WinterMute

If Rush can do it, and they used to, I see no issue with the triggering of parts from sequencer and click or organically from a drum pad or pedal, if you’ve built parts into a song you can’t physically play, and by that I mean extra guitar parts, loops or synth parts in bands with no keys player or BV’s sung by tracking up a single voice, then it makes sense to include that as part of your live show. If you’re lip syncing you have no business asking people to pay to see you. I’m going to except Kiss at this point, cos they’re old dinosaurs who’re retiring shortly, I’m going to see them for the chuckle and the kitch, don’t care if Stanley’s voice has gone, it’s a miracle his face still works with the amount of work that’s been done on it....

Best by far is my Musicman 20th Anniversary SR5, every bit as good as I’d hoped. Honourable mention to the GED2112 pre, which is a great bit of kit. I changed my back line from a Barefaced Big Twin T to a Phil Jones Super Flighcase, it’s not the same thing at all, but i’m Not playing live and I needed a good studio amp. Not really a disappointment, just a bit different.

It’s a conference mic, tuned for voices, not ideal. You’ll need 48v from your mixer, but this is a better bet: https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_c1_grossmembran_studiomikrofon.htm

I've got the 1000s, excellent studio headphone for the money, well built and don't sound at all bad. I don't mix or master on headphones, I do check mixes on them however, but the idea of "mastering" headphones for £50 is odd.

Unless you have an isolated shock mount, don't put anything on the frame... Use a decent cardioid condenser mic either pointing horizontally at the lid about 6-8 inches inside the case at about 18 inches height from the strings with the lid at the standard 45 degree angle, or pointing downwards towards the middle of the string bed further inside the case if you have spill issues, move the mic closer to the hammers to get more bite into the sound, and further away to get body. Get the mic as far from the string frame as you can if you employ the vertical method, essentially right up against the lid. You'll get some spill from the band, but that's unavoidable. Do not use an omni mic. If you are behind the PA, you should't suffer feedback, but watch for the LF. You might have some success with an SM57, but it's going to give you a much more localised sound, so if thats all you have, use 2 spaced across the string bed.

Here's some pics as promised:

Jon Stockman, Karnivool's Roquefort, 6 string Thumb I believe. Geddy Lee's Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures tone. Pastorius on Mitchell's Hejira and Shadows and Light. Tim Comerford's work with Audioslave. John Isley's tone on the first 2 Dire Straights albums Norman Watt-Roy on Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, or indeed anything he played on frankly. Mick Karn Sons of Pioneers. Tony Levin, too many to mention, Red Rain probably... Phil Lynott Dancing in the moonlight. I could go on...

Just wasn't using it, didn't think I'd get back to playing, then 3 years later ended up back onstage and recording again... usual story. I'm playing Musicman SR5's and Bongos now, and the music I'm playing suits the Stingray tone better I think, so it all worked out in the end. I'll dig those pics out tonight, mine had the gold hardware, but the same Schaller bridge and picks-ups.

This is a vintage Thumb, I had a 5 string with the same bridge and EMG set up, made in 87 I think, one of the first 5 strings. They really were something special. Sold mine to a collector in the states, and still wish I hadn't. I've got some pics somewhere I'll see if I can't find them.

It's on Reverb too, better photos. Doesn't look any prettier.

Yep. However you could probably scrape enough DNA off the fretboard to clone the great man...

Claiming to be from the redoubtable Mr. Giblin's collection, this is a slightly battered Rosco Beck, defretted, but at a cracking price currently... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Roscoe-Beck-5-string-Fretless-Bass/292834513076?hash=item442e4c10b4:g:d7wAAOSwdzhb~AWF:rk:23:pf:0

Haven’t used FireWire for a while, as I don’t have a FireWire equipped computer anymore, my interface is a Clarett 8preX Thunderbolt 2 and I have a Tb2 audio drive, and UAD expander. All the other drives and peripherals are USB3 now, apart from the S3 which uses the Eucon protocol over Ethernet. I drive my summing mixer from a Ferrofish A16 which uses the ADAT optical interface in the 8preX, it’s very latent though so I don’t use it when tracking. The plan is to replace the 8preX and A16 with a Red8pre, still using TB2 so I can track through the summing mixer.

That’s the Avid S3 I mentioned.

What he said....

Paul McCartney... Brilliant bassist, Paperback Writer is almost lead bass. He's fluid and melodic and integrates with his bandmates very well indeed. Generally can't stand anything he's ever had anything to do with, Beatles included... While My Guitar Gently Weeps excepted.

Lovely people and great kit, met Alex at the old unit when I picked up my Big Twin 3 or 4 years ago, sadly it had to move on when I quit gigging as the studio isn’t big enough for a cab that size. If I ever return to the stage it’ll be with a BF cab behind me.

The station car park is often a good bet for the O2, much cheaper and there are generally spaces as the commuters go home. It's Pay n Display, and it's not expensive (for London). I think it's the first left turn after turning right to the main car parks.

I used to think Warwick Thumbs were the business, had an '87 5 string for years, but recently I've become a MusicMan convert, I have a 5 string Bongo which is a beast, and an "SR5" fretless which is a bit of a Frankenstein, but the neck is proper MM and it's very good. Then I bought a 20th Anniversary SR5 from this very parish, and it is, without doubt, my perfect bass. Now all I need is to find a fretless that works as well, apparently there were less than 50 fretless 20th anni's made, so I'm not holding my breath.

dbx 160x overeasy if you can find one at a decent price, as Ace says, sit it on the FX loop. If you're flush, get a Distressor...! http://www.empiricallabs.com/distressor.html Both brilliant bass compressors, live and studio.

Sorry, didn't mean it didn't divide opinion, it clearly does, I meant there's no detrimental effect to running a stereo amp bridged into a correct load. You'd have no problem running into your 6x10, it just won't put out the same level as a 4 Ohm loading cab.

It really doesn't, running an underpowered amp into a high ohmage load will kill then output caps faster, and bass amps have to work hard, so they do have a tendency to fail earlier, but there's no issue running an amp bridged. I made up a Speakon for my Crown XLS to my BF, it was a 4 pole, but it's not the same at either end, one end goes to the amp one to the cab, you have to have it the right way round. Alex at Barefaced pointed me in the right direction.

Thanks gents, very useful.

Any user know if the input stage will handle a preamp output? I have a PJB Super Flightcase and run the GED2112 into it with no problem, so I'm hoping it'll be good. Looks like I'll be moving to Australia for a year, can't ship a ton of stuff and the BH would be great.