NYC Guitar/Bass Player Wants To Play Some Yes

[FlatRacer]

Hi. First time posting here. Hello all.
I'm a guitarist and bassist who's looking to get together with other musicians in the NYC area to play some Yes.
I'm 41, have been playing since I was 8. I have plenty of gigging experience and plenty of equipment.
I've been playing classic rock and country for 20+ years and I'm getting a little tired of the simplicity of the songs.
As far as playing ability goes, I have just begun to crack into Howe's style. To be totally honest, some of the faster passages still elude me, but I do have very good chops, a fantastic ear and excellent retention.
Ultimate goal here is to join or form a band to do progressive rock covers from Yes, ELP. Genesis. Floyd, etc. etc. Light schedule only please, I already have two bands and a day job, thanks.
Anyone interested, even if you just want to jam, can e-mail me at eric.tolnes@verizon.net

Thanks,
Eric

P.S. Before you even ask, no I don't know any keyboard players that can handle it.

[Dances w/PURPLE]

testing one, two

check*check

[STARRSHIP TROOPER]

Hi Flatracer and welcome to Yes Fans. There're a lot of musican fans in the NY Conn. area and you might find them in the musican's post. I'm retiring my guitar playing because of severe pain in hands. But may work again just doing vocals. I played a lot of yes over the years. I live in Mass. so too far to help you . But you mite or should find players on this site. Once again Welcome and have fun here.
Starrship Trooper

[upbgirl]

if you are looking for someone to play yes with, then this is the site..

hope your post leads to some p.m.'s and maybe somebody can join you.. [two bands AND a day job?-howe many hours in YOUR day??]
best of luck finding kindred spirits..shouldnt be too much of a problem..;) [except for that keyboard position]

welcome, flatracer!! you're gonna like it here!! :cheers:

[kirk]

hey,welcome! i'm not into covers,but if you're interested in collaboration,the internet(w/the proper software makes geography a moot point.i'm always interested in finding"the next squire"! drop a line.
peace kirk/zenpool

[FlatRacer]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah, that keyboard obstacle has always been a problem, even for a run of the mill cover band. They seem to personify the old maxim: There are two types of musicians - bad and busy.

FR;)

[Dances w/PURPLE]

Long time bro..whazup?!


Welcome flatracer...did you think about going to Chi town for the fans fest? Give it a go!

[kirk]

hey dances! just been trying to get the old creative spark rolling.

it's kind of cool having these older threads come back after the crash,they're all new to me.
be talkin' at ya!

flatracer-let me tell ya'buddy-if you can handle squire's bass parts.....
we need to get a virtual tribute band thing going here,
"yestalk"(is it cool to say that?)is kicking us in that department,they're starting on their second tune!
riff,Q,earl-c'mon! this is embarrrrassssing!;)

suggestions?

[FlatRacer]

Kirk:

What kind of software do I need to be able to participate in this "virtual band"???
Yes, I can handle the bass parts. As a matter of fact I just restrung the old Rick' last week for a little workout (been doing a lot of guitar playing lately, haven't touched the basses in awhile).
Be gentle with me now, I'm not a computer geek yet. I have a webcam, but haven't set it up yet. How would this work?

Eric

[kirk]

hey eric-it's great you have a rick! i love the sound.
trust me,i'm no geek either,computers have been the necessity i've had to deal with so that my home studio will do things that cost $250,000 15 years ago.

i'm trying to think what the easiest,cheapest route would be...
cakewalk has a fully-functional free 30-day trial version of sonar 2.0 on their website,www.cakewalk.com.(assuming you're using a pc).after the 30 days expire(or if you want to keep setting your computer's clock back),there's slightly cut-down versions for as little as 49.95.the cut-downs are strange,not things the average user would miss.the pro version(the one i use) is around $400.

i've used cakewalk for years,there's several popular sequencers,it's the one i'm most comfortable with.

you then need to get the signal from the bass into the computer,which can be as simple as a 1/4' guitar cord w/an 1/8'
adapter from radio shack,into the computer's soundcard.in the beginning,"shortest route to sound".you can later add a mixer,compressors,amp simulators into the chain.

i'll assume you're starting from scratch-the soundcard is usually
at the bottom of the computer"tower",vertically placed in one of the slots.there's usually some empties for expansion also.
you see some connectors,in/out,mic in,usually a midi connector.
if you play games on your computer,and can hear sound,you're good for starters.
some soundcards have rca outs like your home stereo,dvd sound,ect.and these can be sent to an amp.
another route to go,is usb.if your computer has connectors,roland makes a unit that's pretty cheap to go direct in.
(i believe it's a "ua-3",available at guitar center,ect.)just plug it into the usb port,plug your bass into the other end.
sonar automatically configures itself to whatever system that's present.
first step,download sonar,and see if you can get a noise.
for a potential chris squire,i'll educate you(lol)
peace kirk/zenpool

[FlatRacer]

Kirk:

My computer is an HP Pavilion with windows XP and an 80 gig hard drive. I'm assuming that's good enough.
It has an 1/8" mic input which I'm assuming is mono, and an 1/8" stereo speaker out. So, no trouble getting music in (in mono anyway) or out.
Cakewalk: I thought that was a program for composing and/or recording.(???) Is there something without all those features that could get me hooked up to you live?
I trust there's no time lag right? Is this what they call "streaming" audio?
Do you play with a video feed as well?
Do you feed all the channels into a mixing board then send the playback to all the players in real time?

I know this is a lot of stupid questions, but I really feel like I know nothing of this digital recording tech. I've done plenty of recording, but always as a hired gun for other people. I always avoided buying recording equipment because I already had too many expensive hobbies and that one looked like a REAL deep hole!

Later,
Eric

[FlatRacer]

So, I go out and buy a "UA-3" to plug the bass into the USB.
Then I download something called "Sonar"? Do you have their web address?
Will this enable me to send you more than one channel? I like to play the Rick in stereo; Live, I send the neck pickup to the bass amp with an 18" or a 2-15" cab for a nice full low end. Then the bridge pickup goes through the effects: Tremelo (Starship Trooper), distortion, chorus, etc. then into a guitar amp. Effecting only the bridge pickup gives it a nice three dimensional sound without sacrificing that nice full low end. If you ever get your hands on a stereo Rick, try it. You'll love it.

Eric

P.S. Nevermind the Sonar question. I get it from Cakewalk.com, right? (just re-read your last post---Duh.)

[kirk]

eric-no,real-time jamming's not possible at this time,but soon.
i like the way you're wrapping your head around this,that's a good thing.
the way this works-
this is kind of cool and innovative,cutting edge.i subscribe to a service that allows for the transfer of 50 mg. files,uncompressed,(which is what an mp3 does,but looses 6% of the sound from the very highest and lowest).
a file is downloaded,(i'll show you how)the normal"save in"..
the file is in sonar.the player adds his/her part,saves and sends it back.it's much the same as grabbing a tune from the internet to play in musicmatch or windows media player.
you won't believe you could've lived w/o sonar after you learn it.i can accomplish in an afternoon what used to take weeks.not only is it a substitute for a reel to reel recorder,it's also a very powerful editor,effects machine.

your computer's great for this,more than enough(actually more powerful than mine,i'm shopping).it sounds like the only expense you'll have to go to is the connector and sonar, there's even a version made for guitarists,guitar studio.it's much cheaper than pro,full of amp sims,efx.take a look while you're at the music store,or on cakewalk's homepage.after you get the basics down,you can move on to stereo recording your rick.
kirk

[In the Attic]

Kirk/Flatracer,

Are you familiar with Line 6 Guitar Port. I record pretty much the same way as you, always looking for that perfect sound. I only know what I have been able to pull of the Line 6 Web site. It appears that it has some decent home recording features.

I only started playing seriously about 18 months ago. However, I play about 4-5 hours a day. At first, I started working on some of the YES accoustical pieces (Mood, The Clap, The Ancient) and then moved on to the orchestrated arrangements. I began with CTTE and Gates and just finished Siberian Khatru. I am not really interested in playing out but I enjoy playing and working on my skills.

If you ever lay your tracks down, I would love to get a copy to use as a practice aid and to use as the background for my own licks.

Good luck and keep everyone posted on your progress.

[kirk]

i.t.a.- from the reviews,the line 6 port seems like a great tool for a home studio.it allows the guitarist to go "direct in",rather than the old method of micing an amp cabinet,and still tailoring the sound like a digital amp. the line 6 "pod"has been a staple in home recording for a few years,highly recommended,there's a bass pod also.it even does tricks like making an electric guitar sound like an acoustic.

if you're a beginner that's cutting your teeth on steve howe material,i can't wait to hear your progress!
most guitarists start with "louie,louie".(lol)

i own a les paul nighthawk,takemine 12 elec.ac.12 string,and a 1930 gison lap steel,but i hesitate to call myself a "guitarist".
good hearing from you,jump in anytime.
peace kirk/zenpool

[FlatRacer]

Yeah, I pretty much figured that. I'm sure it's coming though. I suppose it's just a question on weighing the desired audio quality against available bandwidth, no? Think of it though, virtual jamming...how cool would that be! I'll bet there are some eggheads at M.I.T. and Berkley doing it now.
I'll try to pick up a USB adaptor at the music store within the next week or so. Then I'll try a trial download of Sonar. We'll see how that goes.
Am I going to be playing to a click track, a drum track, or are we going to cheat and play to a reference track of the real thing?

Eric

P.S. Just for the hell of it, check out my site at www.geocities.com/kool_toyz
Also, one of my bands has a site at http://www.geocities.com/revivalrock/index.html

[bataisflow]

Hey just seeing this ost for the first time and would love to jam some prog. I am a Bass player - I live and work in NYC. Let me know how we can get in touch.

[kirk]

eric i can tell you're going to be great at sequencing.it has a learning curve,but the rewards are fantastic.
i checked out your pages- great toys!(i take it your single(lol).

i know all of those bikes,i grew up in that age.i had the ram's horn,in black,silver seat,x-mas 1967.those george barris designed bikes,i'd love to see those again.

is that a '72 pantera?good taste,dude. my grandfather was the head of a ford plant in my hometown in indiana.we got first crack at the executive lease program returns,which included panteras(ford-made 351 clevelands,eh?) boss mustangs,shelbys..one of my best friends grabbed a 72 boss 351 before i had the chance to make a move.
it was amazing this small town of 17,000 had so much ford street muscle.

speaking of the 60's,i studied illustration with dc comics senior editor joe kubert of sgt.rock,enemy ace fame.if that's part of your 60's experience,i owned the west coast's largest comic shop chain in my 20's.

i'll give the "how to proceed"question some thought.
peace kirk

[FlatRacer]

Kirk;

Yup, baby boomer nostalgia. Some guys (like me) just refuse to grow up! Sometimes I think the only reason I got a job is so I could buy more toys.
The Pantera is a '72. I've gotta make a better page for that one. I'll have to write the restoration story for the page, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
I'm recently remarried ('01) and I just became a dad, 3 1/2 mo. ago. What a trip that is.
I'm doing a lot less boat racing these days, so I have more time for music. Two classic rock cover bands keep me a little busy, but it's tough to stay enthused when the material is so simple. And gigging has become somewhat of a joke lately. I guess as you get older, your potential audience gets smaller and smaller. The people that listen to the kind of music we like to play just aren't hanging out in the numbers that they used to. Time marches on.
It's a good thing we're not in it for the money, 'cuz there ain't none.

Later,
Eric

[FlatRacer]

Bataisflow:

Where do you live? I'm in Staten Island. If you want, we can get together and jam. Now, the obvious question - do you know any keyboard players that can hack it?
You can E-mail me at eric.tolnes@verizon.net

Eric

[kirk]

eric-send an e-mail to zenpool@centurytel.net.
i don't want anyone here to think i'm spamming,but i've had some pretty amazing success w/the zenpool thing.
i'll get into it w/you.