leftybassman392

[quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1328985949' post='1535766'] Can I suggest a couple of books which might give you answers to this and other questions you may have - I found them invaluable - Well worth £9.26 of your hard earned at Amazon - 'Live sound for the performing musician' by Paul White of SOS Magazine, and in english that anyone can understand: This is a good one too - Yamaha sponsored 'Sound Reinforcement Handbook' by Gary Davis and Ralph Jones - more techy than the Paul White book, but explains some important stuff really well I think. £13.00 at Amazon. A [/quote] Not read the Davis/Jones title, but +1 on Paul White

Most ordinary mortals still use mono for FOH, so any pan pots you may have on the subgroups and direct channels are effectively redundant for the purpose of L/R panning FOH. Reason? If you mix in stereo in anything but an enormous venue most people will hear a less than perfect sound balance because they're nearer one speaker than the other - extreme example: pan the lead guitarist hard left... anybody near the right speaker won't hear him (which some would argue is a good thing, but that's another thread ). The best use of groups has already been covered - Drums 1 group; Vox 1 group - possibly 2 depending on precise circumstances; everybody else direct (unless of course you're lucky enough to have a horn section of more than one). Channel pan pots work slightly differently when routing to subgroups, as they tend to be used to send the channel to one or other of the subgroup pair by panning hard left or right as appropriate. Any stereo channels strips you may have will balance the incoming signal (often from a keyboard) via the two faders before sending it on. Pan pots on such channels - especially when sending direct - should be used with great care. Unless you REALLY need that stereo chorus to go FOH, probably best not to use them at all. Got a bit longwinded in the end - sorry about that but if you're planning to use pan pots on that type of live desk it's important you know what they're doing at any given point in the signal chain otherwise you'll get yourself into a heap of trouble very quickly.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1328983790' post='1535720'] Hmmmmmm.........you may have a point there? [/quote] Don't listen to him. He's obviously just jealous of his guitarist's guitar. O ye of little faith!

Couple of things to consider that I don't think have been mentioned yet: 8-bar Blues (e.g. Key to the Highway); Different rhythms. Blues can be played a number of different ways rhythmically. 12/8 plonk-p-plonk is just one of them. Different chord patterns. Not every Blues song uses I-IV-V based chord patterns. A good example of this might be 'Albatross' (an old Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac song). In fact early Fleeetwood Mac stuff is well worth a listen generally - at the time (late 60's) it was felt by many that Greenie was the best UK Blues guitarist of his era - Gary Moore for one. (Others would disagree of course).

So let's see if we've got this right... You can't hear the mix that you want in your existing setup, and you can't or won't have the kit that appears to provide an obvious solution. IEM would solve the problem from one point of view but will most likely take one of the mixes away from someone else (unless of course you and your guitarist are willing to team up on an IEM system), and in any case doesn't suit everybody. Simple fact: 5 into 4 won't go unless somebody is willing to share a mix. Most bands in your situation would find a solution that works with what's available based on one or more of the suggestions you've been offered so far. You don't think you're perhaps being a little picky? If you can hear the drums and the vocal properly (and forgive me asking this in a rather pointed way) then what, really, is the problem?

Nice. Time to get practising then! Best of luck. Don't forget to let us know how you get on.

Actually that's a nice choice I'd say. Couple of procedural questions though: 1. Are you going to play solo or with a -1 track? It occurs to me that the main bass pattern has a lot of gaps in it that you'll need to fill somehow. If you're playing solo it might be an idea to add some little rhythmic patterns into your performance. 2. Are you going to pay the solo section (around 2:00 - 2:40 on the studio version) as is or improvise around the basics?

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1328885992' post='1534376'] 100kg baggage allowance (between 5 of us) is limiting factor [/quote] Hmm. Tricky. Short of cosying up to the guitarist (which you've already indicated would be difficult), it's quite hard to know what to advise. I've run sound systems at many venues for many bands of differing competence levels (including one that made do with 2 monitor feeds - which was fun), so I do understand the personal nature of monitor feeds for some people. In the past, when feeds have been in short supply, I've tended to encourage the rhythm section to share a feed. Bottom line for me is that everybody needs to hear the vox, everybody needs to hear the drummer, and in the absence of sufficient resources everything else is down to compromise. What do you do when you're rehearsing? Maybe thinking that through might help.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1328884741' post='1534352'] When i said I play to the delay I meant we use the delay effect on the guitar as a metronome instead of a click track - the guitar delay sets the tempo..... Not easy when one cannot hear the guitar coz it's on the other side of the stage [/quote] Fair enough, but my main point about sharing the mix still applies I would think. If money's not an issue and you can fit it into your vehicle, why not just take the extra bits you need to take a feed from the guitarist's monitor? Not a long term solution I'll grant you, but if it's important enough to post a thread about...

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1328877725' post='1534175'] Sound doesn't carry far from those onstage wedges......The singer always insists on lots of vocal in his monitor, the keyboard insists on lots of keys in his.....I need primarily drums and guitar and vox in mine. I always stand between the kit and the keyboard player, on the other side of the stage from the guitarist - the guitarist cannot hear my backline and I cannot hear his. We need to hear echa other in our wedges. The drummer always has a wedge by his ear - mostly bass bit of guitar (we play to the delay) and vocals for cues. We all need different things in our monitors...there is no concensus on the perfect onstage mix....and never will be [/quote] May I suggest that the solution is right there in front of you? Given that by your own admission you're never likely to get your own mix, why not share the guitarist's mix? (You're going to hear the drums anyway I would think.) Once the decision's made it's just a matter of taking the technology with you to make it happen. If the stage is so big that you're getting problems with delay, then congratulations as you've almost certainly hit the bigtime and can bully people into giving you the stuff you need anyway.

Interesting idea. Traditionalists of my acquaintance will probably see it as the work of Satan; and if we're being picky it's a bit of a genre-specific sound (not to say you can't, just that most people buying them probably won't). I like it though.

[quote name='yorick' timestamp='1328772470' post='1532325'] Still have mine after 18 years... Nuff said [/quote] They're lovely instruments. Had one for about 9 or 10 years before moving it on (now in Deezbar's trusty hands). Mine was an early one ('87), and had some problems with the truss rod. Took it to JD to get it replaced, and he did it for a remarkably reasonable sum. Now there's a man who enjoys his job! A thoroughly nice bloke to boot.

[quote name='chardbass' timestamp='1328726373' post='1531799'] Wow. Those bass pieces may be grade 8 but, without wishing to offend, they're certainly not played at what I would consider a Grade 8 standard. No feel whatsoever. I have put some students through Rockschool exams and my jaw has hit the floor at some of the results. [/quote] I'd have to agree with that. Although there really is no way to directly compare professionally played and recorded performances by highly experienced professional players with bedroom performances by teenage students and poor recorded quality, those performances were not up to Grade 8. The lad had better technical command of his instrument (and would probably have just about scraped a pass with that particular performance), but I can't see how the girl would have passed with what we saw there. Months of exam preparation would surely have got them both to a higher standard than that. Just before I retired I took a younger student up to grade 6 (15 when he took the exam IIRC), and he was a much better player than either of those two based on the available evidence. By now he's probably cruised through Grade 8 on his way to a professional career - he'd be about 17 by now. Nevertheless, none of this diminishes the fact that Rockschool Grade 8 demands a high standard of both technical mastery and musicianship. Although the lad showed some technical skill, it wasn't that impressive and certainly wasn't musical. Not sure what the poster was trying to prove here, but I'm not sure that it actually proves anything beyond the fact that experienced professional musicians in a professional situation can play better than teenage students sitting in their bedrooms.

The basic premise is: more strings, more options. Upside is that it's a more versatile instrument. Downside is that you need to rethink a lot of your stuff to get the best from it. Is it worth the effort for you?

[quote name='Master blaster' timestamp='1328708806' post='1531429'] The Rockschool pieces are way to easy to be grade 8. [/quote] Oh dear! This could get tedious. At the risk of repeating both myself and other posters on this thread:- The Rockschool pieces are not too easy to be Grade 8.... they ARE Grade 8. End of. Making a statement like this presupposes that you know something about what Grade 8 'should be' that those poor old muppets at Rockschool - who have, after all, only been doing this stuff for around 20 years - are not privy to. Perhaps you'd care to enlighten us. Better yet, maybe you should call Rockschool and tell them what it is they're doing wrong and how they can make their pieces more like proper Grade 8.

Jimmy Haslip? Plays lefthanded but strung upside down. Awesome player.

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1328703698' post='1531339'] even the greatest virtuoso was an all-thumbs beginner once [/quote] What, Bilbo? Surely not... Seriously though, well done.

[quote name='BassBunny' timestamp='1328642144' post='1530602'] It might be worth getting the clarity of what they understand as Grade 8. Not an unreasonable question. [/quote] Again, your choice OP, but do you honestly think that asking them what they mean by Grade 8 is going to go down well? What would you think if the roles were reversed? Are you sure you're not overthinking this? Asking a question like this, on this forum, is guaranteed to net you any number of well-meaning but conflicting opinions (no offence intended). They just want to know that you can play the damn thing to Grade 8 standard! Rather than trying to do something you hope they'll like, why not choose something you'll like?

1. Rockschool Grade 8 is an internationally recognised qualification. If the bumph says Grade 8 then they should be fine. 2. Rockschool examiners are expecting you to put a lot of yourself into the performance at that level - it's not just the notes, it's your interpretation of them. If you want to show off pick a piece that has a good solo section and widdle away (in the style of the piece of course - a rock solo wouldn't get you many marks in a latin groove piece). Not gospel, but just so you are clear about the Rockschool stuff. Your audition, your choice. Any reason why you can't do 2 pieces in contrasting styles? Will you have something available to you for the -1 track?

Well strictly speaking I'm not gigging any more........... but when I was, it was usually the Sei headless. As a former guitar player it sits nicely on my shoulder, has enough EQ from the Aguilar preamp to cover most bases (yeah, yeah!) and seems to record really well.

Info update: I've started to get requests from people wanting to come but having issues with transport. I have a suggestion that may make lives easier: [size=5][b]If you want to come but are having such difficulties, can you post on here to ask for a lift?[/b][/size] [size=5][b]If you know you are coming and think you will have some space in your vehicle, can you likewise post to offer the space if possible?[/b][/size] [size=5][b]It's reasonable to ask for a few bob to help cover fuel, and it's not a bad idea to offer even if it's not asked for.[/b][/size] [size=5][b]And at the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious, don't forget to tell us where you're coming from.[/b][/size]

My PJB Briefcase has developed a minor fault in the EQ circuit, and needs the services of a good amp tech. Ideally it would be someone who's dealt with this kind of gear before. I used to have contact details for a really good guy in the Milton Keynes area, but I seem to have lost them in the house move. I now live in Greater Birmingham, so anybody reasonably local would be preferable (but I don't mind travelling to get someone good). Anybody?

+1 to making them yourself. I've made my own for years. Instrument leads, mic leads, patch cables, studio interconnects, the lot. Only ones I didn't do myself were the ones carrying digital/optical information. I only ever used Neutrik plugs, and used either Klotz, Canare or Sommer cables (which I haven't seen mentioned yet): [url="http://www.canare.com/"]http://www.canare.com/[/url] [url="http://www.sommercable.com/2__default/index.html"]http://www.sommercable.com/2__default/index.html[/url] If you're any good with a soldering iron, you can make pro quality leads for a lot less than you'd think. If not, buy them from OBBM.