Naigewron

It's worth keeping an eye on this page, where they maintain a list of all their products that cost under €100. So when something goes on sale or the price lowers, it will turn up here. A lot of their libraries are €29, which iis amazing value. https://www.spitfireaudio.com/under-100/

The LABS collection really is the gift that keeps on giving. Most other VST makers will create a little taster to get you hooked on the "real" product, but Spitfire just keeps adding really interesting and varied stuff to the LABS library. Massive props!

That is a breathtakingly accurate reproduction of a recorder. Getting this right now!

Line6 has 30 percent off on their site for the rest of March. Use code LUCKY30 at checkout. I can definitely recommend Helix Native for anyone who does any recording. Great plugin!

I use Cubase Elements and it covers all my needs ...except one: I can't export multitracks to my bandmates when we record demos. So if I want to export multitracks, I have to mute all tracks except one, export that, then mute all tracks except the next one, then export that, etc. We're doing more preproduction at home these days, so this is really becoming a hassle. I might upgrade just to get this sorted. Other than that, I'm happy with it. I don't do any mixing, and all my recordings are either preproduction demos, or just screwing around for my own amusement, so I don't need a lot of features.

It's a Klystron 500, wide version. Basically a Made In England version of what would later become the ABM 500 Evo III

Finally got the new rig set up in our rehearsal studio. Hopefully I'll get to put it up on a stage very soon

1: I'm in Norway, so we've always been outside the EU tax laws I got it from https://www.musik-produktiv.com/ 2: Yeah, the SR3XX series are amazing value instruments 3: Agreed. Even the GIO axes are fully giggable in their stock form.

Agreed! This model was discontinued a couple of years ago (I guess budget 5-string fretless basses are too much of a niche), but I found a store in Germany that had a few in stock still. It's in the lower end of the price range, but Ibanez is really just incapable of making instruments that feel bad to play.

My SR505 and SR375EF (fretless). There's really not a lot I can't do with these two.

I saw that Spitfire LABS has been mentioned earlier in this thread, but I'd just like to recommend that again. Spitfire keep adding new instruments to it, and it's truly an inspiration machine. Each instrument is simple enough to where I don't get lost in parameters, but they all offer something unique and inspirational, especially if you like composing songs with a lot of ambience and darker textures. 11/10, would recommend. https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/ My personal favourite is "Soft piano". Here's a little jam I was inspired to make when I first downloaded LABS and played around with it. All synths in this track are from the LABS collection, and this was just me scratching the surface for a couple of hours.

My current gigging rig, which is treating my very nicely these days. - Ibanez SR505 and SR900 - Line6 HX Stomp - Ampeg PF-500 into Fender Rumble 410

Family gathering I'm really loving the the SR505, but I'm debating flipping the SR900 for a newer SR four-string. The 900 is quite heavy, and the weirdly "bowed" back contour doesn't suit me as well as the newer style bodies do.

Once that demo started I could feel how tired my ears are getting of that Dingwall/Darkglass distortion sound. I wish they could focus a little bit more on their other tonal offerings, but I guess they've figured out what sells.

Just got hold of a used SR505 (with the mandatory worn spot above the neck pickup). Love everything about it - Pickups and preamp are great, the neck feels amazing and the 16.5mm string spacing is so much more comfortable than the more traditional 5-string spacing of Fender and the like. Ibanez and myself have a relationship stretching back to the mid 90s, and I've never picked up an Ibanez bass or guitar that didn't sound and feel great. Very happy to find that this was no exception, and I've already started thinking about getting hold of a 4-string SR as well.

From yesterday's rehearsal

Edited. I was still on the Sterling line, but the full fat MM is the top of the line, of course. But I've reached the edge of my Stingray knowledge here, so I'll bow out and let others correct me I think

It gets confusing, but I believe it's like this: Gold standard: Music Man Stingray Top: Stirling RayXX (e.g. Ray34, etc) Middle: Stirling 4 and Sterling 5 Bottom: Stirling Ray4 and Ray5 (the SUB series) https://intl.sterlingbymusicman.com/collections/basses-1

There are two levels of Sterling basses, IIRC - Sterling by Music Man and SUB By Sterling. The SUB basses are down towards the "Squier" end of the product range.

I use the HX Stomp in front of an amp when playing with a band, but I use it going direct when playing and recording at home. The amp models are excellent, and both the built-in cabs and the IR loader allow you a multitude of great cab options too. And although I prefer to run it in front of an amp live, it's really nice to have the option to run direct if I need to for a fly gig, quiet stage, small bar setup etc. I'm really happy with it, both for effects and amps. The HX Stomp is also my entire setup for electric guitar (for recording at home) and acoustic guitar (for unplugged gigs), and I run direct in both those cases. In terms of outputs - The HX Stomp technically has balanced outputs, so you can use a TRS to XLR cable to run to the desk without a DI box, but just for peace of mind and not having to carry a dedicated cable of undefined length I would use a DI box anyway.

Heaps of P-basses out there not made by Fender/Squier and that don't look like Precisions. Like others have said, it's mainly about the pickup type and position, and it should probably be passive to ensure you're hitting your amp in a similar way and not colour the tone too much. Edit: It's also about scale length. Don't expect a 30" scale bass to sound like a Precision, regardless of pickup position.

Agreed

Brought the amp home from our rehearsal space for some tweaking, which provided a nice photo op

In the words of Turner Hall: He's the most successful British artist you've never heard of. https://turnerhall.co.uk/2017/09/12/the-most-successful-british-artist-youve-never-heard-of/ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/24/steven-wilson-the-prog-rocker-topping-the-charts-without-anyone-noticing