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davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7383
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2009 - 12:23 pm:   Edit Post

After numerous takes, I finally recorded a half decent version of one of the things I've been working on. Recorded on a Zoom H4 as a wave; uploaded as an mp3 here (see my post 8393 below for update). While I am relieved to have finally recorded a take without gross errors, this is not the final version, as it's still a bit sloppy. The process of recording this one simple tune has shown me just how imprecise my playing is. Of course the bass itself sounds, to me, amazing. I'm sure you will notice that I'm using a lot of effects on this song; but I think the sound of the bass itself is evident in abundance.

I've only played this back on my laptop, which runs through my home stereo. The overall sound seems balanced through the frequency range to me on my system.

Please let me know your reactions to the sound, balance, etc as it sounds on your systems.

This take is up temporarily. If I can get a good enough take recorded, I'll see if I can set something up on Bandcamp at some point.



(Message edited by davehouck on July 19, 2009)
grateful
Advanced Member
Username: grateful

Post Number: 293
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 6:56 am:   Edit Post

Nice, though I've only listened on my computer. It's not all bass is it Dave? Surely that's a Strat there as well.
eflat
Junior
Username: eflat

Post Number: 29
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 7:04 am:   Edit Post

Very nice work Dave!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7388
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 7:15 am:   Edit Post

Thanks guys! Mark; it's a single take on an Alembic six string bass.
grateful
Advanced Member
Username: grateful

Post Number: 294
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 7:28 am:   Edit Post

Wow Dave, I'm even more impressed: great playing. I'm amazed a bass (even an Alembic) can sound like that, but then I am a hi-sixer (guitarist).
spose
Advanced Member
Username: spose

Post Number: 239
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 7:30 am:   Edit Post

nice work..very melodic
solo playing you stand naked and Dave you do a super job!!

keep em coming!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7391
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 7:55 am:   Edit Post

Thanks!!
bassfingers
Intermediate Member
Username: bassfingers

Post Number: 158
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 3:57 pm:   Edit Post



Such a gorgeous tone,I don't hear any sloppiness,just honest,lyrical playing .

Beautiful Dave,would love to hear more.
olieoliver
Senior Member
Username: olieoliver

Post Number: 1994
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 5:00 pm:   Edit Post

VERY nice Dave. Single take too?!
Made me think a little of SRV's or Hendrix' softer side.

Did you use a click(?), your time is very good on this.

OO
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7396
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 5:22 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks again guys. It was a single take in that there are no overdubs and that it's one take start to finish; but it took numerous failed attempts before I finally got this one good take. No, I didn't use a click; trying to keep good time was one of the things I was focusing on, and is one of the things that this whole exercise has shown needs practice.
811952
Senior Member
Username: 811952

Post Number: 1602
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 6:01 pm:   Edit Post

Nice. Elegantly understated. Very fluid!

John
tbrannon
Senior Member
Username: tbrannon

Post Number: 968
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 6:03 pm:   Edit Post

Really nice Dave- I couldn't pull that off with 4 takes, much less 1.

I'm thoroughly impressed.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7407
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 - 7:34 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks!
georgie_boy
Senior Member
Username: georgie_boy

Post Number: 645
Registered: 8-2005
Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 5:39 am:   Edit Post

VERY nice David!!!
The new sixer sounds wonderful!!

G
artswork99
Senior Member
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 548
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 7:23 am:   Edit Post

David,
I'm glad to hear Karma giving you the pleasure of making music. The recording flows very nicely while leaving room for others to join you in this new project. I'm just around the corner if you want another low end to accompany you (anytime Dave). I look forward to hearing you express yourself again. Wishing you all the best with this new adventure.
Art
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 2078
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 2:38 pm:   Edit Post

Sweet.

Graeme
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7416
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 5:45 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks guys!
kenbass4
Advanced Member
Username: kenbass4

Post Number: 319
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 7:30 pm:   Edit Post

I really liked this! Very tasteful and understated.

Ken (TEO)
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 3495
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 7:23 am:   Edit Post

Lead, melodic bass???? Jeeeeezzz, Dave, where do you get these ideas? lol! Seriously, very very sweet. Great tone and execution. I hope we get to jam together, someday.

Bill, tgo
lembic76450
Intermediate Member
Username: lembic76450

Post Number: 146
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 2:34 pm:   Edit Post

Dave,
Very nice, what fx/eq are you using? I keep waiting for the harmonic after the last note, you know, the one that bends up right out of sight, lol. Love the melodic stuff.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7426
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 3:11 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks again guys! Kenn; for effects there is a good bit of reverb, a little chorus, a touch of delay and some vibrato. If I recall correctly, on this song the neck pickup filter is completely closed with no Q, and the bridge filter is completely open with full Q, and there is a good bit more bridge pickup than neck. On the F-2B, the neck pickup is something like Bass 4.75, Mid 4.25, Treble 4.5 (but with the neck filter closed down, the EQ on the neck channel of the F-2B isn't doing much), while the bridge pickup is approximately Bass 4.25, Mid 5.5, Treble 5.25. On the SF-2 the low pass filter has a gain of 3, frequency around 120Hz, and damping ratio of 3; the high pass filter has a gain of 6, frequency of about 680Hz, and damping ratio of about 4.25; and the non-filter direct gain is at 6. The speaker cab is an Acme Low B-2.
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 5811
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 4:14 pm:   Edit Post

Love it!
2400wattman
Senior Member
Username: 2400wattman

Post Number: 665
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 7:01 pm:   Edit Post

Good stuff Dave!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7436
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 7:02 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks!
chalie_holmes
Junior
Username: chalie_holmes

Post Number: 43
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 10:23 am:   Edit Post

Hey Dave,
That was a beautiful tune. What type of strings are you using? I think I'll try them on my 4 string because I want to tune it CGDA.That Zoom records very well. Well done indeed!

Chalie Holmes
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7965
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 10:30 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Chalie!

I use TI Jazz Rounds.
charles_holmes
Junior
Username: charles_holmes

Post Number: 21
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 4:20 pm:   Edit Post

yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You spelled my name right!!!!!
You must be a bass player....you have an eye for details! Who makes TI Jazz Rounds?...I guess TI huh?
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7967
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 7:25 pm:   Edit Post

Hee hee !!

Thomastik-Infeld
chalie_holmes
Junior
Username: chalie_holmes

Post Number: 44
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 8:58 am:   Edit Post

Merci!!!
chrisalembic
Junior
Username: chrisalembic

Post Number: 20
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 1:28 pm:   Edit Post

Very nice playing and sound, Dave. Out of curiosity, what is the string spacing (mm) on your custom six string?
kimberly
Advanced Member
Username: kimberly

Post Number: 309
Registered: 1-2007
Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 5:24 pm:   Edit Post

Hi David, :-)

Very nice! Great tone (of course) and great feel! :-)

Best Regards,

Kimberly :-)
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7992
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 6:55 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Kimberly!!!

Chris; I have the classic neck taper, which is 2" at the nut, and 3.125" at the 24th fret. In millimeters that's 50.8 and 79.375. As for string to string spacing, where do you want me to measure it (nut, bridge), and do you want center to center or inside to inside.
chrisalembic
Junior
Username: chrisalembic

Post Number: 21
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Saturday, May 02, 2009 - 12:55 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Dave,

I guess what I am interested in, is what the string spacing from string center to center is at the bridge (with the classic neck taper)..narrow string spacing on a sixer is what I would probably choose too (aah one day).... you got a good handle on that sixer and it sounds so alive!!
chrisalembic
Junior
Username: chrisalembic

Post Number: 22
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Saturday, May 02, 2009 - 12:58 pm:   Edit Post

I just noticed, you had (or still have) an essence six string with the wide spacing... how do you like the different spacings in comparrison?
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 7995
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, May 02, 2009 - 1:34 pm:   Edit Post

I much prefer the classic taper over the comfort taper, given my playing style, for six string. On four string however, I apparently like both.

approximately
B to E - 17
E to A - 16.5
A to D - 16
D to G - 15.5
G to C - 15
rklisme
Advanced Member
Username: rklisme

Post Number: 351
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Monday, May 25, 2009 - 10:27 pm:   Edit Post

Dave

Bravo!

Rory
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8127
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 - 8:01 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Rory!!
serialnumber12
Senior Member
Username: serialnumber12

Post Number: 426
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 - 9:16 am:   Edit Post

Dave get yourself a ticket to the chicago meeting and let us see this good bassplayin up close as well as sign some alembics!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8129
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 - 12:43 pm:   Edit Post

Keavin; I just made my decision and booked a room. I don't know that I can provide any good bassplayin', but it will certainly be a pleasure to meet you!
serialnumber12
Senior Member
Username: serialnumber12

Post Number: 429
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - 1:06 pm:   Edit Post

Come on down ......the price is rite!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8393
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2009 - 9:08 pm:   Edit Post

Well, I've been looking for a guitar player to collaborate with, but nothing's come up on Craiglist; so I'm wanting to put another ad up. But before I do, I want a little more than the one tune I had up, so people can listen to what I'm doing and get an idea of whether it's worth it to them to respond to my listing.

So today I turned on the amp, turned on the Zoom H4, and just played for a while. I made a ton of mistakes, crashed and burned on several songs, and just made stuff up from time to time. I didn't go back and try to get any of the songs "right". I was hoping to just get enough usable samples of my playing to give interested guitar players an idea of my playing. When I turned the amp off, I didn't really think any of it was salvageable.

But when I played it back, yes it was sloppy and yes there were mistakes, and yes some crash and burns; but a lot of it did seem useful for a Craigslist demo. So I cut out the crash and burn tunes, and did a few fade outs; and what's left is in the order I played it.

There are some fairly complete versions of some of my tunes, and a few pieces of tunes, and some improvised stuff. I originally recorded in MP3 format, which I'm now wishing I had recorded in wave format. Before uploading, I had to convert to wave, and Bandcamp then converts it back to MP3; so there is some loss of fidelity that is quite noticeable. But still, I think these recordings give a fairly good idea of what my bass and rig sound like at the moment.

I still can't play these tunes consistently enough to make "finished" recordings or to take them out in public to a coffee shop. But that's ok, I like practicing.

So, for those of you that might like to hear them, my Sunday afternoon playing session is here.
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 2338
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 4:20 am:   Edit Post

Beautiful playing Dave!. I love the tone. (listening on my computer through decent headphones.
Does this mean Montford Park are no more?

Graeme
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8394
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 5:52 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Graeme! I feel like I've made some progress with my tone over the last few weeks. And yes, the drummer moved to Atlanta to study recording, and the guitar player is involved with several jazz projects in town; so the band dissolved over a year ago, which is fine since that's when I got the six string and I've really needed to spend my time woodshedding.
olieoliver
Senior Member
Username: olieoliver

Post Number: 2631
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 7:21 am:   Edit Post

Dave, this is some nice music. I love the sound of your bass. Very pleasing to listen too.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8396
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 7:34 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Olie!
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 803
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 7:53 am:   Edit Post

Dave...I gotta be honest. I wasn't even sure what instrument you were playing. I thought it was an amplified nylon string guitar at times. I admit that I'm not very familiar with bass outside of a rock setting. The tone simply was amazing! I had no idea a bass could sound like that. I would buy that CD in a second.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8397
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 8:09 am:   Edit Post

Jonathan; I greatly appreciate your comments! I've been trying to get a tone that would stand alone as a solo instrument, and your comments suggest that it passes that test. And in my quite subjective and limited view, my guess is that not just any bass can sound like that; it is after all an Alembic. Oh, and the strings, they've been on the bass for about seven months now, so they're a bit dead.

The site does have an option to allow higher quality downloads; but I need to set up a paypal account for that purpose. And I'm not sure whether these tunes are worth doing that; but I'll look into it.
sonicus
Intermediate Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 200
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 9:47 am:   Edit Post

CONGRATULATIONS Dave It sounds to me that you have found your voice as a Artist ._______ I can hear the majesty and soul of the very tress that your Alembic was made from. A very pleasing pleasing holistic sound that to my ears emanates an earthly resonance. I would buy that CD .
pauldo
Intermediate Member
Username: pauldo

Post Number: 198
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 9:52 am:   Edit Post

yyyyyeeeeeaaaaahhhhh! :-)
Those are some rightous tunes, lifting melodies that could easily drift one through a Sunday afternoon....

Dave - how about another bassist instead of a guitarist???
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8401
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 10:07 am:   Edit Post

Thanks guys!
kimberly
Advanced Member
Username: kimberly

Post Number: 330
Registered: 1-2007
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 12:42 pm:   Edit Post

David Houck! :-)

Dude, your music is really, really good and is just absolutely cool! No, make that *Waaaay Cool*! Kudos! :-)

Ummm....would you mind if I use some for 'inspirational purposes'? Seriously. :-)

Best Wishes and Best Regards!

Kimberly :-)

PS. Another bassist would be an interesting direction for you to try. I've only played live with another bassist a couple of times. One time sucked, the other time worked beautifully. It's all a matter of mutual understanding/agreement of what it is you're trying to say, making/leaving space and staying out of the same octave. ;D
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1332
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 12:50 pm:   Edit Post

Kimberly glad you showed up. With what I have heard I've suggested to Dave he try the solo bassist thing. Being one yourself maybe you can give him a little nudge. ;-)

Keith
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8404
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 2:15 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Kimberly! It's hard to wrap my mind around the concept of a second bassist; but I'll try to keep an open mind about it.

Keith; I still can't seem to make it all the way through most of the songs. But I'll try to keep an open mind about that too.
dadabass2001
Senior Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 1217
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 5:19 pm:   Edit Post

I really enjoyed your demos, Dave.
I heard a little "Pink Floyd" flavor on demo 9. the effects were nicely done and the playing is sweet throughout! Keep it up.
Mike
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8408
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 10:01 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Mike! One of the covers I'm working on is Pink Floyd's "Breathe"; it doesn't sound like them, but it's a nice progression. And yes, on number 9 I kinda fell into that Pink Floyd thing.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 4009
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 2:03 am:   Edit Post

Dave:

effing AWESOME!!!! What a tone! I would have guessed a baritone guitar rather than a bass. You really have an original and expressive voice. I don't even know if adding a guitar would improve it any - it sounds great solo - maybe just a tasty drummer and piano, perhaps. It really is bass as lead instrument! Love it.

Bill, tgo
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8409
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 8:41 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Bill! Everyone has given me a lot to think about. I did put an ad up on Craigslist Monday morning for a guitar player, so I'll see what happens with that.
kimberly
Advanced Member
Username: kimberly

Post Number: 332
Registered: 1-2007
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:11 pm:   Edit Post

Hey David, :-)

Just to insure there's no misunderstanding. :-)

Your music is perfectly capable of standing on it's own. You *don't need anybody or anything else*. :-) My reference to another bassist was to open the door to the option. Not that there's anything wrong with guitarists mind you, ;) it's two different directions. One more 'conventional' than the other, but when you talking solo bass, you've already broken the 'norm' when it comes to convention. Speaking of breaking convention, think SMV. ;)

Best Regards,

Kimberly :-)
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8411
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 1:39 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Kimberly!
olieoliver
Senior Member
Username: olieoliver

Post Number: 2639
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 1:56 pm:   Edit Post

Agreed Kimberly, I'm looking forward to the "Dave Houck Project" world = tour. (Ok maybe the US tour). :-)
artswork99
Senior Member
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 760
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 2:30 pm:   Edit Post

I had the opportunity and pleasure of having an impromptu session with Dave again last night. I really enjoy making music with him as he carries the improvisational skills way out on the limb that I cannot obtain.
He even sounds better live than on the recordings. Great playing with you again Dave!
Art
olieoliver
Senior Member
Username: olieoliver

Post Number: 2640
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 2:45 pm:   Edit Post

I bet it would be cool to jam with Dave. Get together & turn it up so = loud it makes your TEETH rattle.
You up for that Dave?



OO

(A little inside humor there) ;)

(Message edited by olieoliver on July 21, 2009)
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8413
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 2:57 pm:   Edit Post

Olie; I'm NUMB to your teeth rattling suggestions!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8414
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 3:01 pm:   Edit Post

Art; we must have played for five hours last night! It was indeed a lot of fun!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9363
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 9:29 am:   Edit Post

Last night I was outside a bar (where apparently Art was trying to sneak us in to see Jeff Sipe and Ike Stubblefield), and one of the patrons hanging around outside recognized me from Montford Park. He told me he had shot a video of one of the tunes we played at our last gig two years ago, and that he had put it up on youtube. So this morning I checked it out; it's a nice video with some great shots of, and great playing from, Jon. Jon's got some great tone here, and the bass sounds good on the video as well. The tune is our take on Jeff Beck's take on the Beatles' "She's A Woman".
artswork99
Moderator
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 1158
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 10:19 am:   Edit Post

Hey! I walked in and nobody stopped me... when I waved you in they stopped you. Ha!

Nice video BTW.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 4453
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 10:44 am:   Edit Post

Dave:

Very nice!!!! An inspired take on one of my favorites from the early Beatles. Looks like you guys had some cute groupies at the beginning, or at least two out of three. There's always a critic! lol

Bill, tgo
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9366
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 11:41 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Bill! Yeah, I didn't notice that until you mentioned it; walked right up to the edge of the stage with fingers planted in both ears!

Art; I guess you looked nice and friendly, and I must have looked like trouble.
otis
Advanced Member
Username: otis

Post Number: 210
Registered: 10-2008
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 12:50 pm:   Edit Post

Dave,

The tune sounds great! Great tone on that Alembic. Is that a SC Signature, or a Series I or II?

Peace;)

Frank
crobbins
Senior Member
Username: crobbins

Post Number: 631
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 12:56 pm:   Edit Post

Dave, sounds great. But the youtube link says you guys are playing Freeway Jam???
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9367
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 3:59 pm:   Edit Post

Frank; thanks, it's a Series I.

Craig; yeah, he misidentified it. I'm glad it wasn't Freeway Jam; I usually crashed and burned on that tune. Thanks!
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1032
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 6:48 pm:   Edit Post

I like it Dave , Both, your own material and working in an ensemble .
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9368
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2010 - 7:06 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Wolf!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9664
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 7:38 am:   Edit Post

After having discussed with a dear friend the disquieting effects that recording can have on the mind, I took my laptop downstairs, aimed the webcam at my bass rig, and turned it on.

I think the little webcam did I decent job; the overall quality of the picture seems pretty good. I hooked my Zoom H4 to the laptop as well, and used it as a mic.

Next I tried to two different editors to trim the beginning and end of the recording. The first one trimmed ok, and let me add a picture at the beginning, and very basic fade in and fade out. But it crashed when I tried to save. So I downloaded another editor but the sound and picture would not sync on that editor. So I went back to the first editor, and it recovered the work I had done when it crashed, and then it let me continue the save process. Not many options there, but it did save something.

The next task was uploading, which took a while. Then it took about five hours before the video was available. But it's there now; and the conversion worked, and the video and audio are still synced.

The playing is still rough. It turns out that learning this style of playing is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be when I got the bass in June two years ago. I still need a lot more practice. Fortunately, I enjoy practicing.

So, I still have some work to do before the quality of my playing will be good enough to record a CD. However, I did want to share this with you guys here and maybe a few other friends. So, for those of you who want to check it out, the video can be found here. I did not want to make it available to the public; so the way it is supposed to work is that you'll need a password. The password is alembic.

So, if anyone tries it, let me know if the password thing works; and let me know what you think of the video and audio quality. In other words, in the future if I want to try to get a gig at a coffee shop, would this type of video be a good demo.

Oh, and there's a really pretty bass in the video!
adriaan
Moderator
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 2607
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 7:46 am:   Edit Post

Dave - the password thing is working OK. Need to use Firefox rather than IE, but that's how things are with IE right now.

Can't listen to the video right now, will certainly do so later.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9665
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 7:51 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Adriaan. Is the IE problem related to the password, or with Vimeo in general?
adriaan
Moderator
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 2608
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 7:56 am:   Edit Post

More to IE in general - certainly in tabbed mode, it can't seem to remember you've already logged in somewhere. For Vimeo it's a little extreme.

At least that's what's happening for me - YMMV - can't wait to see how bad IE 9 will be in this respect ...
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1317
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 7:59 am:   Edit Post

HI Dave, The password worked for me . Both the video and audio were functional.

I really like the concepts that you are working on . I like your right hand technique . All in all the piece sounds enlightened and soothing . Music to my ears _______
Thanks for sharing that with us .
cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member
Username: cozmik_cowboy

Post Number: 785
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 8:00 am:   Edit Post

Very tasty playing, Dave. And while I seriously doubt my computer speakers gave me the full effect of your rig, great tone as well. thank you for sharing.

Peter
hammer
Junior
Username: hammer

Post Number: 34
Registered: 9-2009
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 8:13 am:   Edit Post

Just took a gander at your video/audio and unless that bass is playing itself you are far too modest in your assessment of your mastery of this style of playing. I loved it! Played it through the new system I just set up in my study - Onkyo Integrated amp and Arx A3 towers - and the sound was wonderful.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9666
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 8:40 am:   Edit Post

Thanks for the kind words; they are much appreciated.
groovelines
Senior Member
Username: groovelines

Post Number: 619
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 1:01 pm:   Edit Post

Very nice, Dave.

On other forums this style of playing will eventually illicit the "Why don't you just play guitar?" commentary. Personally, I think the bass (esp your bass) sounds superb in this sonic range.
Am I mistaken, or do I hear a little Steve Howe at about 1 min and then a few more times?

Mike
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 6990
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 1:07 pm:   Edit Post

I love it and I'm pretty sure that my son is your biggest fan! "good song! good song!"
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9667
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 1:20 pm:   Edit Post

I hadn't noticed that before, but now that you mention it, the progression that begins at the one minute mark does sound similar to something Steve Howe might do.

And yes, I think this instrument has a beautiful voice for this type of music.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9668
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 1:21 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Mica and Erik!
artswork99
Moderator
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 1292
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 1:25 pm:   Edit Post

I like the swinging foot for meter ;) Nice as always. Worked fine in IE here for me. I miss our Tuesday sessions. Thanks for sharing!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9669
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 1:40 pm:   Edit Post

Hah!
adriaan
Moderator
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 2609
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 2:44 pm:   Edit Post

Love the flowing rhythm and the continuing melody. Sure I can hear the small slip-ups, but the music stands!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9670
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 3:14 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Adriaan!
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 4591
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 3:59 pm:   Edit Post

Dave:

Classical bass!!!! Very tasty. Big thumb's up!

Bill, tgo
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9671
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 4:19 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Bill!
hieronymous
Senior Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 846
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 4:52 pm:   Edit Post

Yay! That was awesome. My favorite part is the couple of times when you hit the lower strings (A & E?).

The high end was a little mp3-ish, if that makes sense, but that's a compromise with video. Looking forward to future recordings!!!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9672
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 5:11 pm:   Edit Post

Hah! Yes, I did manage to get in a couple of bass notes on my bass!

As for the mp3-ish, maybe I had my Q rolled back a little too much on the bridge pickup. This evening I noticed that it needed to be opened up some more when I was practicing.
dadabass2001
Senior Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 1496
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, September 30, 2010 - 7:30 am:   Edit Post

Good job Dave!
Your playing was smooth and quite tasty, and the rig sounds great. The tone is sweet throughout.
Mike
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9674
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, September 30, 2010 - 7:51 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Mike!
811952
Senior Member
Username: 811952

Post Number: 1844
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, September 30, 2010 - 12:36 pm:   Edit Post

Very nice!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9688
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, October 04, 2010 - 2:25 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks John!
hb3
Senior Member
Username: hb3

Post Number: 549
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Friday, October 08, 2010 - 7:35 am:   Edit Post

Sounds good, Dave. As far as you not being ready for a coffee shop gig, well, the hell you're not, man. You'd stand way out in such environs.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1331
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Friday, October 08, 2010 - 9:37 am:   Edit Post

From Coffee shop gig to high end restaurant dinner venue for the next gig as the gig offers start to pile up ! It will happen _____.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9704
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, October 08, 2010 - 6:38 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks guys! I do appreciate it. From my perspective it seems pretty rough; but all of you guys here in the club are musicians, and your perspectives are much valued and appreciated. Thanks.
chrisalembic
Intermediate Member
Username: chrisalembic

Post Number: 139
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Saturday, October 09, 2010 - 11:52 am:   Edit Post

Dave, thats some great music and a unique interpretation of playing the bass guitar. Looking forward to hearing more.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9706
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, October 09, 2010 - 1:02 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Chris!
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 2754
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - 12:15 pm:   Edit Post

Very nice Dave.Sorrry it's taken so long to watch this; I can only view things like this at home and I've been pretty busy of late. Your fingerstyle is excellent. In fact, there's a little run down that you play a few times (there's one at 3'19) that is very reminiscent of Steve Howe's 'Clap' and as that's one of my favourite guitar peices you can take that as a compliment ;-)

Graeme
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9744
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - 12:44 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Graeme! I didn't realize I was borrowing from Steve Howe, that section was an exercise that developed over time; but I'm sure the Howe piece was lodged somewhere in memory as The Yes Album was a favorite.
slawie
Advanced Member
Username: slawie

Post Number: 269
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 2:37 pm:   Edit Post

Winner Dave!!

That was a really beautiful piece.
Congratulations on a fine composition and your playing was a benefit to the music.
I really like the sound you are getting.
Can you expand on a description of your rig/effects.

I could easily see that as a sound track to a great movie. The kind of stuff wonderful memories are made of.

Keep 'em coming

slawie
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9763
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 7:12 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Slawie! I'm glad you like the song, and the sound track comment is encouraging in that I'm hoping the songs tell a story, and are not heard as just fingering exercises. Of course I still need to do the fingering exercises!

To answer your request for a description of the rig, here is the signal path as it stands at the moment, always subject to slight adjustments.

On the SII, the volume on the bridge pickup is a good bit higher than the neck pickup; maybe 8 and 6 respectively. The filter on the bridge pickup is generally somewhere between 10 (fully open) and 8, and the Q also between 10 and 8; generally. The neck filter is generally rolled back to somewhere around 3, and the Q at 0; generally. Recently, I've rolled back my master volume to about 8 so that I'm not overdriving my gain structure (more on that below).

From the SII stereo out to the DS-5R.

From the DS-5R stereo out to the F-2B. The neck pickup's signal goes to channel 1 and the bridge pickup to channel 2; each pickup's signal gets further shaping to arrive at the desired overall curve. Neither pickup gets soloed, so the tone of either pickup by itself is not a consideration. The neck pickup channel's settings are bright switch off, volume 4, bass 4, mid 6, treble 5.5. The treble pickup channel's settings are currently bright switch on, volume 4, bass 5.5, mid 8, treble 6.

Mono out to the SF-2. The SF-2 is setup as a three channel mixer, one channel being a low pass filter, one being a high pass filter, and the third being an unfiltered signal. The gain on the low pass filter is around 2, the frequency is set at around 110Hz, and the Q at around 1.8. The gain on the high pass filter is around 6.5, the filter around 600Hz(? hard to tell), and the Q around 5. The gain on the unfiltered channel is about 9.

SF-2 mono out to the Sans Amp Tech 21 Preamp. It's kinda difficult to describe the settings since, unless you have one, the descriptions would be fairly meaningless. There are essentially five different types of gain structures which are combined to produce the desired overdrive tone. I have three settings that I have worked up which introduce a somewhat subtle amount of overdrive at this stage, and a couple which add a bit more overdrive for one or two of the tunes; one or the other of these overdriven settings is always on. These settings are midi selected with footswitches on the pedal board.

From the effects loop out on the Tech 21 to the T.C. Electronic M-One XL. (There's also a Lexicon MPX1 right before the T.C., but it's currently not being used and may soon be removed from the rig.) Here the signal is split into stereo. All of the effects are settings I worked up over time.

The first effect is tremolo, which is always on but very subtle. There is a midi switch on the pedal board to cut this on and off, and one to change the mix of wet and dry signals in the effect from subtle to noticeable.

Next is chorus, and this too is always on, but also has an on/off footswitch if ever needed. The mix of wet and dry signals in the chorus effect is controlled by an expression pedal. This effect is very subtle on some songs, a bit more noticeable on others, and very noticeable on a few.

Next is reverb, again always on, on/off footswitch, with the effect level controlled by an expression pedal. The effect is generally quite noticeable.

Next is delay, and again always on, on/off switch, with the effect level controlled by an expression pedal. This effect too is generally quite noticeable.

Next in the path is volume, controlled by an expression pedal.

From the T.C. Electronic stereo out to the BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A. Both channels are setup the same with the Lo-Contour set to +1, and the Definition currently set to +2.

From the BBE stereo out to the effects return of the Tech 21. Here there are direct outs for each channel if needed.

From the Tech 21 stereo out to the QSC PLX 2402, setup in stereo mode. The overall frequency curve is setup to work well when the volume levels on the PLX are set at 3. When the volume levels are set to 1 or 2, adjustments to the settings on the SII and switching Tech 21 settings usually works adequately. Each channel of the PLX drives a Bag End D10BX-D.

The rig is really a bit big for just going down to a coffee shop for a solo gig. But it's where I'm at for the moment. Of course at the heart of the whole thing is the Alembic. There are times at 2:00 in the morning when I'm practicing where it just sounds amazingly beautiful, despite my inability to put my fingers where they're supposed to be. The tone it creates and the frequency range that it provides are, again, just amazingly beautiful.
artswork99
Moderator
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 1307
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Monday, October 25, 2010 - 5:44 am:   Edit Post

More than I could handle... a great sounding rig with lots of available variations. Nice explanation!
slawie
Advanced Member
Username: slawie

Post Number: 271
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Monday, October 25, 2010 - 3:43 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks for the rig set up Dave amazing.

The tune had me walking around the Redwoods in Santa Cruz and a little North.
The mood was set wonderfully as if you were sitting
on that porch (in your profile) playing the tune.
Actually your next vid may be set looking into that spot with yourself seated,
Alembic and a cable running off to the side.

Please don't take this as a criticism.
I sensed in your playing a little disconnect between the rhythmic "centre" your foot and your hands.
I think that your concentration particularly of your fingers seems a little tight kind of
choking the interaction of rhythm and movement.
Let the rhythm, that drives your foot, up through your body piece by piece (like filling up a container)
when you get to where you are full of the motion/rhythm up to your hands let go of the theory/exercises
and be consumed by the whole body experience.

Please don't think i am an ass just an observation.

Let me know when the next "Davideo" comes out.

BTW Kids don't smoke dope and go on the internet!

slawie
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9772
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, October 25, 2010 - 6:53 pm:   Edit Post

Slawie; this is quite helpful, and it's actually something that I do 'practice' with. It's helpful to know that you see it, as it's something I 'see' and 'practice' with as well.
oddmetersam
Intermediate Member
Username: oddmetersam

Post Number: 110
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Saturday, November 06, 2010 - 9:39 pm:   Edit Post

Dave,
I'm struck by the delicate, crystal quality of your sound. It makes me lean forward as though I'll miss something if I'm not careful. Your vid plays perfectly on my Mac running snow leopard, btw.

Your fingerpicking technique has motivated me to learn more about that style and to incorporate more sophisticated chords with my left hand.

And this is not meant as a criticism, just an observation as far as a demo goes: While the wider camera angle does effectively show your very cool rack and Bag Ends, what about a much tighter shot that focuses on you and your bass in more detail? Both the beauty of your "hand work" and the beauty of Alembic's handiwork would be even more obvious and compelling.

But I'm just rambling. You sound Great!

-Sam
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9806
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, November 07, 2010 - 7:30 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Sam! The video software didn't allow for any zooming in and out as an edit option; that would have been a nice feature. But if I remember to, I'll try a tighter shot on the next attempt.
pas
Advanced Member
Username: pas

Post Number: 245
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Sunday, November 14, 2010 - 6:34 pm:   Edit Post

I just checked out your video...very nice. Music that's food for thought & can make you tap your toes simultaneously...not an easy feat...well done sir!
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9825
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, November 14, 2010 - 6:51 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Paul!
pas
Advanced Member
Username: pas

Post Number: 246
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Sunday, November 14, 2010 - 7:05 pm:   Edit Post

What can I say...as a big Jorma Kaukonen fan, I LOVE fingerpicking & counterpoint.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9829
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, November 14, 2010 - 7:41 pm:   Edit Post

Water Song has always been one of my favorites; loved it the first time I heard it.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1436
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2010 - 10:28 am:   Edit Post

Hello Dave,
I was wondering if you have experimented with an
E A D G C F tuning on six string Bass? I have considered getting a 6 string Alembic Bass and tuning it such . Any thoughts ?

Wolf
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9899
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2010 - 4:23 pm:   Edit Post

Back when I got my six string Essence, I did at some point go to an E - F tuning. But as I wasn't really playing the six string much then, I don't really remember much about it other than it worked. I don't have any desire to do that with my current bass as I'm happy with the C being the high string.

One thing I have just started playing with though is a Spider capo. I just got it on Friday, and it gives me more options for low open bass strings. For instance instead of an open low B, I now leave that string as an open D; and in that same capo position I have the option of changing the open E to an open G and changing the open A to an open C. Of course it takes me a lot of time to get used to changes like that, so it'll be a while before I'm comfortable with it; but I'm pretty excited about it.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1438
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2010 - 4:35 pm:   Edit Post

Dave , Thanks for your response . New ideas and concepts and the like are always exciting for me too . I am sure that your new Spider Capo will be fun as well .

Wolf

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