basstone

would you consider sending by courier?

Just now, Chienmortbb said:

I have the Ui16, The mic preamps are supposed to be inferior to the UI 24, and I like the idea of recording gigs as single tracks, It looks like the UI24 is what I need, but the lack of updates from Soundcraft/Harmon/Samsung worry me. A &  H seems to be racing ahead, but as I said before, the mute groups and groups are standard on other mixers in this class.

I agree that Samsung seem to have no interest in developing the Ui series, in fact the development team have all moved on. Having said that the functionality it already has is well worth the money. They are also so compact for live use. As time passes I'm sure that the availability of hardware replacements for repair will be the death of the Ui series which will be a shame. Fingers crossed I have had no issues with either my Ui16 or 24. The Ui24 is incredible value for money and using the ASIO USB interface to the PC (I use Reaper) was easy to set up and configure. That's not why I originally bought the mixer but is now its primary use! For live use the ability to record the individual tracks is great either with a suitable fast USB memory stick or SSD. You just need to use a powered hub because the internal PSU wont power  much on the USB sockets and can cause the mixer to lock up or reboot, so I'm told.

A & H always seem to produce good gear. I've used their Qu desks, although they are considerably more expensive, especially if you factor in the remote stage box. The A & H desks are also fussy about what USB drive you use and they need to be dedicated and formatted to use with the desk.

I'm a big fan of the Soundcraft Ui series. For most live gigs I use the Ui16 which has 12 mic inputs and 6 aux outputs, which is plenty for the 7 piece band (2 vocals, 2 keys, bass, guitar, 3 horns, 2 drum mics).  Effectively the mixer is the stage box and all the HMI is on any browser (up to 6 at once). Either hard wired Ethernet or wi-fi. I tend to use a laptop hardwired in at the side of the stage and an iPad for general mixing. The singers can have full control over their in ear monitor mixes on their phones as well. The mixer has onboard reverb, delay, compression and DBX feedback suppression automatic notch filters on the outputs.

The Ui24 is a whole different beast. I use it as a 24 channel audio interface in the studio and also live. The extensive patching and matrix options make it very versatile.

All the Ui models get flack for the perceived weakness of the built in wi-fi hotspot but this is easily addressed by either scanning the venue to find a relatively clear wi-fi channel, using ethernet or an external router for the wi-fi.

17 minutes ago, neepheid said:

As some of you will know, I recently took ownership of a prototype Harley Benton HB-50, and as outlined in the NBD thread, the bass is ergonomically, structurally and aesthetically sound but the wiring leaves much to be desired.

 

I had this mad idea of getting a 5 or 6 way switch to do all the things one can do to a single humbucking pickup.  Then I had a word with myself and thought "what would I actually use some of those settings for?"  Am I just doing it for logical completeness, or showing off?  In the end, I think I'm just going to fit a 3 way rotary and do simply parallel/single/series and be done with it.  I'm on the fence as to whether or not parallel and single sound that much different from each other as well.

 

Fitting the Freeway 10 way switch to my Reverend Triad made more sense with the 3 pickups (not to mention it's a super neat mod that requires no modification to the bass other than the wiring), and I do actually use some of the combinations it offers (like the series options), but what's the point of out-of-phase, even in series?  Just making work for myself to no obvious benefit.

 

I dunno why I started this thread really, maybe to spark some discussion about the whole "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" type thing.

 

Over to you...

 

 

I'd never seen one of those neat 10 way switches until the SW bass bash the other day. A great way of increasing the switching options without seriously irreversibly modifying the instrument.

Although only a few combinations are likely to be used, it is interesting to explore which ones work for you and inspire more ways of playing.

I've now put this up for sale on commission at Vintage and Rare Guitars in Bath if anyone is interested. It is also listed on their web site. The shop is always worth a visit if visiting Bath even though they mainly have guitars and valve amps these days

25 minutes ago, Rich said:

 Lovely pics! 
OK, roll call time!

1. neepheid  7. GrahamT  9. Breadbin   13. Rich  19. Basstone

 

 

 

23 minutes ago, stewblack said:

What an extraordinary day out that was.

Thank you to Mike and the Scrumpettes. You continue to build on the success of previous years. Wonderful. Enjoyed meeting you all so much, and missed those who couldn't be with us.

I confirmed my reputation as a soft touch where buying basses is concerned - as @Kateplaysbass put it - "don't ever play poker Stew". It was apparently obvious to others that I was going to cave in long before I had admitted it to myself.

So, if you don't mind me asking, what did you buy this time? ) 🙂 

Another great day and I second the  thanks to all those involved in the organization and to everyone who bought fantastic interesting gear to see and try.

Vox Lil' Night Train 2 watt valve amp. Gives those sought after valve sounds at bedroom volume levels with an amp that weighs about 2Kg! In as new condition. 2 x 12AX7 and 1 x 12AU7 valves, valve amp tone stack and gain switch.

.

I'd be happy to try to repair it rather than consigning straight to the bin.  Not sure how far I will get as they are surface mounted components, however it is a fairy simple design. If I can repair it in time, I will donate it as a raffle prize at the SW bass bash coming up in a couple of weeks! Let me know if it's still available and I'll pm you my address

Thanks

Please assume that I will be there. Small chance I won't but happy to pay up front regardless.

Iain kindly sent me a set of used flats free of charge. What a star! thank you

On 31/08/2023 at 18:47, The Funk said:

I don’t understand any of it but it looks wonderful to me for some reason!

They look good, sound good, weigh a ton and can be expensive to maintain. It was fairly easy to work on and this one was in great condition! Also make good room heaters as an added bonus!

Have sent you a p.m.

7 minutes ago, Rich said:

Updated list as at 15/08/2023.

 

Phil did moot the idea of an amp shootout this year rather than a cab one, which I reckon is a great plan. There's a delicious array of amps in the who's-bringing-what list so far.

Yes that would be interesting. I wonder if there are any Basschat homebrew amps out there?

I'm hoping to come along again this year as I've thoroughly enjoyed previous editions. I will probably bring along some or all of these:

1978 Fretless Fender Jazz

1969 Fender Telecaster

Ibanez SRF700

1964 Epiphone Rivoli (If I still have it, currently for sale on this forum)

BC112 cab

Home brew 1x10" cab with G&K MB500 amp

Remind me, are there any plans for a shootout this time?

I had this monster 400W valve amp in the workshop this week for a check over. Generally in good shape and just needed one ECC83 in the preamp and a new thermal trip. Thankfully all of the power tubes checked out OK otherwise it would have been an expensive job. I Was quite impressed by the build quality and it was easy to get to everything and set the bias (see photo for procedure). I didn't get to try it out in anger with a bass and cab, but the tone options seemed to work quite well.

On 05/08/2023 at 18:20, MoonBassAlpha said:

Basement studios in Watford had one in every room, and later the black panelled ones without the back-light. Cool workhorse amps. I  think I replaced a 2n3055 transistor in one for them when I used to work a couple of units away on the same road. 

When this HH stuff first came out,  the e-l back-light was THE coolest thing!

They’re still a cool looking bit of kit😊

On 23/05/2023 at 13:44, basstone said:

The EBS TD650 rig was making horrible noises when Josh brought it to me, actually sounding like the noise of a failed speaker driver. However substitution of the EBS with my GK MB500 immediately proved that the cab was fine. I must praise Mats Kristoffersson at EBS for providing me with the amp technical information (after signing a NDA with them - which is perfectly understandable).  It's great to find a manufacturer who is willing to support small independent repairers and so help keep our treasured gear going.

 

As Josh said, the ECC 83 preamp tube tested out fine and I subsequently learned that it is not in the signal path anyway unless the tube mode is enabled! The standby switch is a nice detail to keep the preamp tube heated and immediately available if needed.

 

Apparently the amp had been unused for several months and I now think that there was a poor connection within the amp causing the distortion and low audio level bleed with the master turned down. A good clean and lube of the internal and external jack connectors seems to have restored normal operation. I also noticed that there was quite a big (~1V) DC offset at the output, but there is a trim setting for that and it's now ~20mV. I also checked the power amp bias setting and the compressor bias, all to factory specification. I have left the amp on soak test with a 4 ohm dummy load for a while and all seems fine. I will check it again periodically over the next few days then  pop the lid back on for collection.

I'm now happy to report that the amp is back to full health with the addition of a replacement foam air filter behind the front panel, the original was disintegrating. Final test was with @Josh own bass and cab and the amp sounded great with loads of dynamic headroom even at high volume.

On 08/05/2023 at 18:41, Josh said:

 

 

Good Evening All,

 

So, I managed to snag a whole EBS TD650 and Proline 4X10 rig recently and it's been fantastic thus far. However, I started to notice recently that when recording at night that when I would turn off stand-by and with the master volume at 0, that my bass could be heard coming through the cab but distorted. I've included a video which hopefully helps to show the issue. 

 

Any help would be appreciated,

 

Thanks Guys!

 

Josh.

UPDATE:

 

I have taken the whole rig to Tony at Hurstbatch Services and we quickly found that the cab is perfectly fine and that it is just the TD650 that has a problem. The tube is working perfectly fine, so that eliminated the easiest solution. So, hopefully he will be able to find out what’s causing the issues! 

 

The EBS TD650 rig was making horrible noises when Josh brought it to me, actually sounding like the noise of a failed speaker driver. However substitution of the EBS with my GK MB500 immediately proved that the cab was fine. I must praise Mats Kristoffersson at EBS for providing me with the amp technical information (after signing a NDA with them - which is perfectly understandable).  It's great to find a manufacturer who is willing to support small independent repairers and so help keep our treasured gear going.

As Josh said, the ECC 83 preamp tube tested out fine and I subsequently learned that it is not in the signal path anyway unless the tube mode is enabled! The standby switch is a nice detail to keep the preamp tube heated and immediately available if needed.

Apparently the amp had been unused for several months and I now think that there was a poor connection within the amp causing the distortion and low audio level bleed with the master turned down. A good clean and lube of the internal and external jack connectors seems to have restored normal operation. I also noticed that there was quite a big (~1V) DC offset at the output, but there is a trim setting for that and it's now ~20mV. I also checked the power amp bias setting and the compressor bias, all to factory specification. I have left the amp on soak test with a 4 ohm dummy load for a while and all seems fine. I will check it again periodically over the next few days then  pop the lid back on for collection.

Generally if a couple of goes with contact cleaner and turning over the full range a few will sort any crackely pots. If not it's probably best to swap for high quality replacements. On occasion if I want to preserve the original pot (more often in an amp than in an instrument) it is sometimes possible to open up the pot after removal by bending back the small retaining crimps. The pot track can then be cleaned with contact cleaner or Isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud. The metal contacts can also be cleaned up with metal polish or fine abrasive paper and the contact improved by increasing the contact pressure slightly by bending them.

I bought an Ibanez 5 string bass from Jamie. A pleasure to deal with and a great instrument, just as described in the ad. Highly recommended 

For sale, a pair of Peavey Pro15, passive, 2 way PA speakers, complete with stands and 2 x 10mtr heavy duty speakon leads. Solidly made and in very good condition. The speakers are 4ohm and rated at 600W programme power handling.

6 hours ago, fretmeister said:

@basstone

 

The version I played is the Murtha one

 

 

 

I used this as the backing for my video. It misses out the repeats, presumably to get the youtube vid smaller.

 

I've got a scan of the bass part somewhere if you want a copy.

 

That looks like a different arrangement to the one I have. Do you have the complete set of parts?

53 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

 

Zoot Suit Riot. It's a big band arrangement of a vocal tune by the Cherry Poppin' Daddies.

 

This is the original

 

 

 

Nice. I've found a Paul Murtha big band instrumental arrangement amongst my charts library. I'll most definitely be printing this chart for my big band to try! Similar to Me Zoot Suit (Flying Nutrinos version) which I've done in the past 🙂

On 15/04/2023 at 21:57, fretmeister said:

 

Nice, What is that piece?