hairychris

I have an older SR505 and it fits in a standard Hiscox bass case without any problems.

I tune CGCFA using a light 4-string set and heavier single bass string. It seemed sensible (to me) to mirror how guitars are strung with the highest string as A instead of B at that tuning (drop-C, CGCFAD) as that's my background. Your tuning seems eminently sensible, though. Good luck.

[quote name='BassAgent' timestamp='1479677414' post='3178418'] I considered a Minibrute and Bass Station 2 when shopping for a bass keyboard, but instead went for: Haven't had any regrets. As Jeremy Clarkson would say: What a machiiiiiine! [/quote] I have it's big brother (Sub 37) and it's something else. Very easy to program but not cheap, especially now the GBP crash. Moog have that multi-oscillator with smooth filter thing down. I'd like to try the Minitaur but I don't think that I need it. I also run an Arturia Microbrute but, tbh, I don't use it for bass stuff as the Moog is far thicker, if you want that. The Arturia synths have a [b]very[/b] angry filter when cranked which is certainly a lot of fun. Not tried the Novation Bass Station 2, but heard good things. Waldorf Pulse also has a good rep for fatness, I briefly owned the Pulse 2 and while it sounded fantastic the user interface was horrible. Can't really help with FM-type synths. Anyway, you'll never quite get a match. Different things completely, but then again I have never tried to replace bass guitar with bass synth. However, being in the process of recording an album with my band we're looking at doing subtle bass reinforcement with synths just to add frequencies that we can't get with a regular bass. So working "with bass guitar" not "instead of bass guitar". Tough to do live, though!

Aesthetics, basically, but it does have a physical side-effect. As someone who's owned a number of guitars with reverse headstocks, it makes a difference with tension when it comes to bends. More string behind the nut = an easier bend, so the treble strings are stiffer, bass are looser. Note this doesn't change the string's tension for tuning, just for bends, and with regular gauge strings it's not hugely noticeable unless you're doing extreme stuff.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1478696121' post='3170984'] I do not have the answer to this, but now you ask, I do remember that in music college there were enough of people who could not invent new music or new sounds in their heads. I have no idea whether they were just untrained or whether they lacked some basic ability, but in general a lot of stuff can be learned - even when people think they can't learn it.[/quote] Really not sure. Been a musician for 25+ years, my brain just doesn't work that way (it's not the only blind spot I have and I know that I have wonky wiring), but stick a guitar in my hands/etc and I'll make stuff up all day! [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1478696121' post='3170984']As to synths and acquiring the ability to imagine a sound and build it, I think one is helped a lot by traditional subtractive synthesis and knobby hardware and [b]a lot of time[/b] playing and experimenting, consciously looking for the answer to the eternal question "why the Hull does it sound like that".[/quote] Definitely agree. The Mood Sub 37 is fantastic in this respect: >70 controls on the front panel so tactile (my problem with soft synths) and very little menu diving. It's very easy to build patches, but not a cheap piece of equipment. [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1478696121' post='3170984']The MiniBrute is a great example for this, as it has many knobs and sliders for such a tiny synth, and a relaxing lack of bewildering routing switches. Later, one can use its connectivity and get to the wilder stuff.[/quote] I really like my MicroBrute. Very hands on but simpler than the Moog, no patch saving, but also the ability to hook it up to 1v/octave Eurorack compatible equipment. Missing the 2nd envelope and arpeggiator compared to the Mini, but with more routing options.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1478635476' post='3170539']For the synthesis methods I've officially learned and taught I don't have much fun designing a sound in my head and then building it in the hardware afterwards, but I've done it a lot. It's just work.[/quote] Is it weird to say that I never get sounds in my head - I have to start somewhere/anywhere physically and hone in from there? It's the same with writing music. Am I a freak, being a musician who can't actually create without hearing it?

[quote name='Earbrass' timestamp='1478269949' post='3168073'] Possibly a little off-topic, but, partly inspired by this thread I had a play on my old Novation K-Station last night. For those not familiar, it's a rather nice little 3 oscillator Virtual-Analogue synth with lots of slideriness and knobbage. Not actually an analogue synth, before the purists jump down my throat, but behaves pretty much like one, with the added benefits of not having to warm up and (optional) polyphony. Anyway, the point of the post is that although I understand in principle what all the functions do, I frequently find that tweaking one knob or another produces totally unpredicted results, and one several occasions I found myself wondering "why is it doing that?" and progressively removing oscillators, modulations etc from the sound to try to discover what was causing the unexpected effect. So I thought I'd pose the question to all the synth users out there - how much of your knob-tweaking is part of a purposeful pursuit of a sound that you know how to produce, and how much is semi-random? Or to put it another way, when you find a sound you like, or will use, how often is that the result of conscious sound-design, and how often a serendipitous accident? [/quote] With the Moog Sub37, I tend to have an idea what I'm doing and quite enjoy programming patches up from scratch. The front panel is lovely to use, very well laid out and intuitive. I'm a bit more haphazard with the MicroBrute, and completely over my head with modular! Case in point: last weekend I discovered how weird a drum machine sound when run through a delay (Disting Mk3 bank 1a patch 3d) while modulating the delay's feedback and tempo at audio rates. I'm fairly sure that you can't get up to that sort of nonsense with a "normal" instrument, haha!

[quote name='Bottle' timestamp='1478198560' post='3167514'] Oh damn I'm told the MiniBrute partnered with another oscillator is the gateway drug into modular synthesis...... [/quote] Yep, it works great as a controller (pitch CV out, Gate out, LFO out, etc) as well as an audio source and/or audio processor. It can't act as a midi interface, but my Doepfer Dark Energy has midi + USB in and pitch/gate/mod wheel/pitch wheel CVs out so can act as one even if you don't use it as a synth. I've had nowhere near the time I want to get in anyway good with this stuff, though, and for 'fat' my go-to is a Moog.

Snark works well on bass for me (on a 5-string) but are ugly. The Planet Waves ones are great for guitar but I had problems with lower pitches. Can't comment on the TC! I run a pedalboard live so use a floor tuner, so use clip-ons at home.

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1478126505' post='3167045'] You may find that the thre way to do it will be to programme the whole track on the sequencer with the click track. Even if for large sections all you have is the click and no synths actually playing . Count of four clicks to come in and then just play to the click while you count the bars so that you're at the right place in the song when the synths etc do come in. [/quote] Yes, this is pretty much the standard way of doing it. Although, to be honest, if OP's band don't need to do any manipulation of the electronic equipment live it may be better to do a backing track, as there's less to go wrong. Even if there is, if there's a chunk of audio that's always going to be there then have that as audio and only bring the kit that you do need to interact with live! Does that make sense?

Modular GAS is hell, because the individual parts aren't that expensive.... says the man who had a drum module turn up a few days ago! I really want a Trigger Riot to drive it. And a Pamela's Workout to deal with clocking. And I only have 2 oscillators (well, plus the MicroBrute and Doepfer Dark Energy). And aaaargh. EDIT: Highly recommended utility module - Expert Sleepers Disting MkII

Hello! (Grew up in Havant)

From a previous band that I was in... Drummer: Oh yeah, by the way I'm cycling to China. I won't be around for a few months. Us: ???

I don't know people playing in function, tribute, cover, etc bands. I have no idea what the scene or the pay in the UK is. For people playing originals I know, at most, a handful of people who can make it work full-time. This doesn't includes guys who's bands headline 1500+ venues whenever they tour. Me? I'm an IT professional. My band are in the process of recording an album which'll cost us a couple of hundred quid each (so far... we haven't finished it yet). Next year we'll decide what to do with it. Am I going to make that money back, let alone rehearsal & gear costs? Probably not. There's quite a good article that covers the state of finance for underground heavy bands in the UK: [url="http://thequietus.com/articles/15536-palehorse-gig-tickets"]http://thequietus.co...rse-gig-tickets[/url] Basically it's rarely sustainable unless you have external funding... this is the same for a lot of the bigger names.

I've played plenty of shows with only vocals and kick drum miked. The positives are that fi you've got decent gear you can crank it up a bit and let it breathe. Works for small venues, not so much for larger ones!