dave_bass5

When i had the H4n i was running it with the record levels on .8 at rehearsals. I was surprised i could go lower than 1. Sounded ok though, although the waveforms were clipped. 

The battery life did worry me, it seems quite short compared to others. 
 

Zoom do a Bluetooth adapter that lets you do all the adjustments on your phone. Not sure if that works for the H4 but if it did you might find that easier to use. 

6 minutes ago, Owen said:

Dreamy!

yes and no. Its going to be nice to have all that power, it will last me for a few years, but it looks just like my old one, so hard to get excited lol.

On 14/05/2024 at 18:16, 2pods said:

also there's a new Sonoma OS update

14.5.1

14.5 is all im seeing.

I just tried the Stem Splitter on my new M4 iPad Pro. Blown away that it split a 2 1/2 hour rehearsal in under 5 mins. I do wish it had Guitar and Other, rather than lumping the guitars with keys etc, but the speed is nothing to complain about. 

Still waiting to try it no my M1 MBP. I use the demo so need to wait for a new version. 

4 hours ago, Dood said:

 

I've got a Speed Editor for Resolve and I've just picked up a cheeky deal on a secondhand StreamDeck. (I've been using a demo of the iPad version and it has massively sped up my workflow). I'm loving the tools I have at my disposal right now! 

- Not to mention many of the plugin deals I have picked up here or in FB groups, it's absolutely bonkers to think what we can do 'in the box' now versus when I first started as a'recording artist'. Blows my mind and I love it! 

Ive not used the Speed editor, but do have a Streamdeck for my Mac. Fantastic time savers. I did have the one with the knobs for a couple of weeks but found i couldnt really use them in the way i hoped i could so sent it back. 

I mostly use my ipad when i can, and it sits in the upright position in the Smart Keyboard case on my lap. Im going to miss that keyboard when i get the new ipad. So i really dont have or want anything hanging off it, although i do sometimes use a SSD when im doing editing. 

I’m also a big fan of DaVinci Resolve. I brought it when i was doing our demos last year, and while i started off in FCP i found DR so much easier to use. 
I do have it on my iPad Pro as well but that’s a 2020 iPad so hasn’t got an M

chip in it. 
What with that and the new features in LP on iPad needing an M chip i guess tomorrow I’ll be right up to date 😀. 
 

2 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Still waiting for the upgrade. Have to head out to rehearsal shortly so I'll probably get the upgrade when I get back.

 

If you want to upgrade, but retain the option of being able to roll back to the previous version in case of issues, go to applications in finder, right click on the Logic Pro.app and click on [Compress "Logic Pro.app"] to create a zip archive of your current version.

 

I've almost completely managed to wean myself off using third party plugins so I'm not worried about incompatibilites.

Yeah i only use Ozone 11 and a couple of Waves plug-ins. The rest are just stock. 

It’s live on Apple’s website now, inc a demo. 
Looking forward to trying the session guys out. Gotta be better than the musicians in my band 😂

EDIT: Well it  seems like its not quite live just yet, although the page has been updated 😕

3 minutes ago, Nicko said:

Are middle aged straight men incapable of listening to interesting music then?

Seems to me this demographic is the hardest to be in. I could one more criteria but i won’t go there. 
i see other groups moaning they can’t get what they want when they want and demand it, but they can play the card and get it. What do we have? Nothing other than be accused of certain things if we do want something. 
 

Apologies, i realise that’s a bit off topic. 
if the mods want to delete this post i wont mind, but it would prove my point 😂

I didn't watch it as I was out, but I'm glad we got nowhere, as I don't feel comfortable with my country being represented by that dross. It's all about show and not about music these days anyway. The contest seems to be so 'inclusive' they are acutely excluding those that don't fit. 

I’m sending my B2 back. Nothing wrong with it as such, other than the speed the screen jumps back to the main screen which is really irritating, but i can see me getting distracted by it. Ive already noticed I’m spending more time tweaking it than playing at home. I also don’t really have a need for it, although i do enjoy using it. 
It struck me last night that the bass player in my main band doesn’t use any FX at all, and sounds great on everything. Just bass/cable/amp. Toys are nice to have but for me it’s a solution to a problem i don’t actually have. At least not at the moment. I’ll stick with my BDI-21 and that’s it. If i find i need more later on I’d certainly buy another B2. 

Sold.

I really hope they release it as a demo next week. I’ve been using the demo rather than buy the current one but i fear i might have to now. 

50 minutes ago, Dood said:

I’d love to know if they have managed to make the device noise quieter. The noise floor on the outputs was distractingly high on the H1n. Usually down to self noise produced by cheap electret mics or op amps. What do you think? Quiet?

What with amp noise etc in the room its difficult to hear any device generated noise through my IEM’s when im using it as an ambient source. This normally gets recorded in Logic at gigs at 32bit float, but it’s coming through my XR18 first. So much other noise going on id never hear it. It’s certainly not something id notice for my use. 

The H4e doesnt have a dedicated line out, so it is using the headphone out, but you can fix the output level to whatever you want, send a test tone to the mixer etc and gain stage it so its giving a decently strong signal. When using it at gigs i have it about a foot from the Snare and i don’t hear any distortion, although the HH can be a bit brittle if hit too hard. Although it’s got a huge dynamic range the output is controlled so nothing jumps out, but then then its all pretty consistent in this scenario.

48 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

@Dood thanks for that video! Intrigued that the Zoom H2N doesn't distort even at loud volumes!

 

Do you need to adjust the input levels manually to achieve this or does it do so automatically? I'm guessing the former otherwise you would get variable volume recording?

 

I guess the fly in the ointment is that this set up isn't going to add too much if the band have gone for a silent stage approach and are putting as much as possible through the PA with no backline.

I love the newer 32 bit float version of these H Recorders. Just turn them on and hit record. No messing about with levels. In fact there is no input gain on them, although there is a mixer. Even has outputs a test tone so you can set the level on whatever it’s going in to. 
I do wish it had an amp Sim like the H4pro though. 
The H4 pro i had was really nice, but i noticed the waveforms were clipped when the input level was set below 2 on the input gain. 
 

3 minutes ago, BEADist said:

On TalkBass it is said (I believe it was confirmed) that the rattling noise is coming from those plastic 'cursor' foot-switches. Try shaking it while putting pressure on those switches to test/confirm this?

I tried that (saw the post you mention) but it’s not that. Or at least i couldn’t get it to stop by covering the foot switches. 

The Stem splitter looks a bit basic at the moment. Doesn't even have a Guitar category by the looks of it, but I expect it will develope over time. I too use RipX at the moment but it will be great to have this function built in. 

Ive just ordered a new iPad Pro as my old one came out just before they went over to the M chip. I tend to use my iPad a lot more than my MacBook but it looks like at least two of the new features on the iPad version need at least the M1 (same with the Mac version).

16 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Noise inside... ribbon cable knocking about? 

A spring apparently. It’s loose but not detached. Seems like a few others have it, some saying back to last year when it came out. 
 

Not my video but this is the sound I’m hearing as well. 
 

Should add, the comparison between the two Zoom’s was done with the DI engaged on the B2-four. 
This section has surprised me. I wasn’t interested in the slightest before getting it, but now i find it indispensable. It’s a cool feature. Not sure it’s worth wasting a foot switch on it though. I’d be happy to just a global on or off. 

3 hours ago, DaleASmith said:

Looking at the effects list I'm thinking the expression pedal is very limit in what it can control.

 

I would have hoped they'd take inspiration for the Helix and make any parameter controllable...

Yeah, it’s a bit of a step back from my Helix Stomp. I miss the ability to turn off one effect and turn on another with one switch. 

I do like that becuse it is more basic i wont want to keep tweaking it. I found i got bogged down in all the possibilities with the Helix and my playing suffered a bit. 

7 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

You finding it's sounding better than your B1-4?

Yeah, it sounds a bit clearer and more open. Seems to have a bit more punch to it. I did a few A/B comparisons at home with headphones. Not sure the difference is as noticeable with the band though. 

14 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Oh I feel your frustration here! Our journey hasn't been an overnight success - it's taken us nearly 18 months to get to a consistently balanced FoH sound with this current line up. And even that's a first with any of my bands over the years.

 

Are you the band leader in your crew? Are you the only one who's bothered about the situation? Is getting louder impacting on how the band's being received - I mean it is a common trick to start at a lower volume and build up once audiences have got used to the volume, but obviously within reason!

From what you've said there is a solution, but not one that's going to get a smile from the drummer: ask him to (i) not increase volume during a gig or (ii) use an electronic kit so his volume can be controlled via the desk.

 

PS apologies to the OP for this side-track! Although tbf at least we've established that this isn't really a concern about IEMs - they can and should work really well when used properly!

It could well be im being fussy. We have never had complaints and maybe i just want more from them. I guess i do care about it more than the others, some are old school (get up and have fun, don’t worry about anything etc), but we are getting there. I feel ive done all i can and now its up to them, but in fairness i feel it might be more a ‘me thing’. Ive already said in another thread how my bas player kept turning his bass down and then forgetting got turn it back up during gigs. Thats been fixed at least.

When i tend to do is to show them the multitrack wave forms and point out how quiet they are on some songs, and loud on others. I think thats getting through to them, but then they forget at gigs sometimes.

And yes, apologies for the de rail. 

Just had my first rehearsal with the B2-Four. Seems to work really well. I prefer this over the B1-Four and my old B3(n). 

What really surprised me was i had it running off a small power bank and it seemed to drop around 10% per hour. So i went home with still just over 60% charge. Not as convenient as having internal batteries but i might use this rather than the supplied PSU. 

4 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Yeah - that's going to be tricky if you're standing at the back and your bandmates are turning themselves up during the gig and getting louder and louder during the gig  causing things to become unbalanced, rather than them having the discipline to leave their sound levels where they were at sound check. Sounds like a band chat is needed to point out what's happening, and see if you can get them on board? You're pretty good at recording gigs so that should hopefully help in getting the message across? And maybe another option is for you to stand nearer the front?

 

You were sounding pretty good and in balance on that clip you posted recently with your new DJI camera - was that at the start of a gig?

 

Good luck! 

Ah, dont get me started lol. Ive been hammering it home since i joined that the mix is everything. They sort of get it but cant seem to figure out how to do it. I record everything, and was doing full multitracks even at rehearsals, but found just recording the room gave a better idea of whats going on. 

Don't get me  wrong, we dont make a bad sound, but ive thrown in the towel and just take a back seat now. The last few sound checks ive just handed the ipad over to Dawn and told her to get on with it. After all, i cant go out front and play (well, i know how to but, its too much effort) and she can sort them out. I need to be in the mix when we sound check.

No point me standing near the front, ive got my IEM’s in all the time as i don’t use an amp. 

Yes, that video was near the start of the night. I guess the biggest culprit is the drummer. He gets louder and so they get louder. I refuse to turn the PA up and insist that this is the one thing that doesn't change after the sound check, so they need to keep that in mind. That gig was the first that the guitarist closet to the camera wasnt using IEM’s, and it did make a difference as he could tell when he was getting downed out.

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

I kinda get what you're saying. The key point for me was what you said in your post - the band who sounded terrible had "no real out front mix". That sums up the issue in a nutshell!

 

The starting point for any gig has got to be how the band sounds out front to the audience i.e. the FoH mix, right? Sorting out what it's sounding like on stage / via monitors or IEMs is then a separate issue which is obviously also important. 

Do you guys play a song at, or close to, gig volume during sound check with one of you out front listening to what the FoH mix is sounding like? 

 

 

We soundcheck just like any other band, but that's not always an indication of how the levels will be later in to the gig. Sound checks we sound spot on, i make sure fo that, but with two guitarists and a loud-ish drummer its impossible to keep things in check when im standing at the back. The louder the band get, the more of the stage sound bleeds in to the mic and back out the PA. It really needs someone out front to keep it all in check, but i guess it comes down to the disipline of the band members. 

We all go in to the PA but again, almost impossible to mix the PA from the stage as we are standing behind the PA speakers and have amps onstage, so cant get a clear indication of whats what unless i step off, and me, along with the drummer are the only two that cant.