Boodang

I well remember seeing HF playing with Sky. Was so inspired I’ve played all my gigs sitting on a bar stool ever since! With everything he’s ever done, I’ve even forgiven him for writing grandad’! What a legend.

In a similar move I now do all processing off bass with an xr18. It’s small but gives me access to classic compressors, eq’s and effects plus a full parametric eq if I want it. I bought the xr to use live and recording with a band but I’ve got so attached to the processing power, and the sound I get from the processor modelling, that I use it when it’s just for me… including when I’m out with the ekit.

There seems to be a common misconception that onboard eq somehow works with the bass in some magic way that an amp or pedal can’t. Electrically there’s no real difference between a short wire from a pickup to a slightly longer one to an amp or pedal (cable capacitance aside for these short distances). The electronics don’t know where they are located. One of the downsides of onboard preamps is size and power constraints. An amp, pedal or rack doesn’t have such limitations. Send a signal straight from your bass (blend pups to suit, no other eq) to your amp, pedal or rack and you’ve potential got more control. However, like anything it’s all in the ears. If you like the sound of an onboard eq then you’re sorted. But eq’ing off bass has no downsides either. Whatever frequencies are produced by your bass will be present at the amp, pedal or rack equipment for you to manipulate.

Just use a 7 band eq on your pedal board, simple. More versatile & cheaper than onboard, plus any bass you have can use it. Get something like the Source Audio EQ and you’ll have presets to recall.

Subjective of course, but a recent discovery for me for funkier sounds is the use of phasors, which I find preferable to envelope filters. Currently using an Aguilar grape phasor and Warm Audio Mutation. Together they sound super funky. Out of interest with the re-ordering of effects, with the hpf after the octaver, will this have the effect of the octaver producing a sub frequency and then the hpf taking it out? Or is it more subtle than that?

Sorry.... I was referring to 'shine on' (obviously!). It's sort of there but something about the vocal melody just doesn't seem to cut it. Maybe it just feels too familiar, or maybe I should listen to it without watching the video! I always thought Anderson was the epitome of a vocalist who didn't know what to do with himself on stage when he wasn't singing.

I’m an early Yes fan but to me the vocal melody line on this one sucks. And the lyrics just a little too obvious?

Give this a go!

I used to play alto sax many years ago, great fun, so keep it up. Maybe start with a horn section, easier parts and not soloing. I did take up playing drums a while ago. I just kept it as a bedroom hobby for many years as I just enjoyed it but then one day just decided to have lessons with a teacher (as opposed to online) and that propelled me forward in leaps to the point where I found a covers band 2 years ago and threw myself in the deep end. Kept it simple and faked it to begin with but two years of learning all types of songs, some hard work and more lessons, and I'm doing more gigs on drums than bass now. Definitely worth the effort plus I think it's improved my bass playing with a deeper understanding of rhythms. I'm not saying I have nothing more to learn on bass, far from it, but I do like a new challenge to keep things fresh. Oh, plus more musically toys to buy, so a result!

Well, had a thought and at that price range I think I’ve narrowed it down to my top 2000 basses. As you might have guessed you’re spoilt for choice. Some things to consider… do you like a narrow ‘jazz’ style neck, or a fatter ‘precision’? Coming from an upright might have an influence on that. Going to a well stocked shop might help sort that out and you might find that some BGs just feel right. As for generalisations, you’ll not go far wrong with Yamaha and obviously Ibanez has a lot to offer.

Two options; a EHX Tri mixer could switch in/out signal paths as could a Bright Onion A/B/Y switcher.

What ever works for you, so I’m not criticising, but the first thing that was said to me when I had lessons was ‘how many bass players do you know that find a D by going two frets back from the E’! A month of doing any note finder exercise will just nail it for life. We’re lucky we can play scales and arpeggios from pattern and just move them around but it so helps if the start points, the notes, are all just instantly visualised.

If it doesn't do it, you could always just get a EHX Freeze pedal.

Not particularly! I use a DI at home to go into my xr18, but that also has a high impedance input so it's not necessary. As for a preamp, I think the most flexible I had was the TC Electronic Spectra Drive. 4 band EQ but the clever bit is a toneprint enabled tube drive and compressor which means you have access to loads of overdrive and compressor types. Oh, it has a built in DI as well!

First exercise Joe Hubbard gave me back in the day; start with the low E note, then play every E on the E string, then A string, then D, then G.... then play them back down (as in reverse, high to low). Then move on to the F, F# etc until you've cover the lot. Sing the note each time. If it's a #, for instance F#, sing F# on the way up and Gb on the way down.

No worries. Conscious not to hijack the thread into a DI forum but.... in the studio I'll use a fancy pants DI but live I use the Radial SB-2 as it's passive, so not worrying about psu's, it's electrically indestructible and I reckon you could play football with it and it'll still work. Oh, and it sounds great too.

I agree wholeheartedly, I was just simplifying the matter in the context that a DI is not what is needed here. A DI is definitely going to have an effect, especially if you buy Radial as according to them the transformers they use have ‘magical’ qualities!

A DI won't make any difference to your sound. It's either for sending a signal to the PA or recording.

Worth it just to have a pedal with knobs labelled faster, harder, louder!

A HX Stomp would potentially replace your entire board as a 'one box' solution but depends if you're happy with the digital style editing that comes with a mutli fx pedal..... and indeed if you like the sounds you can get from the Stomp as it's not cheap. For a straight forward DI to put at the end of your signal chain I can recommend the Radial SB-2 Stagebug; passive, so nothing really to go wrong, with an Eclipse transformer (according to the Radial blurb, the transformer is 'magical'!!). If you want more punch from your bass, check out the review I did recently of the Dod Meatbox reissue. Just using a little of the Octave out (not the sub synth output as this kills speakers!) I found gave a nice push in the low frequencies without sounding artificial.

I gave up using the x-air app almost immediately and got Mixing Station which has proved to be stable and so much better. I did cry a little when i handed over the cash for the x-touch but actually it's proved a worthwhile investment and I wouldn't want to be without it now.

A tech would soon sort that.... also, you could just bin off the active pre amp and use passive permanently to save on battery induced anxiety.

As for the xr18, do you have the x touch controller or are you just relying on software? I had issues at a gig once with software crashes and WiFi not working… never again and got the hardware so no more worries.

Is turning up to play with a tablet any different to a classical musician turning up with sheet music?! Just a thought.