Sibob

So I figured that I might as well keep a bit of a recording diary while I undertake the bass parts for my band's debut album! If you haven't had a listen to some of the pre-production demos, check out www.myspace.com/firstsignsoffrost. For the purpose of you knowing what I'm doing, here is a list of songs that are making an appearance on the, as yet untitled, LP. In no particular order: The Saviour Finding The Bomb Through The Exterior Crosses (Jose Gonzalez cover) This Is A Fraud Expert In Trickery Wire Forms Sing Sing Ain't My Style Day Of The Collapse By Virtue Untitled 2 (no live bass, all programmed) Drums and guitars are already done tracking, and once I'm finished with my parts, all the raw instrument audio is being sent to the 'producer' for re-amping and pimping etc. Then the vocals get recorded, then it gets mixed & mastered etc. I've borrowed a SansAmp Programmable Bass DI to run into a Focusrite pre, I'll be using my 'ThingRay' with Newtone Strings as my new Drop C Jazz probably won't be ready, the neck is still being built. So yeah, watch this space over the next few weeks! Tonight is about setting up my ThingRay, changing strings and getting a feel for the SansAmp. If anyone has any questions about the process, or anything really....or better yet, advice, then this is the thread for it! Si p.s. For those interested, the album will be in the shops when it's released, no date is set yet.

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='253271' date='Aug 2 2008, 12:37 PM']This your originals band - or a covers off shoot? He should have offered you some Dragon's Den cash and done a double signing with Hamfat, or whatever they were called.[/quote] This was the covers band, it's completely separate from FSOF, no overlapping members other than me! It wasn't a business do, it was all friends and family, so I refrained from mentioning anything to do with his work etc.....was all just about having a laugh....and he did, he's pretty funny! Si

Did a gig for Peter Jones (Dragons Den) last night, was his sister in law's 50th! Really nice guy.....huge!!, must have been 6'7" or 6'8" He was really complimentary of the band, in particular me.....which I found odd lol, one of the richest men in britain knows how to tell bass players apart haha! But I'm not complaining, he must see a LOT of function bands....not that we're a 'function' band in the traditional sense of the term. Anyway, really good evening, the crowd were up for it and were having a good laugh! Lovely! Si

I've got a Dimarzio Model P (DP122 ?) in my Precision, and yeah, it sounds fantastic! It will indeed give you a higher output than the stock pickup! I'm a bit of a 'tard when it comes to electronics, someone else will be along to comment about that I'm sure! Si

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='251006' date='Jul 30 2008, 08:06 AM']...On Saturday one of the singers swung her arm back too far and clouted me in the jubblies while we were playing. Luckily her aim was off.[/quote] Wow, she's either tiny, or your jubblies are quite high!? Si

I move around as much as I can, because thats what the music dictates, it's not a choice! It just happens Sometimes it compromises some playing, but who cares, I'm having fun, and an audience want to see a good show, not a note perfect rendition of whatever the tune is! Si

I'm not sure what the issue is? I know it's not what we're talking about, but most commercial releases will be multi-tracked, and everyone will do their parts separately! Even with most 'live' studio recordings I've done, they'll be a guide vocal, but re-recorded afterwards/another time. I've never heard of a band needing the singer to 'play to', a band should be able to create it's own dynamics that the singer can play off. If it's the only way forward, just record the music and do the vocal another time, if you're well rehearsed, it'll sound fine! Good luck Si

So who's going from west london, south bucks kinda way?? Shared lifts etc? Si

Wow, Bona & Nitti...... although i'm confused...is that for this year? or 2009? Si

That vid of them on youtube with her singing Under Pressure on the Reality Tour is amazing!! Si

If I'm honest, I don't like the front facing...looks very 'busy' to my eyes! But the fingerboard is Sexy McStunning, very very nice!! Si

Covers or originals? Whichever one it is, they must be pretty big gigs to warrant a contract, never signed a gig contract ever and both my covers & originals band plays paid gigs! Si

I'm a fan of everything apart from gold hardware! But I'd say for this particular bass, has to be black!. Si

[quote name='7string' post='246513' date='Jul 23 2008, 11:48 PM']Always exciting to get some progress pics. On the other hand, it makes the wait that little bit more painful [/quote] Thats why i'm not getting any pics for my neck build Looks like another awesome Shuker, love single cuts! And a beautiful top, exotic but understated. Si

At Islington Academy in April Si

Have a video, from the same gig as the picture I posted earlier in the thread! Si

If its short scale, get a new bass, you'll get naff-all tension for low tunings out of anything shorter than 34" (except maybe a well made custom 33"....thats my disclaimer Eude ). And yeah, Drop G is pretty low (although Sikth were in drop G for DOADD, and I'm sure Meshuggah are around that area, and their guy just uses a 5 string Stingray I think), 35" would be preferable. If you're running a 4 string, use the lowest four strings from a five string set (BEAD) and tune down, re-cutting the nut while you're at it, u don't need to necessarily bother with heavier gauges, just higher tension strings....check out Newtone Strings. If you're running a 5 string, just a standard five string set (BEADG) and tune down with the same high tension strings! My band tunes to Drop C standard (C,F,Bb,Eb), and with the high tension strings I get a similar action and tension to my standard tuned basses, very little rattle, and all on 45-105 gauges at 34" scale To answer the original point though, if you're bass is active, try looking into having it changed to an 18v circuit, that usually fattens up any sound. I'm trying to move away from Active stuff, so my current project is a passive bass for my band, I've gone for some really high-powered passive Dimarzios, and with a little extra work from my amp, should get just as fat a tone as I get from my 18v Stingray Si

This Is Where It Ends - Barenaked Ladies from the 'Born On A Pirate Ship' album Si

Might try and get along to this, I know Acle from Tesseract/Fell Silent quite well, he's producing our album! Plus I hear funny things about Anchorhead lol Si