Steve Lawson

[quote name='LLOYDWT' post='1301802' date='Jul 13 2011, 12:58 AM']Really enjoyed this post. Really interesting to get your insight on the subject and I like your perspective on the relationship between artist & company.[/quote]

Thanks! Very glad it was useful... The lust for 'free gear' never made sense to me, given how damaging the 'wrong' gear was to the way I was trying to make music! There have been a few companies who aggressively pursued pretty much any player who appeared in magazines to use their stuff. I lost a fair amount of respect for any player who jumped ship just for the free gear. I understand it a little more at the 'paid to play level' (those 5-10 players who are in the situation) given that part of their livelihood depends on it, and they can for the most part quite easily afford to have other gear for recording (I know of at least one fairly well known player with a signature bass from a mass-production company who apparently never uses it in the studio...)

Likewise, I understood Flea moving from Modulus to making his own bass so that the kids who want a Fleabass just cos Flea plays it can afford to get it... I just wish he'd made a better bass

Steve

I wrote a blog post about this, after being asked loads of questions about Endorsements - it's 5 or 6 years old, but pretty much still makes sense...

the question of who's endorsing who is a really good one - ideally it's a two way thing. You play the gear you love, and the company - grateful for the exposure and support - reciprocate with the kind of support they can offer, with cheaper equipment, gear shipped to venues, loaner gear, adverts (which are definitely a bonus for both parties)...

Anyway, here's the post, hope it's of some use:

[url="http://www.stevelawson.net/2006/10/how_music_gear_/"]http://www.stevelawson.net/2006/10/how_music_gear_/[/url]

Steve

Good job, Si!

Owen's an amazing player and a really lovely guy. His playing floored me when I saw the Roots at Kentish Town Forum a few years back, and I've been an avid fan of his playing ever since. The record with John Legend is spectacular. Need to get the Mister Barrington stuff!

Steve

...just to clarify my experience - I traveled for over a decade with my bass in a gig bag and got it onboard the plane every single time. Never had to check it. Then in I think 2004 or 5, I had my two 6 string Moduluses in a double gig bag and was forced to gate-check it on the way to the US (that's when it's taken off you at the door of the plane and given back to you in the same place the other side). I got away with it and the basses emerged unscathed.

After that, I started to plan to check it - was way too risky to pull that one again. So I used my Modulus hardshell case for one trip, then I got a molded compressed foam case from Dean that I used for a coupla years before getting an InCase bag. To call the InCase bag a 'gigbag' is a tad misleading. It's a semi-solid, incredibly well padded case, with various kinds of bracing. Given that one of the main things you need a case to do for checking it on a plane is for it to absorb the shock of being bounced onto the deck from about 8 or 9 feet up, this case actually feels a lot safer than many hardshell cases that would take none of the sting out of a shock like that... I also pack it with clothes etc to make it as cushioned as possible...

The one time it was smashed up, the case didn't have a mark on it, so I'm assuming it was taken out of the case and smashed. The body (which is pretty damned thick) had a crack right the way through it, and the top was split.) that's the only trouble I've had in a large number of flights, and BA paid up the maximum amount they were legally permitted to pay so that I could replace it.

..My next bass will almost certainly be a headless 6 string fretless, so I can fit it in a normal guitar case and go back to carrying it on board...

Steve
www.stevelawson.net

Thanks Kev - I'm really glad you're enjoying the music.

Have you found [url="http://music.stevelawson.net"]http://music.stevelawson.net[/url] - pretty much everything I've ever released is there, including two duo albums with Trip Wamsley - all priced 'pay what you think it's worth' and fully streamable too.



Steve
www.stevelawson.net

Si, would be great to see you! Drop me an email when you've got some dates in mind, and we'll fit something in

Steve

Hi all,

happy new year - just a quick note to say that I'm back teaching after a few months off (last flat ended up being too small for teaching and baby, and eBay don't let you sell babies...) - an in Muswell Hill, North London for the next few months.

Full details at [url="http://www.stevelawson.net/bass_tuition/"]http://www.stevelawson.net/bass_tuition/[/url]

cheers!

Steve
www.stevelawson.net

you could try [url="http://www.circularlabs.com/"]http://www.circularlabs.com/[/url] - Mobius has quite a strong user base, and I know a few people who are using it live and in the studio...

Steve

Hi cycrowave,

I am indeed in Catford - drop me a line if you've got any questions:

[url="http://www.stevelawson.net/get-in-touch/"]http://www.stevelawson.net/get-in-touch/[/url]

cheers!

Steve

Sorry to take so long getting back to this - was on tour, now home, and jetlagged

But anyway, yes, with the looperlative you can do multiple loops of different lengths, either unsynced or as multiples of any one of the tracks (the track that acts as master for the sync can be changed at any point too) OR you can resample the incoming signal with any combination of the tracks onto another track (bounce), to cut the track length down, or change the time sig by dropping a beat or two.

OR you can use the quantised replace function to create rhythmic stuff that way... I've been using that on a couple of tunes - the version of Grace And Gratitude on the end of the brand new live album heads in that direction:

[url="http://music.stevelawson.net/album/live-so-far"]http://music.stevelawson.net/album/live-so-far[/url]

as does my cover of Hello:

[url="http://soundcloud.com/solobasssteve/hello"]http://soundcloud.com/solobasssteve/hello[/url] (audio)
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sf9yKrw9dQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sf9yKrw9dQ[/url] (video)

Also of looperlative interest would be the untitled duet with Todd Reynolds on the live album (which has some fairly major transitions going on, as well as a bit at the end where I record different notes to different tracks on the looperlative and then pitch shift them independently to change the chord (sounds like a keyboard player playing a string pad through some pretty weird changes )

On 'Born On The 3rd of July', I swap between a slide solo being played, and the fretless solo that is looped and controlled with a volume pedal...

and the newer arrangement of Love Is A Battlefield (newer than the video posted earlier) also has some fairly major Looperlative abuse at the end of it - either of the 2nd and 3rd vids on this page:

[url="http://solobasssteve.posterous.com/three-views-of-a-solo"]http://solobasssteve.posterous.com/three-views-of-a-solo[/url]

.....


As far as the digitech stuff goes - they've revamped the line a little. I really like the look of the new stereo looper with the delay stuff added in as well... If it does what it says it can do, it'll be fab

Steve

Dood,

Digitech have just updated the range - the new stereo looper and the one with the built in delays look really good... worth checking out.

I wouldn't swap the looperlative for anything, but there are certainly stepping stones on the way there, and Digitech seem to be doing good things these days...

There is a looperlative foot pedal version coming at some point, which I'm sure will be worth investigating... not sure on the ETA though.

Steve

lovely pictures! Thanks very much for posting those. Excellent work, sir.

Really glad you enjoyed the gig. So did we

Steve

For those of you following my nomadic trek round London,[b] I've now moved to Catford[/b], and am teaching here from home.

It's an easy place to get to from central london, with [b]direct trains from Victoria, Charing Cross, Waterloo East, London Bridge and Cannon Street. [/b]

best place to check for up to date info on teaching [b]details, cost, venue[/b] etc. is

[url="http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/bass_tuition/"]http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/bass_tuition/[/url]

That's the authoritative source for info, not here

Also worth checking out is my other bass teaching option, [b]Beyond Bass Camp[/b] - here's the website

[url="http://www.beyondbasscamp.com"]http://www.beyondbasscamp.com[/url]

As always, feel free to message here, via email, or through my site, if you've got any questions,

cheers!

Steve

Ok, to reserve a space, call the venue on 020 7837 8758 or email ntmusic @ gmail.com - you can reserve tickets, to be collected by 7.30pm on the day of the gig.

See you there!

there's more info about the live EP of Michael and I on my blog too -
[url="http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2009/09/new-live-ep-releasing-music-2-0/"]http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2009/...sing-music-2-0/[/url]

Steve

....I blogged about the gig, with a few more details, and also just put up a free download live EP of the last time Michael and I played together... all available at [url="http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2009/09/upcoming-london-gig-oct-7th-with-michael-manring"]http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2009/...michael-manring[/url]

Hi all,

here's the gig details,

it's at

'Round Midnight Jazz and Blues Bar,
13 Liverpool Rd,
Islington,
London,
N1 0RW

website: [url="http://www.roundmidnightbar.com"]http://www.roundmidnightbar.com[/url]
[url="http://www.myspace.com/roundmidnightbar"]http://www.myspace.com/roundmidnightbar[/url]

Entry : £8 on the door, £7 in advance (tickets can be bought over the bar)

I've asked for details of how to book tickets in advance - esp for those of you coming from a distance, it's pretty vital that you can reserve tickets in advance to make sure it's not full when you get there!

Music will start at 8.30

I'm really looking forward to this - haven't played with Michael in the UK for about 4 or 5 years,

cheers

Steve
[url="http://www.stevelawson.net"]http://www.stevelawson.net[/url]

[quote name='lowhand_mike' post='589660' date='Sep 4 2009, 01:47 PM']hmm been thinking about lessons for a while and i'm not too far from you i think.
not sure what i'd need though.[/quote]

Hi Mike,

book a lesson and find out

drop me an email and we can sort something out if you like,

cheers

Steve

Hi John,

would love to teach you - drop me an email/PM and we'll get something booked in

Steve

[quote name='horribleman' post='471710' date='Apr 24 2009, 04:59 PM']Hi - I work in the City - although I wouldn't be able to bring my bass on the train. Do you have spare basses that students can use?[/quote]

Not really, sadly - I only own one 4 string bass, and prefer not to teach someone playing 4 string on a 6 string. I've got a few students in your situation though, so I may buy one that I'll make available for a nominal hourly rental... Would that work?

drop me a PM and we'll sort out details. If you're in the City, you're walking distance from me

Steve

Hi Dave - am def. teaching in London at the moment - at home, which is very near Tower Bridge. send me a PM and we'll sort something out...

see you soon,

Steve

Hi Dr Funk,

I think the implication was more to do with processing power than features... I've not found a software set-up that was stable enough at low enough latency settings for me to be able to use it, but I know a lot of other musicians who are getting fantastic results with both Mobius and Sooperlooper. My macbook is nowhere near powerful enough to reliably do what I do with the looperlative - it's not that it's all that 'advanced', more that there are a few of the functions that require a lot of processing power, and a large amount of memory to buffer the audio.

If you're running a hugely pimped-out computer, with a super-fast processor and tonnes of RAM, or you've got the kind of set-up where latency isn't that much of an issue (for example, if you were looping in a side-chain, and not doing massively time-sensitive parts, or were playing in such a way that you could compensate for the latency...), then that seems like a cool way to go.

For now, I'll be sticking with the [url="http://www.looperlative.com"]looperlative[/url]

Steve

Just a quick note to say that from the beginning of November, I'll be teaching near to Tower Bridge (just east of there, on the south side, about 5 mins walk) - drop me a line if you want to book a lesson

cheers

Steve

My fave version of the song is Petra Haden's - [url="http://www.myspace.com/petrahaden"]http://www.myspace.com/petrahaden[/url] - it's fab.

Seth Horan covered it when he was in the UK recently, just bass and voice. Good stuff.

Steve

Kevin, you're welcome to spend some more time playing mine next time I see you.

I love it - I don't get to use it that much, but I still can't bring myself to part with it, as nothing else sounds like it, and there have been various tunes through the years where it really made the song...

cheers

Steve

silddx - that's great stuff there! Fine words.

One of the things I try and impress on my students is that if they don't get it, it's my fault, not there's, as the onus is on me to explain what they need to know in a way they can understand it. It my job was just to rant, they might as well buy DVDs and at least be able to watch the rant again.

What to teach? All depends on what the student already knows, what they want to know, what kind of music they want to play. I try and have them playing some kind of bass line to a song as quickly as possible, even if it's just a loop of a couple of chords - making actual music, not just playing exercises. At an early stage, the inspiration that comes from realising they can do way more than they thought they could can pay serious dividends in helping them focus at home.

I guess it also depends on how long the lesson is... I don't teach for less than an hour at a time, so that gives me a little longer to develop ideas.

Steve
www.stevelawson.net