Richard R

I've signed up for an electronics learning project on how to build a bare-bones Raspberry Pi device without an operating system. Turns out the project is to build one of these: The Pi, breadboard and screen are generic, but I'll have to get hold of a midi keyboard, or at the very least a DIN-USB MIDI connector. I'll declare a T2 fail when I know what I've bought.

I agree, a gig bag to protect a guitar is at worst a tier 2 failure, and arguably not even that.

That's weird. Try opening Acrobat first, then using that to open the file which is probably in Downloads.

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/507822-2025-gear-abstinence-thread/page/2/#elControls_5395815_menu Scores on the doors so far.

My bass playing is the curse of the musical classes!

It opened no problem for me. Here's a PDF rather than a .docx, try that. Basschat Lanyards.PDF

https://thebassgallery.com/products/ovation-magnum-i I look at things I can't afford. Makes avoiding the purchase so much easier.

It's in the diary, so in theory booked and agreed, but I am not 100% sure I'll be able to make it. Work commitments mean I am away a lot in the week, and that is likely to continue this year. Fingers crossed.

I have to agree with @neepheid that you're out, it's not a like-for-like repair or replacement. On the plus side - that removes the temptation I had to buy it, and I would have absolutely no justification whatsoever as it's not even a pretty colour.

If we're introducing new levels then we should stick to the numbering convention, so the above is Tier 0. The 0 can be in shiny gold and look like a halo you want. I think weedling is a withdrawl symptom. The GAS addict can't buy anything and so that energy which would be spent eying up new gear and comparing munitae of details and prices and colours has to go somewhere. 😄

That is absolutely the worst reason I have ever heard in my life 🤣 Having basses in different colours to match the visual aesthetic of the band is at least vaguely defensible, but come on - NOBODY looks at the bass player's pedalboard to check the colour co-ordination! Full marks and a bonus for honesty though.

Welcome aboard

Welcome aboard

Welcome aboard

Welcome aboard

I get the feeling Blender is fundamentally coming from a creative rather than engineering standpoint. The idea is to start with lumps and then change them. Which will be fine for some stuff, less so for others. I'll check out Fusion, thanks for that.

@rwillett - what do you use for your designs? I am checking out a Makerspace and as I am brand new to all this I'm incluned to use the same software as others there while I learn. Most people there seem to use Blender, one or two use FreeCad. Blender is a different mindset to the CAD background I used to have in the late '90s, but is definitely quick to get going.

Conceptually I find FM synthesis far easier to understand than subtractive synthesis and can mentally picture what's going on. I don't play keys, so I have only dabbled a bit with free versions of either type, and barely got past the Dalek Fart stage.

Hypocrisy 1.01: I started this year's Gear Abstinence Thread, and now I am checking the updates on No Treble's website site 🤣 https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2025/01/23/namm-2025-new-bass-gear-reveals-launches-and-updates/ I'd like to play the Sterling MM Bongo.

It's fine, you just have to use a hanging stand like the Hercules ones that clamp on the headstock. Oh...

I have the same message If you need space on the server then ask/compell folks to delete images etc. I'm sure we can remove a lot of old photos from the off topic photographic forums.

It's like a rope tree, but smaller and more suited to domestic gardens.

That seems to be the case. No clean means residue can stay on the board and does not require washing off - ie it's not dielectric, capacitive, conductive etc etc. My reading says that's what gets used for manufacturing at scale. I had a friend who used to work in small-scale electronics development. Not spoken to him in a while, so I shall have to cold call him and renew our acquaintanceship.

My understanding is that leaded solder is fine provided you wash your hands and don't ingest it. Lead vapourises way above the melting point, so you aren't breathing lead fumes, nor would you breathi tin/copper fumes. It's the flux fumes that are dangerous. I've just found this HSE article, which probably explains the ban on rosin fluxes at the makerspace. https://www.hse.gov.uk/lung-disease/electronics-soldering.htm#:~:text=As exposure to rosin-based,health must be carried out. "Rosin-based solder flux fume is now regarded as one of the most significant causes of occupational asthma in Britain. When the asthmatic effects are fully developed they are permanent and irreversible. Continued exposure, even to very small amounts of fume, may cause asthma attacks and the person affected may be unable to do any soldering with rosin-based fluxes again." "Where reasonably practicable, exposure should be prevented" OK, I'm not gping to be using rosin based fluxes any more. But I still don't know what's in half the stuff advertised.

The only thing I am absolutely sure of, because it's physics, is that lead free solder generally has a higher melting point.