dave_bass5

Just now, Happy Jack said:

 

If it were done, 't'were best done quickly ...

 

That £149 price from GAK has already gone; presumably they've sold out, which doesn't even begin to surprise me.

 

Andertons still have some at £159 and bizarrely a new deal from Thomann has just popped up at £146, though I suspect they'll add £15 for P&P.

cheers. I was looking at them last night on Amazon for £170 but I'll check Thomanns out. IIR its free over £100. 

10 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

My preferred use for the H4n Pro is to have it on a small but stable tripod on the floor just to the side of the drummer's throne, the two mic capsules of course pointing directly at the kit. Meanwhile, I take a stereo splitter cable from the Headphones Out on the desk (used to be an XR18, now a Ui24, works equally well with both) to a pair of 1/4" mono jacks which go into the combi sockets on the H4n Pro.

 

The recorder needs to be in 4CH mode for this to work and I leave mine set like that at all times regardless. 

 

That gives me a 2-channel stereo FOH mix from the board plus a 2-channel stereo mic close-up of the kit, which is the element that tends to feature least in the FOH mix.

 

In fairness, that's not actually "right next to the snare", but it's pretty darned close and anyway @Silvia Bluejay and I have taken more and more to mic'ing the kit using the Glyn Johns approach, so theres more snare & hi-hat in the FOH mix these days.

 

Cheers. As far as the drums go that's pretty much what I have to do. If there is a big stage I'll put it in the centre in front, but on smaller stages it needs to sit just off the snare and HH. The kick gets mixed up and my drummer doesn't use his toms much. Ive also found the vocal mics seem to do a good job of picking the drums up anyway, but I prefer a bit of stereo spread in my IEM's if possible. 

It all gets recorded in Logic on my iPad via USB so I can mix it later (and correct any mistakes I make before send it to the band ;-).

Think I'll look in to the H4n Pro this month. Having now seen a few reviews of the H4e it seems while the recording system is fine, the mics are a bit too sensitive to high pressure transients. This is probably what I was suffering from. 

On 25/02/2024 at 19:10, Happy Jack said:

I've kept digging on this subject due to an issue with my old H4n Pro - the Mic capsule has for some months now been producing seriously lop-sided recording levels, as if panned Left by about 50%. The Input signal is perfectly balanced and no adjustment I can make to the Mic capsule (switch between 90/120, hard-pan the signal to the Right by 50%, etc.) seems to cure the problem. Unfortunately, the capsule itself is not removeable, so cannot be replaced.

 

All this is First World problems, and I can 'fix' the sound by hard-panning Right in post (at the cost of losing rather more than half the level which must then, in turn, also be fixed), but it is clear that my trusty H4n Pro is no longer completely reliable. Given that it's done well over 300 gigs with me and my bands, that's a shame - I don't see this device as 'optional'.

 

So I've taken a long hard look at the H4 Essential and decided that actually the only thing I really like is the Float 32 thingy. Pretty much everything else appears to be at best on a par with the H4n Pro and in many cases (pun intended) it's clearly a step towards "built down to a price". This would make sense if it was cheap, but they sell the damned things for £186 at Bax and that's the cheapest price I could find. 🙄

 

Meanwhile, the H4n Pro is clearly now seen as obsolescent, so GAK are selling them at a heavy discount, down from £205 to £149. 

 

This just became a complete no-brainer for me. A fully-featured, solidly-built H4n Pro for £149 or a reduced-feature piece of flimsy plastic for £186? And very probably an H4 Essential Pro in the works right now which will retail for £220-£260?

 

I've just ordered another H4n Pro; I'll keep the old one as a spare and for use when all I need is a feed from the desk.

 

Ok, so listening back to the recording i did with the H4e i can hear more and more of those rumbles. Even when only one instrument is playing (or even when we are all playing). No idea what was causing this but i don’t think I’ll go there again, at least not for now. Shame as the recording was the cleanest and clearest ive done with a digital recorder. 

Ive been looking at the H4pro and it does look like a much more robust recorder. It seems like it will work for me as it seems to handle high signal levels. I need to have this right next to the snare/High hat without clipping. 

Not sure if this is the correct forum, but here goes. 

I was just wondering if there is anyone with pub gig footage, shot on a OP3.

Very tempted to get one (as i now have a Cat), but these seem to be quite an expensive camera. 

Ive  got the OP1 (which i hardly ever use) and it does ok, as well as most of those cameras with that size sensor, but i like the idea of the 1’’ sensor in the OP3.

I got this during the first lock down as I wanted to go back to keys. It was mostly used at home, with only 2 gigs under its belt. I switched to a MODX7+ last year and this has been sitting ni its case ever since. Im looking got get a CK61 so this has to go to help fund it.

Its it great condition and comes with the official Yamaha MODX6 bag (worth over £100. Never had an issue with it and was keeping it as a back up, but I feel the CK61 is more useful. 

I'll also throw in a memory stick with few Easysounds/Narf sound packs, plus some free ones ive collected (total worth around £200+)

 If I had to only have one synth it would be a MODX. One of the best all rounders IMO and vey portable. 

Due to its size I can't post, so would need to be collected from me in central London, near the Southbank  (where you are welcome to play it) or meet up in central London. 

Decades ago i was in a band that was looking for a guitarist. Our drummer was in to Killing Joke etc, and singer was in to alternative stuff. I preferred new wave and pop. We auditioned a few that were good players but the other two thought more about image over ability so kept looking. 

In walks a punk. Full on 70’s Kings road stuff. He was quite young but seemed nice enough. He had one of those strange angular shaped guitars (when asked where he got it, he said he did a ‘Jonesy’ at a gig 🙄). He had it for a few years but never really got around to playing it. 

This actually turned out to mean never got around to learning to play it, although for him, whacking all the strings whilst deadening them with his left hand gave him the sound he wanted. He had two distortion boxes to get him his signature ‘dog bark’. 

Anyway, even the drummer got frustrated at this and tried to get him to play a few chords. The guitar was hopelessly out of tune, and the strings were quite rusty. He offered to tune it up for him and one by one, the strings broke 😂. This left it totally unplayable so the punk said he would come back for the next audition with another guitar, and just walked out, leaving his guitar on the floor. We never saw him again but apparently the drummer took the guitar home and ended up selling it for around £1000. This was back in the very late 70’s. 

5 hours ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

On @dave_bass5 recommendation, I finally sourced a set of Sennheiser IE 400 Pros for a very good price, used, via eBay. Full set of unused tips, cleaning tool and case. The only issue was the Sennheiser cable was knackered but the seller included a superior third-party cable. All for about £100 inc postage (around a third of the new price). Very happy bunny.

 

 

That's a good price, glad my recommendation worked out.

Ive never heard of them breaking like yours, but I guess until I go looking for answers I wouldn't know. Its quite worrying if they are delicate, but ive done around 15 gigs (and many rehearsals) with mine and changed tips maybe 3-4 times without issue so far.

To be honest if I was in your situation and looking for a replacement at that cost, id get the IE80's. I had these first and I actually prefer the fit (very slight difference). The low end is a bit different but ive used my singers on two gigs and after a song or two I forgot I didn't have my IE400's in. These are around £80 so much better value. 

With the H4e and H6e you can even normalise and convert to 24 bit in the device which i think is quite cool if you need compatibility with other devices. 

Im not giving up completely with 32 bit float, but for now im going to go back to 24 bit until i can be bothered to try again. Quite disappointed with the extra noise that i got on the recording, but we have another rehearsal in a months time so im hoping Amazon have them in stock so i can try another unit. 

1 hour ago, jimmyb625 said:

The P1 is active, it's the PM1 that's passive.

Yeah, i realised that after i posted. 

3 minutes ago, Dubs said:

Just spotted some talk on this thread about the Behringer P1/P2 IEM packs... I've just upgraded from the P1 to the mono Xvive U4 wireless system expecting the only advantage to be the fact it's wireless, but actually the clarity is a massive improvement as well, especially in the low end. This was something I wasn't expecting but is really noticable, such a difference to the mix when naturally a lot of my focus is on the bass. 

It might be because the P1 is passive.
I’ve got a P1 and P2, and there seems to be quite a difference between the two sonically. 
 

This is one of the best rotary speaker simulators on the market. It’s a cut down version of the bigger version, but still does the job. 

Two user presets, very configurable and you can turn off the Speaker sim part so it works better with guitar. 

Its like a BDDI for Organs, but my guitar tips has used it a few times on his guitar and it really brings it to life. 

I got this from Andertons last year, and I’ll throw in a second (3rd party) PSU. 

https://neo-instruments.com/mini-vent-2/

Looking for £210 ovno, and willing to post to UK for an extra £5. Comes with the box and all paperwork. As you can see its in very good condition. 

Thats great, its always worth sticking with what works. In my case my Roland R-07 is perfect for most things, but i have had a few occasions where even on 1 the recorder has clipped when the cymbals have been hit a bit too hard. 

The whole 32 bit float thing is the only thing i care about with the Zoom. Never going to use the other inputs, Markers, mixer etc. Just plonk it down anywhere and not worry about levels or having to monitor them. Saying that, i do use the recorder on the drums as my ambient/Drum feed to IEM’s, so a nice cleaner feed to the XR18 is most welcome. 

We had a rehearsal with my H4e on Friday and i was really pleased that 32 bit float is not just a PR spin. It really did do what it’s supposed to, and even the drums couldn’t cause any clipping. I had it set in the middle of the room, and it picked up everyone clean and clear. My Apple Watch kept complaining the volume levels were over 90db, so we were loud, and the room is small (thats for another thread)……but……..there is some low freq rumble. I didnt hear it at first, but once i was aware of it i can hear it quite a bit. 

The H4e was on a stand and no one was near it. It wasnt a volume issue as i can hear it at the start of a song where just one guitar is playing. At first i put it down to vibration, but i dont think it’s that, unless the stand was somehow wobbling (cant see how though). I also thought maybe it was to do with the portable AirCon machine maybe blowing and it picking that up, it was quite high and in line with the recorder, but not really near it, but the parts where no one is playing are fine. 

So its going back and ill stick with what i have for now. Next rehearsal isnt for about a month and if i keep it to try it again ill loose the return window. 

1 hour ago, DaytonaRik said:

 

This makes a huge difference.  When you listen to a mono IEM mix everything is overlayed and can get cluttered, making it quite difficult to hear different instruments.  By utilising a stereo IEM mix then you can pan each instrument within the stereo image relative to the on-stage position which makes for a much more accurate mix.  It really is as big a game changer as using IEMs themselves.

 

The down side is that you can quickly burn through AUX sends at an alarming rate and once you have 4-5 piece bands the 6 AUX sends offered by the likes of the XR18 etc  simply don't offer enough outputs.

 

Yeah, not sure i could get by with mono, at least not for keyboards. Too much phase cancellation etc. 

On the odd occasion I’ve had a listen to one of the other mono mixes I’ve been shocked at the difference. Non of the band have ever commented but then the signer only has a mono system so it’s irrelevant for her.

Now one of the guitarists has the Lekto and can use stereo I’m going to have to juggle the Aux’s around. 
The plan is to now have me and him using 2 each, singer has one and the final one will go to the drummer’s floor monitor.  This will then chain to the other floor monitor for the bass player and other guitarist. They don’t need anything special so they can fight it out over the mix. 

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

These are now in stock in the UK

I’ve ordered the H1 as i felt i didn’t really need any of the multitrack stuff, and wanted to keep it as small as possible. 
Should arrive tomorrow and I’ll get to put it to the test on Friday. 
 

At the moment I’m having to run my Roland recorder on 1 and still getting a lot of cymbal compression. Hoping the H1 will fix this. 

Changed the order to the H4e. It seems like it will handle slightly higher sound levels. 

These are now in stock in the UK

I’ve ordered the H1 as i felt i didn’t really need any of the multitrack stuff, and wanted to keep it as small as possible. 
Should arrive tomorrow and I’ll get to put it to the test on Friday. 
 

At the moment I’m having to run my Roland recorder on 1 and still getting a lot of cymbal compression. Hoping the H1 will fix this. 

22 minutes ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

Comply foam tips do "go off" after a while and need replacing. A build-up of sweat, body oils and ear wax will see to that. The trouble is, I usually don't realise that that's the problem when they don't stay in place anymore.

Yeah. I’ve tried other cheaper versions and they seem to hold up a bit longer, but the Comply’s seem to fit better. 

4 minutes ago, MichaelDean said:

I had it backwards - I had a set of ACS earplugs made while I was at uni and had the same thing with those. Couldn't stand using them because as soon as I opened my mouth, the seal broke. Comply tips are fine for me though! It's so strange how something can be so different between people!

This is my worry about going all in with Customs. At least with universal fits i can try various tips. I appreciate customs are really the best way, but as you say, we are all different and there is no one ‘best’ 

I am still considering customs, ACS seem cheap enough, especially considering they cover the cost of the ear impressions, but as my IE400’s cost me £300 I’m not sure I’d hear much improvement without going to a higher price point. 

14 minutes ago, jimmyb625 said:

 

I tried to get my lot to sort their own mixes out, turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.

Yeah, especially when they can’t even work out how to log on to our router first 🙄

I ended up giving my old IEM’s to one of my guitarists and he had the same

issue as me. Must be part of the flat ear brigade lol. Comply tips were fine for a while but the slightest grin or head shake and one would come loose. 
I still use Comply’s with my IE 400’s but as they are slimmer i seem to get a very good fit now (until i smile, which can still cause a bit of wiggle) 

4 of use do use Mixing station for our personal mixes, but i find i still get asked to put more in/out of their mixes. I have my iPad sitting on my keyboard and it seems easier for me to do it over them having to get other phones out and reconnect etc. 

2 minutes ago, police squad said:

it's amazing isn't it. Once you go IEM there is no going back. It was a pleasure to fo my Police gig the other night, with a perfect mix going to my ears. It makes singing so much easier.

I shall send all this info to the chaps so they can get themselves sorted

Thanks mate

It is a revelation if done correctly. I was never bothered by all this when i played bass, although i was aware of it. 
It was switching to keys and then realising i couldn’t hear myself that prompted me to look in to all this. I’ve fumbled my way through different setups and while all worked to an extent, it always seemed like i missing the bigger picture. 
The 3 main turning points  for me were:

1. The ambient mic. I had to find a small mixer that allowed me to only send it to my IEM and not feed it to our main desk. When i finally found it things were so much better. It was like i was in the room, but could hear my keys in stereo over the top. Perfect!!!
i need to play in Stereo and must have a IEM mix so it took a while to find the right gear without spending a lot. 
Of course, once i was happy i had to change things. This leads on to the next stage. 
 

2. Getting the XR18 and finally being able to do the full IEM Mix thing with the band in my ears (took a bit of persuasion to get them to always plug in to the desk, even at rehearsals). 
I had to buy the XR18 myself (although convinced the singer to go half, but she is my wife so it’s her duty lol). I could never have convinced the band to go this route, even though they now see the light. I can use it at home with Logic etc so it gets used for personal stuff as well. 
 

3. and this is the big one, finding a pair of IEM’s that sound good and stay put in my ears. This has plagued me the whole time and was getting very frustrating. I had considered customs a few times, but it wasn’t until we got the XR18 that i knew this was going to all work. 

Since getting the XR18 and being able to record each person separately in to a DAW it’s been a real eye opener as to what the vocal mics pick up. So much bleed that i would never had noticed before. Not a problem as such, just not something i ever really thought about. 

The drummer is the biggest issue as he has a loud monitor and a mic, so it all gets a bit hectic keeping his vocal channel in check. His voice quite often gets buried in his drums. I’ve tried so often to get him to use IEM’s (even offered him my P2 to use) but he refuses. 

39 minutes ago, police squad said:

@dave_bass5 were you running a silent stage whilst using the B5. Im wondering if all the band coming through it as well as seperate monitor mixes will sound weird

No, not a silent stage. I originally set this up as i was feeding the mic in to my personal mixer, so it was just for me. I couldn’t get a mic off our main desk to my IEMs at the time, so only had strange sound and my keys in it. Back then we had 3 floor monitors so the ambient mic picked up enough of the stage sound. 
When we got the XR18 i stopped using my mixer and use the mic through the xr18 going to Aux only. Two other band members now use IEM so they also share the ambient mic, but we also have two floor monitors for the luddites that don’t get the ambient mic. 
Now the ambient is just for drums (minus the kick) and that comes from a small Roland recorder that’s fed to the XR18 as a stereo signal. 

30 minutes ago, police squad said:

ah ok cool. My Police tribute is about to go IEM (I already am) but the guys also play in a great covers band that doesn't have a setlist. They obviously need to communicate between numbers, the drummer doesnt sing, so doesnt have a mic

Tell the drummer to listen and not talk 😂

A couple of mics or a small recorder places on stage, only going to the monitors will work, but im sure the vocal mics will pick most of the chatter up on smaller stages. 

1 minute ago, police squad said:

perfect, that's what I was looking for

 

did you have it on a footswitch, to turn it on when speaking and off when playing

No, just on all the time. I didn’t get it for talking, but to make me feel more like I’m in the room without the isolation feeling. Most of the time i get enough talking through the vocal Mics so i can hear what people are saying. This was purely for ambient noise. 
i don’t use it anymore as everyone now goes through the mixer, other than drums, and that’s picked up with my digital recorder placed in front of them. I guess that’s now the ambient part of the set up. 
Now I’m used to IEM’s i don’t get that isolated feeling anymore. 

17 minutes ago, police squad said:

forgive me for this request

 

Somewhere in this thread there is someting about using an ambient mic so that band members could converse between songs

 

It was some sort of Behringer, could someone let me know which one please

 

thanks

I was using the Behringer B-5 for a while.  This worked really well. 
You can’t also get the C-2 which are smaller, as a pair for about the same price if you want stereo or to use either side of the stage.