RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE

13 minutes ago, Wolfram said:

So just to check, is @SubsonicSimpleton correct in that you are connecting the bass to the B3, using the B3's USB out to record into GarageBand, then passing the analog output of the B3 into the Moog, then monitoring the output of the Moog while you record? Or is there anything else in your signal chain?

 

If that scenario is correct, then the USB output of the Zoom will only have the bass + any B3 effects, since there is no path from the Moog output to an input on the B3. But let us know if there's some other way you were expecting the output of the Moog to reach the DAW (do you have an audio interface you are using?)

 

You are right, the Zoom will act as a DI, which is why you get much better results when it sits between the bass and the Moog. Regarding DI, I can only recommend a Radial box as they're all I use, but they're not cheap and you really need an active DI such as the StageBug SB-1 or Pro48. There will be cheaper options from the likes of Behringer but I can't directly recommend any not having used them.  

Thanks again . 
Yes the setup you explained , is exactly as I've been trying it .  I do have a couple of audio interfaces, but I got a Behringher USB Mixer a couple of years ago and have been using that . .

What. I have seen on loopops you tube clip, he says that he boosted the signal with a  DI Box and the Used The Mixers Output . 
Currently , I use headphones , but am thinking of possibly using the Headphonr  Out From The Moxer Into The Audio Input Of The Moog . 
I may even go back to using the audio interface as tbh, the main benefit from having the mixer is there are more instrument inputs .

The mixer is also bulky , and as I'm playing by myself (😬) I 5hink the mixer may be overkill for my needs . 
I'll try something later ..

12 hours ago, Wolfram said:

The audio input on your Moog is low impedance and line level; your bass needs a high impedance input at instrument level - this is why you are getting a very low signal level, which will also likely be very bass-light. You need either a preamp or a DI box in between your bass and the Moog, then Moog into the B3, then B3 to the computer via USB.
 

Thanks for this .

I thought that the Zoom B3 was a DI Box , which is why I tried plugging that into the Moog . 
I did try distortion and overdrive pedals but they were not powerful enough . 
Sounds like I need a preamp or DI box as you mentioned . 
Any recommendations for good powerful ones ( not too expensive) appreciated 😬

Always apprehensive when I used to gig .

2 Jack Daniels before going on , I just used to do rock poses like Rudy Sarto . 
Thankfully , I could pull it off as we weren't playing anything too challenging . I wouldn't do it on a fretless though ,unless I was in a les Dawson tribute band . 

54 minutes ago, SubsonicSimpleton said:

Shouldn't you be plugging bass->moog->zoom B3, assuming you are recording using the B3 as usb audio interface.

 

If you connect as your post bass->zoom B3->moog, the moog is no longer in the recording chain.

Thanks  for this ..

I 'll try this . It does sound like I've put the bass into the zoom by mistake . The reason did it the way I did , was because of the low signal from Bass -moog . It needs boosting . 
I'll check and report back. 😬

Strange but probably basic recording  issue that I am having .

I do have a topic in the effects section also which is related to this ..

The problem I have ; plugging bass guitar into audio input of moog grandmother . 
initially I did have a problem with low output , so after various trial and error scenarios, what works best is the zoom B3 plugged into the audio input of the moog grandmother . All sounds great .

The recording levels are where they should be . Only one annoying thing ...

When I record my squelchy modulation efforts into GarageBand , it all looks good . Playing back my recorded efforts however, I notice the sound is just straight bass and drums from the quick loop I recorded on the zoom B3 without the modulation effects from the Moog Grandmother . 
 

Can somebody tell me what am I doing wrong ? Fwiw , I can record anything seperately , whether it's moog , bass , iPad etc .

it's just that one would think that the output from the moog grandmother would include the input from the bass /zoom going into it .

Itt's a recording issue ..but what is it ? 
 

Thanks in advance 😬

Update ; I had a root around for some other mono leads . The result ? Great ..except for one thing ( I may have to ask on the recording forum ) : Zoom B3 has perfect signal going into the moog grandmother . The built in drum machine , and the quick loop I did for a test sound great .. All various modulation sounds are good . 

The problem I have is that although the various noises I'm making sound really good and powerful - the recording just records the zoom B3 clean and loud but without the squelchy sounds of the grandmother basically defeating the object .

I am happy with the zoom B3 , and the other various effects I have . The low output issue has been sorted .

Recording is the issue here, and a pita . All part of it I guess .😬

Thanks for all your help ..

There seems to be a few factors to consider ; 

'Dance floor ' has been mentioned  above , but in all honesty it's Alice in Chains .  Not exactly dance floor material .

It's not exactly teen spirit or hi ho silver lining . 
 

It reminds me of one of the last bands I was in . The idea was to play obscure old songs where in all honesty , imho the people who may have remembered those songs were either 102 or dead . ( no disrespect to songs mentioned / I've been in blues bands etc) 
A strange mix which was  not the stuff in my avant garde / metal z/ 80's / ambient collection . 
We played songs as ' the weight ' , ' the letter ' , ' born under a bad sign ' , ' the thrill is gone ' and a Pentangle song . 
I actually enjoyed our 1 and only gig . The letter from the Box tops I do remember when I as abiut 4 years ol£ , was a song I really enjoyed playing . The thrill is gone ( bb king ? ) I enjoyed also . 
As I say , our 1 and only gig . The punters enjoyed it , but the leader ( singer / backing guitarist ) wasn't able to converse with good humour and couldn't deal with one or 2 punters geeing us up for a laugh . Plus he sounded like Lou Reed on the lulu album, so I quit .

Hopefully you get the picture 😬

If one of my basses sold , I'd  have this ..just for the colour . Oh, and as an experiment if short scale is for me . 

Ideal for monkees tribute band ..

Love Alice in chains . Fwiw, as another poster pointed out, it could well be one of those songs which draws a few of the crowd to the toilet or getting another round in . Mainly imho because of the long guitar noise/ buildup.

I found over time that in cover bands I've been in , I / we tolerated certain songs we had issues with and in our polite discussions various songs would be removed and replaced as things progressed . 

As a possible solution in the meantime , is it possible to make a compromise by putting a different slant to it ? Something possibly to discuss with the band . 

wonder what the rest of the set list is like ( in a good way ) 🤔

11 minutes ago, Muzz said:

I notice he didn't bring his talentless wife along for that one...

It's a myftewwy. . She's more talented than me though 😬

15 hours ago, tauzero said:

Might this apply? https://forum.moogmusic.com/viewtopic.php?t=29170

Thanks for that . 👍 I did read that a while back .it's interesting though how moog only recommend  mono cables etc .

I have used the proper  mono cables . 

I seem to be doing everything right regarding connections , although there are one or 2 things that I will try ( again)

I'll see if I can connect the moog  grandmother to my Roland bass combo , and use the headphone out into the mixer.

When I normally use the moog, it is fine and the output from mixer is as it should be . . It's just the weak signal from bass to the grandmother input .

There is another thing to try , which is using the output of the mixer into the input of the grandmother .

That's a bit more complicated , and involves me RTFM .

Il'll report back 😬

Gig bag with decent padding for me . Having a hard case using the underground  or bus can be annoying to fellow commuters as well as yourself .

Even going into narrow rehearsal rooms can be a challenge with hard cases . Not good for shins ..

I have been enjoying playing the bass through my moog grandmother .  The signal while ok on headphones is very low , and iI'm struggling to get the levels up while trying to record  on GarageBand . 
To do this, you need either a good distortion / d I box/ preamp , so I'm led to believe . 
I have tried overdrive , distortion and even a Zoom B3  . 

Please advise 😬

Other regret ..learning to drive 🚗 

It makes things much more difficult . Even if you are " guaranteed " a lift to rehearsals , gigs etc there were always times when I would have been dropped off at awkward places due to other band mate commitments  . 
Having Psycho , partially deaf drummers in the driving seat can be  a bit traumatic 🤢🤮

2 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Starting as late as I did.

Me too 

I have a few instances of lead singer syndrome . 
Probabky the one which stood out most ; 4 of us form a new band from scratch through an ad . None of us knew the other etc

I had to up my game from basic hobbyist to regular gigging semi pro ( amateur ?) . 
Drummer was the easiest and most straightforward to ger on with . Guitarist was the band leader ,who often gave me a hard time .

Fair enough , I was lacking confidence and faced up to everything while improving albeit very slowly ..

However, the singer who was half Irish and half American and quite well off , was full of 'all the talk, but not the walk' .

He used to  be full of a multitude of ideas , PowerPoint presentations and trying to organise everything with military precision.

He even had a fender guitar which he kept under his bed , as ' jimi Hendrix was the best player ever' .

I had my Les Dawson moments , but he just could not play it and we all felt sorry for him. 
He was a lovely bloke , but didn't seem to understand the reality of real life, and why I used to get up at 5am to work . Yes really. He was Harvard educated .

He had all these ideas, but he kept saying ," sorry can't make it as I have to go over to Belfast urgently " / Sorry got to shoot off to Boston " . We were all getting frustrated , but wanted to keep pushing for the first eventual gig to see what's what .

When we actually did the first gig at the Grey Horse in Kingston , the drummer arrived late and started moaning to the sound guy about the PA . I smoothed that over somehow . Me and the guitarist despite him wondering if I'd be any good , were level headed.

The singer on the other hand , was so out of sync with everything and was very nervous rushing everything  like Peter o 'Sullivan. Sweating and sometimes stammering , he was shall we say ..poor 😮‍💨🙂

The guitarist said I held it all together . 
When we had our next rehearsal , singer told us he had to go away again . Drummer quit by email. Singer sent an email to us calling guitarist so many unrepeatable names .  In the end , the drummer had faith in me and we restructured a better band ..with better singers 🙂

I managed to up my game very soon after me and the drummer gelled 😬

Thanks for all your help . 
I’ll leave it as is , as I have other basses in standard tuning . 
I did have a feeling about the nut needing replacing. 
I’ve enclosed a couple of pics of the bass in question. Well, some of it 😬

On hold ! 😼

Plodigy, shep seven ,  take phat , Leann limes 

Just curious at this stage. 
I got one of my basses set up by a tech a while back , and he did tell me it was a challenge to do so.

I will probably leave it tbh , but how difficult is it to adjust th3 setting back to EADG ? 
It has the recommended strings for BEAD tuning , which were new when given to tech to do the alteration. 
Thanks in advance .

Celtic Frose , Soxx gang , calking heads Hanoi socks 

Lemonbelly , ting kings , Hannibal corpse, rot chocolate , Rick ashley

Perry homo , Andy walliams, Tony Bonnett, Jim greeves, Katsey Klein 

4 hours ago, Richard R said:

Status Qui?

 

(Actually that would be a good name for a French tribute band.)

The four cops , jelly savallas , Ellkie crooks , Desmond pekker , fudge dread ( dred ?)