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SimonK

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Posts posted by SimonK

  1. My latest incarnation - guitar signal ends up in Marshall, bass in Trace Elliots, and all sorts of things switching in or out of the various signal routes including a couple different preamp choices for each. Needless to say this doesn't travel.

     

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  2. Just saw this on facebook and can't help think someone has missed the point of pedals in that having the flexibility to changes things is the main draw. Nevertheless there is a bit of me that things this is otherwise quite cool, and I am aware that some touring musicians (e.g. Ed Sheeran) do something similar to reduce faff on stage...

     

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    • Like 1
    • Haha 2
  3. Wow - eight year necro-bump!!

     

    I've only played a Jazz bass in earnest once, about twenty five years ago when I did a weekend of gigs in France after someone pulled out playing bass so I volunteered last minute and used what kit they could find. It was a black Fender US Jazz going into a bassman of some variety. I was really impressed and have kind of always wanted to get once since but never had the chance. They strike me as versatile not ever so flashy workhorses.

    • Like 1
  4. 47 minutes ago, mazdah said:

    Maybe recorded or sent 100% through PA they sound is the same, but I can't stand the fact that they (compared to amps) are non-responsive to articulation, volume changes or anything you do with your instrument.

     

    That's a bold claim that probably hasn't been the case for most technology like this produced in the last twenty years. While I do prefer amps, it is very definitely not for this reason.

     

    47 minutes ago, mazdah said:

    Also we always liked to create a good stage mix instead of using our amps simply as a monitors - we don't really need to hear precisely what we play, but we have to hear how our playing contributes to the whole band/song. 

     

    I totally get and agree with this though. The IEM converts among us will claim that you can get the same effect, but as I said in the OP it is more than just the sound quality, it is the whole package of having the amps there on stage, the slightly different sounds as you move around, the visuals, and even the effort (dare I say sometimes fun?) to get them there and home again etc.

     

  5. 13 hours ago, Painy said:

    I saw these guys a few weeks ago too and got chatting about gear to the bass player after the show. Apparently he's just using an EBS Microbass iii preamp pedal. 

    Can't speak for the guitarists though. 

     

    Ah that's what it was - I didn't get a chance to speak to him but could see he had something smaller than a helix at his feet. I think he had a boss tuner as well. Mind you his bass wasn't even on stage before the show and I was initially worried there wouldn't be a live bass player!

  6. 4 hours ago, Tech21NYC said:

    It sounds like you've been playing with amateurs.  You either know how to play a gig or you don't. In my decades long playing career I've played over 5000 gigs. Whether I'm playing a multimillion $ Broadway Musical production, local pub gig or recording in a studio the same principles always apply. You play at the appropriate volume for the room and situation. As a rule of thumb in most situations the drummer tends to dictate the overall volume of the band which is why I find it puzzling that in many situations where everyone plays direct, they use an acoustic drum kit. 

     

     

    This requires a good drummer though. There's a young chap, recent ACM graduate, who I play with on occasion and he just does everything right - volume, not over  playing etc etc... but he's a pro. Some of the other drummers I play with make everything a bit harder not out of spite, just less experience.

    • Like 1
  7. Just joined this club after a cash for Streamer exchange with @40hz at a service station off the M4 on Saturday!

     

    Just realised my 30 year dream of a Warwick into a Trace Stack, although have to wait a couple weeks before testing it in anger!

     

    IMG_20250505_142517379_HDR.thumb.jpg.2f8e82d7e220c737365aef816d94d10d.jpg

    • Like 7
  8. 1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

     

    Of course there is, there always was. I just don't believe a guitarist who says he is going to do it :D

     

     

    That's the thing isn't it - between the PA operator having the volume knob and, well, the guitarist being a nob with their 100W amp 🙂! Of course as a bass player I've never ignored the instruction to turn my amp down (or turned it up again after they got too far away)!

     

    I do get the sound/PA and practicality argument for IEMs/modellers, I just miss the aesthetic of amps on a stage!

  9. 1 hour ago, wateroftyne said:


    ...is their hearing shot, by any chance?

     

    Slightly unrelated, but during a soundcheck the other week two of our band members were complaining about a high pitched ringing coming through the PA/monitors. The rest of us thought everything was fine so we weren't particularly motivated to find the supposed problem, but after a bit of confusion/accusations of having divas in the band we then realised the two complaining were both late teens/early twenties while the rest of us were 45+, and possibly some of our hearing wasn't what it once was!

     

    Mind you it is quite hard to fix a problem that you can't actually hear - we just went through some of the higher frequencies until the youngsters stopped complaining!

    • Like 1
  10. Just bought a Warwick bass from Simon. Great and accurate description of the instrument, he'd had some work done on it but was able to show me the receipts, and we managed to find a time to meet at a motorway services for that classic second-hand instrument exchange experience. Really no complaints from me, underscoring the value of this forum in finding and dealing with other genuine and friendly musicians!

  11. So I went to see thes guys last night and they were great. I loved all the guitars on the stage (albeit the bass player only had one 5-string J bass which I thought let the side down regardless of how good he sounded!), but the complete lack of amps did take something away for me given the title of the show was "Ultimate Classic Rock". Aesthetically I think some Marshall stacks and probably an Ampeg/TE stack would have just finished the look - even if the cabs were empty.

     

    I know there are some famous bands who have always bought additional empty cabs along for the look, but I do think I should start a campaign for all the digital modeller/IEM people out there to consider bringing amps & cabs along to gigs to serve as stage props!

     

    IMG_20250502_191445644_HDR.thumb.jpg.d7d5905500d6098b286fe9dd5b92d753.jpg

  12. Having a standard pre-agreed half song or chorus to quickly run through after telling everyone in the room what you are going to do seems to be a fairly professional way to do it regardless of who is already there, and saves the back and forth as to what the band wants to play or random jamming (which feels somewhat less professional!).

     

    I can possibly see how IEM mixes may not change much between gigs and thus a soundcheck is less necessary, but I don't think I would ever NOT want to do one!

    • Like 4
  13. 24 minutes ago, Richard R said:

     @SimonK- It's a perfect use case for him.

    Meet up half way on the M40 near Oxford? 

     

    Thanks Richard for the offer but I think you can probably find a better home for it as we are spoiled for amp choices!

    • Thanks 1
  14. 57 minutes ago, Phil Starr said:

    Ha ha, caught me out there :)

     

    Funnily it did occur to me that you might have done this on an analogue desk, but I ploughed on anyway. It sounds like it was a bigger desk than I ever took to a gig. Most of the analogue desks I've used have been limited to four busses. 18 in and 18 out with flexible routing is almost standard now for jobbing pub bands if they go digital. That's another game changer.

     

    It was a soundcraft desk, although I did occasionally use a huge Allen and Heath. The other fun thing you could do with this arrangement is essentially a bass drop - so cut all the low frequencies out for the intro or other parts of a song and then send it all back in as needed. Not entirely useful but there were one or two songs in the set where this could give quite a nice lift - Wild Cherry "Play that Funky Music"- was one.

  15. 17 minutes ago, Richard R said:

    Hi all,

    I have the following practice amp/combo listed in the marketplace:

     

    However if anyone has a use for it in their church - youth band, someone starting out who needs a practice amp but can't necessarily afford one, whatever you think would put it to good use  - then PM me as I'm happy to donate.

     

     

    That's a really kind offer - we have a 17 year old bass player who is in need of an amp so I tried to give him one of my Trace Elliot combos but after trying to pick it up he asked if I could give him a preamp with a headphone out instead - youth of today aren't as rock 'n roll as we were! This looks far more sensible for church use although I'm too far away.

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