ShergoldSnickers

My Marathon bass is sat in a corner banging its headstock against the wall.

Just acquired one of these: MMX Carbon Weave German pattern bow from Peter Hall Violins in Beverley, East Yorkshire. I also tried a less expensive Artino carbon composite bow, but it didn't feel anywhere near as good as this one. I've also started some proper lessons with Pietro Lusvardi, who recommended I get a bow to check my intonation is OK as I practice. He's also got me starting to read the dots as well. So, off in a direction I didn't expect — arco and reading. At the same time. Loving it, much to my surprise.

[quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1383562109' post='2265770'] [u][b]Peter Hall in Beverley, East Ridings[/b][/u] Peter does really nice work, is a great guy, and is very affordable. [url="http://www.peterhallviolins.com/instruments/contact.html"]http://www.peterhall...ts/contact.html[/url] [/quote] You get real old fashioned professional service from Peter. He can't do enough for you — it's more like visiting a family member than a shop! Really impressed by the quality of his work, the advice I've had and his prices. All round splendid fella.

Managed to catch up with this over the weekend, watching with a musician mate disposed to some healthy cynicism. I didn't say anything beforehand, but when the Caffreys came on we both looked at each other and nodded. The comment about each band member doing just the right amount was absolutely spot on. Michael's bass playing is a perfect example of being a support to the rest of the band, adding lots but detracting nothing. Bloody marvellous, that WoT.

Whilst this post is not strictly about reverb on bass amps per se, reverb has a place if used carefully. If you can, roll off all frequencies below around 400Hz on the reverb effect only, retaining the normal frequency range on the dry sound alone. This cuts out all the muddiness that reverb will chuck on by the bucketload if the proper bass frequencies get processed. Unless you are making a feature of the bass, apply only a smidge in any case. You can be the judge on whether this works or not. Two bass tracks, one completely dry, and a melodic track with a fair amount of reverb. In fact, all the instruments that got reverb treatment has the feed to the reverb with the bass rolled off, as I think this helps tidy the mix as a whole. [media]http://www.ianhalstead.com/fb/March-58-Panama-Mix.mp3[/media]

Matilda. I've never waltzed though.

[url="https://video-fra3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xfa1/v/t43.1792-2/11777205_864012477027940_934803959_n.mp4?rl=2193&vabr=1462&oh=cfd4262f5b34333acede8749673253e7&oe=55C35A49"]11777205_864012477027940_934803959_n.mp4[/url]

Heard at a hi-fi demo many moons ago... "It's no good having your garden hose fed by a bloke with a pipette. What you want is that hose fitted to a tap on the Hoover Dam." They sold Naim amplification.

Magnificent. There is something uniquely British about these basses — lightly quirky with bags of character, and they do sound good don't they? My original fretted Marathon was pretty much identical to this one, and the serial number started with a a six. I wonder....? I'll have to dig out an old diary from 1979 to see if I wrote it down. I swapped the fretted for a fretless version, which has been modified to incorporate a second pickup, an extra set of controls and a chunkier bridge. That will undoubtedly affect any sale value, but as it's not for sale.... why worry? Good excuse for reposting a picture:

I think you have got the sense of space and the atmosphere bang on. Excellent. I recently bought an E-Bow and just getting used to the possibilities. A (very) short test piece I did here: [url="http://www.ianhalstead.com/fb/E-Bow-Logic.mp3"]http://www.ianhalstead.com/fb/E-Bow-Logic.mp3[/url] Using Logic — great software — on a RIM Marseer 5 fretless.

Really like both the pieces. Something of the Klaus Schultze about them.

I just had to try this, and it worked out that the EBow sits perfectly on the wooden bass ramp situated between the pickups. I've recorded a short improvised series of EBow tracks over a percussion track with synth bass, using both the normal and harmonic modes of the EBow... EBow and double bass... hmmmm not so successful! [media]http://www.ianhalstead.com/fb/E-Bow-Logic.mp3[/media]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1430732546' post='2764028'] You're probably right, as my technical knowledge of isobaric systems is zero. I do find the concept of being able to cram two drivers into the space more or less occupied by one driver very attractive, but of course there's always a price to be paid and the laws of physics usually turn up to spoil the party. [/quote] I remember the first time I heard some Linn Isobarik speakers in a demo room in a hi-fi shop run by a mate of mine. Staggeringly good. Mind you this was part of a £24,000 system — in 1990s prices. The bass driver was doubled up — a pair of those race-track oval Kef B139 jobbies in each cabinet. You needed a very capable amp to drive them though.

I thought the big problem with isobaric arrangements was the loss in sensitivity — down 6dB. Don't modern drivers essentially solve the extension/cabinet size problem that isobaric designs attempted to address?

Mic returned from HHB, the Rode distributors. It's been on an extended testing régime and has given nothing but very healthy output every time it's been switched on from cold. They even went to the trouble of literally freezing it! So the finger of suspicion falls on the Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 now. I need to grab another input device that supplies phantom power so I can see. It would appear that the Pro 14 takes time to realise full phantom power — odd, but this is where the investigation takes me next. [b]EDIT:[/b] Dodgy power supply brick to the Saffire. As soon as it gets a healthy power supply the mic is fine. Sorted. Full marks to HHB though for being prepared to take this mic under warranty, thoroughly test it and not charge. Also full marks to Rode for the 10 year warranty on this model.

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1428401239' post='2740848'] Dumb question, what actually is a "hybrid resonator"? It looks like a port, so what makes it different to a port? [/quote] Not a dumb question. A very interesting question. Ah... almost simultaneous posting with Alex. It would seem I'm a member of the same mind-hive.

You don't get reviews on BC much better than this. Informative, illustrative and just plain useful. Yep, great review.

[quote name='Bottle' timestamp='1425668683' post='2709639'] Jolly good! Best of luck, Snicks BTW, I still happen to have a couple of lengths of Canford StarQuad with 5-pin Neutrik XLR's on and stereo 3-pin to 5-pin splitters for both Male and Female ends. Would that be of any interest to you? [/quote] Got all the cable and splitters I need for now — thanks though.

[quote name='Bottle' timestamp='1425644390' post='2709315'] Could be that the capsules are knackered - good thing it's still in warranty [/quote] Sent off today — we'll see what happens. Full marks to RODE for not quibbling and being very helpful in sorting this out so far.

These mics come with a 10 year warranty — and as it is still within the warranty period, it's off to be looked at. Even when kept in a warm dry room, there's a delay of several minutes until it gets up to normal output levels.

If I gigged more. And was any good. Be pleased to otherwise.

I've been testing the two of my mics for recording double bass, and found the CAD m179 used in figure of eight in front of the bridge about 6" away and pointing slightly upwards, to be the best compromise. One lobe directly at the bass, the other 180 degrees away. All well and good, but thought I'd have a play with a Rode NT4 as well. Plugged in, switched on the phantom power... and well, not much really. It was recording, but at a vastly reduced signal level than normal. OK... check all the cabling and associated gear (Focusrite Saffire Pro 14), and yes the mic power was on, the mic switch was on etc etc. I checked i'd registered the mic just in case (10 year warranty). Yep, done that. Suddenly it struck me. This mic had been sat in its case for several months in a cold but not freezing room. I've just brought it into a nice warm room to do recording, and if anything will wreck capacitance then moisture will. My guess is that moisture was causing leakage across the charged capsule diaphragms. After 10 minutes resting on a tepid radiator, the mic was plugged in and voila! Signal strength restored. I'd placed a few silica gel bags in the case, but I reckon they'd become fully saturated. I've dried those out as well.

[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1422881918' post='2677802'] I like that, the layers of the ebow lines work well together. Checked out some other stuff too. Is that picture of a Rim bass on March 58? How do you find it? [/quote] Yep, that's a RIM, used on the E-Bow stuff. For a 5 string it's very comfortable, with the neck width and thickness kept within sensible measurements. I prefer a narrower and thinner neck. The bass on March '58 is actually a customised Shergold Marathon with an extra bridge pick-up. It doesn't get played as often as the RIM now, but I won't part with it. And thanks, Dazed.

Something I knocked up just to try out the possibilities. Glad I had the ramp inserted between the pickups — it's the perfect height for supporting the E-Bow above the strings. [url="https://soundcloud.com/the-halst/multibow"]https://soundcloud.c...-halst/multibow[/url]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1417782267' post='2623945'] Thought I'd mention it before WoT did... [/quote] Spoilsport!