WinterMute

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1357049613' post='1916729']
There's absolutely no problem in wanting to be an entertainer. The irritating moment begins when the clown not only fools himself but tries to convince others of his artistic integrity.
[/quote]

Artistic integrity is a great thing for those that can afford it, or those who give a toss about it, the music industry hocked it's integrity for drugs and hookers many years ago however....!

I think there's a lot of bollocks spouted from both sides of this argument, and that the truth, as ever lies somewhere in the middle.

It's the enjoyment of the music that counts above all else, and that means satisfying your audience and yourself.

[quote name='stoker' timestamp='1356975113' post='1915943']
What about an OLP?
[/quote]

If you can find one, the Tony Levin sig model is very, very good and cheap too.

Very interesting thread till people start taking things personally.

I've played 5 string basses since 1987, had one of the first Warwick Thumb 5ers and beautiful she was, thing is that I don't play covers or in tribute acts, where I could see the need for a specific look or sound, I play originals or as session in the studio (I'm a recording engineer by trade) and I need an instrument that gives me the sound regardless of the look. I have small hands, so I'm physically limited to the basses I can play comfortably, the Thumb was perfect, but I sold it several years ago when I thought I'd finished with playing. I now play SR5 derivatives, as I have limited funds to put an effective rig together. (see the sig)

The thing is I find the basses I have deliver the sound that I want with playability and comfort, and currently that means 5 string SR5, I'd love to try a good 6er if I could find a neck my hands could cope with, and I've played the Chapman NS Stick 8 string, which was fascinating.

I'd like to comment on another aspect of "authenticity" too, which is amp/fx snobbery. I use a bass pod XT pro as my main tone generator in the rig, I've used them for years in the studio and they are great units, but very difficult to manage if you're used to bass, middle, treble tone controls. I've had many conversations with other players about modelled bass sounds, and most of them wouldn't touch a Pod even before they've actually heard one.

My guitarist uses a Variax guitar, the latest floor unit from Line 6 and their combos, the switching and shaping options are enormous, the detuning and fx options alone are massive, yet I know players who deride the technology because it isn't a Marshall or an Ampeg or whatever.

My business is audio, I'll use whatever I need to in order to get the sound for the song, don't much care what it is, I've had ampeg, GK, Trace kit personally and almost every kind of unit in the studios over the years, and I keep coming back to technology to get the sounds I need. Tools for the job I guess.

Anyway, my current rig and guitars is the most versatile, most powerful and flat out loudest rig I've ever used, it's like taking the studio into the gig and I love it.

I'm sure I wouldn't get the Sex Pistols tribute gig, but give me a few minutes and I'll sound like Sid.

Style over substance? Sure, thats a fair description of elements of the music industry. If you don't like it then don't do it, but don't slag someone off for going ahead and wearing the silly costumes and learning the dances and playing the bass that suits the look, that's entertainment.

I've been a player for 30 odd years, and a recording engineer for the last 25 or so, I've recorded almost every combination of cabs and amps over the years and the Barefaced cabs I've seen in the flesh are certainly up there with the absolute best.

I've recorded a super 12T and I now own a Big Twin T, the BGT has changed the way I think about bass backline, and I now treat my rig as an extension of the recording studio, crafting bass tones to suit songs and then throwing them through the cab knowing they will sound precisely the same regardless of the level I want to play them at.

That, in itself, makes the BGT worth every penny.

I can't speak for your needs as a bassist, but I recommend them without hesitation for the work I'm doing.

If you're in that market, go look at the RS6 Avant...

Goes like a startled squirrel, loads like a truck.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1356553759' post='1911164']
Like a power strip, except you get given them for free when you are in a big band.
[/quote]

I'm pretty sure Rush don't use stuff just cos they got if for free...

They strike me as knowing exactly what they want in their rigs, if a power regulator wasn't doing something I sort of doubt it'd be there.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1356544237' post='1911008']
Uninterruptible power supplies are the thing that actually does that. Power conditioners vary in snake oil content from being channel strips, to being current limiting devices.
[/quote]

Sure, I get that, but both Rush frontmen list Furmen power conditioners in their racks, neither of which are UPS's as far as I remember. Do they act as voltage regulators both ways, limiting spikes but also protecting from drops in voltage?

A UPS steps in if the voltage drops below operational levels, but if that happens in a venue then the lighting and PA goes as well as the backline, you'd need a UPS the size of a truck to deal with that I'd have thought.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1356313464' post='1909166']
Surge protectors are fine. Expensive power conditioners are not, as they can restrict current flow.
[/quote]

Why is it that people like Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee use them as part of their touring rigs then? Is that to smooth out suspect supply in various venues?

I thought good conditioners were all about keeping the supply constant, not restricting it?

Renault Megane estate 1.9 diesel... Dirt cheap, huge low load space, I get a BF Big Twin, a 4 unit rack, pedalboard and bags in the boot without dropping the seats.

Bit rattly, but for £2k I'm not complaining.

I totally agree about the seeming fragility of the BF cabs, I was a bit scared to move the Big Twin around, but it's really as tough as old boots, something that light shouldn't be that strong.

I've seen comments from people who've dropped BF cabs down stairs and had no damage to speak of, but you do kind of fear they'd just shatter...!

Alex's designs seem to do exactly what he claims for them don;t they?

Thats a little bit of BF history you have there.

Very interested to hear your comments, hope it's as good as everyone expects it to be...!

If Essexbasscat doesn't take it, I will.

Mike Howlett is currently in the UK, he was recording at the London College of Music last weekend, he lectured there with us for a couple of years before heading for Australia.

It was great to see him again, and he is, as Sildxx says, a real gent.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1354453630' post='1886059']
I would put a sheet of that anti-slip rubber mesh between the rack case and the cab - I wouldn't like to see the stuff on the top go walkabout!
[/quote]

It doesn't move at all mate, the feet on the case are rubber and there is very little vibration in the cab due to Alex's ultra rigid design.

Took the new cab for it's first outing yesterday, which was fun as I had no programmed tones in the pod and was using the rig from scratch effectively...

The cab chucks out some serious bottom end, and got quite a lot louder as the session wore on, I got the basis for tones for a bunch of songs, and nailed a couple, particularly with the Mesa 400 amp model.

My drummer and guitarist commented that the whole sound of the band cleaned up significantly from rehearsals with the LD400 combo, and the low end was clearer and tighter.

The rig is LOUD, I mean seriously PA level loud, tons of HF and punch in the mids, huge and persistent LF that just goes down forever, (I've had dates like that, but never cabs...).

As the day went on the cab exhibited better LF response and more control in the mids, I turned the horn down about 25% and was constantly adjusting the patches for LF...

Once I get the tones for the tracks set, I'll be able to comment more fully on the cab, but overall it's an order of magnitude better than the old LD combo, even with the drivers not quite settled in yet.

Very, very impressive, my guitarist picked it up and asked if they'd forgotten to install the drivers. It weighs less than one of his 1x12 combos.

25Hz is like having a helicopter hovering over your house for 3 hours....

That EAD does like nice doesn't it...?

I've just taken delivery of a Barefaced Big Twin T, it is an extraordinarily capable bit of kit, 2x12, 6" mid and tweeter, with variable volume for the tweeter and a pad for the mid too if you need it.

Not cheap, but you know what your going to get with Alex's work.

I looked at the fEARful, but it's hard to judge what you'll end up with without a dedicated builder.

If the Twin is too big, try the Big Baby, one less 12 driver.

Take a look at the Barefaced Midget T, very light, as loud as most 2x10's (allegedly...) and very cute. Throw Alex an email on the site, he can advise better than I.

I've just replaced the need for an 8x10 with a Big Twin I can lift with one hand...!

[url="http://barefacedbass.com/product-range/midget.htm"]http://barefacedbass...ange/midget.htm[/url]

Should work well with your Orange.




Sorry just realised this might be out of your price range, ignore me as appropriate...!

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1353932674' post='1879806']


To be fair to Behringer, they do list both RMS and peak power figures - at least for their power amps, but not for guitar/bass amps.
[/quote]

There's an awful lot of info about the Behringers out there, I did quite a lot of research before choosing to the Crown (duh, wasn't much of a choice frankly when the XTi came up on eBay) and the quoted output figures are way too high for the actual power present.

They are still cheap, light and loud however, the iNuke 3000 and 6000 being very capable. I'm just not sure how well they'd last.

My rig is now listed below, the amp and pod are in an ABS rack case, it's a one hand lift, the cab is on wheels and I can lift it with one hand, but I don't have bad back...!

It's the biggest cab Barefaced currently offer, so a couple of the smaller ones would suit. This is a 1400w monster rig that weighs less than my old 2x10 Line 6 combo...

I'd go separates for the quality, and you're not then limited to a few underperforming combos.

I have a crown XTi1000, got it off ebay for £250.... 1400w bridged into mono.

The Behringers are a good bet if you can get over the name and the fact they weigh nothing, just don't trust the posted number on their outputs.

I'm pretty sure Alex has Hifi on his mind if he has spare time, which he doesn't from the look of it...

That man has a lot of work on for a small business.

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1353709393' post='1877831']
Aha. I do live near Brighton. Shame that they don't have a demo room though.
[/quote]

They don't have very much room at all...! Truly a micro industry, but what products...!


[quote name='sifi2112' timestamp='1353700394' post='1877711']
Great looking rig, congrats , might have to pick your brains at some point regarding POD for recording as I've got an HD bean (guitar) but still need Mac (pc)
Is that like my S12T but with 3012LF's & a midrange ?[/quote]

I thought the woofers were the same Eminence units in both boxes tbh, could be wrong... Its got a 6" midrange and a complex crossover arrangement, it goes lower and louder than the Super 12 as the woofers don't have to do so much of the work int he midrange. The articulation in the mids and HF is really something to hear.... I haven't finished running it in yet, 25hz for 2 hours was all I could take tonight, more over the weekend though.

I've been using the pods in studios for a long time, I'm a recording engineer by trade, and I'm very familiar with the architecture.

I've always managed to get great sounds when recording myself and other bassists, and I figured I should just apply the same approach to live. All that was missing was a speaker system capable of amplifying the range of tones I need to gig levels, which is where Alex's designs come in...

Bob: the pod XT is a huge box of tones, it's just not very user friendly, the MacBook on the top is running a graphic editor, but you still need to understand signal flow, EQ, compression, time domain FX... I think that's what keeps them for being more acceptable to most bassists.

The Crown is just a PA amp, it delivers 1400 watts into 4 Ohms which is precisely what the Big Twin is rated for.

Fretmeister: Presets? What are those....?