Stub Mandrel

I don’t think telling a customer to cancel an alarm meets the requirements of our local guidance: https://www.southwales-fire.gov.uk/app/uploads/2024/09/Guidance-on-Safe-Investigation-of-Fire-Alarm-Signals-1.pdf At the very least a pair of competent people appointed by the building owner/manager should check the premises. For Pirate I'd assume they should have security on 24hr callout.

Just received some Alpine Musicsafe pro earplugs, lots of hits on here for them saying they are good. I've tried them on the silver ~22db inserts and they definitly work. They do cut the highs more than teh lows, which is how they are designed. I'll have to see how they work out at a gig/rehearsal, but should be a good solution for controlling harsh snare/cymbal noise.

But they would give advice on what to do, and I'd trust them more than Pirate.

I love the sound of my Joyo BadAss, but it's only 50 watts. In all honesty, it sounds better than my Orange Terror. It doesn't seem ridiculous to think about the potential for re-casing it, substituting a class-D module for the integral Class D output amplifier. Or even building my own valve front end. The £10.999 500W modules on Amazon are probably not a good idea for long life. I see that Profusion sell a 700W ICEpower module with power supply for £223. Price doesn't seem to be strongly correlated with power, so presumably there are other differences (such as robustness, e.g. SOAR protection, thermal performance, efficiency). This 500W module looks like it could be suitable: https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/icepower500asp Does anyone know which of the ICEpower modules are widely used in class D bass amps? Or indeed any thoughts on the practicality of this approach? (I grew up with a father who repaired TVs as part of his business and I have been building my own amps etc. on and off for 50 years, so I'm unlikely to kill anyone).

While there is a gap in the price range for something around £500, power wise the TE1200 is only about 7dB more powerful than the Elf, something in between doesn't make much sense as the differences up and down would be so small. Indeed, the difference between Elf into 4R and TE-1200 into 8R is only 6dB. So, in practice, 500W and 1000W amps are both adequate for pretty much any situation meaning a 500W version, while probably having a market, isn't really 'needed'.

Used to use Pirate in Nottingham without major problems, had to ring once or twice for dodgy access codes. Got used to expecting the Ashdown combo to have really weird settings. Used Cardiff a few times... a bit scruffy and it closed after a few months. Other studios are a mixed bag. Not much difference in price, but the better ones tend to be booked up well in advance. I usually use my own gear and we just use the pa and drumkit less breakables.

Surely the sensible thing to do would be to ring 999 and let them decide what to do?

The top one is my practice rig at home. The bottom one... I had to park over half a mile from the city centre venue, and I had PA support so it was just a monitor (hence up on a stool).

I don't know exactly why, but I have never 'got' Rics. I suppose to me, the various design elements just don't look like they go together. But that's just me.

I saw Alice Copper supported by Bobbie Dazzle on Tuesday at Cardiff Indoor/Motorpoint/Utility Company Arena. The sound for the support was awful for the first part of the set. Dominated by drums especially the snare, vocals weak, bass inaudible. My ear for a mix must be getting better as by some miracle the snare was tamed and everything else balanced to get a decent (tough not exceptional) mix by the end. I imagine their sound engineer is still getting used to huge venues. Sound for Alice was exemplary, as you would hope.

Is it good for metal?

Gratuitous green and red 🙂

Rumbled! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Prejudice is not one sided

Well as I said, taste is subjective.

You mean the traditional design Fender adopted?

I realise anyone stating 'best bass I've ever played' is opening themselves to scepticism (but every bass player has played a 'best bass ever' even if they've only ever played one). I do find the rash of "have ever tried a bass that isn't a Fender" comments both patronising and a touch pathetic. In my own experience, I've played a lot of basses and my love for a 'different' feel means it's hard for me to call any if them 'best'. I do know that I've met many disappointing ones, and a few of those were Fenders but plenty have been 'elite' brands whose reputation didn't meet my expectations. It's so subjective though... more than once I've been offered a try of someone's pride and joy and found it totally alien to my tastes.

And a video of my first song with the guys. VID-20250727-WA0006.mp4

Sounds like a break is exactly what you need. Then maybe hire a rehearsal space with lits oftime and no pressure to set up the whole pa from scratch... everything set to defaults before you start.

Photo from last night. Should say we got lots of dancers later.

Perhaps they are meant to, like Rush's rotisseries.

My first gig with the Fortunate Sons and with a neat twist of fate at my 'home venue' of Penarth Ex's. It was also bass player Andy's first gig on keyboards... he did brilliantly and being a bassist he kept out of my octaves Long story short, we had a very good attendance, I made a few flubs - came in late for one song, first bar in wrong key for another and huge random bang in My Sharona... but no-one seemed to notice, so and and audience very happy. No photos yet. Fender Precision & Jazz, quecha approach shoes, GRBASS cab and orange terror.

My first gig using a pa with multiple monitors and a little mixer for each of us. Feels ott to me but works well.

My phone adds a wrong file extension when downloading from basschat. Rename it as something.pdf or use a pc

It's difficult, but it's a skill and can be learned. Like you strumming an acoustic and singing is fine but... I'm getting better at it and the bands I'm know my position - give me a microphone and I will do what I'm comfortable with. I started about 40 years ago doing the 'yeah's in Moni Moni. Ironically I'll be doing them again tonight! Some songs are easier than others and it's not always obvious what will work. The very regular pulse of Heroes but I struggle with the 'by the wall' etc. Yet the other day I was singing the chorus to Jean Genie while improvising fills... I think the problem is they often use similar parts of the brain, especially if, like me, you 'hear' the melody in your head to play it more than remembering a fingeting.