Happy Jack
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Where do you get all these great sound downloads from (especially for the DX)? https://soundmondo.yamahasynth.com/
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The core of my stage rig for keyboards remains a Hammond SK61 with a Korg Kross above it. Between them, those two can deliver pretty much everything I need in both my 5-piece soul band and my 7-piece functions band ... in both of those I supply piano, organ, strings, brass and synth, plus occasional weird 5hit like banjo, accordion and mouth organ. BUT that's "everything I need" rather than "everything I want". Solution? The Yamaha Reface series. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-reface-series I suppose you could use these as your main stage keyboards but, assuming you already have a decent keyboard or two, there's really no need since you can control them remotely just to get access to the range of sounds. I have no need of the YC seeing as I have a genuine Hammond right there but I've now ended up buying the CS, the DX and the CP. For live use the CS is of quite limited use unless you really like fiddling with knobs and sliders in front of an audience (and your impatient band mates) so I have one 'universal' setting which works where I need it and I just vary the octave in which I use it. The DX is a whole nother thang. Essentially a much-easier-to-use version of the classic DX-7 this allows you to create / download / tweak / store up to 32 presets reachable at the tap of a button, and many of those presets are just breath-taking. It's a superb piece of kit and - unlike the other three - it has an on-board transpose function. The DX now forms the top tier of a 3-level keyboard rig. In another way, the CP is equally gob-smacking. No presets needed, since a rotary knob gives you instant access to a Fender Rhodes Mk.I, a Fender Rhodes Mk.II, a Wurlitzer, and a CP80. You want Stevie Wonder, Supertramp, Michael MacDonald? It's all right there. Don't like the mini-keys or the 37-key restriction? No worries, just slave it to a larger keyboard like the Korg Kross. All three of the Reface series that I now own are merely bolt-on goodies, but my, what goodies they are! I can't leave this without also mentioning the stage stands I now use: https://www.staymusicstands.com/products/supports-for-keyboards/ I would happily recommend these to any keyboard player. Very clever and sleek design, very portable.
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Ah yes, the point at which Casio first made a serious attempt to distinguish themselves from Bon Tempi and cheap calculators by moving upmarket with their keyboards. I'll bet that array of on-board speakers sounds pretty damned good? Makes it bloody heavy, mind. 🙄 I always thought Casio piano sounds were good and string sounds were excellent, but their brass was disappointing.
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Hofner Beatle basses - so bloody many in the range!
Happy Jack replied to tredders's topic in Bass Guitars
There are basically TWO types of Hofner Beatle bass ... the ones built in Germany (bloody expensive but the real deal) and the ones built under licence in China (relatively cheap and no real indicator of what Macca actually played). Apart from the quality of the components and the different type of finish (you really want nitro) by far the most obvious difference is that cheap copies - including the made-under-licence versions - have a "central sustain block". Trans: Instead of being hollow-bodied and made using traditional violin-building techniques and bracing, they have a bloody great lump of 4x2 running down the middle onto which everything else is glued & screwed. What this means is that the cheapo versions weigh substantially more, have a completely different balance to them, and because of the plasticky finish and cheap knobs have a completely different feel to them. Does any of this matter? The Ignition and the Contemporary are both fine basses, play well and sound good. Yes, I've owned both. Above all, to the ignorant audience they LOOK like a Beatle bass. If I was asked to join a Beatles tribute, I would have no hesitation in buying one of these and doing the usual substitute-the-teacup-knobs thing. But if what you want is to know how it felt for Macca to play this bass then you should avoid the cheapo jobbies like the plague. The instant you pick up a genuine German-made Hofner it's totally obvious that they're chalk & cheese. I've had several, including the 1963 RI, and I have a genuine 1964 hanging on the wall next to me as I write this. These are quality instruments and a piece of true craftsmanship, but that costs. -
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CASIO ELECTRONIC KEYBOARD WK-7600, good condition but not perfect, works absolutely fine in every regard, selling as I have now upgraded to a Korg Kross. https://www.casio.com/intl/electronic-musical-instruments/product.WK-7600/ BAD BITS: (1) There's a hairline crack in the casing at front right (see photo). You can only see it if you go looking for it, but I should mention it. (2) There seems to be a loose piece of plastic inside the keyboard, which you can hear if you pick the keyboard up so as to (for example) lean against a wall. It's been there for years and has no effect whatsoever, but again I should mention it. (3) The knob-tip for the smallest (1') drawbar is missing. The drawbar itself works fine without the tip, and I sometimes wonder if the missing tip is the piece of plastic inside the casing! GOOD BITS: (1) This is a real go-anywhere keyboard, operates off mains or batteries, has on-board speakers significantly better than you'd expect at this price point. (2) The range of sounds is good, but the piano is way better than you'd expect from a Casio and the strings are superb. (3) The drawbar organ is a very neat touch (the original reason I bought this model - I now have a Hammond) and with a bit of practice allows you to 'fake it' with real style. (4) The Transpose function is quick and simple, very handy in a live-on-stage situation. (5) Speaking of which, those bold letters are Dymo tape stuck to electrical tape (so very easily removed), making it far easier to hit the right button on a dark stage. (6) Similarly, the red and green electrical tape makes it easier to plug in a 1/4" lead and the power supply when setting up on a dark stage. HANDOVER: Sticking a fairly large impact-moulded plastic keyboard in a cardboard box and hoping that ParcelFarce won't break it seems like a bad idea to me. Much better either to collect from Harrow HA1, but I'm also happy to drive up to 30 miles to 'meet in the middle' for a handover if that works better for you. Handover in person has to be a better idea because that way you can test the keyboard before handing over your hard-earned readies. This keyboard is currently (28 Nov) listed on eBay with a start price of £99 so you may prefer to bid there and see if you can land a serious bargain, but these keyboards tend to sell in the £180-£200 range. -
Now that really IS brave! 😂
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Genuinely don't think that any NS will cut it at a country/americana gig. Not only is the sound almost guaranteed to be "too modern" but far more importantly the LOOK is all wrong. I've played in country bands and americana bands and IME the audience listens as much with their eyes as their ears. If you look the part then nobody will notice your tone or your note choices. If you DON'T look the part, they'll be frowning. If you can't bring a DB or a faux DB like a KK (had one for years, loved it) then IMHO you're better off sticking to a Precision throughout.
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Creating a monster (lead singer problem)
Happy Jack replied to Mickeyboro's topic in General Discussion
If you want to give me his mobile, I can happily text him the gist of this thread, start the ball rolling so to speak? 😂 -
Creating a monster (lead singer problem)
Happy Jack replied to Mickeyboro's topic in General Discussion
Life's too short, move on. Granted it will be a complete PITA having to wade through all the flakes and fantasists who answer your advert on JoinMyBand (or similar) but eventually you'll find someone who reminds you why you started playing in bands in the first place. Keep an open mind. Instead of trying to "replace" the existing clown on a one-for-one basis, just see who's out there ... male or female, same age as you or just out of uni. From everything I've seen over the last few months, 2023 is going to be a complete shower of 5h1t when it comes to gigging, so you may as well take it as a 'band re-build' year and start thinking about 2024. -
WTF happened at 1:09? 😉 Your 2-camera edit gives a glimpse of what can be achieved - and easily too - but wait until you start using four cameras. It's a whole nother thang. @Silvia Bluejay sets them up at each gig while the band is setting up the PA & backline, so there's no extra time involved. She now has it to a fine enough art that we routinely do a 4-camera shoot even at one-hour festival slots, without ticking off the stage managers.
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Start checking the For Sale listings on Talkbass.
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Ronaldo is still thin but, in truth, he's past it. The more he tries to hang on to the image, the more it tarnishes ...
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Official Solution = sing verse #1 again. Always.
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Once it's finished making the weird noise, test the battery to see whether there's any charge left. If the weird noise is draining a brand new 9V battery, then that could be a clue as to where the problem lies ...
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That just makes it worse. I'd feel bad getting paid £300 to perform (that's for the whole band, not just me) if I couldn't remember the words. I suspect that Dolly Parton wasn't playing for an equal share of £300? Just because a famous celeb does something, that don't make it right. See: Kanye West.
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How many basses? I suppose I could find out, if I thought it important. 🤨
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Bands with 2 (or more) bass players
Happy Jack replied to mario_buoninfante's topic in General Discussion
I've been in a couple of bands with two bassists. In The Junkyard Dogs @mcdaddy played lead guitar while I played bass. In The Soul Seniors @songofthewind plays bass while I play keyboards (although @mcdaddy depped on bass for a couple of gigs too). Don't think that's what the OP had in mind, though ... -
It seems to be targeted at left-handed players who like an ultra-long fretless Jazz ... a bit niche for my tastes. 🙄
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Drummers are surrounded by so many stands and so much hardware that she could probably get away with a 34" flat-screen TV without the audience noticing.
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In all fairness, having FX would allow you to put Delay and Distortion on the IEMs. Just saying ...
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Few things annoy me more than mono IEMs. 😡
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Absolutely true if you're talking about big studio consoles, not so much if you're talking about "compact mixing desks" (i.e. the subject of this topic). Pretty much all modern electronics follow the 90/10 Rule (I can do 90% of what I want using just 10% of the tools available) although in truth I think it's now far more of a 95/5 Rule. If I was to be designing a compact mixing desk for use in the sort of situations where a compact mixing desk would be useful, then I certainly would not include a myriad of knobs, switches, dials and functions. I'd identify what it is that people actually use (or at least are most likely to use) and pare the system down to those. Keep It Simple, Stupid. 🙂
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Tell your drummer he's just an attention seeker! 😉
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This works well: https://www.gak.co.uk/en/tiger-imca2-tablet-mount-black/950894?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQiA37KbBhDgARIsAIzce14vbp_hdlhvK3D-TMWzTDIKfIaG9kgqVDbIoGqQaaTmALgXlr31-CcaAtbMEALw_wcB Rather flimsy plastic construction, so handle gently, but it certainly does the job if you have an old mic stand lying around. And which of us can truly say he doesn't? 🤨
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Pubs are run by publicans, clubs are run by amateurs/volunteers, you do the math. Any band that relies on the venue to do the marketing (with a very few honorable exceptions) is on a hiding to nothing.
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