagine what one of those top of the line, Made in the US can do.. oh my….could it be i've just come down with an acute case of ''Spectoritis'' ??

Hi Cetera & thanks for your compliment !! i guess to know for sure which pickups they are, i'll have to lift one & see under it or so…. can't wait to get my dirty paws on it !!

Hi guys i'm VERY excited 'cause these past couple of weeks i've been negotiating the purchase of a Spector ReBop 4LX EX !! the bass is a 2008 model, GORGEOUS Zebrawood body & has ''souped-up'' EMG electronics. better yet, yesterday we finally agreed on a price &………….next monday i'm going up to Lisbon by train to pick it up IT IS love !! since i have never even held a Spector in my hands let alone play one….. as you can imagine while the negotiating bit was going on, i googled up EVERYTHING available online about Spectors but still i can't pinpoint what EMG components this bass has - could you guys maybe shed some light on it ? here are a few photos of my ''new'' baby : sorry but because i ALWAYS get a msg saying : ''…an error occurred - you are not allowed to use that image extension on this community…'' when i try to insert a photo from Flickr, i'll just post the link to the Flickr page & you'll have to scroll through, OK ? http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/13462647334/in/set-72157643047084665 the preamp seems to be an EMG BQC, only running on 2 X 9V batteries, the pickups definitely don't look like the standard issue EMG 35HZ - any clues ? thanks

Hi Bert youngest cousin of Odin !! i'm glad you liked it & you're VERY welcome ! ;-) if you buy the GB35 & you do not intend on changing the electronics for something else, make sure you are NOT getting an older model which comes equipped with MightyMite pickups - those are not banal, those are really crappy !! not every webshop states it clearly - i wonder why !? :-b ... - so make sure you ask them BEFORE you order & preferably pay via Paypal - this way if they send you a MinghtyMite job you can EASILY get your money back, they won't even dare try to hustle you or Paypal WILL refund you straightaway after you complain to them just make sure to keep all emails between you & vendor.. one last thing, although it's made of ''Agathis'' ( exotic sounding name for a cheap oriental pine variety, hence part of the weight..) the bass does sound very nice unplugged so the basis IS there to get a wonderful sound given good quality electronics personally i went with Delanos because : 1 - i love a few Sandberg models which have that EXACT pickup configuration 2 - it was a cheap way to have a ''Sandbort'' 3 - the difficulty of finding that big humbucker pickup elsewhere - there are other brands but the dimensions are not EXACTLY the same so some wood routing might be involved now....about your Fodera.....i wouldn't mind trading it for my GB35 & would even offer to pay for postage - how cool is that ?....LOL....all jokes aside, those Fodera basses MUST be something else, i have never even held one in my hand, let alone play one but i sure would like to :-b oh well, just keep on playing your bass, preferably loud.. - your neighbours WILL LOVE you for it ! i KNOW mine do..... ;-) OK, time to hit the pool & then have some lunch.... cheers N

hi Bert the Cort GB35 is a VERY underrated bass which you can buy for PEANUTS & as far as i was concerned, after much researching online, it was a perfect way to try a good quality build 5 string bass without breaking the bank mine being a shop demo model ( it had a 2mm scratch by the jack, invisible if you didn't know..) cost me 279euros, postage from Germany to Portugal INCLUDED & 3 years warranty !! from Session.de if interested... now, it's a tad on the heavy side of things, the neck is wide as is the string spacing at the bridge & it's a fairly ''physical'' bass to play which might not suit everyone but is something i actually enjoy. dimensions aside, the neck is absolutely GREAT, with a QUALITY feel throughout 45mm at the nut, 75mm down at last fret, the bass weighs 4,5kg ( in a bathroom scale..) has a 34'' scale & mine has a gorgeous, VERY well done classic three tone sunburst i found the instrument itself ( body, neck, fretwork, extremely well balanced, etc, etc...) SO VERY NICE that i felt it was worth upgrading it's electronics which was the only ...how shall i put it ? they were not bad just.... banal ? you know what i mean ? no extraneous noises, no harshness, hum or anything, just uninspiring.. so, as soon as i could & after much Googling, YouTubing & pestering people on bass forums i subscribe to AND a chat with Mr. Jedamzik at Delano, i ordered a set of custom made Delano pickups ( custom made because of wide neck/string spacing at bridge..) & a Delano Sonar 2 preamp mind you, these cost MORE than the bass BUT after installing those.......the bass simply ''blossomed'' into a totally different, MUCH, MUCH better instrument. bass & electronics total cost so far ? roughly 575euros !!....now, call me crazy if you want but i truly feel it compares favourably to many 900 to 1000euro basses - EASILY !! a very important thing : after playing with them for a while, i changed the original strings for a set of Ken Smith Burners w/ a tapered B string ( 130..) did a set/up to it & this gave a B string a MUCH BETTER feel & definition to it's sound the only ''problem'' ( for snobs at least.. ) is that it lacks the ''brand name'' on the headstock but in my book that's actually a good thing : you can go do a gig, leave it on stage, go have a drink & when you come back it will be there waiting.... ;-) have a look here, in the second photo it was still standard, on the 5th photo it already has the Delano stuff : http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/sets/72157634616940511/ if curious how it sounds, i uploaded a while ago a few ''sketches'' i made in GarageBand, it's all played on the GB35 for bass line, a few chords & a bit of a solo, through a Zoom B3 w/ a tad of compression & a slight touch of effects here & there. please disregard the BASIC drum beats ( Zoom B3..) & a few mistakes, these recordings are only meant for me not to forget the basic bass line & such : https://soundcloud.com/nuno1959-1/trapezoid https://soundcloud.com/nuno1959-1/metal-2-70bpm-lick here you can hear the B string ( w/ a bit os bass synth from the Zoom B3..) + the chords made on the GB35 https://soundcloud.com/nuno1959-1/tchan-tchan-2 hope this answered your question, have a great week-end & if you do get a GB35, enjoy it. personally, right after sending you this i feel like going to play it !! ...LOL...

did anyone mention Motorcycles & Basses in the same sentence ? & all this while i was searching for Jazz Bass stacked knobs for a Squier VM Fretless & Glockenklang pre !? i must've died & gone to heaven..... ;-)

hi iiipopes yup, that's what i'm doing these days - rolling off slightly 1 of the vol pots, sometimes even just playing with the bridge PU, it just puzzled me since i NEVER played a J-Bass before & jumped to the conclusion SOMETHING was wrong!! :-b thanks for chipping in ;-)

hi guys just to say that after fitting a new set of strings ( D'Addario half-rounds.. ) & fooling around setting the pickup's heights, the bass does sound better. next i'll look into a cap of the correct value/type & a better quality output jack i REALLY like this bass & having had the chance of ''digging in'' quite a bit these last few days, now i find the others too rough !...LOL...their strings hurt my fingers ! yup, i'm a p***y alright !!...LMAO... thanks to all for chipping in

a different production run hence different finishing touches perhaps ? i have NO CLUE what year is mine...

Hi John wow !! thank you VERY much for the offer but while i really appreciate it, i'd be more than happy & satisfied if you just gave me the right specs/brand for the cap - with that in hand i can hit up my friend at the music store & he'll get those easily for me for next to nothing, you know what i mean ? yes, the foil over the metal control plate struck me as odd but since it was sloppy & will all be redone w/ graphite paint anyway, i didn't pay too much attention to it. same for the knobs, at first i thought it was just part of the ''cheapness'' of the bass's manufacture but as you say nothing an extra nut won't solve as for the jack socket you are absolutely right, it IS a VERY crappy little number : when i played the bass the first few times i accidentally touched the chord/jack & it did cut out the signal momentarily & i'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with my chords - i make them myself, only use Klotz cables & Neutrik jacks & they've NEVER let me down before... thing is, among the several things that have been crossing my mind to do to this bass ( i'm a hopeless tinkerer & a new bass to me is just one more list of endless, fun possibilities ;-) .. ) one i think i will most definitely do is to remove the jack from the control plate & drill a hole on the side of it's body to mount a new, high quality jack/jack plate as on my other basses this, together w/ my angled Neutrik plug, my Schaller Strap Locks AND the way i ''wrap'' a loop on the cable to reinforce it were it goes over the StrapLock works VERY nicely not only to keep the cable out of the way but to prevent it getting sheared over the StrapLock if accidentally pulled, stepped on, etc.. you mentioned Switchcraft, how do they compare to Neutrik stuff ? as good ? better ? although Neutrik has always been my ''safety blanket brand'', i'm always open to new stuff & could try that... but it DOES work + it would leave me an extra hole in the control plate to maybe rewire the whole thing differently ? at this point it's all in the realm of possibilities & i still have to go through my usual process of learning about it, selection & elimination before i decide what i'll actually do isn't this all a bit convoluted ? slightly paranoid ? yup that's me alright !!....LOL.... when in doubt, over-engineer it to death & you'll be OK !! & this is one more reason why nice, cheap basses can be so much fun for me !! ;-)

for now i must confess i'm tempted by the preamp thing too & i might look into some PU's later, not that these don't sound nice but i'm used to quieter PU's without any hum/buzzes & so on...

Hi W well if you have them out of your bass, sure why not...but if not, i thank you for the offer but since everyone agrees these are NOT the original Duncan Designed PU's, please don't finally i was just curious to determine what they could be but ultimately what matters is that they DO sound real nice ! ;-) are you happy w/ your new toy ? isn't this an amazing bass for the price & a GREAT way to try out a fretless without spending a small fortune ? i AM thrilled i got this... man, when i was a kid EVERY bass that cost this little, it's fretwork would shred one's hands to pieces & they'd sound like s***e !!....LOL.... although there are plenty of high-end basses i WOULD get in a heart beat if i had enough funds to blow, fact is i'm having a ball pursuing this ''very cheap/well built/upgrade electronics later'' approach - there REALLY are some little gems out there costing next to nothing sure, one doesn't get any of those amazingly good looking exotic woods/top of the range hand finishes BUT....sound wise ? WOW !!

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1373190011' post='2134423'] The pots & wiring look OK - but; "then there's this green thing, printed on it's side : K 42Y - 2, 160V, 0,0047uF +/- 10%" you've either got an extra zero in there or it's the wrong value cap, typical Jazz bass cap should be .047uF. Does the tone control seem to work, or not much difference? Someone has definitely upgraded the pots to good quality & right value/type CTS, 250K A = Audio Log, 0626 = made in 2006 week 26. The Russian cap was probably sold as an expensive 'upgrade' from ebay or similar, so could well be the wrong value. Cheerz, John [/quote] hi John no the zeros are as printed in the cap ( capacitor ?.. ) & although the tone control does work now that you mention this it does strike me as having a somewhat limited range & flat feels treblier ( for lack of a better word..) than i think it should - all the way for more bass adds not too much bass, all the way to the treble side adds quite a bit of treble could this be caused by the cap value you mention or is it part of this type of PU's ? my other basses are either P/J ( Cort Action 4 A w/ standard electronics..) or in my Cort GB35's case : Delano J/MM + Delano Sonar2 preamp, both use a blend pot... cheers

hi guys i agree w/ you guys - the bass has definitely been redone using nicer parts : a friend of mine who works in this music store were i get my strings, etc...tried it & he told me that it was definitely quieter than originally, he also liked it's tone a lot the volume issue is very much so as Mr.Foxen states above & now that i know it's ''normal'' for Jazz Basses i have no issues with that - it's just that in every other bass i've had this was never the case since they were of the 1 vol.pot/blend pot variety not knowing any better i was left wondering if it had been tinkered w/ by someone w/ good intentions but lacking some expertise as for the wiring diagram, i got that exact same one & yes everything is fine i think all i need to do for now is to try out raising/lowering the PU's & get used to setting one volume pot to slightly less than all the way up one more problem solved - thanks guys !!

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]well, not wanting to take advantage of you guys but since we're all here & considering you are a lot more knowledgeable than me in these matters...[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]even when i was only thinking about buying it, i've been toying with the idea of getting a preamp for it...[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]now on my Cort GB35 i got a Delano Sonar2 preamp & it sounds AWESOME but[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]1 - wouldn't it make this bass sound a bit like the Cort[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]2 - in your experience what would be a preamp that would bring the ''sonic signature'' of this instrument forth but still preserving it ?[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]if it brought a bit extra ooomph to the table i wouldn't mind either....[/font][/color]

ok, did the photos - if curious you can check them here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/sets/72157634522800076/ all seems pretty good, i compared the wiring to the link you sent me & as far as i can tell, it's all there the pots are CTS, ref nº 013446 250K A 0626 CTS then there's this green thing, printed on it's side : K 42Y - 2, 160V, 0,0047uF +/- 10% [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]any ideas what the PU's on this bass could be ? besides having absolutely no identifying marks the only thing is that blue tape - typical of any manufacturer you guys might know ? not that it matters since as i said, it DOES sound quite GOOD - i'm just curious what they might be..[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Mr.Foxen : i understand what you're saying, not knowing this just shows how ignorant i am !! :-b[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]anyway,[/font][/color][left] all your input[/left][color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,] is [/font][/color][left]MUCH APPRECIATED, this forum rocks...many thanks[/left] [left]Nuno[/left]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1373160193' post='2134288'] Thought this was gonna be a cheech & chong type thread [/quote] if only !!....LOL....

i just took the whole thing apart to take some photos, would appreciate if you could take a look sometime later/tomorrow - as far as i can tell it all looks kosher, the pots are CTS but the PU's have NOTHING on them that could shed some light but a friend in a musicstore played it & told me they are definitely quieter than Duncan Designed original PU's !?....

thank you for your input ! i had a look at the Seymour Duncan site but thought maybe the Squier had a wiring of it's own i definitely have to take it apart & get some photos happening otherwise .....

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Hi guys[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]just dropping by to ask a couple of things about my Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass, recently acquired 2nd hand for 200€..[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]the pickups are definitely NOT Duncan Designed - since they bear no markings whatsoever, i'll pull them out one of these days to check out if there are any clues under them...[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]they sound quite nice & are on the quiet side of things as far as hum & other ''afflictions''...[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]however it's the pot's behaviour that baffle me a bit :[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]1 - i have 1 Volume pot per PU & 1 tone pot for both PU. when i set BOTH vol. pots to their max, the sound kind of ''ducks'' a little !? [/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]2 - if i back one or the other a tiny bit the overall level actually goes up[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]3 - if turn all the way down either of them & the remaining one to it's max i get a full sound as well, w/ good volume, punch, etc...[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]looking at the control plate & without having pulled it out, i can see the knobs are a bit further away from the plate than usual in these basses - could they have been replaced - ''upgraded'' !?.. - w/ what seems to be longer shaft ones & maybe even the wrong type ?[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]what would the original spec be ? perhaps even an original wiring diagram so i can compare what was & what's there ?[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]it's not like the bass DOESN'T sound good - it does & it's tone is actually quite nice but i never had anything such as this volume ducking happen to me before so i'm a bit baffled[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]last but not least : i think i'd like to make it active - what would be ''the right way to do it'' if there's such a thing...[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]now i can't but tomorrow i'll post some photos - any suggestions about what could be off would be most welcome[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]many thanks to all[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Nuno[/font][/color]

welcome Marco um abraço & hope you enjoy this forum, it's GREAT !! ;-)

Hi Lozz196 just dropping a line to let you know it has arrived, it's in GREAT condition - really well taken care of.. - i've already played with it & yes it does sound like a quality piece of kit now all i need is to dial in an EQ i like & take it from there, a couple of pics just for fun : [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/9078854762/in/set-72157634200278558/lightbox/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/9078854762/in/set-72157634200278558/lightbox/[/url] & all lit up & ready to go - damn, it even looks prettier than a Christmas tree ! ;-) [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/9076608559/in/set-72157634200278558/lightbox/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/9076608559/in/set-72157634200278558/lightbox/[/url] again thanks for your help !