Al Krow

Got a wee confession to make: I had a twinge of regret on missing out on that MXR synth pedal in the FS a couple of days back, which was snapped up before I'd even seen it listed! Having now seen what the v4.5 FI is capable of, that regret has been replaced with relief! Seems to me the updated FI can do everything the MXR can, and then some?

What about seeing if eg Charles Berthoud will give the updated VIP an IMA style review? Could be a game changer in terms of sales? Even better, get him to A/B it with the MXR in a leading bass synth pedal shootout?

Love it! Great job, Peter and team!

A well trodden discussion topic! Covers bands range from hobbyist musicians for whom playing once or twice a month live for fun is the goal, and they're in no way dependent on the income and are happy to accept £50 a head. I have several band members in my crew whom I would term "semi-pro", and for whom income from the band plays a key part of their earnings. We do a mixture of pub and function work and we don't accept pub bookings for less than £100 a head. We've pretty much got weekly bookings already in the diary for 2026 from our pub residencies. Function work pays considerably more and some BC'ers are in bands doing purely function work, some making a full time living from it. Quality tribute bands can often command very good money too - reflecting the time and effort into their product. Solo artists are providing their own kit and transport and having to entertain a crowd without the energy we can get from bandmates and a live drum kit behind - they deserve their pay and good luck to them! It's not one size fits all.

You miss the point? The invention of the production line took away skilled work from mechanics who were able to able to put a whole engine together from scratch. AI already has the ability to take work away from skilled song writers, which I wouldn't regard as a mundane task, or have we all been wasting our time discussing that very issue on this thread?😅

For sure. Just as Henry Ford did with the car production line (see longer post above).

+1^^ for me. Very happy to recommend the Nux. Sounds like a great approach and look forward to your findings!

100% And, as I said at the end of my previous post, the parallel is that AI can't fake a live performance by a human band, which is what audiences want. They can already listen to a Jukebox if they wanted. So whilst I fear for the future of the aspiring song writer in my band, who's working on his 4th album, I'm very glad we can be out at gigs each week doing something we love.

With AI, is the situation different to Henry Ford inventing the production line and taking work away from skilled workers who had the skills to put a whole engine together from scratch? Do we complain about AI coming up with better computer code to enable more rapid and successful cancer diagnosis, and lament the loss of software engineering jobs for graduates who have invested time and treasure in their chosen careers? Or do we musicians now find it a concern because it's getting a bit too close to home for comfort? AI opens the door of creativity to many, whilst challenging the livelihoods of others already skilled in the art of songwriting and of the session musicians and sound engineers laying down parts on recorded tracks. Just as having the ability to play the horn parts on keys, using a drum synth or downloading backing tracks for live performance, has already done for decades. Authenticity is, for me, key here - let's be honest when AI has been a significant part of the creative process and not pass it off as being purely our own work? But if, for example, AI had written "At Last" for Etta James to sing, or "Can't help falling in love" performed by Elvis, would we have listened? Will the audience care who wrote the song if hearing it gives them joy? Or is this all just taking us back to the time pre-Beatles when 95% (I'm guessing here!) of leading performers had their song material provided for them? And 100% of covers and tribute bands already do today? AI can't fake a live performance by a human band, which is what audiences want to provide them with the soundtrack to their weddings or parties and end-of-the week nights out. They can already listen to a Jukebox or hire a DJ if that's what they prefer. So, whilst I fear for the future of any aspiring songwriter trying to break through in the fearsomely tough world of the original musician, I'm very glad we can be out at gigs each week doing something we love.

You've had and loved several BDDI's over the years. You know that it nails the BDDI tone? 😅 If you're liking the GP-50, any reason not to just get a BDDI to sit alongside it, and job done?

Interesting. Is that partly because Country is a relatively uncomplicated genre in terms of song structure and chord progression, and therefore a relatively easy one to get under AI's belt?

Nope "you being exactly correct" = I did prompt it to be country. (ChatGPT would have understood my response 😅)

Yes, exactly correct.

Been a very interesting 24 hour journey for me. This thread (and thanks to the OP for starting it) prompted me to look into what the AI song-writing process involved, which I'd not done before. And as I commented earlier - it's scarily easy! I shared the song earlier on this thread, and also with a few close muso friends, who were very complimentary about the quality of the song. One mate, who's also a bass player and band leader of a covers band, rightly challenged me by asking: where's the "pride, value, wonderment" in using an AI song writing platform? He's 100% right that it would feel pretty shallow in itself, but as part of the full YT video which it inspired, well quite a surprising amount! It's probably the most creative thing I've done in a long while! Will be fun to see if we can play this well, live, at some point down the line!

I'm not sure what the neighbours would think about a gig in the basement at full volume, haha! I've got two separate AC adaptors, one that came with the unit by Fidus (made in China) for home use, and a separate one for gigs by Dongguan Lewe (also China). Both are 12V 5A 60W PSUs A&H recommend their spare part: AH-AM12199 PSU, but this seems to be tricky to get hold of? What PSUs are other CQ desk owners using?