Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

[ugly_bassplayer]

This track is at best Aphex Twin on a budget, but learned some new tricks with my Cwejman SM-1 synth module using one of its LFO’s as a 3rd oscillator. Routed it out separately from the two VCO’s and used a different ADSR, filter and VCA. Made for a pretty cool bass sound. Or pass, all synth sounds are the SM-1. Drums are various eurorack modules (Jomox, ALM, 2HP)

SIck!!!!
More!!
As for the AFX twin comparison, ,I read a while back when he dropped Syro that he spends more time now actually building and creating studios than making music. Just imagine they $$$$$$ of gear he has, impossible to come close for us mere mortals.

Use what you got buddy, and it’s coming out real cool.

Ill send you some static noise “art” for you to mangle.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

On a side note, maybe it’s because I have a heavy skateboarding background, but I really have a pet peeve on TB.
The “poseur” , talks the talk, but when it’s time to walk the walk...pfffffff....They suggest all sorts of “stuff based around” zero experience and follow trends. (I known a lot of them on here over the years.)

I got nothing against loving the instrument and just playing in your basement, but don’t go out giving real world tips at the same time please sir.

Also nothing wrong with nice gear, I even like that some people have that opportunity. Still nothing wrong with that.

Like I said, I was a skate rat with busted up boards and shoes and hated the “mall grab” skateboard poseurs that couldn’t kick flip at the skate park.

I freakin admire a kid that loves his craft and goes out there fearless with an old busted No name bass playing 3 chord punk rock (insert style of you liking here).

Rant over.....
Back to nice

Edit: also maybe me being an old grumpy also......

 

[HotelX]

The space issue is my current pain. I’ve got funds for new monitors, but I’m on the fence about it being a worthwhile purchase in my untreated room, and where exactly I’d put my 3rd set of speakers in this room.

However, it also could mean less time mixing if I have a better idea of what’s going on. My phones and hi fi system are misleading me a little to often. They’re good but not perfect.

Why don’t you use that money for some room treatment?

 

[remcult]

On a side note, maybe it’s because I have a heavy skateboarding background, but I really have a pet peeve on TB.
The “poseur” , talks the talk, but when it’s time to walk the walk...pfffffff....They suggest all sorts of “stuff based around” zero experience and follow trends. (I known a lot of them on here over the years.)

I got nothing against loving the instrument and just playing in your basement, but don’t go out giving real world tips at the same time please sir.

Also nothing wrong with nice gear, I even like that some people have that opportunity. Still nothing wrong with that.

Like I said, I was a skate rat with busted up boards and shoes and hated the “mall grab” skateboard poseurs that couldn’t kick flip at the skate park.

I freakin admire a kid that loves his craft and goes out there fearless with an old busted No name bass playing 3 chord punk rock (insert style of you liking here).

Rant over.....
Back to nice

Edit: also maybe me being an old grumpy also......

One thing I really do appreciate about this thread is that folks actually are interested in sharing the music they make, and not in a careerist/self-promoting way (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but more along the lines of “I made this and maybe someone here will like it”

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

One thing I really do appreciate about this thread is that folks actually are interested in sharing the music they make, and not in a careerist/self-promoting way (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but more along the lines of “I made this and maybe someone here will like it”

Exactly. We do it cuz we need to, not for fans , $ or any of that.
At least we can all say “i did this” when we creat.

All of us can say : I worked on my craft. I did something. I progressed, I went forward.

No sitting idle on the sidelines.

 

[monsterthompson]

Why don’t you use that money for some room treatment?

It’s a rental and my living room, which is an odd room in an old building. There’s also the complexities of not being able to do it myself, and needing to recruit friends or, I could just hire a pro. It’s a reasonable suggestion.

I think getting the monitors to ear level is going to be a huge improvement. I also think that a pair of Adam A5X might be a better fit for the room size. But I’ve budgeted for the A7X, and I can’t quite convince myself that smaller is better. I’ve tried the GC demo station of monitors and I like the A7X, so that’s what I’m focused on.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

It’s a rental and my living room, which is an odd room in an old building. There’s also the complexities of not being able to do it myself, and needing to recruit friends or, I could just hire a pro. It’s a reasonable suggestion.

I think getting the monitors to ear level is going to be a huge improvement. I also think that a pair of Adam A5X might be a better fit for the room size. But I’ve budgeted for the A7X, and I can’t quite convince myself that smaller is better. I’ve tried the GC demo station of monitors and I like the A7X, so that’s what I’m focused on.

IMO do not sound treat a room you do not own.
Money your basically throwing into the fire.

My 2 cents.

 

[monsterthompson]

One thing I really do appreciate about this thread is that folks actually are interested in sharing the music they make, and not in a careerist/self-promoting way (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but more along the lines of “I made this and maybe someone here will like it”

It’s a fairly open minded group of folks, all interested in various forms of nonconformity. The thread has mutated and wandered from the actual title of it, but it’s produced some interesting results along the way.

 

[monsterthompson]

Gorgeous

 

[HotelX]

It’s a rental and my living room, which is an odd room in an old building. There’s also the complexities of not being able to do it myself, and needing to recruit friends or, I could just hire a pro. It’s a reasonable suggestion.

I think getting the monitors to ear level is going to be a huge improvement. I also think that a pair of Adam A5X might be a better fit for the room size. But I’ve budgeted for the A7X, and I can’t quite convince myself that smaller is better. I’ve tried the GC demo station of monitors and I like the A7X, so that’s what I’m focused on.

There are non permanent ways to treat. Acoustical curtains. Panels you lean against the wall. Etc

 

[monsterthompson]

There are non permanent ways to treat. Acoustical curtains. Panels you lean against the wall. Etc

I’ve noticed. I started googling after your suggestion. Maybe I can do that, and buy monitors

 

[D.A.R.K.]

It’s a rental and my living room, which is an odd room in an old building. There’s also the complexities of not being able to do it myself, and needing to recruit friends or, I could just hire a pro. It’s a reasonable suggestion.

I think getting the monitors to ear level is going to be a huge improvement. I also think that a pair of Adam A5X might be a better fit for the room size. But I’ve budgeted for the A7X, and I can’t quite convince myself that smaller is better. I’ve tried the GC demo station of monitors and I like the A7X, so that’s what I’m focused on.

A 6 pack of Roxul or Owens Corning 703 rigid fiberglass is under 100 bucks delivered... that and 50 bucks worth of burlap, you will have 6 4'x2'x2" baffles. Will change you life, you just hang them like picture frames. None of my room treatment is permanent, easily moved in minutes. Not a waste at all.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

I’ve noticed. I started googling after your suggestion. Maybe I can do that, and buy monitors

https://www.amazon.com/Rockwool-Aco...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

https://www.amazon.com/Owens-Cornin...words=Owens+corning+703&qid=1581701022&sr=8-4

 

[monsterthompson]

A 6 pack of Roxul or Owens Corning 703 rigid fiberglass is under 100 bucks delivered... that and 50 bucks worth of burlap, you will have 6 4'x2'x2" baffles. Will change you life, you just hang them like picture frames. None of my room treatment is permanent, easily moved in minutes. Not a waste at all.

Mounting to my walls is the tricky part. The materials vary from wall to wall. Luckily 1 “walk” is mostly windows, so curtains should work. And I need new curtains.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

Mounting to my walls is the tricky part. The materials vary from wall to wall. Luckily 1 “walk” is mostly windows, so curtains should work. And I need new curtains.

Picture wire and normal hanging hooks will do it just fine. For a little extra money, you can put together box frames and have them free standing even.

 

[dukeorock]

SIck!!!!
More!!
As for the AFX twin comparison, ,I read a while back when he dropped Syro that he spends more time now actually building and creating studios than making music. Just imagine they $$$$$$ of gear he has, impossible to come close for us mere mortals.

Use what you got buddy, and it’s coming out real cool.

Ill send you some static noise “art” for you to mangle.

Bring it! I love collaboration!

In case there’s any confusion, I would never dream of comparing myself to Aphex Twin and would never try to consciously imitate him. It’s just as I was working out that last tune I wondered if that influence had crept in a bit

On a side note, maybe it’s because I have a heavy skateboarding background, but I really have a pet peeve on TB.
The “poseur” , talks the talk, but when it’s time to walk the walk...pfffffff....They suggest all sorts of “stuff based around” zero experience and follow trends. (I known a lot of them on here over the years.)

I got nothing against loving the instrument and just playing in your basement, but don’t go out giving real world tips at the same time please sir.

Also nothing wrong with nice gear, I even like that some people have that opportunity. Still nothing wrong with that.

Like I said, I was a skate rat with busted up boards and shoes and hated the “mall grab” skateboard poseurs that couldn’t kick flip at the skate park.

I freakin admire a kid that loves his craft and goes out there fearless with an old busted No name bass playing 3 chord punk rock (insert style of you liking here).

Rant over.....
Back to nice

Edit: also maybe me being an old grumpy also......

I was a competitive skateboarder in the 80’s, but where I came from in SoCal, there wasn’t a lot of discussion. We just skated
To your point, I’ve grappled with the TB ‘experts’ over and over. Trying to convince folks what gear they ‘need’ in every last detail and it just happens to be the gear they own. So lame! Even worse when discussing the reliability of gear. “I’ve owned this amp for 7 years with ZERO problems!!!” Says the guy whose amp gets turned on once or twice a week at low volume in a bedroom. I’m not knocking the home enthusiast because it’s a beautiful thing, but don’t enter into discussions on the reliability of gear unless you’ve tested the reliability by throwing it in and out of vans, dropped it, played it on 4 hour gigs in direct sunlight in 100 degree heat, etc.
I think everyone (potentially) gets the same amount of joy from music, whether it’s in a bedroom or stadium, but don’t pretend to be an expert if you don’t actually know what you’re talking about. You may have caused some gullible chump to waste a ton of dough because he read your ‘expert’ advice on the internet.

One thing I really do appreciate about this thread is that folks actually are interested in sharing the music they make, and not in a careerist/self-promoting way (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but more along the lines of “I made this and maybe someone here will like it”

Agreed!

Exactly. We do it cuz we need to, not for fans , $ or any of that.
At least we can all say “i did this” when we creat.

All of us can say : I worked on my craft. I did something. I progressed, I went forward.

No sitting idle on the sidelines.

Some of us casually enjoy music and some are compelled to try to make ‘art.’ Some want to and others have to. I have a weird compulsion to work on music all day, everyday. Sometimes I get paid for it and sometimes I don’t. I tend to get more satisfaction from my ‘hobby’ music because I don’t have to care what anyone thinks of it. This somewhat recent deep dive into modular is tough to explain, but part of the obsession is I don’t think I’m very good at it and I really want to be!

 

[D.A.R.K.]

The “poseur” , talks the talk, but when it’s time to walk the walk...pfffffff....They suggest all sorts of “stuff based around” zero experience and follow trends. (I known a lot of them on here over the years.)
Edit: also maybe me being an old grumpy also......

IMO do not sound treat a room you do not own.
Money your basically throwing into the fire.
My 2 cents.

Ok, look, you gotta walk that walk. I know you are gonna be pissed at me for doing this, but with no disrespect meant, that's bad advice. And this is why I had to take a sabbatical.

 

[dukeorock]

On the subject of speakers/room treatment ...

How much treatment you need depends on how bad your room sounds in the first place, I think. I’ve had a few proper commercial studios in my time. Paid a serious acoustician to come in and design the right setup for materials and locations. It was fun and totally worth it. These days I mix records in my living room with minimal sound treatment and get acceptable results. I also don’t have the stress and overhead of a studio!
The main thing to me is I just don’t want tons of reflections; sounds bouncing around and creating room modes or comb filtering. I went with Focal ShapeTwin monitors because they have a reputation for working well in poorly treated rooms. They’re also somewhat ‘affordable’ considering their performance. I upgraded from Focal Alpha 80’s which are also very nice speakers. The ShapeTwins just have a tighter, more focused low end and smoother mids. Slightly better imaging. They’re also 3x the price, so there’s that :/

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Bring it! I love collaboration!

In case there’s any confusion, I would never dream of comparing myself to Aphex Twin and would never try to consciously imitate him. It’s just as I was working out that last tune I wondered if that influence had crept in a bit




I was a competitive skateboarder in the 80’s, but where I came from in SoCal, there wasn’t a lot of discussion. We just skated
To your point, I’ve grappled with the TB ‘experts’ over and over. Trying to convince folks what gear they ‘need’ in every last detail and it just happens to be the gear they own. So lame! Even worse when discussing the reliability of gear. “I’ve owned this amp for 7 years with ZERO problems!!!” Says the guy whose amp gets turned on once or twice a week at low volume in a bedroom. I’m not knocking the home enthusiast because it’s a beautiful thing, but don’t enter into discussions on the reliability of gear unless you’ve tested the reliability by throwing it in and out of vans, dropped it, played it on 4 hour gigs in direct sunlight in 100 degree heat, etc.
I think everyone (potentially) gets the same amount of joy from music, whether it’s in a bedroom or stadium, but don’t pretend to be an expert if you don’t actually know what you’re talking about. You may have caused some gullible chump to waste a ton of dough because he read your ‘expert’ advice on the internet.



Agreed!



Some of us casually enjoy music and some are compelled to try to make ‘art.’ Some want to and others have to. I have a weird compulsion to work on music all day, everyday. Sometimes I get paid for it and sometimes I don’t. I tend to get more satisfaction from my ‘hobby’ music because I don’t have to care what anyone thinks of it. This somewhat recent deep dive into modular is tough to explain, but part of the obsession is I don’t think I’m very good at it and I really want to be!

Cheers to that my friend.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Ok, look, you gotta walk that walk. I know you are gonna be pissed at me for doing this, but with no disrespect meant, that's bad advice. And this is why I had to take a sabbatical.

Meh, not pissed at all. I’m fine.
Go on a Sabbatical all you want if a simple forum brings you no fun. Do whatever makes you happy I say.
I have zero problems with you or anyone here at all.