Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Community => Gigs => Topic started by: David Houck on May 29, 2012, 06:33:32 PM

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on May 29, 2012, 06:33:32 PM

After watching some videos on the computer today, I felt inspired to finally sit down and record something.  It's just the built in mic and camera on my laptop; and I distorted the mic a good bit, but it's not too terribly bad.  I also think the mic might be changing the sound some too.  It's all a learning experience for me.
 
I also threw in a bunch of flubs, including a chord on the wrong frets near the end that makes it sound like jazz.  And apparently my dynamic range is way too wide.
 
But at least it's my contribution to all the other stuff you guys have been putting up recently.  It's not for public consumption, so you'll need the password: alembic
 
Again, the sound quality is poor, and the playing is sloppy; but I think you can get at least get an idea of what this Alembic is capable of.
 
Video here (https://vimeo.com/43078416)

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: artswork99 on May 29, 2012, 06:51:12 PM

Sweet! Alembic tone is even good distorted ;) Good to see you Dave (nice T-shirt).

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on May 29, 2012, 06:58:46 PM

Thanks Art!  It's my favorite shirt!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: rustyg61 on May 29, 2012, 07:52:18 PM

Amazing composition & tone Dave! You don't see too many capo's on basses, very creative!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: jzstephan on May 29, 2012, 08:11:24 PM

Sweet! Do you have a chord chart? I really like the progression and the melody is compelling and poignant.

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on May 29, 2012, 08:23:03 PM

Thanks guys, but I didn't right write the song.  It's my arrangement of a cover.  The intro section, which appears again between the verses, is mine; but the verses and the part at the end are my own take on an existing song.
 
[moderator's edit: spelling]
 
(Message edited by davehouck on May 29, 2012)

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: jzstephan on May 30, 2012, 06:34:04 AM

Care to share?

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: dadabass2001 on May 30, 2012, 07:10:59 AM

Cool! I always liked the theme to Exodus, but never tried to work it out fully. Was it Ferrante and Teicher? Good job Dave!
 
Mike

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: dadabass2001 on May 30, 2012, 07:17:52 AM

Apparently the composer was Ernest Gold, per Wikipedia.
Mike

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on May 30, 2012, 07:51:36 AM

Yes, Exodus by Ernest Gold; I figured someone would recognize it!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: lbpesq on May 30, 2012, 07:54:59 AM

Dave:
 
I clicked on the link to the video, but all I'm getting is a page for Vimeo that says it is a private video and asks for a password?
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: rustyg61 on May 30, 2012, 08:06:10 AM

The password is alembic

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on May 30, 2012, 08:34:57 AM

Bill; yes, I'm not wanting to let this out in the general public, so it's password protected.  And as Rusty pointed out, it's ... alembic
 
John; I'll work on a chord chart and email it to you.

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: JuancarlinBass on May 30, 2012, 05:58:34 PM

Nice tune, Dave, and definitely a wonderful tone! (Or you can put it the other way, too!  )  
 
But I am intrigued now... it looks like you' ve got a lot of gear there, pedals, rack stuff and all! What are you using? (nahhh.. just an excuse to be gear curious and to find out that sound is the Alembic bass itself! )  
 
Oh, and is also nice the Jazz chord!  Congrats!!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: jzstephan on May 30, 2012, 06:42:33 PM

Exodus by Ernest Gold!
It was driving me nuts; I knew the tune but the context was so different I didn't know what it was! Thanks so much for taking the time to write a chart for me!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on May 30, 2012, 07:24:12 PM

Thanks Juan Carlos; the rig ...
 
Alembic DS-5R power supply
Alembic F-2B preamp
Alembic SF-2 superfilter
Sans Amp Tech 21 preamp (overdrive effects)
T.C. Electronic M-One XL multieffects
BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
QSC PLX 2402 poweramp
Bag End D10BX-D speaker cabs (2)
 
The stuff on the floor are midi controllers for the M-One and the Sans Amp.

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: JuancarlinBass on May 31, 2012, 05:00:04 AM

I still have an old BBE 422A laying around I used it on my guitar rig about... 18,20 years ago, and has not seen much action lately. I assume the SansAmp you' re using is the MIDI, silver-faced one? (I have the older, non-MIDI rackmount one, but have not used it for bass... yet!)
 
My main rig has become quite simple... I think I can add a picture here, if I find a nice, fast way to resize it. A Yamaha PB-1 preamp, and a DBX163x compressor and a Digitech RDS1900 digital delay, one after the other, thru the PB-1's fx loop. I' ve been using a Hartke HA2000 head since I've found it easier to handle on most situations than what I originally was using (a QSC GX5 power amp), somewhat forcing me to divide my rig into Tone shaping on a 4spc rack, and Powering on a separate 2spc rack with the head (it used to be an all in one huge rack system of which I've found I' ve been using only a half). But the BBE thing got me intrigued again, and after so many years without using it I'm wondering whether I should use it on my bass rig or not. Where in the chain are you using it. or where would you hook it?
 
This tone madness never ends... does it?

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: JuancarlinBass on May 31, 2012, 05:11:38 AM

Here a pic of the rig... please let me know if it should rather be posted anywhere else.
 (http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/132275.jpg)
 
(Message edited by jcdlc72 on May 31, 2012)

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on May 31, 2012, 07:16:54 AM

The BBE is strange.  With all the other tone shaping stuff in my signal path, I have an idea of how it works and can picture what will happen if I move this knob that direction this much (well maybe not the Sans Amp).  The BBE, not so much.  I think what happens is that turning the knob (here I'm talking about the high frequency knob) chooses between algorithms that boost combinations of different harmonic frequencies.  Interestingly, when I sit down to play and find the tone lacking, I can turn those high frequency knobs one click, and the tone is suddenly different.
 
And yes, the Sans Amp is the midi silver faced rack mount.  I don't use any of the built in settings, but have set up a few that work for me; and I use the midi to choose between them.  It is a very complex tool.
 
The list I posted above is pretty much in order of where they are in the chain.  So if I recall correctly, the BBE is pretty much the last thing in the chain before the power amp.  The BBE and the M-One are sitting in the effects loop of the Sans Amp; and I'm pretty sure that loop comes after all the overdrive circuitry in the Sans Amp.

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: JuancarlinBass on May 31, 2012, 06:36:23 PM

My SansAmp (Same thing, only non-MIDI model), has been an absolute mistery to me. Plus, the names they put on those knobs (Buzz Punch Edge and such) make little sense to me when I compare them with what I hear turning them one side or the other. Still, a nice tool, and have yet to try it on bass (Which I will do, eventually, once my studio in the countryside is prepared to start moving equipment there. Currently all the gear that will go there is on storage, piled and stacked right where I cannot bring it out to give it a try right now  But it will, it will...  (And now BS&T's House in the Country is my earworm, go figure...)

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: eligilam on June 12, 2012, 06:32:43 AM

Wow, just caught this video.  Great stuff, Dave.  Very---if I can use the word---poignant.  Nice chops, nice dynamics.  Thanks for sharing.

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on June 12, 2012, 06:35:33 AM

Thanks Will!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: klinkepeter on June 13, 2012, 02:59:25 PM

yeah Dave, ur a freak, i like it very much!
more of this please...
Peter

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on June 13, 2012, 03:28:52 PM

Thanks Peter!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: 811952 on June 14, 2012, 05:19:10 AM

Beautiful.

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: piotr_c on August 01, 2012, 03:18:24 PM

Just saw your video tonight. It's really wonderful..... A big bravo, me likee very mucho...!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on August 01, 2012, 04:39:08 PM

Thank you Pierre!

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: kimberly on August 08, 2012, 02:34:36 PM

Nicely done Dave!  
 
Kimberly  

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on August 08, 2012, 07:09:02 PM

Thanks Kimberly

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: that_sustain on August 16, 2012, 04:27:41 PM

After a very long day, you're pourin' your heart out.

Title: Davehouck's project
Post by: David Houck on August 17, 2012, 08:29:40 AM

Thank you Daniel; it is indeed an emotional tune.