Jack

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1492068051' post='3277554']If you want to get the maximum out of your current computer try the following: 1. Make sure you aren't running any applications other than your DAW program. 2. Turn off Bluetooth and WiFi 3. Unplug any USB peripherals that aren't actually being used for making music. For a laptop that should be everything except your audio interface, and external audio drive if you are using one (you really should be). 4. If you are feeling really brave make sure you are complete disconnected from the internet and turn off your anti-virus programs. Don't forget to turn them back on when before you reconnect! Does your version of Cubase have meters for showing the amount of processor and disk usage while it is running? These can be invaluable in tracking down performance bottlenecks. IME the biggest performance boost you can give a laptop is to replace the system drive with an SSD, and then buy a big fast external USB 2 or 3 drive to store all your audio files on.[/quote] [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1492006091' post='3277114']Do you absolutely need the portability of a Laptop? IME for the same price as you would pay for a laptop you can get a desktop machine and a 24" monitor with far more performance and power. You also get a lot more options for audio interfaces if you are not just relying on the USB ports a laptop has. Having said all that unless you are intending to go out a buy a couple of huge orchestral libraries and run 50+ tracks of that with multiple instance of convolution reverb plug-ins, anything with an i5 processor, SSD drive, and at least 16GB of RAM should do.[/quote] I know that plenty of people run music production software in laptops (even mid specced laptops) just fine but if you're wanting the best bang for buck then joining the pc master race is the way forward. When I think about how little I spent on my pc and what that would (or wouldn't) have bought me in a laptop it's unbelievable. I'm much more of a pc nerd than I am a bass nerd, but there's no replacement for horsepower if you're trying to record anything at all complicated. If you really, really need a laptop then some of Dell#s offerings (I have a Latitude 7420 for work) are brilliant. But considering you need a some (albeit not THAT much) processing power, lots of memory and hard disk space, desktops are the way forward. Difficult to get a ssd scratch disk and then a 4tb storage disk in a laptop. TL:DR - Dell Latitude! But ideally a PC if you don't need the portability.

Got a standard American Precision that I took out of my USA P?

A few of the Palmer ones will fit underneath too. But yeah, rubber feet and all....

With most wireless units you need a short cable to a belt pack or something. You still do really with the SmoothHound, just you have the option of going commando if you fancy it.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1490539143' post='3265774'] Well the reason why wives/girlfriends/boyfriends/partners go to every gig, is not because they are huge fans of their other half's band, it's because they don't trust them to be away from them and having fun, in the 'dens of iniquity', that are most music venues. My sister never went to any of my brother-in-law's gigs (she was never a big fan of music) until he ended up having an affair with a regular punter. After that 'incident' she became his bands biggest fan (she didn't let him out of her sight for about 5 years after that). [/quote] [quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1490557595' post='3265983'] Re the trust issue: my wife is quite often asked, "Don't you mind him being out doing this?", with the obvious nod to the, in my case, female element of the audience. These days, her answer (not yet deployed, but ready) is, "He doesn't know what [i]I'm[/i] doing while he's out..." So the trust issue has to work both ways. [/quote] [quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1490562261' post='3266037'] Ive played nearly 70 gigs with my current band and my wife has been to 2 of them. Partly because we have kids and limited babysitters and partly because she hates out genre of music. Every morning after a gig the first thing she asks me is how many women were at out gig las night. [/quote] Even for a traditional relationship (marriage, some of you??) that amount of jealousy seems odd to me. Is it normal for monogamy?

Mine lives in a Crumpler camera pouch that is mounted on my strap.

Any solid state head will be perfectly happy without a speaker cabinet attached. That then leaves to just find one that you like and that has a headphone output. What do you have currently and what do you like/dislike about it? Basic recommendations for: Gallien-Krueger MB200, HoTone Nano Legacy Thunder Bass, TC Electronic BH250.

I'm with you guys. I have a Smooth Hound too, and so all of my pedals are set to use the level from that. I bought a buffer so that when I plug in with a cable rather than the wireless it all sounds the same. Previously going into the first pedal just with a cable from the guitar sounded awful! It could be tweaked to sound great obviously, but then all my settings were messed up. Got first world problems? Buy a buffer!

You want the list alphabetically or in order of severity? I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing one of those in action actually. It's a bit heavy, but apart from that (and it's not [i]that [/i]heavy) it looks like the perfect pub gig amp.

[quote name='2elliot' timestamp='1490428181' post='3265031'] Price is a bit rough though. [/quote] Similar to the GK Plex, Two Notes Le Bass, new Sansamp QStrip, etc. Of course, it'd have to be as good as those to justify it.

I quite agree. It's one thing saying that jacks worked great for years (and they did!) but so did 'dumb' phones, dialup internet and cars without seatbelts. There are other reasons as opposed to lack of height in the case though. I have been talking to Diedrich from GSS about the connectors used on their amps. He said that despite there looking like there's enough room for the connector, there is enough room for the profile of the connector, but not the depth inside the amp for the back part.

[quote name='No. 8 Wire' timestamp='1490886766' post='3268827'] Could this be achieved with a PJ bass, but wiring the the P pickup in parallel (or having a series/parallel switch). Would that give the P pickup more of a J flavour, especially when combined with the bridge pickup?? [/quote] That's what I was thinking. I've got a S1 bass from way back when and that was the idea. It's a decent enough impression. How does a Jazz bass [i]sound[/i] anyway?

If you just want the neck feel then it's easy enough to add a P neck to any jazz bass. If you want the full on precision but with jazz pickups then I think (and I'm happy to be corrected) it'll have to be a custom job. Plenty of people will make you one, [url="http://www.valentibasses.com/models.html"]such as the blue Valenti on the bottom of this page[/url].

Thanks Matt! No I haven't played Ovation before. It was the thin body that attracted me but I hadn't thought about the bowl aspect. I need to go play but the choice in the usual shops is dire as you're aware. I will check out the shops you mentioned.

[quote name='Jus Lukin' timestamp='1490526640' post='3265661'] Just spotted an ad for the Elf at Thomann, £250. [/quote] Between the TC, GK and the new Laney there's a far bit of competition in that price point now. They all have various advantages and disadvantages compared to the others but they're all similar. It's a good time to be a bassist!

Seeing as this thread is almost a year old may I ask for a slight hijack? [url="https://www.thomann.de/gb/ovation_ce48p_koab_elite_plus.htm"]I think I want this Ovation[/url]. What say you all? Situation is exactly the same as the OP's, me and the singer doing coffee shop/restaurant type stuff. Is something like this worth the extra over the cheaper instruments mentioned here? Main concerns are an electric-type neck and ideally a thin body but still looking traditional.

I spent a while auditioning them to try and find a powerful, forward one for a rock band and I ended up with the Dimarzio Will Power. YMMV.

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1490201141' post='3263203'] .... I recently changed from a perfectly good hatchback to an estate simply to make loading my gear in and out easier. Until recently, if it wasn't for playing in bands, I would have happily made do with a bike and no car. ... I don't know any other drummers (or anyone who plays in a band) who doesn't drive and own a suitable vehicle. [/quote] Tell me about it. Out with the Fiesta ST-3 and in with the Subaru Outback.