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Dood

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Posts posted by Dood

  1. Zoom's line of recorders are really good. I've owned the H1, H4Pro, the older Q3 and Q8, the latter two offering video too which is brilliant for recording rehearsals (and for remembering what exactly you played!) . My current gadget is the Q2n 4K. All of these devices can handle loud sessions and don't distort like mobile phones and the like. The Q2n is also handy as it will work as a high quality webcam should you be doing online lessons. 

    Cheap and do the job. 

    • Like 1
  2. Newtone are excellent!  I have nothing but good to say about Neil and the strings themselves. Indeed, my first introduction was back when Malcom Newton was at the helm and, with Jon Shuker, he produced the first .170 gauge strings in the UK for my 7 string bass. He'd cooked the recipe to suit a 34" scale (I know right, I wasn't aware of what a 37" scale could do for me back then ha ha!!) and, I still have one of the original F#'s here for posterity!

     

     

     

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  3. I just wanted to share the update to THIS topic (my last post) that I hope will be of interest to those looking for Bass Magazine Youtube content. Bass Gear Magazine is having a little refresh and over the next few months I'll be creating some upbeat content (as will the rest of the review team, of course!)

     

    Thank you all.. 

     

    p.s. if you could kindly >> subscribe to my own channel <<, I'll be posting some 200 shorts of bass goodness when I have the chance. Don't miss it!

  4. On 11/01/2024 at 10:48, fretmeister said:

     

    Honestly - if the magazine wants the followers / views then it needs to be doing daily content or at least every other day, like Bass The World does.

    At the moment your mag seems to be doing about 1 vid per month. That will never ever get any traction. Daily content is the holy grail for gaining followers.

     

    And the vids need to be shorter and have faster pacing. Nobody needs EQ stage testing that takes 40 seconds per knob, on it's own, out of context of any actual music.

     

    Dan - I like your vids, but I have to say watching something on BTW or The Bass Channel and then coming to yours is like moving from Tigger off his Ritalin to Neil from the Young Ones when he's on Ritalin and feeling tired. You never seem to be actually excited about anything and you deliver every line in a very monotone fashion. You need to be as much of a draw as the gear itself is.

     

    Watch the very early BTW vids and Gregor is monotone / wooden and dull to watch, compare those to the new ones. Now he's released his personality and he's got 350K subs.

     

    Let your personality out of the box!

     

    On 11/01/2024 at 11:24, jrixn1 said:

     

    +1!  Up the pace and/or edit more leanly.  E.g. I jumped in randomly to the above video: from 3:49-3:59 you inform us that you're about to flip the bass over, and then you indeed go ahead and flip the bass over 🤷‍♂️ That entire bit should be cut out.  You're an experienced reviewer and when you do say something it is interesting - but I'm not going to commit to watching a 10-minute video knowing it'll only have about five minutes of actual content.

     

    On 11/01/2024 at 12:53, Rayman said:

    The average attention span for a video (I know because I had an art related channel) is about 10 seconds. Many of those initial clicks have already moved on after 10 seconds. It’s a relatively small number of enthusiasts who stick around for longer, and most of those viewers don’t watch all the way to the end of the video.

     

    It’s a cutthroat game, making long form content, and as said above, Gregor Fris has got it nailed with Bass The World.

     

    The world is so fast and instant now. It’s frankly astounding to me that print is still a thing when it comes to consumer product information.

     

    You asked! We delivered! As it happens, shortly after my post, a day or so I guess, the pot got stirred at BGM HQ. We have a new 'digital guy' on board and already things are starting to look so much better. Thumbnails are now a thing, new stings and music are being created and there's a whole bunch of new stuff on the way!

     

    I've also taken on the comments in a positive way and, although the two reviews that are on their way now were recorded before this chat, I've been taking a few "lessons" from some public speaking geniuses that I hope will improve my delivery and make my videos more engaging with a better pace.

     

    I will keep checking in BassChat, because I do give a sh*t and frankly, we've had a relationship here longer than any romantic one in my life. Jeez, you get less for murder, yahda yahda yahda! 

     

    Oh and I still need you to share my reviews and posts, positively comment on my BGM videos, please and thank you! 

    • Like 4
  5. 12 hours ago, CorrieDeee said:

    Thanks for your responses. It appears, after some more research, that the electronics are original. Bad soldering job from the factory I think. The three way switch works a lot better after a dose of contact spray so I'll keep it that way!

     

    Original electronics, but it may be that someone had them out, put other pickups in and, when it came to sale, saw the benefits of putting the originals back in - Definitely not bad factory soldering! My 10 year old could do better! 

    • Like 1
  6. I have a pair of the "Power" models and, having stripped out the electronics I can't really be of much help, however, I just wanted to congratulate you on your new purchase. I adore the 80's MIJ Fenders. These basses really are incredible when you can find one that has been looked after. I keep trying other basses but for my 4 string needs, my pair are beautiful. I actually want another for a little project! 

  7. 3 hours ago, fretmeister said:

     

    Honestly - if the magazine wants the followers / views then it needs to be doing daily content or at least every other day, like Bass The World does.

    At the moment your mag seems to be doing about 1 vid per month. That will never ever get any traction. Daily content is the holy grail for gaining followers.

     

    And the vids need to be shorter and have faster pacing. Nobody needs EQ stage testing that takes 40 seconds per knob, on it's own, out of context of any actual music.

     

    Dan - I like your vids, but I have to say watching something on BTW or The Bass Channel and then coming to yours is like moving from Tigger off his Ritalin to Neil from the Young Ones when he's on Ritalin and feeling tired. You never seem to be actually excited about anything and you deliver every line in a very monotone fashion. You need to be as much of a draw as the gear itself is.

     

    Watch the very early BTW vids and Gregor is monotone / wooden and dull to watch, compare those to the new ones. Now he's released his personality and he's got 350K subs.

     

    Let your personality out of the box!

     

    2 hours ago, jrixn1 said:

     

    +1!  Up the pace and/or edit more leanly.  E.g. I jumped in randomly to the above video: from 3:49-3:59 you inform us that you're about to flip the bass over, and then you indeed go ahead and flip the bass over 🤷‍♂️ That entire bit should be cut out.  You're an experienced reviewer and when you do say something it is interesting - but I'm not going to commit to watching a 10-minute video knowing it'll only have about five minutes of actual content.

     

    A genuine thanks; I need to hear what viewers are actually thinking. I thought that there might be a place for reviews that go in to detail and maybe teach something on the way (hence why I will demonstrate what a semi-parametric is and how it works. for example) but, it sounds like there is a balance to be had and a few things I can learn on the way.

    I create all of the material myself, I don't have an editing team, a producer or anything, so I'm still on a learning curve which is incredibly labour intensive along with finding time to teach, be a professional musician and a single parent to my lil demanding kids. 

    Thank you and I welcome more views. 

    • Like 6
  8. No one has mentioned Bass Gear Magazine again! I've been on board the magazine for a little while now and shoot all my reviews from my own studio here in Blighty freelance. I've a long list of really great gear to get through already and we've only just started the year, It'd be REALLY great to have more subs and, just more of you reading my reviews! 

     

    Genuine question though, as I'm busting my b***s to create high quality content... why is no one seeing it or sharing it? I post long threads here with all my review links in, so there's little effort on the part of the reader required to access them, but there doesn't seem to be much feedback or replies to my posts? 

    Maybe I'm doing it all wrong and I should be doing slap bass ego trips, lots of shouting and stupid click-bait? lol! - It's worth noting that I don't get paid per click or by advertisers or brands, so follows, likes and clicks are not so I can earn extra money, it's because I want to be out there earning exposure dollars (said no working bassist ever lol but in this case, it's true. I DO want to be on everyones 'top reviewers' list!!) 

     

    Whilst you're here, please subscribe to my own YouTube Channel where this year I'll be posting high def shorts of my reviews.

     

    Example review here:- https://www.bassgearmag.com/bassic-review-spector-euro4-lt-bass/  You can sign up for the free subscription newsletter at the bottom of the review linked here.

     

     

    • Like 6
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  9. I wish they'd sort out some of the niggles in iRealPro (at least on the Mac version) - it's so close to be an amazing application, I think it just needs a cash injection and some developing.

     

    There aren't may applications that "do" what iReal does, but if you are happy making charts, searching for songs or notating tracks, then look at HookPad, MuseScore and Guitar Pro. Songsterr is an option if you're happy with wildly questionable notation at times. 

     

     

  10. 3 hours ago, Pirellithecat said:

    Fascinating - just back from a(nother) frustrating gig on the sound front!    So, being a simple chap, just want to check that Zoom H2N set up is connected to the IEM's with a suitably long 3.5mm Jack lead (via a connector) directly to the IEM's?  


    Yes, that would be the most basic way to do it. Annnnnnnd it’s stereo! In my video I explain that you could feed the Zoom output in to the PA and mix the sound with an IEM mix too (mono or stereo depending on your gear) or, as I did for a gig last night, I sent the IEM mix and the Zoom mix to a personal mixer in front of me and that connected directly to my in ears. This allowed me to retain a stereo ambient mix with a mono IEM feed. Mix to taste.

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  11. 48 minutes ago, tauzero said:

     

    Some people find them useful, some don't. I have quite a few basses, only one of which had a ramp on, and on balance I preferred it without. As the ramp was simply wedged between the pickups, it could be removed and replaced non-destructively. I don't think that the use or absence of a ramp is indicative of the skill level of the player.

     

    Absolutely! :) Like the amount of strings or what amplifier the bass is plugged in to. :)

    • Like 1
  12. 5 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

    worth remembering (and trying first) other mics like the singer's, backing vocal mics and even the drummers also pick up the ambient noise, it could be enough without an addition ambient mic

     

    Vocal microphones are often cardioid to reject ambient  so the benefits are very limited. I've even tried the method using the drummer's overheads, which works a little better but not as effective. A dedicated system designed to pick up ambient sound (in stereo) will "pay for itself" in a very short time. 

    This is by far the cheapest and simplest method to implement, furthermore, one of the benefits is that the ambient sound is coming from where you are stood and not spread across the entire stage, meaning you actually feel more connected to the sound you are hearing. A side effect is that you can hear your cabinet sound behind you if you are also using onstage amplifiers. 

     

    Oh and proper, well mixed IEM mixes, in stereo for the win.

     

     

  13. 11 minutes ago, pete.young said:

    @Dood has another dodge which I found useful - use a Zoom H4N to mix ambient noise, monitor signal and mic/instrument and deliver to earbuds via the headphone out.

     

    Yes thank you!

     

    I have actually much updated the "system" that I've been using for many, many years now and will eventually get round to shooting a video for it. Here's the original:-

     

     

  14. 6 hours ago, vmaxblues said:

    Hi All,

     

    I am doing more backing vocals but just cant hear myself with the onstage monitors.  I was wondering is there an IEM solution for this? Only issue is that it is only vocals going through the pA

     

    If you are using ear plugs, I have a clever trick, but it will mean balancing the sound should you have monitors on the floor. I use moulded ear plugs and have different filter values I can swap out. Should I be doing backing vocals and IEMs aren't available the trick is to choose the filter that allows you to hear your own voice inside your head with enough volume coming in ambiently to pitch with. Furthermore, I'd pitch to my bass guitar (don't try to listen to the singer and pitch to them) meaning my own pitching was a lot better. As soon as I started using this method I received compliments on my backing vocals!

    These days we use IEMs and, whilst I am currently not singing, we do have a complete mix in my ears ready for when I do.

  15. 22 hours ago, Bassman68 said:

    Never really felt the need for them on my basses?

    I think it boils down to playing technique & right hand positioning..

    A bit like fret wraps, they just seem an accessory to me?

     

    Like a drummer using brushes or lightning rods? Then yeah. Ramps, like plectrums are not a crutch to "fix" anything, despite what many a naysayer has projected. 

  16. 6 minutes ago, tauzero said:

     

    But some people like them, just like some misguided people actually like headstocks.

     

    Headless, check, zero fret, check, ramp, check, active pickups, check, garish finish, check, unusual strap mounting method, check, too many strings, check, plays with a pick, check, chords, check, tapping, check, too many notes, check, uses effects, check... I am going to hell, obviously! 

    • Haha 1
  17. 1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

    There's a bit of an 'Emperor's New Clothes' vibe in some of the comments here and I'm quite surprised.

    My view, for what it's worth (probably nothing), is that ramps are essentially a more visually appealing version of a Zero Mod thumb rest.

    I've used them on Ric's and most recently Stingrays and I really like them.

    The single H pick-up position on a Stingray always feels fractionally too far back for me when playing finger style.

    I enjoy the slightly less tension using the Zero Mod. YMMV of course.

     

    Although you can rest your thumb on them, that's not really what ramps are for, otherwise bassists would just use a thumb rest, which looks prettier than some ramps I've seen stuck on instruments. 

  18. Like MacDaddy above, my basses have adjustable ramps that can be wound all the way down out the way if necessary. In fact, it was a design I put forward to Shuker along with the series 2 body shape that has been in production ever since. YAY! 
     

    • Like 4
  19. This is an interesting discussion and, to muddy the waters further in regard to running plugins on hardware (or indeed running any firmware on dedicated hardware):

     

    I had a long discussion with a brand a while ago about two pieces of hardware they were selling. Both devices appeared to have the same menus system and library of effects. The more expensive device could run three effects at once (a physically larger unit too) whilst the cheaper and much smaller device could run five. Did this make the cheaper device the better unit? Despite the architecture being similar, the "programs" running were less detailed and presented less load on the processor in the cheaper device, thus it was able to run more "effects" at once. To misquote Mr Malmsteen, sometimes "more is more" is, well.. not.. 

     

    My take away..

    Early hardware just didn't have processing power to do the work and the software algorithms (such as Neural learning) just didn't exist to the extent that it does today. This resulted in lower quality effects in comparison (but let's not forget this was cutting edge at the time!!)

    The best hardware in the world doesn't guarantee a faithful reproduction of the analogue world, the software on board is as important, if not more so.

    Trying to squeeze a big processor in to a little box is difficult and costly. I am sure there's an equivalent to Hoffman's Iron Law when it comes to DSP, "size", quality and cost! Eventide's H9000 springs to mind.

     

    That said I am truly astonished at what is being created in open source world. "Steve Ack";s Neural Amp Modeller plug-in is absolutely incredible.. the developers around this desktop application aren't taking any payment for it and the Neural models people are creating are just superb.  

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