Earbrass

[quote name='pbasspecial' timestamp='1490290181' post='3264028'] I don't remember getting my knob out or taking a sh*t on the floor . [/quote] Maybe they thought that if you can't even remember that, you'd probably struggle memorising the set list.

Tricky one. On the one hand there's the opportunity to have all those hundreds of hours of solo practice honing one's skills finally appreciated by a receptive audience...on the other hand, the gig sounds pretty good too....

How about during? I remember seeing Henry Cow play on a Sunday afternoon in Southend - probably 1977ish. About half way through a tea-lady wandered across the front of the stage with a trolley full of tea and biscuits. The band were into one of their long "free impro" sections and one by one came to the front of the stage to help themselves. I recall being a bit miffed that we didn't get any. Rock'n'roll.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1483725451' post='3209652'] I think I'd struggle with anyone under 40-odd. Does that count? [/quote] Is that inches tall or stones in weight? From an ad on Bandmix: [i][color=#101010]I'm looking for other members who are preferably no older than 30 (as im 22), who have similar taste musically and who are pretty openminded.[/color][/i] [i][color=#101010] [/color][/i][i][color=#101010] [/color][/i]

[i][color=#555555]vitriolic noodle vendors[/color][/i] [color=#555555]Now that's a great band name.[/color]

No No No

Sold a Zoom MS-60B pedal to Andy. All good - recommended.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1483696209' post='3209283'] agree with the deceasing audience ... [/quote] I think that comes under the heading of "accidentally accurate".

Did you deny having been influenced by the Beatles?

[quote name='Monkey Steve' timestamp='1481801010' post='3195227'] I use a similar technique to Entwistle - effectively fingerstyle but hitting the strings with the end of my fingers rather than picking or plucking them. Sounds very similar to slapping with a thumb, but allows for much more speed. [/quote] +1

Had a rush of blood to the mouse finger and bought a Dave Smith Instruments Evolver Mono desktop synth on ebay. Fancied trying it out, and got it for a price where if I don't get on with it I can hopefully move it on without major loss. Touch and go whether it will arrive before xmas.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1482186962' post='3198367'] all genres outside of classical evolved from blues [/quote] There is a whole world of music out there that has nothing to do with either the blues or "classical".

I have been playing the nyckelharpa for almost a year and half now - it's a fabulous instrument and I regret not having discovered it several decades ago. I also play the D/G melodeon for morris (though I have taken a break from this for the past couple of months due to health issues). I also have a bit of a hankering for a kantele, but my sensible side tells me I have too many instruments already.

...and you stand by your claim to have played 4 hour bar gigs, hauling lights and sound for free....in Milwaukee?

I'll take a Russian dictionary, please.

Possibly a little off-topic, but, partly inspired by this thread I had a play on my old Novation K-Station last night. For those not familiar, it's a rather nice little 3 oscillator Virtual-Analogue synth with lots of slideriness and knobbage. Not actually an analogue synth, before the purists jump down my throat, but behaves pretty much like one, with the added benefits of not having to warm up and (optional) polyphony. Anyway, the point of the post is that although I understand in principle what all the functions do, I frequently find that tweaking one knob or another produces totally unpredicted results, and one several occasions I found myself wondering "why is it doing that?" and progressively removing oscillators, modulations etc from the sound to try to discover what was causing the unexpected effect. So I thought I'd pose the question to all the synth users out there - how much of your knob-tweaking is part of a purposeful pursuit of a sound that you know how to produce, and how much is semi-random? Or to put it another way, when you find a sound you like, or will use, how often is that the result of conscious sound-design, and how often a serendipitous accident?

[quote name='Ashweb' timestamp='1478039134' post='3166348'] Interesting topic this and it throws up an interesting point to me. Excuse my ignorance on this subject as I am new to it, but in theory if you are in a covers band and you play a Beatles number, for example, at a gig - should you be paying some form of royalty to Paul McCartney? [/quote] No, it's the venue that is liable - they should have a PRS licence which covers this. Not sure what the rule is if you're busking in the street, though.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1477591998' post='3163261'] Tessitura. [/quote] No need for that sort of language, even if the o.p. [i]is[/i] using tab.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1477481198' post='3162476'] I hope so, as it's a bit of a pig to obtain, then install. I've spent an hour so far, and still can't access it. A warning, then..? Once the Cakewalk Downloader is installed, don't run it to get this freebie without first checking the Paths it will use (without further asking...). They may be OK for you, but may very well not..! Get the Paths right, first. I've now corrected mine, and the Vst has been installed, but Reaper can't, as yet, see it. I'll keep trying, and will crack this nut eventually, but, as sang Ziggy Stardust... "It ain't eeeezy..." [/quote] Thanks for the warning. As a fellow Reaper user I would be interested to hear how you get on... I suppose I can expect to be bombarded with marketing mail from Cakewalk now. Come on Spam filter....

[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1476604003' post='3155466'] So I often have to play with myself at home... Who needs a guitar when you've got a bass whammy! [/quote]

[quote name='NickRiffed' timestamp='1476106290' post='3151316'] I know where you are coming from. Bloody M.E. is a complete b*$tard! I thought I had seriously hit the bottom and couldn't see a way out but, very slowly, things picked up a bit. I'm now functioning at around 65% of what I used to. A rehearsal needs a day of rest before and maybe 2 after. I'm just greatful that it improved that much. At least now that PACE has been rubbished they may invest in some research. Take it easy Bud. [/quote] [quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1476106389' post='3151321'] Sorry that your health issues has meant you cutting back on gigging, I hope that can find a way to get back out there again soon. [/quote] Thanks for your kind thoughts. Nick, great to hear there is some improvement. I think I'm not as badly off as some, as I am still just about hanging on to a day job and can make it out of the house on the odd evening for a few social and musical activities. I just have to be very careful not to overdo it - and sometimes I only know I've done too much when it's too late! Only had the condition for a couple of years or so and am still learning to manage it. I have periods when I seem more or less ok, then get cocky and overdo it and am back to square one. Good luck and better health to all out there who are struggling.

My last bass gig was about 5 years ago. Since then I've played an average of 20-30 gigs per year, but none on bass. I've had to cut back recently due to health issues (ME/CFS), but hope that won't stop me for too long. These days the bass sits in the corner and is only used for my (sadly occasional) home recording efforts. I wouldn't be without it, though.

I recently sold an ancient, large and heavy (29Kg) yamaha stage piano on ebay with a starting price of £1. Clearly stated that it was cash on collection only (I live in SE London). When the bidding was at the giddy heights of £1.20 I had a lady from Sheffield ask what I would charge to ship it. Really??? Eventually sold it for £62 to a charming chap who turned up to collect it on a vespa. He got it home too!

This all rather reminds me of a quote from John Stuart Mill: "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, is of a different opinion, it is only because they only know their own side of the question." I suspect I am a foolish, dissatisfied pig, so I've clearly gone wrong somewhere .