SimonK

On 29/12/2025 at 13:11, Jack said:

Thanks all. We've had a few runs through now with a very basic DI box into the desk (I've been loaning a Thomann one) and we all agree that it's a little lacking, but for the moment we don't know if that's because the guitar/di combo needs some extra tone sweetening or if it actually sounds fine and is being held back by crappy rehearsal room PA systems. We have plenty of options and ideas thanks to you guys though. 

In my experience it is almost always the room/PA. The only time I can hear the difference between a very expensive and cheap DI is through headphones or in a studio. As soon as you project into an imperfect room through an imperfect PA there are other factors that make a much bigger difference (although I agree there is also quality of construction differences and the more expensive ones are built like tanks).

BTW did you put something over the soundhole? This does a slightly different thing to the sound and also helps stop feedback.

1 hour ago, Mottlefeeder said:

 

Rereading your original post, I think there is still some confusion here. 

In imperial measurements, the common headphone jack diameters are 1/4 inches and 1/8 inches.

In metric, that would be 6.35mm and 3.5mm.

When you talk about 1/2 inch jacks, and buying a convertor 'from 4.4mm to 3.5mm (1/4")', I wonder if you are confusing the imperial and metric equivalents and searching for the wrong adaptor?

David 

No - you are right - I meant 1/4" and 1/8" which are easier to write than 6.35mm and 3.5mm! What was actually confusing me was the number of rings on the connectors as I always thought that more than the normal two ment there was also a mic line, so didn't realising that there was also a wider jack 4.4mm connector with four rings! Then I thought maybe it was an IEM thing and I had inadvertently bought the right thing, but no, the "pentaconn" connectors are a cork-sniffing audiophile thing!

Anyway the adaptor has arrived now and all is good.

So the upshot is that IEMs normally use standard 1/2" or 1/4" jacks and the 4.4mm connectors are just there to catch out the unwary?

Well there's a discovery - I didn't know 4.4mm balanced jacks existed having spent years just thinking they were only 1/4" or 1/2"! Now had to buy an adapter for my new headphone cable to go from 4.4 to 3.5 (1/4")... apparently there are also 2.5mm jacks out there as well... humanity should have learned from the USB debacle!

(although is 4.4 common for IEMs?)

36 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Yeah I never really thought about short-scale basses, even though I leaned to play on one, til my back dictated the need. I was expecting a situation of "well that`s what I need to put up with" but was pleasantly surprised at how well they work for me.

I bought the Ibanez Talman for my kids to learn to play, but after they cast it aside have found it to be a nice round the house bass, also because being quite cheap I don't worry about keeping it in a case to avoid knocks and scrapes (unlike my other instruments). It is very playable but I think the cheap electronics do not do it any favours (as multiple failed jack sockets over a relatively short time have proved). Indeed I now most often play it just acoustically.

I suspect one of the main problems with short scale basses is the fact that the majority are fairly low end to cater for children/beginners, and hence they have a reputation for being low end.

That looks awesome, although your AI generated description puts me off - is the bass something that you've played and have some experience with?

...never been a massive fan of short scale basses for gigging so normally overlook this thread, until realising that my Ibanez Talman is almost always on my lap when sitting in front of the computer for random noodling as the size makes it perfect for around the house!

...I suppose this is the bass players equivalent of "guitars and girls" threads (from guitar forums), apart from as bass players we can't find the girls... 🥲 !

27 minutes ago, Sean said:

Standard. 

 

I was very pleased this week that a similar thread ended up with the OP making a decision and taking action by acquiring something recommended in the thread. I reckon it happens about once a year. 😆

..and yet reading back through this thread it is quite a good example of how internet forums can be quite unhelpful. The OP was just concerned about not blowing a speaker to which they got the answer in the first couple posts - check what it says on the back, and if the amp has a higher watt rating than the speaker don't turn it up full!!

Any thoughts re a replacement cable for the ear pieces?

(I am coming to the conclusion that there are as many opinions as there are products RE the transmitter/receiver!)

1 hour ago, warwickhunt said:

 

Personally if you are only a few feet away from a given transmitter point and unlikely to be moving around much, I'd be looking at being wired.  If it must be wireless, I'd be going 5Ghz rather than 2.4; 2.4 can be congested and you have quite a few devices.

I think I need wireless as we have some very inexperienced sound volunteers and I do tend to take a walk around the hall during sound check just to help (and yes clearly I wouldn't have the monitors in if listening to FOH), but want to be able to pop them back in rapidly!

RE 5GHz, something like: https://www.thomann.co.uk/mipro_mi_58rt_58_ghz.htm or any other recommendations (this is probably the top of the budget!).

EDIT - just saw these that seem cheap enough not to worry if they don't work: https://www.thomann.co.uk/swiff_audio_wx520_monitor_wireless_system.htm

Right - new years resolution (when it comes) is going IEM with our church band. We've just done a firmware update on the desk so that we can each control our own monitor feeds using the Yamaha phone app, and currently we are looking at buying a bunch of Behringer P1s (and a couple splitter boxes) and then everyone providing their own headphones.

I tried to read the opening posts of this thread but there is way too much information for my two simple questions:

1) I've taken my Linsoul KZ ZS10 ear pieces back from my son (who was using them for gaming), but he's buggered up the cable - can anyone recommend a replacement (probably looking at around £20 accepting it is probably a disposable item in the long run)? There seem to be plenty of options on Amazon?

2) I think for my own convenience I want something a bit more that the Behringer and something that is wireless, so was looking at the Nux B-7 - any thoughts on these (NB I will never be more than a few feet away from the transmitter, we currently have three wireless mics and potentially up to eight other IEMs running (and two Wifi networks) RE interference?

2 hours ago, Owen said:

I did a choir gig recently. Two keys players, one kit and me on bass. 

 

The conductor wanted the pianist to just play a rhythmic pattern above middle C. The kit/bass section were laying down a solid groove. She tried 3 times, but was still playing something an octave + below middle C to give her something to syncopate against. The conductor said 3 times "no, just the rhythmic thing". Eventually, I put my bass down, walked over and told her to play it again. I held her left hand and lifted it away from the keyboard and the magic happened. To make it EVEN sweeter, I have been waiting 42 years to do this with this specific player.

 

Keyboard players are clueless. Ones who actually understand a band dynamic/make up are like gold dust.

I play in a gospel band and a couple of the keyboardists are like this - a piece of tape across their bottom couple octaves does the job!

On 26/12/2025 at 12:30, chris_b said:

Lots of good ideas for working with your current gear. . . . but, how about buying a better bass, or a good preamp pedal to add more clarity and definition to your sound.

..and while I agree promoting such admirable thoughts is the purpose of this forum, sadly new gear is seldom the actual answer!

Those capacitors were the first thing we changed on the GP12 (picture from a few pages back) but it didn't stop the hum... 

Travis Dykes (Nashville Session musician) certainly seems to like the Harley Bentons (the second one featured on the video below is the five string):

EHX tri-parallel mixer: https://www.ehx.com/products/tri-parallel-mixer/

I use one to mix three preamps on my 80s throw-back guitar rig, and it's great as it has both phase and level controls. It's also pretty cheap.

28 minutes ago, Clarky said:

Doesn't work this way on the TE-1200. Before reading the manual, I tried plugging the BassRig into the Effects return and there was no sound.

In that case either the main input or more likely effects send is a switching jack. So plugging a patch cable into one or the other should make it work.

EDIT - it looks like the effects loop can be turned on or off by the footswitch, so make sure it is on as well!

I've got a TH350 which I bought following reading a lot of good things about the amp. I've also got a Genz Benz, Ashdown and a lot of old Trace heads. Truthfully the cabs make a bigger sound difference compared to switching between any of the heads, albeit the convenience of how tiny and light the TH350 is means I always have it with me. The gain control is quite nice to dial in a bit of dirt which is something some of my other amps do not have.

14 hours ago, Clarky said:

Perfect thanks!!!! Still a bit surprised that you cannot use the output/volume control from the TE1200 to set the onstage volume, as that is how I understood power amps work

If you plug the external preamp into the effects return it should work like this - see the poweramp in as an additional feature that most other amps don't have!

I'm impressed this thread has got to a fourth page!

I think sound wise it is very possible to sound or play equally good/well or bad on cheap or expensive kit. But the reason why we are on forums like this is because there is also something existential about owning certain bits of kit, and merely the fact of owning it brings a smile. For me some of this is buying kit that I couldn't afford earlier in my career, and hence the justification for spending more.

I suppose the other way of looking at this question is how much you need to spend to get something that will do the job that you need it to, and then anything greater than this is expensive. So for me a MM Stingray ~£2 to £3k (half that if second hand) is the instrument I feel most comfortable playing, and hence anything more is "expensive" (as per my comment above).

I will choose to ignore the fact that a £550 Mexican Fender Jazz into a £25 DI box would get me through most gigs!

I interpreted the question as what would be too expensive for me to buy. I think I would struggle to justify anything north of £3k because I would simply be too afraid to take it out of the house, and also the law of diminishing returns probably means paying large amounts for incremental differences once you get above this point.

35 minutes ago, TimR said:

She was born the year it was released. And she is American.

 

I don't doubt she's not listened to it before. 

She's Indian.

Talk about getting everywhere - this was from BBC sports personality of the year last night!