SimonK

40 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

As well as a stereo XLR.

 

 

For two you mean?

No I just got the single version in the neat little box. I think the double version was £20 more but it doesn't have the robust box.

OK - first trial of the Swiff WX520s today. Two negatives:

1) When you turn them on there is a distinct, albeit quiet, white noise hum

2) They need to be line of sight. I had a quick walk round and as soon as there was something between me and the transmitter the signal dropped out

But on the the positives they are a really neat, compact, design, they definitely work, and as soon as a signal comes through you forget about the hum. I also didn't realise they accept balanced xlr, 6.35mm mono or stereo, AND 3.5mm stereo - giving all the options. You can also switch between +4dBu or -10dBV or instrument level, the latter triggering a gain control for amp free practice. Finally the transmitter is also rechargable so you don't need to plug it in either.

All in all I think I forgive the two negatives as for £150 its a pretty good package.

...although if anyone gets rid of a Rickenbacker surely we should be encouraging them for having done something virtuous and thus give them some leeway 😀?

7 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

Good ideas, the reason I asked is that I am about to host an Open Mic night and I want to reduce the amount of alien saliva reaching the microphones. The colour coding makes the case on its own. 
 

I cannot claim copyright on the term Mic Condom, a former band mate coined that term. 

Reminds me of when we used to do a layer of sacrificial icing on the kids birthday cakes to fend off the spit that came with blowing out candles!

I like them for outdoor use, and also if (as you say) people of unknown origin are going to use them!

While I know the arguments, there is something deeply painful about replacing large satisfying boxes with such a small one...

1 hour ago, ASW said:

I find it easier to use the notes on the G string if I'm reading music. I score out bass parts for the bands I'm in. None of them play particularly frequently, so it's so much easier and more time efficient for me to turn up to a rehearsal or gig and read the bass part rather than try to memorise a whole set again.

 

If there are notes G or above (i.e. the same octave as the G string) it's easier for me to play those notes on the G String rather than jump up to a different position in a split second. It was the same when I had a 6 string bass with the C string, although that string was needed far less frequently.  

Despite what I said earlier, I have to agree that I too am more likely to use the G string when reading music, especially sight reading, as the old classical guitarist in me instinctively plays the notes within reach if my brain is busy processing the music!

6 hours ago, Al Krow said:

@Woodinblack just following up on the Swiff WX520 and a couple of online comments (summarised by Google), given this is on our band shopping list as a 5.8 GHz wireless.

• Real-world latency is often much higher than advertised (e.g., 10ms vs. 5ms claim).
• Exhibits a noticeable high-frequency roll-off (from 6kHz) and increased distortion above 4kHz, making it sound dull. 

Does the first of those tie up with your experience - is it something you can test?

I guess the second is not going to be more of an issue for guitarists than us bass players, but may impact female vox if it's an issue?

 

 

I have a set arriving today from Thomann and intend to check them out over the weekend so will let you know first impressions. Mind you they were so (relatively) cheap I figured best to just try them rather than dive in at the £400/500+ end of the market!

3 hours ago, spyder said:

Looks like Andertons do the flat bottom one.

No need to snap off the tags.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/rockboard-pedalsafe-pick-box/

...nice and you can fit condoms in there as well - no wait this is the bass forum... 🙂 !

With those setting is the compressor doing anything apart from what looks like a lot of high pass filtering - I think it's about 400 Hz when all the way to the right?

Trying and seeing what sounds best is the only reliable way, but as this is an internet forum and relies on keyboard warriors spouting opinions I would go HX one first as it's probably designed to have the whole signal hit it without any pre-processing especially if you are using modulation effects, then the drive/preamp/EQ for further tone tweaking and finally the compressor just to level the signal.

58 minutes ago, neepheid said:

I have a scenario to run by you all (and I'm just speculating at the moment) - I have a Yamaha SB500S with a knackered neck pickup.  I didn't break it, it arrived that way, it's second hand, it's no longer in production.  I have the broken pickup with someone just now attempting to repair it, but should that fall through what would be the collective's thoughts regarding ways forward?  You can't realistically get an exact replacement pickup for the current, broken one, but it is basically a J pickup in a bespoke Yamaha housing, because Yamaha.  If the broken pickup is unsalvageable, would I get a pass from the jury if I was to get a Tonerider or something similarly inexpensive to replace it with?  It's not like for like (other than dimensions), but I wouldn't be using this as an opportunity to procure some fancy, boutique pickup.  I just want the bass to work properly again.  I hope the OG pickup gets repaired successfully, that is deffo Plan A, just formulating a Plan B...

 

Thoughts?  No wrong answers (including "wait until next year, play your other basses")

My non-binding, totally unauthoritative view would be this is like for like (or as close as you can get) so would count as a repair. If, however, the new pickup has additional fancy features like making the bass groove so much that girls notice and want to snog you (isn't that why people change pickups?), then it counts as an upgrade.

On both five and four string basses I tend to play all root notes on the E and A strings. I find the other strings (D, G and then the low B on the fiver) work better for accent stuff - either popping the higher octaves or playing something widdly up high, or with the low B really using it as an accent when trying to build the dynamics - kind of like a bass drop!

So personally I stick to standard tuning, although do agree my E and A strings get the most use.

Was procrastinating and wondering about the difference between dBu and dBV was this morning. The following article is really interesting and especially the table at the end that touches on an issue that comes up time and again in amp threads.

https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/decibels-explained

1 hour ago, Richard R said:

Guys and Gals - it's a bit of fun!

New IEMs are part of PA, so T2 fail under the rules which are quite clear.

 

But so what?

 

If you're pro or semi-pro then buy what you need to do the job to the standard required, but accept that the challenge is as written and not really aimed at you. It's at those of us <ahem> who like buying stuff because it's interesting/fun/cool/collectable or whatever but we don't need it and really should be practicing instead.

@SimonK If your church has just gone IEM and you need to buy a Behringer P1 then it’s still a fail, but nobody here will excomunicate you.

 

Actually I couldn't cope with being tethered to the snake so have bought these: https://www.thomann.co.uk/swiff_audio_wx520_monitor_wireless_system.htm I suppose saying I'm also going to use them when exercising on my indoor trainer is also clutching at straws (consumer bluetooth head phones are for pussys)!

Mind you not as bad as last year's glorious T1 fail thanks to a Trace Elliot Stack plus Warwick five string 😎. I have to admit that failing is way more fun than the staying in!

9 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

IEMs are not (solely) ear protection.  Ear plugs are ear protection - and definitely allowed.  The choice to go IEMs is the equivalent to the choice to go wireless, as far as I'm concerned.

Yes I have to admit that we've been talking about going IEMs for a while now, just did a firmware update on the desk so we can set monitor levels on our phones, so buying an IEM probably does count as the next step forward albeit not directly bass gear as I will also use it for drums & guitar - hence I figured tier 2!

I suspect I'm a tier 2 fail as of ordering a Swiff IEM last night.

11 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Basschat motto right there...

Although speaking as someone with nine trace elliot cabs I'm with Yngwie on this - more is more, overkill is overkill... and I love it  💣 !

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

 

I guess because it just works? Flawlessly. For the 70+ gigs that we've used the A&H CQ18T desk since getting it. At each gig we've had one or two band members using a wired IEM straight into the aux outs (with no separate external headphone amp), and with the desk output levels being set for them no higher than for the wireless IEMs.

 

Just to make sure I'm not losing the plot, I've just tried the desk with my home over-ear headphones and no external headphone amp. Could very clearly hear recorded output at similar volumes for both the headphone-out and aux-out with similar output levels on both.

 

Go figure 😅

Must be something about that particular desk if headphones work directly because aux outs produce line level which is the standard for routing between different bits of gear (e.g. in a rack) whereas headphone level is a lot higher. There are a few caveats (-10dBV vs +4 dBu variants) but the wikipedia article explains it well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level

EDIT - in thinking about this I bet the manufacturers are targetting these small desks towards home studio users and thus build something like this in as a feature so people don't have to buy additional headphone amps. Thus said it makes me a bit scared as high headphone levels running into expensive rack gear has the potential to break things! I probably wouldn't buy this specific mixer if it was indeed doing this.

EDIT2 - just downloaded and read the manual because I couldn't quite believe designers would do this, and the aux level is +4 dBu as expected, although the desk does seem to have two separate headphone outs that can monitor the aux mixes so I suspect these are what the IEMs connect to.

9 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

To be clear, when ive used the term IEM above, im talking about the earpiece's only, not a system that would amplify the signal. Genuinely cant see how a line level signal can power the earpiece's or headphones, but if people say they can i cant argue with that. 

Ha - yes - I thought this was a given that you can't just plug headphones into something without a headphone preamp. I can't understand why anyone would try to plug headphones into an aux out!

2 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

I have no idea about your mixer, but when i googled it i got this. 

 

You should not plug headphones directly into the aux outs of an Allen & Heath CQ18T mixer. The aux outputs are line-level, balanced mono TRS jacks, designed to send signals to other audio gear (like an in-ear monitor transmitter or a dedicated headphone amplifier). They do not provide sufficient power or the correct impedance for headphones, and doing so can result in low volume, poor sound quality, and potentially damage the output stage of the mixer or your headphones

 

This just explains what i was trying to say. If you have found otherwise then fair enough. 

Might be worth noting that "standard" IEM systems are designed to plug into aux outs from desks in the same way as you would a powered wedge, hence having a xlr input, but I've noticed some of the cheaper IEMS are essentially just wireless headphones, given away by having a stereo jack input. I suspect these latter units might need a headphone amp to work.

I've seen some stuck in with double sided tape although wasn't sure if this was added in the factory or later. If you stick your hand right in side and give them a bit of a knock they normally loosen and come out. Just don't try to pull them from the outside as the lip will snap unless they have already loosened them up a bit.

7 hours ago, WAYNESWORLD said:

I’m currently running the most expensive gear I’ve ever owned and guess what…yeh it sounds the same as I’ve always sounded ,occasionally hitting the right notes and sometimes  in the right order unfortunately not always in the required song. I have been educated playing lots of set ups ,had fun and drawn my own conclusions along the way.Only took me the thick end of 50 yrs to realise that a bass makes Bassie type noises. 

 

Definitely this for me as well... I think new/expensive gear is also about the satisfaction of owning it, which I do think gives a better playing experience even if it makes little difference to the sound per se. Thus said I do find it easier to dial in a sound I am happy with using Trace Elliot or Genzler/Genz Benz amps, but nevertheless I still have numerous occasions where I am not happy with my sound despite having the same kit, being in the same room etc.

I play in a church with a number of other bass players who are all quite young or beginners. I was asked a few weeks back by our music director to have a look at the amp settings they use (a Trace GP7, 4x10) as they don't sound "as full as you do". My initial response was to feel please that my 1k+ pedal board and much better basses were making the difference (given the amp setting are exactly the same), but having now sat down with three of them it turns out that technique makes the biggest change to the sound. Playing closer to the bridge, not using open strings, left hand muting other strings, playing passing notes rather than just roots etc. and we all start to sound far more similar!

Annoyingly for GAS new/different equipment is seldom the answer to these sorts of things!

47 minutes ago, bass_dinger said:

 

Thankfully, @neepheid is in charge this year, so, fill your sparkly silver platform stage-wear boots!   

I suppose it depends how band finances are set up. All the ones I have been in have not had joint owned kit, favouring individuals buying specific items so if they leave we know exactly whose is whose (and what the other band members then need to buy). Also the reason why my garage is shrine of random pieces of PA/lighting kit!!

My keeley compressor has a similar problem (also blue) so I've put some masking tape over the LED. You can still see when it is on, but can also make out the settings. Otherwise simply open it up and solder on a different LED?