Leonard Smalls

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1439205366' post='2840751'] A BIAB demo track... [url="https://soundcloud.com/dad3353/biab-casio"]BIAB Casio ...[/url] [/quote] Excellent! I'm quite tempted now... I assume you can isolate and import instruments individually?

A snippet of Dredd and the Badass Weeds live in Sheffield; sound's off a mobile phone so could be better! [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WRGw-D08Gc[/MEDIA]

I've heard that there's also reduced latency with W10 but haven't tried it yet...

Be very afraid... There's flute, some sitar, tablas with a housey backbeat and a whole lot of bass. Them tigers are damned funky!

If you hung round in the recording forum, or on the monthly compo compos you'd be used to grass growing through the cracks and the gentle whoosh of tumbleweed blowing past...

As Bilbo says, you can't beat a good bass solo... I prefer one with a groove going on behind it, which goes somewhere and has some sort of reason behind it (even if that reason is only that it sounds excellent!). For me, the best bass solos are by Bootsy as they're always in context, the show builds to it and it sounds like no-one else. Like this - bass solo has a short build up from 4'50" on; there's a good 8 minutes of it with vocal interludes and it's all pretty darned awesome in the true sense of the word! [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YuSo7467mA[/MEDIA}

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1438845445' post='2837838'] Anyway, Neon Womb is a classic. [/quote] Aye! I even like The Blue Meaning album as well... Nice to see pay to play is alive and well though!

I've made a start as well... And it's got sitars too!

We used to go to Olivers for late drinks... They were often free!

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1438521173' post='2835108'] The worry is that they've taken the earth spike away and his mains are now earthed through the spikes in the other houses. Which sounds to me is exactly what has happened. [/quote] A PME has a maximum earth loop impedance at the house main earth terminal of 0.35ohms. Which is why, from a safety point of view it's the preffered option - RCDs are guaranteed to work quickly (i.e. 15 or so milliseconds on average). If a sparky removes a TT earth (i.e. a spike) and replaces it with a TNCS (i.e. earth connected to supply neutral) they have to clear it with the power distribution company first who'll determine if this system is suitable - i.e. if there's sufficient multiple earths between supply transformer and house to be supplied (the supply neutral is earthed at a number of points, not just through the centre tap of the supply transformer). If they say OK then the sparky will measure the earth loop impedance where it enters the house (this is Ze) and at every outlet within the house (these are called Zs). The certificate he issues will have all these values recorded on them. So if there's no supply earth there's not likely to be a Ze value of less than 0.35...

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1438476653' post='2834830'] Quality , you still have it in spades dude [/quote] Why thank you, though Keith The Pope gives everybody a run for their money... I even used the Parker bass as it was somehow more ecclesiastical:

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1438466575' post='2834777'] Is there anything in current regs to say you cant keep the earth rod or fit a new one in the same place, and have PME es well ? Might be a good compromise and wouldnt cost the earth. Much better to find the source and eliminate/ supress it it that to try and supress the amp though isnt it ? [/quote] There's nowt that says you can't have an earth rod and a PME. However, the house earth would still be at 0V effectively with respect to neutral becausae of the PME system. There's also the added possibility that if there's a supply neutral fault all your neighbour's ground paths would be through your earth rod... If the fault is caused by RFI, the old earth may have been of high enough resistance to actually be at a higher voltage with respect to neutral, and so mask any lower rfi voltages. However, a lower earth loop impedance means higher prospective fault cuurents - a good thing as it means RCDs, MCBs and fuses operate faster. If RFI is the problem, a decent filter such as the F3 Micro (http://www.evoaudio.uk/wychwood.htm) would sort it. But as RFI is quite a large problem on mains I don't understand why manufacturers don't put effective filtration in the power supplies of amplifiers...

I've recently discovered that there's software which will play along with you and even add a solo in almost any given style... Is it basically just a question of inputting a time sig,keys/melody, style, instruments and type of sound and off you go or is it complex programming or full musical notation? And if so, which are best?

Well done Mr Discreet! Nice to have some good'n'rockin compositions! Now where's the next picture? PS get well soon Douglas!

I'd test the leads then check the wires in the guitars... Then check if there's a problem with the input on the amp. Easy way to do this is just use another amp! And if the earths etc are all properly connected in the amp it may also be possible you've got dirty mains - a DC offset can cause problems with certain types of transformer. This can be removed with a dc blocker/mains filter power block though they're £50+. Do you have any hifi equipment, and does it buzz?

Has the amp ever had a Portable Appliance Test? Is the guitar lead shielded and is there continuity on all conductors? Could there be a loose lead in the guitar itself? If there's an earth issue on only one item of equipment it's likely to be the equipment itself that's at fault. I assume the new house earth is a PME system of some sort (i.e. earthed via the supply neutral)? If so your sparky will have given you a certificate with test results; this will hopefully show that your new earth loop impedance (i.e. the a.c. resistance from your house to the supply transformer) is less than 0.35ohms, which means that anything that's properly earthed won't be able to build up sufficient voltage between neutral and earth to give audible (or dangerous!) problems. It could also be that there's something else on the house power circuit which is interfering with guitar/amp, such as computer switch mode power supplies, electric motors or fluorescent lights which may have been masked by the higher earth loop resistance of the old earth spike - these still comply with regs at 200ohms, and I've found them at over 1000!

I usually turn everything right down so it can only just be heard and play 2 notes. When he (and it usually is) moves onto the next instrument I turn everything back up again. That way I know the bass level will be about right once we start playing. Or at least I'm often very tempted to do that!

We played the Frog and Parrot in Sheffield as part of Tramlines... Went OK, apart from having only 15 minutes changeover between bands, which meant no soundcheck and limited space meant I couldn't bring my own amp with rack compressor and pre. So as soon as I went to distorted wah for one song there was enormous feedback with no time to reprogramme my FX pedals for less gain. However, as one punter said "I don't know what it is, but I f*8%£$* love it!" We dressed as clergy:

Or was it the Bear and Billet? When you get to my age etc...

Olde Kings Head eh? I used to meet Sgav and Dross there during the punk days... Will you be doing "Maggie" by the Exploited or "Too Drunk" by the Dead Kennedys?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1437562800' post='2827015'] Or smack him smartly across the nose with a rolled-up newspaper and say firmly, 'NO!' ...'NO!' [/quote] It's long been accepted that the best way to train a guitarist is by positive affirmation, rather than by rubbing his nose in the stench he's made. So if he's good, give him a treat. This will, of course, vary depending on the type of band. If it's 70s style rock covers, a Werther's Original or barley sugar will suffice. If it's mathcore or something similarly young then Haribo or cheesestrings will have to do.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1437570354' post='2827132'] Having said that, there is the simple fact that the doulbe bass and electric bass sit in radically different places in the sonic mix and, for most Jazz fans (and Jazz musicians are all Jazz fans), the double bass sounds better in terms of it sitting at the bottom of the ensemble sound and holdin it together. The electric sits higher up and further forward and creates what is essentially a completely different effect and which also leaves a gap at the bottom. [/quote] You can place an electric bass anywhere in the mix with either pedals or eq! The simple fact is that double and electric bass sound different; they have a different tone, attack, intonation, overtones etc, but both have a place in jazz, though for those who believe that jazz ended in 1963 electric is heresy! Funnily enough I was taking a couple of beer barrels back to our local pub today and was introduced to a jazz muso type - though it wasn't stated what he actually did. Somehow the conversation got onto Jaco Pastorius - this chap would not accept that he was in any sort of jazz band, nor that he was a bassist of any sort - "he's a rhythm guitarist" he asserted! For me, jazz is about innovation and skill - in other words it's alive, not something that stopped 50-odd years ago - though that's not to denigrate past glories. They did their thing - it was cool. Now new folks do their thing and it's cool as well. Talking of which, here's Hiromi with my favourite guitarist (electric!!!!) [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXsuPkyFQuQ[/MEDIA]

And mustn't forget Jamaaladeen Tacuma and my brother Derek.

Bootsy Les Claypool Bill Laswell Norman Watt-Roy Stanley TheManley Jah Wobble Klaus Flouride Larry Graham Cordell Mosson Flea

Talking of Ron, here's one my favourites by him - just love the intonation of those BC Rich Warlock basses: [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lgrQnX9fHg[/MEDIA]