Sawtooth

[quote name='Gust0o' post='1173854' date='Mar 23 2011, 08:47 PM']Now for something complete different... 1984 BC Rich Nagoya Japan ('NJ') Eagle. Lightweight, with hot pick-ups, this has been a fond go-to bass for when you need to rock out. It's been nicely mojo'ed over the years, and joined me from Shockwave. It's quite a tasteful bass









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this is beautiful - Love it!!!

[quote name='BottomE' post='1171113' date='Mar 21 2011, 07:08 PM']I think enough of you have mentioned the sub heading being offensive for me to apologise. It was meant in context to guitartists that i have worked with who can't seem to play as fluidly without a ton of effects as they can with - independant of genre. It was an observation not intended to harm or cause offense.

I did try a compressor last night and was, well, left thinking whats it all about. In some ways i found it a bit of an impairment when i wanted to put some natural emphasis in certain passages of the song i was working with. All the compressors i have tried built into amps have been switched off after a minute due to IMO a negative impact on the sound.

I am interested in trying a chorus though. Wondered what that might do for someone playing mainly old style funk and soul? And lastly - i probably DO use effects as the filters on the Little Mark are very powerful and i love 'em.[/quote]

I think you have shown a genuine interest in effects and there uses since the start of this thread but have obviously riled a few people with the sub-heading.
Intentionally or not, it's been an interesting read and hopefully has opened a few minds to try a few effects out.
There do seem to be a few people on a quest for the ultimate pure tone Nirvana - the 'One', the tone to end all tones. But surely variety is the Spice of Life?

Anyway, regarding compression, a difficult beginning if your an 'effect newbie' as such. Although, really well suited to your needs if you prefer your tone to be on the purer side of the spectrum as you said,
used correctly it can give more punch and clarity but still enable you to play dynamically.
Of course, like all equipment, nothing is equal. Compressors can range from sub £50 pedals through to many thousands of pounds worth found in some studio's.
It's also a bit of a 'black art' to learn, with terms such as ratio, threshold, attack and release times etc. and I think most people would admit to it being a bit of a head scratcher at first.
You could start with [url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:effects:compressors_and_limiters"]Wiki - compressors[/url]

As for any other effects and there uses, try diving into the 2228+ topics in the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showforum=6"]Effects[/url] forum!

I knew there would be a topic like this buried somewhere deep ....

Having just spent most of my day giving my 'toy box' a well needed spring clean (any excuse to not to clear out the shed like the Wife suggested),
I thought I'd take and share some pics for those who may be interested. I don't think it's ever been this tidy and probably never will be again.

Enjoy ...















Please fire away if you've any questions ...... unless it's "where do you live?"

[quote name='risingson' post='1169102' date='Mar 20 2011, 02:15 AM']I probably will either invest in a Bass Microsynth soon as there's a few bits of synth bass that I need to play, but to be honest [b]I'd sooner play a Moog if I had the money![/b][/quote]

I'd stick to the Bass Microsynth if you want to keep on playing.

Forget about analogue synthesis, I lost quite a few years to these addictive little b*ggers, while my basses gathered dust ....

It could be argued that all electric bass players are using effects to some degree. It depends how you define an 'effect'.
Even the simplest signal, from a pickup wired directly to the output, through a cable and into a power amp feeding a speaker, can still have many controllable parameters that will alter the tone.
Throw in a passive tone knob or two and you have some filters. Add a valve preamp and gain and you have some controllable compression, overdrive and distortion.
All these are electrical circuits designed to re-shape and colour the basic soundwave.

It's not a huge leap to have dedicated pedals/units that will offer greater control over these parameters.

[quote name='BottomE' post='1168860' date='Mar 19 2011, 09:17 PM']Can effects compensate for a lack of technique?[/quote]

Oh without a doubt. I've played many times with the effect of large amounts of alcohol and thought I was bloomin' marvellous!

[quote name='The Admiral' post='1168273' date='Mar 19 2011, 02:27 PM']... there is no monitoring for the vocals, let alone any of the musicians, or DI facility - and the PA is a wall mounted powered mixer, with a couple of 1 x 15 + H cabs hanging from the ceiling. [b]The keyboard player actually sat in the audience at the edge of the stage.[/b][/quote]

that image has brightened my day.

[quote name='The Admiral' post='1168063' date='Mar 19 2011, 11:20 AM']I was in London for work on St Patrick's day and wanted to go for a beer, but avoid all the one day only faux 'oirish' crap that goes with it. In the mood for some live music, I ended up in 'Ain't nothin' but....' - the blues bar in Kingly Street, where the Franck Ash band were playing. Anyone who knows this venue, will be aware that it's a [b]really[/b] small place, with a tiny stage - about 9ft x 5ft (if that). Clearly you don't need a huge rig, and in fact there simply isn't room for anything bigger than a small combo - which brings me to my point : the bass player in the band was Winston Blissett (Kylie, Lionel Richie, Robbie Williams, Massive Attack etc) and he was playing a nice custom 5 string....... but through what I'm sure was a Behringer bass combo, and it sounded great.

I might have been seeing things, but it got me thinking about how much we sometimes might think you have to spend on gear, but is it as much about how you play, as through what? Clearly an expensive custom bass will give you a great initial sound, but the combo was more than capable of covering the low B.

Finally, what a great thing that you can see musicians as good as Mr B, with a really top notch blues band, in a small pub in London, and for no cost other than your beer. A great night - and no 'diddly eye'!.

A[/quote]

That's a good point though, I've heard some great tones from players on small gigs and mooched over after the performance, wondering what fine gear they must use to achieve this, and I've often been pleasantly surprised
by some of the basic equipment used.
I also think if you've pre- hand knowledge of the gear about to be used in someones performance, it can 'cloud your ear' as such, rather than enjoying it for what it [i]actually[/i] sounds like.

[quote name='chris_b' post='1168121' date='Mar 19 2011, 12:12 PM']Acoustically the Blues Bar is not a normal place. The bass amp probably wouldn't have been Winston Blisset's. Because of the stage size, the sound limiter and acoustic problems that the Blues Bar has with bass frequencies it provides gear for the band, so the Behringer would have probbaly been the house bass amp.[/quote]

Plus this monster Mesa rig used here with Massive Attack may have been overkill for a small Blues combo ...

I don't know a great deal about double bass playing, but I know I enjoyed that! Thanks.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1160827' date='Mar 13 2011, 06:31 PM']How about this... band has sequenced backing. Sequenced backing is broken and plays in wrong key.

All aboard the failboat!

[/quote]


[quote name='Mykesbass' post='1160912' date='Mar 13 2011, 07:49 PM']A ) The guitarist was oblivious (although the bass player seemed to get something was wrong),
B ) They got away with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

I don't really know what 'hackles' are? But they've only just gone down.

My oh my, how we all laughed, cried and shared this little private in-joke.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1160649' date='Mar 13 2011, 04:21 PM']Since when was Shooting Stars funny?[/quote]

marmite ...





... you had to be there.

News Flash! - Milli Vanilli mimed!

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1160566' date='Mar 13 2011, 03:19 PM']27secs in - hard to believe this made a comedy show. One for all you Soul lovers



Enjoy![/quote]

Ahh! The sound of a thousand working mens clubs. I can almost taste the smell of fags and bitter.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1160556' date='Mar 13 2011, 03:11 PM']A different take on the "really [b]shoulda[/b] mimed" theory



[/quote]

Brilliant! I assume that may have been some sort of silent protest against a 'Top Of The Pops' decision to use backing tracks only?
- Or they'd taken some top quaity acid.

I suppose this topic could take 2 paths?

really bad live playing TV performances

or

really bad miming / lip syncing

Either way, I'm up for a laugh!

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='1160533' date='Mar 13 2011, 03:00 PM']My niece was watching some awful American programme the other day. It was supposedly live, and featured some horrendously talented youngster. Someone should have explained to her that when lip synching, keep the microphone pointed at your mouth.[/quote]

Great. But video evidence would be better.

I'm just following on from a great comment from JTUK in a previous post of mine : [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=126914&pid=1160483&st=0&#entry1160483"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...p;#entry1160483[/url]

- "I applaud live shows and live TV but some artists just can't afford to risk it ha ha ..you know where this is going so apologies in advance."

I really can't think of any terrible live TV performances off-hand?

Please enlighten ....

[quote name='ezbass' post='1160479' date='Mar 13 2011, 02:07 PM'][/quote]

Absolutely wonderful. Thanks.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1160472' date='Mar 13 2011, 02:00 PM']A common practise would be for the band to send in or spend some time in the TV studio doing the backing tracks prior to the live screening. That way the program could manage the sound, the time and and virtually every thing about the pre-recorded song.
The vocals would be live to give it a 'Live' feel but IME, the backing track would be flown in so the playing is mimed.
It takes a lot of risk and other problems out of the live sreen[/quote]

Ah, that makes sense. It doesn't sound like the recorded version, but yet seems to 'polished' to be live. Thanks.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1160440' date='Mar 13 2011, 01:25 PM']The video isn't live, IMO.[/quote]

? ... if this isn't live, then I must be dead.

Edit: but i suppose on re-listening it could maybe be played over a backing track, and sung over live? But it still pushes and pulls like live playing though.
I dunno anymore. Were musicians really that good back in the day or are we just conditioned to think that everything is mimed?

Mmmmmmmmm!!! Tasty...

[quote name='chaypup' post='1160299' date='Mar 13 2011, 11:05 AM']It's funny, but I'm pretty sure he's not slapping in this song! Certainly, if the video is live then you can see it's fingerstyle.

Maybe that's why you love it?![/quote]

I kinda disagree with you there, although he is not thumbing and popping with todays accepted 'slap technique', I'm pretty sure Graham invented the slap sound with
his "thumpin' and pluckin" - plus my ears tell me it ain't regular fingerstyle.

[quote name='phil.i.stein' post='1160272' date='Mar 13 2011, 10:37 AM']

nothing fancy, just solid as funk.[/quote]

Fantastic! I'd only heard 'Soul Finger' by them before, will check 'em out.