Dood

Interesting reading! I like my board to be as flat as possible, very little relief and the action to be as low as possible - but there's a fine line between trading off tone Vs playability. I like a bit of rattle in my tone, but it is controlled. I can get my basses to sound clean when I want them to, but there's nothing like digging in and making the bass bark a bit! I use my custom ramps for both finger style and pick which goes along way to stopping me from playing too hard and choking off notes. I started off subscribing to the Billy Sheehan method: As low as possible then bring the action up again to get rid of the rattles and problems - but it is important to have a really good fret job and set up if you are going to have a crazy low action, because it can lead to all sorts of fret buzzes if you have uneven fret heights. This could well be a reason why a good few basses you try out in shops are set up with such high actions - because the fret jobs are a bit poo!

[quote name='OnceAWolf' post='1061608' date='Dec 17 2010, 02:30 PM']Hey man, that sounds great - we will be up and running asap. If you do know anyone in the south that would be up for this then please put us in touch. You could always leave your band and tryout for this haha. Email us the gig details at [email protected] Cheers! Shane[/quote] I saw your ad' over on the Djent site - I'll check out your material!

ONLY FOUR MORE PEOPLE to put names down to pay in advance to hire the hall!

Hi guys - We'll have some 'who to pay' info' shortly I hope. Charic is being a top geeza and looking in to it. In the meantime - we still need definite numbers of who is happy to pay up front so that we can get the hall in the first place. Here's the list so far, copied from Alien's last post: Updated 1) Charic - TC Electronics RH450 & RS210 / ACG Finn4 / Upgraded Fender PBass 2) Lonestar - [Setups] 3) Dood - Shuker Singlecut 7 string and Headless 6 string - can also bring Hartke Hydrive and LH1000 - TC Effects and even a couple of MB F1's to listen to. 4)jonunders - G&L l2500, mark bass LM III, barefaced compact. 5)Jacqueslemac - line6 variax 6)Essexbasscat 7)ESharp (F ) - Stingray with Modulus Quantam neck,Lynott-esq Precision,Eden WT400,Epifani 610UL or 410 ul . 8)gicut58 9)Moonbass - can bring EUB 10)Thurbs - ashdown rig + guitars? 11) zero9 12) jonunders tutor (Rob) 13) stag - can share lift / pay in advance? 14) Bobthebassist 15) Stinson 16) Alien - Hartke HA7000, 2x10 cab, couple of basses and some other bits. Happy to pay upfront, and give a lift to anyone between MK and St Ives, as long as they're not bringing a monster rig On list but not currently paying in advance 1) mgibson 2) truckstop - RBX JM1 and Mrs 3) bluesparky

Deal with confidence with the fine Mark 'Geilerbass'! Nice to meet you Mark, I hope that your new acquisition keeps you busy and happy - as I'd said in my PM, if you need any more help with configuring the X3 I'm happy to help! Definite positive feedback here!

[quote name='Gust0o' post='1071658' date='Dec 29 2010, 12:20 PM']Welcome in, chief. Find myself spending a lot of time in Norwich with work, and it's not too dissimilar from olde York - well, barring your accents, mind. Enjoy the site [/quote] Hullo mate! How's you?

Hi Dan, I'm Dan.. I play Bass.. and I live in Naaarch too!

Time seems to be slipping by and yes we do need to get that payment in advance. I'll have a PM with Charic as we somehow need to get the money to him so that we can book the hall, I guess.

Rotosound 'Rotos' range - Cheap as chips Nickel Roundwound.

[quote name='civictiger' post='1064229' date='Dec 20 2010, 02:01 AM']I am using a builti-in soundcard atm, my PC is pretty dated! until I go to uni in July and then I am buying either a very high spec laptop or a mac pro, but I am unsure which atm, a windows will get me much better specs for the same price but a mac gives me freedom over two operating systems with boot camp.. altho I am thinking of windows atm.[/quote] Ok, I've not seen an onboard card that is 'up to the job' yet - I'd definitely be looking at getting a soundcard designed for 'studio' work. (Either internal or external) [quote name='civictiger' post='1064229' date='Dec 20 2010, 02:01 AM']so in essence, your saying we can have a master sequencer running on a PC, and then have the master PC hooked up to other PC's and control them?[/quote] That's another way of doing it yes - the sequencer could be running on a PC with MIDI outputs - or it could be a sequencer on a workstation keyboard! The likes of Korg, Roland etc all do workstations with fully featured sequencers on them. _ Indeed, my mate was shoing me the Fantom the other day - and he plugged his electric guitar straight in to it and used the on-board amplifier modelling to record a distorty mega guitar tone... and where did he record it? well not only did the keybaord have a sequencer, it also had a multitrack recorder onboard! You can buy standalone hardware sequencers too - if you didn't wanna lug a PC around with you. Yes, if you wanted you could have other PCs as well as keybaords, lights, effects units all controlled by the sequencer / master PC / Master keyboard. [quote name='civictiger' post='1064229' date='Dec 20 2010, 02:01 AM']and by sequencer, you do mean Cubase or another DAW, correct?[/quote] It's worth just making the distinction that a DAW has the ability to be a sequencer, but it isn't specifically a sequencer. There may be software out there whose primary use is sequencing only. Cubase obviously can do a whole lot more - for example running virtual instruments / record / score etc etc etc.

[quote name='E sharp' post='1067055' date='Dec 22 2010, 06:36 PM']Spoke to Mark yesterday at around 1pm , and ordered a Great Gramma .....[/quote] Ahhh, I traded mine in recently for some other Bass Gear. Seemed like a good time to sell to be honest... Wait.... You're not talking about elderly relatives are you?

Please, guys - keep your own personal agendas in check and arguments off the forum - You're doing a great job of ruining what could have been a really helpful and informative thread for those pursuing a career in Bass Playing. Really disappointed in some of the rubbish on this thread. You all been stuck in doors for too long or something? Thank you to those who have made some good points.

That's an interesting question re: point 3. I have to say that if it were true, then would I be tuning 'upward' more and more over the life of the string? - I'm assuming that if the core does stretch it would be in the regions of hundreths of an inch vs anything that could be measured without test gear. Maybe it's a myth perpetuated by those who pull the bass out of tune by yanking the strings away from the neck. Which is more likely down to other problems rather than the string stretching throughout it's life?

Hey there - nothing wrong with your idea - I don't think you will need splitters, thru boxes or kill switches just yet! You might need to split the signal from your bass out to the two signal chains though. Can I suggest a way of making your complicated paths very simple? If you are familiar with the POD and are using one then - Grab yourself a Line6 X3 (live maybe) as an upgrade - you can run two separate signal paths (bass path and guitar path for example) and run them out to the two channels of your power amp and then drive the two separate halves of your 8x10. You can do all that you have described without other pedals and everything will be in one tidy box then. Less to carry and you don't have to worry about broken cables / leaving things behind / all the other trials and tribulations of gigging with multiple pedals

I've always liked Erik Satie's 'Gymnopodie No.1' as a piece of music that moves me. In the last week or so I've been delving more in to Satie's work and have found another piece that I didn't realise was by him too. This, Gnossienne No.1 just hits the spot - I don't know what it is.. the slight sense of despair or loneliness - but it is beautiful. I've heard a few versions by different musicians - some rush the piece and it doesn't sit with me as well, but this guy on YouTube has totally nailed it. Infact, hearing the many different interpretations of the piece (which in turn changes the whole mood of the music) has actually made me stop and take a look at my own playing too, noting the subtleties in Gnossienne No.1 and how it affects the listener - which has got to be a good thing. Ok, so here it is..

[quote name='krth1985' post='1064713' date='Dec 20 2010, 03:15 PM']In Loving Memory by Alter Bridge deserves a mention. Especially the version below, live in Amsterdam. When the crown sings back and you can clearly see Tremonti holding back tears, always gives my goosebumps. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFQReV3_nuA&feature=fvst"]In Loving Memory[/url][/quote] Yes, a touching song - I have to +1 this track.

[quote name='civictiger' post='1063563' date='Dec 19 2010, 02:44 PM']ahh right, CC messages now make sence![/quote] Cool [quote name='civictiger' post='1063563' date='Dec 19 2010, 02:44 PM']well I wasnt actually using any MIDI device and getting latency.. I was using an on screen keyboard that is built in to one of my synths. I dont have any ASIO drivers, though.. so im gonna be getting them for now, which will help a lot lol.[/quote] Ahh doesn't matter, it's still the hardware (and driver's) ability to receive, process and output a sound. Again, what card are you using? - Yes I would very strongly advise using an ASIO/ASIO2 driver for it. IF the card you are using doesn't have a proprietry ASIO driver, then try ASIO4ALL - an open source project which covers most sound cards inclusing the 'EMU' processor types. [quote name='civictiger' post='1063563' date='Dec 19 2010, 02:44 PM']also, dood, obviously as im aiming for a band format, how will we make sure that all the synths for all the band members are in time? we cant all just press play individually, it would have to be solid.. I know there is a thing called a MIDI clock which acts like a click track that can keep synths in time together but I dont know how that would press play on the transport area in Cubase with the automation laid down.[/quote] Yes, the MIDI clock *isn't* the tempo track for songs etc - it simply synchronises devices. The way that you'd get all your devices to change at the same time is simple - you just need to make sure they are connected to your master sequencer and slave from it. The Sequencer can be configured and programmed so that each slave device receives on a seperate MIDI channel - this means that it will only accept messages designated for it - ie, channel 10 could be a drum machine, receiving the drum midi track from a sequencer. MIDI channel 5 could be the output of an automation track from the sequencer (or DAW) to control the MIDI enabled lighting rig. Really, you can go as in depth as you like! Going back to the likes of Guitar Rig etc - using a low latency soundcard, you could just plug your guitar straight in to a laptop and have the DAW software switch patches in time with your MIDI backing track. To answer your question, there are a number of ways of daisy chaining devices - the most obvious is to use MIDI IN / MIDI OUT / MIDI THRU connections - though you'd have to look in to seeing what the limitations of chaining multiple devices are, as I've never tested the theory with more than two or three connections.

If the right band came up (or an existing band doing very well) then I would quite happily move if need be - but hey, it'd *have* to be the right band and be worthwhile!

[quote name='civictiger' post='1062694' date='Dec 18 2010, 05:54 PM']However, Cubase is SO slow with my PC, it takes about a second from a midi keyboard for the osudn to come out, ...[/quote] That sounds more like a huge latency problem - either with your Cubase configuration OR with your soundcard / hardware not Cubase as a program. What are you using as your device to output the audio you hear (which is delayed?)

[quote name='civictiger' post='1062694' date='Dec 18 2010, 05:54 PM']At the moment I am using a VST host called Cantabile, for experimenting with what I need to do. I do have Cubase. However, Cubase is SO slow with my PC, it takes about a second from a midi keyboard for the osudn to come out, where as Cantabile is instant.. because it is used just as a VST host (dedicated) so it doesnt need any other processes going on or any need to do anything else. Cubase coming to think of it though would be much more suitable, especially since we can use automation.. I think we would be turing the pedals on/off through automation (or even just the volumes if that) and then use pitch bending and filters with automation.. Contabile is great I just think Cubase would be better for this reason.. I just have no idea where to start with it compared to Contabile! Also, Dood, you mentioned CC messages, what do you mean by these? are they just midi signals that trigger stuff? but obviously cant be heard.[/quote] I dropped Cubase and went with Reaper instead, because it is a much 'lighter' program AND you can run the whole DAW from a USB stick!! - which is great for those on the move! Cubase just did my head in - I'd spend all the time I should have been getting good ideas down, trying to get the DAW configured.. Where as Reaper is great for getting great results, fast. Yes, CC messages are 'control messages', for example the changing of the volume in real time of an effect. Or indeed the switching on and off of a single effect with a patch. When you push the modulation wheel back and forth on a MIDI keyboard, it is changing the CC value between 0-128 depending on the wheel's position. This movement is interpreted by the device which is assigned to that controller, which then can adjust a parameter or parameters on that device.

Different brands of strings will also greatly change the feel of the B string. Some have a higher tension by design and can help to give a tighter sound. I'd certainly recommend a higher gauge and for me a brighter toned string too, especially if you have a 34" scale vs 35, 36 etc

I do agree that most 'virtual' performance issues are down to poor implementation and any sandboxing 'pre roll-out' is a very good idea. If I had a pound for ever project I had handed to me with a poor design implementation... doh! Thing is - and something I would need to test for myself - is how VSTs perform between VM machines. For example if a software VST Host residing on one VM Machine 'communicated' with a DAW on another, how they would behave. Infact, if both the VST Host and DAW were residing on the same VM Machine, how they behave in comparison to running directly on normal hardware. I've certainly have used products that the manufacturers suggested NOT running in a VM environment due to a performance hit. I would like to know how VMware is geared to handle multimedia processing - again, I think most of it will be down to the performance of the hardware host - and I think that this will then be outside of financial viability for most users. If I had a really powerful machine to run VMWare environments on it - the chances are, it's already capable of running VSTs without a problem and thus negates the need to sandbox. Much like the projects I had worked on, most of the design problems were down to not having intimate knowledge of the environment that the product was to reside on - and maybe this is a problem too for those with performance issues in using VSTs? (e.g using hacked software - 32 Vs 64bit / memory allocation, multi threading etc etc etc) I'm about to go cross-eyed thinking about this now.. time for a cuppa!