leroydiamond

8 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

The point I was trying to make was that, in my experience, if a Markbass, unit goes faulty you are in for a hefty repair bill. Only one authorised service centre. This does not always mean there is a problem. Music Tribe (Behringer et all) also have a policy, like Markbass (one that I believe is illegal), to withhold all service information form anyone but the Authorised Service Agents but at least the Beringer Service agent is as helpful as can be, subject to the constraints that Music Tribe hold them to.

 

Its not about whether it does go wrong, rather that if it does, it is uneconomical to repair.

As are the vast majority of micro heads, where component replacement is incredibly challenging, due to the multi layered pcb. Board replacement is often the only option and this comes at a cost, that may well persuade the end user to bin the unit and replace it. This is true for many consumer electronic items. Markbass' decision to not make schematics available to end users, however unpopular it might be, is no doubt an effort to protect their IP ,as it has become more and more common for electronic items to be copied by manufacturers located in countries with low labour costs and questionable regulation. It allows such manufacturers to bring a cheap product to market as they can skip the significant cost of R&D.

Despite their best efforts, a quick Google and I found this.

https://elektrotanya.com/mark_bass_parsek_little_mark-ii_manual.pdf/download.html

2 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

The LM2 was last made in 2008. The LM2 and LM3 have been amongst the biggest selling heads for many years now, so the fact that we are seeing failures shouldn't be a surprise and doesn't indicate a latent fault. There will be many thousands of LM2 and LM3 out there and all will give up the ghost eventually.

Used a LM 2, Markbass F500 and Markbass F1 for many years full on every week and they never missed a beat. 

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Ah, from memory we do

 

Devils Bleeding Crown - Volbeat

This Corrosion - Maryslim version

Runaway - Bon Jovi

Stargazer, Tarot Woman, I Surrender - Rainbow

Dazed & Confused - Led Zep

Wayward Son - Kansas

Its So Easy, Live & Let Die - Guns N Roses

Out in The Fields - Gary Moore

Holy Diver - Dio

 

And just about to do Fairies Wear Boots by Black Sabbath

Great set list and you will need a cracking singer to get them songs over the line. If you get that guy, it should be great fun.

25 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

It is common, and yes, those people who bow out are the people who want to actually gig and finally realise that despite promises, it is not going to happen. They are not the better for it, they have pretty well wasted their time.

 

 

Indeed. Check the intentions of the people you are joining a band with to ensure they align with yours.

 

 

 

The people bowing out, or indeed being asked to leave, can knuckle down, practice and become a better musician as a result of the experience, such as the scenario with Blackmore, Paice and Lynott. Hardly a waist of time.

In my experience, band members at the outset can have varying intentions, in many regards, but the some of the parts can result in a really good outcome. Even tensions between members can be acknowledged and contribute to the creative process. Plenty of examples.

14 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

WOW i didn't know that about Lynott and Blackmore / Paice. BC is a hive of information.

Cheers

Dave

How interesting it would have been if it worked out. Then again if it had, we would not had Thin Lizzy at their prime. 

29 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

 

 

What your describing is exactly the opposite of what we are saying here. If you join a band knowing they are not gigging, that is fine and would have no issues with that (and probably wouldn't join).

This is referring to a group that you have joined after being told the intention is to gig, and then people always coming up with a reason you can't and putting it off. That IS soul destroying. 

Not always. It is a common occurrence that can often result in people bowng out, being replaced, the show going on the road and everyone being the better for it. For many, It is the cut and thrust of being a musician. Plenty of lessons can be learned from such a scenario.

Happens to the best.

https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-of-baby-face-the-supergroup-that-almost-was

Who are the 'we' you refer to?

10 hours ago, TimR said:

 

 

What is incredibly soul destroying is getting involved in a band who rehearse but never gig because they're either rehearsing inefficiently or certain members get stage fright and just want to get together with mates.

 

Then there's musicians who only want to play to friends and family and not travel anywhere. Hard work.

 

 

No it is not. I once played bass in a band purely for the purposes of rehearsing tunes knowing that gigging was extremely unlikely. It was about a mental health struggle that one of the members was going through and keeping in touch with his playing helped so much in his recovery. Stage fright was a trait he had even before his mental health struggles. What is incredibly soul destroying for you can be incredibly empowering for others. We are all different and exist in different sets of circumstances.

We ended up doing a few gigs for friends and family. It was the making of him. Everyone benefited. Hard work for him but worth every minute of it.

2 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

That's interesting. Which amps suited those basses better for you?

Kustom KXB 500

6 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

I find that my Markbass amps work equally well with my Fenders (both passive and active), Rickenbacker, Hofner, Gibson, Spector, Musicman, Ibanez, Kala, Tanglewood and Tom Clement basses. 

Together with my Sadowsky, my  Jaydee and Yamaha fretless never got me excited when plugged into Markbass amplification, but the Fender jazz did it every time. I have been through several micro heads and the the now discontinued Kustom KXB500 is my pick of the bunch. Outstanding.

8 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Agree, for some reason Fender & Markbass seem to work well together and produce a very reassuring bass sound.

That was my experience. My Fender Jazz just worked so well with Markbass amplification, particularly when favouring the bridge pick up, with the tone rolled off a tad. However the scooped voicing of my Sadowsky sounded thin and lacked any balls.

The synergy between bass guitar and amplification is an important element that can get overlooked. 

13 hours ago, lemmywinks said:

I've heard great sounding players, terrible ones and everything inbetween regardless of amp choices. Last wedding band I saw (they had just a pair of small Turbosound tops, no sub) the bass player was using a bog standard passive Jazz through a MarkBass AC combo plonked on the floor and he filled the room with it, sounded huge with loads of body and definition.

 

I have witnessed this on a few occasions, most recently a young lady playing a Fender Precision Lyte and Mark bass combo. Tasty player and superb tone. 

I have been through several class d amps and the cheap and cheerfull Kustom KXB500 knocked them all out of the park

28 minutes ago, Skybone said:

I know where you're coming from @leroydiamond, and totally agree that you just can't beat listening to a whole album. Skipping tracks meant having loads of skill lifting the needle off the record at just the right moment, and more crucially, having the steady hand and skill to put it back at just the right place. Fast Forwarding tapes was a whole other black art!  

 

Like I said, I like Moving Pictures, it's just that for me, Permanent Waves worked better as an album. 

 

There's no dispute that Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, Limelight and YYZ are amazing songs, but I always thought that the other songs weren't as strong. 

 

Again, just my opinion.

Total respect for your opinion. Without different opinions we have little to discuss. For me when listening to an album it is the some of the parts, rather than the parts themselves that generate the flavour of the overall album listening experience. When I listen to an album, the impact of one track in isolation to the rest, gets very little traction at all and this is particularly the case when listening to 'prog' albums 

42 minutes ago, Skybone said:

As a big Rush fan, I always thought that, although Moving Pictures has some great songs, it's also got a few that aren't that great. 

 

Always thought that Permanent Waves was a far better album, even though it was very underrated.

 

But what do I know?

Probably my age (60) but for me and my peers, listening to albums was always done from beginning to end and opinions arrived at from the experience of having heard the album in its entirety. Probably had to do with having analogue sources back in the day and no digital alternatives, so skipping tracks was not a convenient option. Tracks in isolation might well have not worked, but as a piece on the listening Journey from the beginning to the end of the album,  such tracks can be a crucial part of the overall listening experience. In this regard  for me at least, Moving Pictures gets 10/10. 

4 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Sounds good, will give it a listen then. It was Genesis trick of the tail which put me off remasters, in that it completely broke Ripples which is one of my favourite tracks. However, some of the Steven Wilson remasters have been good.

I downloaded Moving Pictures 40th in Hi Res audio. An old vinyl pressing I have sounds considerably better. Remasters are not always all they are cracked up to be.

Great cab. Best I have ever used. GLWS

7 hours ago, LewisK1975 said:

The first UK Lockdown in 2020 was a turning point for me.  I had done my last gig in Feb / March 2020 just before the pubs closed, then I remember during August they were talking about re-opening the pubs and I realised after 5/6 months off, I hadn't missed gigging at all, which had to be telling me something, right?  So I made the decision to quit the bands I was in there and then.  As it turned out, live music wasn't allowed in the pubs anyway, so I hadn't left anyone in the lurch, so to speak.

I stopped a year before lockdown for what I thought would be a short break. Fully expected to be back at it, but to my surprise, I put my bass down and never went back to it. Enjoying life more than ever. Getting away at weekends and regular holidays whenever I please. Guess I was playing for many years and it was time for a change. I just did not realise it till I stopped.

3 hours ago, Dr.Dave said:

I find people from all walks of life are basically fin de cloches who get on my thre'pennies so I can't hate gigging for that. In fact I don't hate gigging at all but I do find one huge disadvantage of being a player is that can't just sit back and enjoy music anymore. I have to pick it apart etc etc. It seems to be my nature , though , to be creator rather than consumer so I suppose it was inevitable. 

Spot on. That was the same for me when I was actively gigging. After 40 years of it, I stopped and since then I really enjoy listening to music, in way that just was not possible when I was gigging. I go to gigs now and could not give a toss about the bass player, what gear he is using etc. I am a punter now and my point of reference for how I receive music is completely different from when I played and I prefer it this way.

6 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

Then you have missed your true calling.

Though I would have a preference for one over the other, thankfully I have no need or desire to do either.  

8 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

If you were being called out to unblock drains you'd probably want all of the band's pay and a bit more.

I would gladly unblock drains quicker than play 'Sex on Fire' and the like. 

8 minutes ago, leroydiamond said:

 

5 hours ago, TimR said:

 

Yes. And still have to do the boring stuff. 

And being well paid to do so unlike musicians

2 hours ago, TimR said:

 

Yes. And still have to do the boring stuff. 

The boring stuff is alot more palatable, when you are getting very well paid to do it.

1 hour ago, TimR said:

Surely being a musician is the same as every job. 

 

There's extremely boring parts to everyone's job that we just have to knuckle down and get done. 

 

A load of people like to compare us to call out plumbers. I'm guessing a lot of call outs plumbers go to are unblocking drains or stopping floods. Hardly exciting new problems and creatively designing new installs. 

Call out plumbers get paid substantially more that the 'weekend warrior's bass player playing the pub or club scene around these parts. 

12 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

There are musicians beyond count that learn and practise their chosen instruments, or sing, or compose, in the privacy of their homes, with no intention nor desire to perform in public. Maybe, perhaps, for a family event or a social evening, but not 'gigging' in the accepted sense of regular outings, often for money. I suspect, but cannot prove, that there are more amateur musicians than gigging ones on the planet. 

That, together with musicians posting videos on YouTube and the like. There is a guitar player nearby who has built up a decent YouTube following and sells lessons online. Makes a decent living from the comfort of his own livingroom. He has no desire to gig.