TimR

My bass gear weighs 60kg. It's quite sobering when you add everything up. The max weight my Golf is supposed to take is 600kg. Two blokes is a quarter of that already. That's before you add gear.

It's all in your fingers and strings init? Too much top end: strings too new or nails too long. Too dull: need new strings. Too wooly: play using the tips of your fingers. YMMV

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1368630491' post='2079476'] ... You gotta be careful of just leaving bits in because they have been written. [/quote] +1 Also when you find something you like but doesn't fit what you're working on, record it and continue looking. I've got a Zoom H4 which is far simpler than computer etc as you just plug your bass into it a hit record. Also: Deadlines! Set a date or a number of hours to finish a song. You can get drawn into going back and tweaking and messing with a perfectly good song. Write it, teach it, play it, record it, move on.

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1368390496' post='2076554'] ... I'd hate to join something where there is a big ego, any inter-band issue, or the bass player was the guitarists brother in law or best mate from school and to be constantly reminded that i'm the outsider. I know bucketloads of musicians, really good, talented guys. And I could start something. After 18 months off though, i'm finding it hard to motivate myself - Especially as my previous band had people to look after most of the small stuff i'd have to face if starting on my own. ... [/quote] You just need to make the leap. I just joined a great bunch of guys. Their last bass player kind of lost motivation and dragged them all down with him. He left and I joined. They've said they're enjoying it again for the first time in ages and the gigs are lining up. It's fun.

It's just something you learn from experience. If the band spend longer discussing what should be in the set list that when/where the next gig is going to be you know you're onto a loser.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1368274239' post='2075177'] ... if a member does not want to gig are they and the rest of the band going to use a dep or turn the gig down out of loyalty. ... [/quote] Personally, if a band member doesn't WANT to gig, he shouldn't be in that band. The only ground rule is that everyone wants to gig at the same frequency. And if that frequency changes each member has a duty to discuss it with the others.

You've been learning bass for a year. You've been in the 'band' 8 months. Unfortunately these things are all part of the learning process. Remember, it should be fun. Don't stress over the small stuff, however frustrating it may seem. Stick with the band for now, use it as a learning process, if it doesn't implode soon. I doubt you will get gigging anytime soon unless someone books a gig and forces everyone's hand.

I hope she's going to use this mic for more than gigging. What PA are you putting it through? What type of gigs are you doing?

The SM58 is the Fender P of microphones.

Sennheiser e835 <£80

Most of the attack, definition and pitch information from bass is in the mid and high frequencies. Foam plugs will make the issue worse. In ear monitoring will probably be the only way to go if you've lost those frequencies. If you sing then you need the 'vented' ER plugs. They should allow the air to move around when you move your jaw and prevent the plugs from moving about.

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1367581645' post='2067172'] Ever wondered why we are all mad? [/quote] Well, it's certainly not because of men. Most of us spend hours out of the house and when we return the women are shouting at each other. I've come to the conclusion they just like complaining and arguing. I got shouted at for eating my crisps too loudly during Britain's Got Talent. They couldn't hear the TV. Apparently their constant nattering was inaudible...

I love the way a guy steps in and suggests they talk and compromise. Immediatiately a woman jumps in and shoots him down... Maybe he's given up 'compromising' and decided that the compromise was all one way. Maybe he's always been selfish but if that's the case, why did she marry him? They're all mad. We're all doomed.

Which is why I edit my videos to 2-3mins. Limit my photo albums to 12-24 pics like you used to get on film. People can dip in and dip out. I wouldn't expect anyone to spend days trawling through. I wrote a journal on our honeymoon. We drove across Canada. It's not a book, maybe 100words a day. Concise, humerous?, a simple reminder. I've maybe read it twice. It's there. My personal history is in my head but one thing I regret is not having photos of me during chemo. It was horrible and I felt and looked like death for nearly three years. I didn't want them then. I do now. I suspect there are some if I searched hard.

I have a recording on tape of a band I was in in 1987. I copied onto CD. It's a piece of my history. I can't recreate that music in any other way. The 'musicians' who made the recording are either pro, semi-pro, or have given up entirely. I would have to splash out some serious money to get a band to spend time transcribing and learning what are probably half decent songs. There's thousands of us like that. How many family photos do you have around? For £100 you could get someone to multi-track record a gig, take it away and produce a good 'warts an all' recording.

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1367437870' post='2065733'] I'm rehearsing regularly ATM (2 new members, and some new material) and thoroughly enjoying it. Am I just in a band, or am I actually in a band? [/quote] It really depends on why you're rehearsing. There are three scenarios. 1. You're rehearsing because you enjoy playing in a band. You might get some gigs but none of you are that bothered. 2. You're rehearsing because you have a solid plan, a list of songs, a list of potential gigs, and you all want to gig. 3. You're rehearsing because you think being in a band is a cool thing to tell your mates, you've discussed what tunes to play but can't really all agree on any definites, you've got big plans to do loads of gigs at big venues. Tomorrow. If it's 1 or 2, you're in a band, if it's 3, you're not.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1367420217' post='2065424'] You know... I'm starting to wonder if I'm the only one on here who LIKES rehearsing! The reason, I get to hang out with people I like and play music and have a laugh. Having done that we can go play some gigs too [/quote] That's not rehearsing. That's "being in a band". I do that on a Tuesday. It's fun, we don't need to do it, it gets us out of the house. My proper band are out gigging not in rehearsing.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1367400533' post='2065048'] ... Those with a few years under the belt know that all learning is done at home to the record, no made up "improved" guitar solos and no made up drum fills. The band only needs to come together to break the mojo of gigging, the material is learnt at home to the record in two or three blocks. These are things that take 30 years to learn. [/quote] I think the problem is we may have been playing in bands for 30years, but there is a vast difference in experiences. I've been in about 10bands and played with a few hundred musicians. If you need a written wish list then you probably haven't picked up the nessecary skills you need to spot and deal with fakers early. Essentially, everyone comes with their own merits and little foibles, including ourselves. Transport and pro gear are a given. Pro playing ability, ability to keep a diary and reply to messages in a timely manner are also a must. Coming to rehearsals having already practiced the required tunes to gig standard is also a must. Musicians are by definition, arty and aren't good at the organisational sides of things. So you have to work round that. Getting 4 people who enjoy the same music, want to play the same number of gigs, and in the right locations is another. However, set a timescale, 3 months to learn 20/30 tunes, get photos, record a demo video and get gigs. Then a rehearsal once a month to add new tunes if necessary. Communicate this with potential band members before even auditioning them. Weed out people who just want 'to be in a band' because 'being in a band' isn't what being in a band is all about.

Considering that women are supposed to be empathic, they all seem to missing the main points. Why does he want to spend all his time in a different room to her? Maybe she should spend less time on Mumsnet/FaceBook/CandyCrush/CoronationStreet whatever...

Doesn't the UX1 have two inputs? Get a DI box for your bass. Maplin do a cheap one and plug your bass into the XLR. Will save you unplugging and plugging in all the time. You can then record while playing along to the drums and mix later. Or whatever...

Whatever normal bass player's fee is. There are a lot of players out there who have good ears and a massive repertoire of songs. If you are serious about being a bass player you should be learning all the songs cover bands are ever likely to do anyway. Open YouTube and spend an hour a night learning tunes you don't know. This will become amazingly simple and easy to do the more you do it. Then when an opportunity comes up you're more likely to be able to cover it. Having played in cover bands for nearly 20 years, a few things to note. 1. Most bands cover the same songs. 2. Most bands play in the original key and format. If they don't then it makes their life harder when it comes to finding deps. 3. Most pop songs follow a simple format with simple repeated chord progressions. 4. You're the bass player, solos and intros are unlikely.

I know. I feel the same whenever I've finished something. There's always the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment but also an empty feeling that you can't put your finger on. Especially the day after an awesome gig. Maybe that's why I have so many unfinished jobs at home. It's the doing I like, not the end result.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1365691841' post='2043025'] Yamaha have made far worse and more amusing mistakes in their literature in the past. I'd suspect something as simple as a missing "0" in this case though. [/quote] They also tend to quote Max power for their outputs. Its a digital amp and split to two stages doing high and low frequencies. Digital amps have a habit of looking like they're creating energy, all that happens is they measure it differently at different frequencies. Use 100w.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1365790846' post='2044696'] No - post-everything. [/quote] So just turn the gain down then.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1365783071' post='2044543'] My amp doesn't have a mute, and the DI is post-everything. The silent jack works a treat fer me. [/quote] Pre-everything. That's a good point. If you're going straight into a DI box it might make sense.