WinterMute

Latest from Alan, final checks and set-up shipping next week...!!

I'm not a big fan of either headless basses or single cut designs, but that Salace E makes perfect sense of both, what a cracking looking bass that is.

Electrets generally run on batteries as the voltages are so low, stuffing 48v up them can have hilarious consequences.

As a younger, angrier man, I detested Steely Dan, but I've mellowed somewhat and come to really appreciate their talent and songwriting, some monster playing throughout their career. Very cool to hear the variations on well know tunes.

I used to be able to get an 8x10, a 4x10, an amp and 2 basses in a Renault 19... Had to watch the chassis on speed bumps. I've also had a couple of Renault Megane Estates, dubbed "bass buses" brilliant little load luggers, the new one is good, but the version before that is cavernous with the back seats down. The obvious band car is a volvo estate of some description, but I find them a bit bland. I now have a Jag XF Sportbrake, which is very roomy, but about the same length as an InterCity 125.

Character, charisma, any discernible talent, stamina, dress sense.... I'm not a fan.

Old tapes shed oxide like a b*st*rd, some are better than others, the "metal" formulation being the best, you'd be advised to get a pack of cotton buds and a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol, then clean the heads very regularly, check for deposits on the heads and guide posts after each playback, I've had tapes dump oxide all over the shop. Don't apply isopropyl to the rubber parts, which are the capstan roller or rollers, depending on the mechanism.

Great result, congrats

Grab a second hand Line 6 Bass Pod XT, if you can find one, I've used mine in reserve for donkeys, it works brilliantly for emergencies.

Yep, instant investments, never be played in anger, what a shame.

Chorus on the main part, and distorted flange on the section you reference, it sounds like the flanger is feeding the distortion, not the the other way round, as flanged distortion sounds different.

Sorry, but if your bass sound is interfering with the mix so much that it need turning down one of two things is happening... 1. It's too loud, well done for spotting that. 2. You've not got your sound dialled in for the overall sonic footprint of the band/venue. 1. is a player issue, 2. is a mixing issue. There is absolutely no reason why a bass sound can't be present and aggressive and still play nicely with everything else, similarly there's no reason a good bass sound can't cut in a mix whilst being quiet and supportive. These are mix issues. Employ a HPF to remove anything under 25Hz (maybe as high as 40Hz) in the PA, watch your amplification of the 1-3Khz band, which is where a lot of clarity and articulation happen in vocals, don't boost HF with a shelf EQ, use a bell shape or a LPF to remove HF above 10-12k. You can employ similar approaches to guitars and keys, especially heavily distorted guitars that have a ton of LF in them, try HPF set to 75-150hz to let the bass sit underneath the guitars. HPF on keys is really useful, allowing space for all instruments to work in their natural ranges means you don't have to try so hard to get stuff to "cut".

The Coles are great, nit just for double bass, I use them as ambient room pics for kits and guitars too, lovely units. The Rupert Neve SE Electronic ribbons are good too, but the standout for me is the Sontronics Sigma 2, which is excellent, but not what you'd call cheap. Some ribbons are picky about their pre-amp pairings, certainly the Coles come alive with a variable impedance pre like the Neve 1073.

Rule of thumb is that your OS HD houses your plug-ins and DAW software etc, another HD holds libraries for synths samplers as they can get very big and a third drive is allocated as the project drive and holds all the audio/MIDI and arrangement data files. I think thats generally what you are planning to do anyway. Buss controllers become an issue, even USB 3 is a serial buss, so watch what you've got on the buss that your audio HD is on. I'd try to keep the Project HD off the common USB buss that the OS uses for keyboard and mouse etc. if you can. Try not to run external HD's off USB hubs unless they are low priority back up drives. Anti-virus software, or indeed firewall etc. can cause issues with DAWs, but you can usually resolve them.

When I was gigging, rack kit was simply more useful and easy to transport, I used the Bass Pod XT Pro for a few years, then the GED2112 Tech21 preamp with a Crown power amp and a Barefaced Big Twin, but after I stopped playing live they took up valuable space and slots in my small studio, so I swapped them out for an HX Stomp and a QSC K12.2. I think I sold the GED2112 for pretty much what I paid for it, same with the Big Twin but for a few quid, the Line 6 not so much... My Packhorse 4U rack case is now a cable and connectors box in the loft.

McCartney has to be on this list surely? Otherwise, Geddy Lee was the reason I picked up a bass, I was already singing, so learning to play whilst singing just made it natural for me, it's a skill I've neglected of late. Jack Bruce, Burke Shelley, Phil Lynott, Lemmy and Greg Lake.

If you're finding it a touch quiet, can I suggest plugging the amp in?

That's a thing of beauty, the detail that Alan brings to his work is absolutely first class.

What a great outcome, congrats.

It's just the gig, you play what the song demands that you play, if that's 16s in the pocket, you'd better be IN that pocket. I heard Angus Young say that his brother was a much better guitarist than he was, but didn't want to play lead as that would have interfered with his drinking. Rock n roll Cliff, rock n f*ck*ng roll.

We've all seen quite enough of Toyah in that kitchen I think.... Really looking forward to this.

I'm running an HX Stomp into a QSC K12.2, and I have to say, it's brilliant, I play 5 string and it handles the B very well, I was a bit sceptical about it as I came down from a Barefaced Big Twin T and a Crown power amp, but it's been faultless so far. I can't comment on the 10" version, I'm sure it's very good, I like 12" speakers...

Currently all my basses are keepers for various reasons, the Bongo was a surprise 50th pressie from my best mate and is such a beast it'd be a keeper anyway, the 20th Anniversary SR5 is a brilliant unit that I waited a decade to get hold of and has proved to be almost perfect, and the Frankenstein fretless SR5 isn't a bass anyone would want probably, so it'll hang around until it doesn't, it's a surprisingly good guitar for being cobbled together from bits and pieces.

I've always found playing fretless changes my playing style somewhat, I'm a very aggressive player on a fretted bass, striking the strings very hard to get attack and plenty of clang. Playing fretless makes me back that off a bit and get more laid back and (possibly) more melodic... I played unlined to begin with, had a lovey Wal Pro 1 at one point in the 80's, but now have a defretted SR5 and I found the lines do help with my less than perfect intonation. I've gotten used to having them now and the rather beautiful fretless that Alan at ACG is building for me has lines. Of late I've been working with much more distortion in my fretless sound, which I'm really getting behind. It's a different way of playing for me, I like it a lot for some tracks, not so much for others.

EBMM SR5 20th anni or an SR5 fretless DI'd into an RND Shelford Channel linked to an HX Stomp. Before that it was a Line 6 Bass Pod XT Pro rack. Been down the modelling rabbit-hole for a while now, haven't recorded with a stage "rig" for a decade. Quite a lot of work in the mix, usually the UAD2 Distressor comp, or an LA2A limiter, a touch of Thermionic Culture Vulture and OXFR3d EQ for HPF and shaping. Latest results here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/newtonswake/non-est-deus-ex-machina