MostlyBass.com

August 27th, Saturday – 9:00 pm at The TAP House
3341 West Main Street St. Charles, IL 60175

Come get a FREE CD!

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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122114058

As we come to the end of the decade, we turn to one of the more dramatic changes we’ve heard in music over those 10 years: It seems to have gotten louder.

We’re talking about compression here, the dynamic compression that’s used a lot in popular music. There’s actually another kind of compression going on today — one that allows us to carry hundreds of songs in our iPods. More on that in a minute.

But first, host Robert Siegel talked to Bob Ludwig, a record mastering engineer. For more than 40 years, he’s been the final ear in the audio chain for albums running from Jimi Hendrix to Radiohead, from Tony Bennett to Kronos Quartet.

Bob pointed to a YouTube video titled The Loudness War. The video uses Paul McCartney’s 1989 song “Figure of Eight” as an example, comparing its original recording with what a modern engineer might do with it.

“It really no longer sounds like a snare drum with a very sharp attack,” Ludwig says. “It sounds more like somebody padding on a piece of leather or something like that,” Ludwig says. He’s referring to the practice of using compressors to squash the music, making the quiet parts louder and the loud parts a little quieter, so it jumps out of your radio or iPod.

Ludwig says the “Loudness War” came to a head last year with the release of Metallica’s album Death Magnetic.

Read more here.

My book, “An Introduction to Double Bass Playing”, is now available from the iTunes bookstore!

Richard Armandi, Chicago area bassist and teacher says this:

“An Introduction to Double Bass Playing” by Peter Tambroni is a wealth of information and just about covers all the ‘basses’ that a young or new player to the instrument would need to address. It’s thoughtfully put together, addressing all manner of technical issues, maintenance and care, choosing the right strings, bow, etc., and even has sections covering topics of vital use to teachers and parents. There are also internet sites suggested for all things Bass related. This book is the most complete resource of it’s kind for the aspiring Double Bassist, has become required material for my students, and I heartily recommend it!!! Thank You, Peter, for such a superb asset to the Double Bass canon!!”

Four string set of Fender Flatwounds plus a LaBella low B string. Lots of life in them. $15 picked up or $20 shipped.

How is your experience with Lemur Music? What alternative vendors do you like?

I find their shipping SLOW and expensive but they do have lots of sheet music. For strings and many other accessories, I like Bob’s House of Basses.

Just replaced my Fender Flatwounds with a set of D’Addario half wounds on my electric bass. So far I really like them but the B string seems a little dead.

***UPDATE 06/04/11 – I LOVE these strings – except for the low B. Buy the 4 string set and get a roundwound B.