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Thread: Tell us about your Practice area

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Long Island NY
    Posts
    98

    Default Tell us about your Practice area

    How do you have your practice area setup? We spend alot of time now practicing.

    My practice corner has two tables which met in a corner, on my right I have my mixer, and I plug the headphones into the mixer, EVERYthing get's plugged into the mixer, so I can hear everything together. I have very old tape deck (Marantz PMD201) which I can change the speed by half and drops one octave, or just adjust the pitch a little, my Roland PMA5 sequencer (which works like BIAB), I can program very quickly a song using preset patterns and instruments, and change keys and time by a press of a button (a great way to study scales, patterns, or try to walk a line), a stand alone metronome (TAMA RWA), Tascam GTR1, my DVD player just added for TMBG, my multi effects pedal (Boss GT10B) . The DVD player with TMBG is on the left of the music stand. The mixer allows me to use anything without plugging and unplugging, and to use them all together. I actually just unplugged the Marantz tape deck (I literally wore it out), and replaced it with the GTR1. An old Boss TU-12 tuner is also part of the effects loop on the mixer. My 120g MP3 player also has a stand and an input to the mixer, and it can also change speed without changing pitch. Of course there is power for everything, so nothing runs on batteries.

    The Tascam GTR1 plays Wave files and MP3. I ripped all the CD's that came with my various music books to the GTR1, plus any other songs I may want to learn. I can change the speed of the track without changing the pitch, I can also change the pitch without changing speed and effectively change the key. It has amp sim and effects, a built in tuner. It has Metronome and drum tracks. I plug the bass into the GTR1 directly if I am too lazy to take the multi effects out of the gig bag, and can listen through the mixer with everything else, or just plug the headphone into the GTR1 directly.

    The GTR1 can work as a stand alone unit, I can plug my bass directly into it, and also the headphones, and I have a very small setup for travel or away from my practice corner. I can play along with the tracks, the metronome, drum tracks, or follow along with a lesson on GTR1.

    The GTR1 is also a recorder with great quality which I use to record rehearsals and gigs, which is brutally honest.

    This corner took many years to acquire and setup and the goal is to keep my practice simple with no distractions. It's actually a very simple setup, and I found the mixer was the key to keep it simple. The mixer is like a patch bay. I very rarely use an amp at home.

    Tascam makes many different "trainers" which can change speed without changing pitch, and can also change pitch. Not all brands do this, some of the pitch changes (changing key) is only an "effect", not actually a setting. The GTR1 model is like a swiss army knife, it is small and fits in my bass bag, if I go away for a few days, I can take an old bass and still keep up with my practice.
    Ray
    Bass4Gsus
    View my pictures at www.pbase.com/rjkpics

  2. #2

    Default

    My practice area? Hmmm...lesseeee...

    My amp sits on an old wooden, folding patio table in the livingroom. Also on the table are my Korg clicker, my headphones and an old Yamaha tuner.

    My 2 basses (yes, the crabby Crescent and the smooth Ibanez) are perched on their stands next to the table. Next to them is my electric keyboard which subs for a drum machine/band (hmmm...what'll it be today? Polka? Rhumba? March? Nothing like stompin' along to "Stars and Stripes Forever"). Also present is a regular, no frills music stand with my sheet music (country, Christmas, oldies, rock, my own compositions, etc. (Yes...I only play tabs. Does that make me a bad person?) The ledge of the music stand contains my 6 rubber wedgie picks...Pink Floyd plays better with rubber wedgies.

    If I'm playing along with pre-recorded music, I'll use either my mp3 player or plug my Acer into the mix to play songs from my Napster subscription (and yes, I did buy Roy's album from Napster...hot stuff) Then I'll either sit on a chair, kick back on the couch, or lay flat on my back on the floor. Whether or not I play into the open air or through headphones depends on the time of day.

    Sometimes, I play standing up, but it's rare...I'm old and have serious disc problems in my back, so I have to pace myself.

    If I'm taking a lesson with my new TMBG course, I sit in front of the TV and pay attention. Discipline and structure. No toys...just me, the ax, the amp, and Roy. So far, there's nothing in the lessons about playing while lying on the floor...it's part of my problem about lacking discipline...Roy is helping me improve my dedication to structure. You can't just play E-string-only songs for the rest of your life. And you have to get rid of that flying pinky problem too.

    If I want to play with my "posse," (which is actually code for "relatives"), I'll pack the ax and the amp and travel. Never bring the posse to a seniors' apartment. People complain.

    If I'm composing or recording, I drag the gear into my spare bedroom, where awaits the Cakewalk goodies. I haven't written or recorded anything in a couple of years, though. I took some time off to finish my book (***shameless plug***) which is available on Amazon. "Fade to Black" by C.L. Seamus.

    Maybe after I do as Lane on Bass suggested (to learn more about different styles and song structures), I'll write/record some new tunes. My last outing sold 50 copies!! Woo hoo!!

    I'm eager to hear about other people's practice areas. This is an interesting topic. How/where we practice speaks volumes.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Clovis, California
    Posts
    213

    Default

    Wow, you guys have got it all figured out! I just sit behind my computer in an armless chair and let it rip. I dont play with amps though, I use Guitar Rig 4.

    Ill have to try laying on my back, naa better not, I probably wouldnt be able to get up

  4. Default In My Dreams

    I'd love to be able to crank up the amp and let 'er rip, but as I live in an apartment, Ashley's comment about "neighbors calling the cops" keeps coming to mind. So it's strictly headphones - which probably isn't a bad thing 'til I get a few more lessons under my belt. (My wife agrees!)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Mexico city
    Posts
    30

    Default

    I use many rooms in my apartment...mustly I have a studio, I have all my gear there (basses, guitars, amps, PC...) but sometimes I pratice in another room...so I practice a lot with a Pandora PX5D...great tool...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Clovis, California
    Posts
    213

    Default

    Im considering the Pandora or the Tascam. Whats the biggest plus you find for the Pandora?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Peak District
    Posts
    316

    Default My not so usual practice area

    I've been away for a couple of days in Wales. I thought I'd show you my practice area. You'll have to imagine the amp - it's my iPhone and should be attached to the jack to the left of the DVD-drive. unfortunately, I was using it to take the photos...

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The view in the other direction was the hotel:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The third one is from the other side of the hotel as the sun set.....

    I wasn't sure I could get the "portable" thing to work, but actually, it's pretty simple. The only slight complication is that I had to wear a set of in-ear phones to listen to myself with a pair of headphones over to hear Roy on the DVD. The advantage of this is that any wrong notes "beat" very obviously against Roy's playing...

    Now all I need to do is sort out a suitable tone to repel the biting insects and I'm in business....
    Last edited by PaulUK; 07-06-2011 at 06:46 AM.
    Shine on you crazy diamond.....

  8. #8

    Default

    Wow...if that sky doesn't inspire you to make music, I don't know what would.

    Fab pix!


    - low life -

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Long Island NY
    Posts
    98

    Default

    I just got back from a long July 4th weekend in the PA mountains with friends. Took my Fretless and Tascam GTR-1 and kept on practicing. I ripped the "band" stuff to the GTR-1 from lesson 10 and made some progress. I always take a bass when we visit them.

    Although the mountain view was great, I could not see it from my practice spot. Next time I take it outside, what a great idea.

    Vox makes a headphone amp, you plug the amp (adapter) into the bass, and the headphones into the adapter, and it also has a aux in for a mp3 player or a CD. No need for two headphones. Makes for a small package.

    Vox Plug Bass Headphone Amp
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/...81087000000000
    Ray
    Bass4Gsus
    View my pictures at www.pbase.com/rjkpics

  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bass4Gsus View Post
    Vox makes a headphone amp, you plug the amp (adapter) into the bass, and the headphones into the adapter, and it also has a aux in for a mp3 player or a CD. No need for two headphones. Makes for a small package.

    Yep. I have that. It is great!

    Its only drawback is that the plug fits very loosely into the jack. Tends to slip unless you place a strip of tape across its body to hold it to the bass.


    - low life -

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