You're not going to believe this but...

[NateS]

What is the world coming to?
Bongomania is riding giant mole rats...
JimmyM is no longer using a mic...

What next? Jaco is going to rise from the dead, reclaim and sell his bass of doom and use the proceeds to purchase an effects collection that would put JMJ, Bootsy Collins, and Justin Chancilor combined to shame while also acquiring a bass that would put Jean Baudin to shame?

jaco playing a pianobass through 4 pt-1 wirth of effects would own.

 

[MatticusMania]

only sort of. it's still an ampeg simulator so it's not like i'm going to use super clean tones and tweeter frequencies

of course, now i'm bummed that i've let down my pal trevor. but you know, once you see your $325 mic fall from the top of an svt 810, it does make you think twice about it. it landed on a soft bag so it was ok, but if that happened during the gig it would have been concrete.

Thats why you need to reinforce your mic with a bungee cable!

 

[TL5]

JimmyM no longer using a mic?

Suddenly, I feel so alone, as if I lost an ally.

 

[lunarpollen]

Play the VT Bass even on mild settings through a guitar amp and you'll see it's no wonder you can effortlessly get nice highs from it. I've been using it for tube-like guitar overdrive through my Roland JC-120, and even with the highs on the pedal at noon, I have to turn the treble knob on the amp down all the way.

 

[baba]

There is a disturbance in the force...

 

[s_mcsleazy]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

i refuse to beleve it

jimmy, your the god of talkbass

if you wanted you could ban the modirators

so why are you giving up on the mics

 

[scotch]

From tubes to transistors, mic's to di's... I'm starting to detect a trend, my friend!

I know exactly what you're experiencing, though. While I love the sound of my amps & always encourage the foh engineer to mic 'em up, I still think that the most pragmatic approach is to set up a good di first. If there's time, and the engineer can handle it, adding a mic is great! A cabinet mic is usually not the ideal primary signal source for a typical larger venue.

Right now, I've picked up a new high-profile client and am having some major challenges with the travelling foh engineer. He's a "veteran", shall we say. He definitely has a good resume covering about 30 years, but so far results have been horrible. Major set-up delays, communication problems with management, horrible show feedback (audible and anecdotal), etc...
I knew it was going to be tough when on show #1, before listening to a note, his first project was to gate every input at the monitor desk. And what do ya' know? Major problems with kick drum, bass di and acoustic guitar on stage all night.
He walks up to me, looks at my DHA di (of course he didn't recognize it) and says "We're not using that, it's not going to sound good.". I stay positive and professional & explain to him I've used it on a hundred shows already with nothing but accolades from a myriad of pro engineers. I managed to get him on board with that, thankfully, but it took a lot of patience!
Come to find out he's also been high-passing everything except the bass guitar, including the kick. Drastically. Every time I hit a note, the bleachers rattle! I don't think he's long for the gig, but you can bet I haven't (and wont) invest any of my time & energy trying to coax him into mic'ing a cabinet! lol

 

[funkmangriff]

cleanest DI from an amp - GK

i'd DI and mic if i had the option, its what i do to record.

you get the THUMP of having a mic as well as the twinkly frequencies of a DI.

if you only have one channel, i'd consider the room your playing in before ditching the mic Jimmy, but only because i only want the best for you buddy!

Good luck which ever one you choose

 

[Jazzdogg]

From whence in the signal path are you taking the DI signal, Jimmy?

Are you going Bass > DI > Head

Bass > Head > DI > Cab

Or something else entirely?

Where's the VT in the signal path?

 

[alembicguy]

Im sure you will sound good either way man but Im still sticking to mic and DI but I get three channels for me

 

[NateS]

Im sure you will sound good either way man but Im still sticking to mic and DI but I get three channels for me

what's gthe third? pre/post effects?

 

[alembicguy]

what's gthe third? pre/post effects?

First channel: DI off my bass
Second Channel: Mic off cab
Third channel: DI off my effects

 

[Mooblar]

I sense that JimmyM is going DI because he is about to drop that he's going drop C from now on and that's the best DI for pre-metal.

 

[JimmyM]

I sense that JimmyM is going DI because he is about to drop that he's going drop C from now on and that's the best DI for pre-metal.

yep, bowzer's got an all-new pre-metal show

anyway, stuff can change at a drop of a hat. i would like to continue using the mic, but i'll tell you...i find it very hard to argue with the vtd. it really does seem to give me what i like about the mic with a lot less fuss. however, i do reserve the right to change my mind at any given moment

anyway, for jazzdogg, since i've only had the vtd a week and only a couple days to play with it at home, i'm not sure whether i'll put the effects in its loop or run them straight in. i'm leaning toward straight in because it seems easier than dealing with the loop. however, i like having an octaver for use with the upright, so i may use the loop (EDIT: just tried ab'ing straight in vs loop, and as with every other loop i've ever tried, it turns out i hate it, so straight in it shall be and i'll just deal with the upright not having an octaver...i'm not miles mosely here).

currently, i go two lines...first is elec bass > x2 > oc2 > micro pog > vtd

then the upright line goes upright > x2 > vtd

the vtd xlr goes to the board, the 1/4" goes to either an svt/810 or b-15n with two cabs.

believe me, i'm not totally thrilled with the idea of using only the vtd. almost makes bringing vintage ampegs a waste of effort. but again, i can't argue with the results i'm getting.

 

[JimmyM]

Hi.

.

Are You going to be as passionate about using just a DI as You have been about using just a mic? (and about using a DI before that IIRC )

Regards
Sam

nope, never passionate about using a di. i just did it because i wasn't using tube amps for a while and didn't see the point in micing up an amp i wasn't 100% into. the vtd, however, is an ampeg simulator, so it makes me a little more into it, although i must admit maybe my heart's not as into it as the mic.

 

[Mooblar]

You know though, image perceived is image achieved.

If it looks good, it probably sounds good. You know what sounds good.

Upright and Octave, I missing something hot?

 

[JimmyM]

From tubes to transistors, mic's to di's... I'm starting to detect a trend, my friend!

I know exactly what you're experiencing, though. While I love the sound of my amps & always encourage the foh engineer to mic 'em up, I still think that the most pragmatic approach is to set up a good di first. If there's time, and the engineer can handle it, adding a mic is great! A cabinet mic is usually not the ideal primary signal source for a typical larger venue.

and it's especially not the ideal primary source on gigs where they ignore the rider and don't give me my svt/810.

Right now, I've picked up a new high-profile client and am having some major challenges with the travelling foh engineer. He's a "veteran", shall we say. He definitely has a good resume covering about 30 years, but so far results have been horrible. Major set-up delays, communication problems with management, horrible show feedback (audible and anecdotal), etc...
I knew it was going to be tough when on show #1, before listening to a note, his first project was to gate every input at the monitor desk. And what do ya' know? Major problems with kick drum, bass di and acoustic guitar on stage all night.
He walks up to me, looks at my DHA di (of course he didn't recognize it) and says "We're not using that, it's not going to sound good.". I stay positive and professional & explain to him I've used it on a hundred shows already with nothing but accolades from a myriad of pro engineers. I managed to get him on board with that, thankfully, but it took a lot of patience!
Come to find out he's also been high-passing everything except the bass guitar, including the kick. Drastically. Every time I hit a note, the bleachers rattle! I don't think he's long for the gig, but you can bet I haven't (and wont) invest any of my time & energy trying to coax him into mic'ing a cabinet! lol

who high passes the kick? that's crazy talk! now maybe for the doo wop i play on a lot of bowzer shows, you might want the kick to be high passed because the bass is actually the bottom for doo wop, but for most modern styles that's just crazy talk. yeah, in a situation like that, you're lucky to escape with your life

 

[JimmyM]

You know though, image perceived is image achieved.

If it looks good, it probably sounds good. You know what sounds good.

Upright and Octave, I missing something hot?

not really. i have a couple endings where i hold the upright over my head and it's hard to play the lower notes doing that, so i'll kick on an octaver to get the lower octave.

 

[NateS]

not really. i have a couple endings where i hold the upright over my head and it's hard to play the lower notes doing that, so i'll kick on an octaver to get the lower octave.

ah, jimmy. should have known something weird was goin on

 

[Jazzdogg]

Thanks, Jimmy!