Nicko

My brother in law studied Oceanography at Swansea, in the hope he would spend 6 months a year working in some paradise location and have 6 months a year off. He made sandwiches for a few years after leaving Uni, and ended up running a small textile company. He avoids eating shellfish but otherwise learnt little of use.

I'm amazed that they can charge the fees that they do. It was always an expensive option but because you could work and study it wasn't too bad - and if you did something work related you could get your employer to contribute.

Do you also whip yourself before bedtime? Respect is due. If I wore a hat I'd take it off to you.

I also did an engineering degree through the OU, got credit for my HNC which reduced the number of modules I had to do (I think 300 points after the credit). I think the only time I struggled with workload was when I did 2 x 30 point credits in the same year which seemed a lot more work than 1 x 60 in a year. To be honest I managed to do most of the learning work and exercises in my lunch hour - only working at home on assignments. My intention was to become chartered but they wanted me to do another 120 points so that didn't happen. I got my chartership later through career learning and a few selected academic courses outside of the OU. Most of the engineers I worked with came directly out of uni into a mentored development programme and the entry requirement was a Masters. I think they worked harder at Uni than I did at the OU, but they also had a great time doing it whereas the OU seems to be all work and no play. I'm not sure whether the OU goes into greater depth - most of the graduates could run rings around me in some areas - but because it's modular I found I'd taken modules in areas that traditional programmes leave out so they all knew the same stuff as each other but not the same stuff as me. I ended up doing some quite unconventional engineering roles because of that.

Alive and Kicking at the Country Club - The Associates

My careers officer at school was my mums best friend's sister and a regular visitor to our house. I still don't remember her giving one bit of advice on a relevant career. From an early age I wanted to be an architect, but when I chose my optional subjects at school (which for some reason at my school was at the end of the second year - a year earlier than most schools )I probably got them wrong. I ended up taking an engineering apprenticeship - not because I wanted to be one but because my dad was one. I did a degree part time when I was in my late 20s but most of it didn't really interest me and it was only a stepping stone to a better paid job. Although I played in the school band and played a bit of guitar music wasn't something I really imagined doing. I don't have any natural talent for it and lack the commitment needed to put the work in.

Flowers in the Window - Travis

Swords of a Thousand Men - Tenpole Tudor

Funnily enough, it lists Bassoonist and Oboist (and worse still Guitarist) separately but not Bass player, so you can be a pro musician bot not a pro bass player😀

Chaos and Dave

Gnomad

The Bee Genes

Baldfinger

Gladys Knight and the Pimps

Steve Vain

Suzanne Vegan

Golden Wearring

Welcome aboard - I'm looking forward to seeing your entries in the monthly composition challenge (see the recording forum).

I'd whisper that around here if I were you. Welcome aboard.

Last time I looked Blockheads has one O and Bolockheads has two.

Wet Lego

David Bow Tie

That's pretty incredible. The laptop speaker only really plays the last 20% or so. Room speaker kicks in at around 40% and phones pick up the whole range.

I'm struggling to understand what an IR does. Most seem to be little more than cabinet simulations. What am I missing? I'm using amplitube which has amp and speaker simulations plus room, mic placement and DI mix. The track in question has a Squier Precision bass into an Ampeg B15 amp sim, through a Fender 8 x 10 cabinet sim. Most of the signal is close simulated mic'd via both dynamic and condenser mics plus a little room mic through two condensers with not too much width. No DI is used.

But lyrics that rhyme Make the sun shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine