ezbass

Seven Seas of Rye - Queen

Animal - Def Leppard

Big Log - Robert Plant

Let’s Stick Together - Canned Heat/Bryan Ferry

Practise I guess, or just an ability to separate the two things mentally, rather like playing a syncopated bass line and singing at the same time. Although not in the same league, I was called on to sing Bowie’s China Girl. Couldn’t do it at first, but with lots and lots of practise behind closed doors, accompanied with lots of errors, I finally nailed it. Drummers and keyboard players have this separation as an essential part of what they do and then many sing as well. Flash buggers 😂

The Bread’s Too Big Without You - The Police

Drop C by all accounts. Here’s the analysis video that introduced me to Ms Cunningham.

It was hearing David Byrne’s current bass player using one of these that sent me down the short scale rabbit hole. Sweet score, I’m rather envious.

I follow Rhett Shull on YT and he posted a video about this singer songwriter. I quite like it, Joni Mitchell meets, er, The Meters, maybe? Anyway: Madison Cunningham…

It’s a fault. I have 2 EBS pedals that I’ve had for ages and I’ve recently had to re-solder the connections to the footswitch on both of them (intermittent failure to turn on). This assumes that it’s an older pedal that you’ve acquired.

25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

Lady Marmalade - LaBelle

Mortician’s Blues - Various

I have a Mustang and a shorty ‘Ray, the ‘Ray is 30mm shorter than the Mustang. Therefore, it should easily fit in the Edge. I have a Maruszczyk, short gigbag and it’s an easy fit into that. FYI, @Eric.C.Lapton, the ‘Ray is roughly 25mm wider at the headstock than the Mustang, due to the 3 over 1 setup, but this width is lower down, where a bag normally flares out and I haven’t found it to be an issue.

I’m not sure I’m losing overtones, but maybe I am. However, in a mix, it seems to sit better, maybe that means stand out, without interfering with other sounds in the mix, which may cause sonic mush. The long and short of it is, if you don’t like what compression does, don’t use it, there are no rules that say you must or must not use a particular sound, which also applies to eq or any effect. If it sounds good, it is good. As I said, YMMV.

I didn’t use compression for many, many years. Then, I started using a tube amp simulation live and folk in the band commented on how good it sounded, I didn’t think about it too much, just kept using it. Then, when Covid and lockdown hit, I became involved with recording projects, as did a lot of other people. When I was mixing my part, I shared the file with a friend who is a fabulous FOH engineer who owns his own sound reinforcement company that does many prestigious events. He liked the recording and the mix, but suggested I try a particular set of compression parameters on my bass track. I tried it and it was a revelation. Rather than burying my track, it made it sit better and sound really punchy and this was with quite subtle compression settings. I immediately went about finding a compressor pedal that I could obtain a close approximation of these settings with. I did (an MXR M87) and it worked just as I’d hoped, when I returned to playing live. It then became apparent that the tube amp sim I’d been using pre lockdown, was compressing my bass in a similar fashion, which, albeit with added dirt, was making the difference, when I used it. My compressor is now a permanently on feature of my pedal board, with the amp sim only there to add some grind when required. Rather than detracting from my overall tone, I find the compressor focuses it. YMMV.

Maid of Orleans - OMD

Free Man in Paris - Joni Mitchell

The Family and the Football Net - Peter Gabriel

When the Levee Breaks - LZ

I quite like that.

Bang Bang - B A Robertson

Chicken Grease - D'Angelo (ft Pino on bass).