leftybassman392

Thanks for that. I've had a quick look at some of the ones you mention, and they do look nice. For onstage work I used to use an SM57 or SM58 to micup the guitar cab, but I want to keep things simple, so it needs to be a single mic. I will want to mic up my acoustics from time to time as well, so I'm really looking at a condenser. One setup I've found that I like the look of is this It only has one i/p channel, (which I could probably work with anyway at need), but having 2 channels would give me the option of recording in stereo (good for bouncing effects around). Also, two channels gives me more options for mic'ing up the acoustics.

Hi guys. After a long time away from it, I'm looking to get back into recording. My previous studio was a purpose-designed and pretty well-equipped project studio. In my current situation that kind of facility isn't feasible logistically and way outside my proposed budget financially. I'm going to keep it simple this time: I'm just planning to use my MacBook Pro with a suitable interface plus a few bits & bobs. What I could use is some advice as to what folks recommend I should be looking at. I have Audacity installed on the Mac, which looks like it'll be all I'll need for recording, and I have guitars, basses and amps aplenty. My shopping list looks like this: Basic audio interface with USB thunderbolt compatibility (I don't need a lot of channels or effects so a basic 2- or 4-input jobbie should be plenty). Decent but inexpensive studio mic for recording electric guitars through the Fender Blues Junior IV. (Acoustic and bass amps have D.I. outs and I have an L.R. Baggs D.I. box so that side of things is taken care of.) I don't sing so I don't need megabucks. As long as it can record the BJ faithfully (with the option of recording the acoustic guitars once in a while) I'll be happy. I'm told Rode are good value for money, but I've been out of the loop for around 10 years I'm happy to consider other options. If funds allow, it would be nice to have a compressor for recording the acoustics (I used to have a small collection of the Joemeek optical compressors, which were f*cking brilliant) but not a given at this stage as Audacity has one built-in (which I haven't used yet but which I assume will be fairly basic). Half decent rhythm generator or drum machine. I used to have an SR16 and a DR770, so anything in that general ballpark should do the job I need. This is all for my own enjoyment; I have no plans to inflict anything I do on anybody else. That said, at one time I was accustomed to working with high quality gear so I do have certain expectations... I have a soft budget in my head of around £500. I'm expecting to need to buy new where necessary but will also be keeping an eye on pre-owned as long as it's in good working order. Any advice as to what I should be looking at, particularly the I/F and the mic, will be gratefully received. I humbly submit myself to the collective wisdom of the Basschat Collective.

Indeed. Unfortunately nobody told me the pickups had their own off switches until after I’d done the initial calculation, and since I’m not familiar with the pickups in question, and having been asked to do the calculation, I duly did so based on the information made available to me.

You're welcome. Just for comparison, I had Rob Williams make me a 3-pickup custom Telecaster a few years ago. It has a tappable HB at the bridge and SCs in the middle and neck positions. With a bit of trick wiring he got it to give 11 different combinations. I can tell the difference between any of them back-to-back, but in isolation I think I'd struggle with some of them. Like you though, I only ever use a few of them on anything like a regular basis.

Just before I go, and without wishing to criticise the design in any way, the words 'sledgehammer' and 'nut' spring unbidden to mind.

That changes the result a bit. In addition to the 54 options listed above you would have an additional 3+3+3 = 9 options. New total would therefore be 54+9 = 63 options

Solution in my previous post.

So, you have 3 essentially identical pickups, each of which has 3 configurations, and you have 4 different switching options as between the 3 pickups. Is that right? Assuming the above, you can take each switching option and deal with it separately. Option 1: B+M: you have 3x3 = 9 options Option 2: B+N: likewise you have 9 options Option 3: M+N: again, you have 9 options Option 4: B+M+N: you have 3x3x3 = 27 options. Total options = 9+9+9+27 = 54 options. Theoretically they should all give different results; whether anybody would notice all the differences is an entirely different question of course...

You rang?

Seems to have perfect pitch if I'm not mistaken. Stylistically there's a hint of Mozart too. Spooky. Very impressive. The accent definitely isn't Basingstoke though. Or Cardiff for that matter.

And while we're at it, here's my favourite film on the subject:

Sgt. Pepper. Not even close.

I'm going to duck out at this point because: 1. I have no wish to get involved in the to-and-fro that this is in danger of becoming. I simply made a point (or, to be precise, agreed with somebody else's point) about the technical element of his playing and singing (which I'm happy to stand by elsewhere in case anybody needs to know). If I have offended anybody then please accept this apology. 2. Odd as it may look, I have no particular wish to detract unduly from the thrust of the thread. For me it was just a comment about his technique that I happened to agree with. All the commentary since is other people jumping to its defence. 3. Although I've already indicated (3 times now by my count) that I like much of his music despite my misgivings in regard to some of its technical aspects, I'm not entirely convinced that folks are reading it the way I had hoped. Whatever... Ave.

Could be because some of us don't see the point of such an exercise. For hardcore fans of his music I'm sure it's fun, but not everybody sees it that way, and in line with Basschat's policies we are all entirely free to voice our opinions. Like what I am. As a (now retired) former professional guitarist and teacher, I might once have taken umbrage at the term 'widdlywank' as an apparent blanket term to describe pretty much any performance involving advanced playing techniques. I could talk, for example, about players such as Pat Metheny (who has also indulged in what might best be described as off-the-planet-wall-of-noise methods, but who has the capacity to play in a wide variety of other styles to a very high standard, including widdlywank). But I'm retired, so meh! And in case it's been missed, I never said I didn't like his music. It is perfectly possible to appreciate the quality of the songwriting without feeling the need to set it out in a hierarchical list.

Quite so. Never said it wasn't. I still think his playing - especially his electric playing - is pretty ordinary though. Vocals can be a bit of a personal thing IMHO; personally I've always found them a bit ordinary too. Just my opinion, as always in these situations.

I spent a lot of my youth listening to Neil Young (and have covered a number of his songs at one time or another), and although I don't share Douglas' overall view of the man I do have to agree with the sentiments expressed above. Personally I've always felt that his legacy is in his songs rather than in his singing or playing. As to the ranking, beyond feeding this type of discussion I really don't see the point.

Country music is a bit of a minority interest on this side of the pond I think, but the thread is more about the singing than the style and the simple fact is that the top country singers are as good as anybody in the business.

*Ahem*...

Richard Thompson (born in Notting Hill Gate) surely qualifies:

Jesus, that's spooky!

Great song from a fabulous singer, but what a bass line! Or is it just me?

Fancy posting something? Or recommend a song that I can go look for?

Currently waiting for delivery of an item from eBay. Posted via Royal Mail. It should have arrived by yesterday (which was at the back end of a 4-day delivery window), but when I checked the tracking system it came up as 'item in transit' but gave no indication as to current location. By my count it has been 'in transit' from a UK address for a little over 2 days. I have contacted the seller and am currently awaiting an update. I see no point in getting overly stressed about it at this stage (especially given the current situation), but if the item doesn't arrive in the next day or two I'm going to start getting a bit uppity. It's not an expensive or critical item but it's a bit frustrating all the same, especially as we've made sure at least one of us is in at all times to take delivery.

Picking up @Steve Browning's Voces8 theme, here's them singing a tune that LOTR fans will know. Written and performed originally by Enya. ...and while I'm here, how we got this far without anything from Eva Cassidy is not something I understand. Terminally ill when she sang this, which IMHO adds an extra poignancy to the performance

Well I liked it! Beautifully produced too. A touch too much bass (and could have cut back a smidge on the reverb as well - unless of course it's the room they were in, in which case as you were) if I'm being hypercritical, but other than that a lovely rendition from a fine ensemble.