Cabbage

Sames, although I forget to use my card all the time, I am a proper student though so blagged the council tax discount. Also just got a public library card, the concept of being able to legitimately get a free shot of a book instead of trawling the net for some free pdf download is taking a while to sink in.

Pet Hate: Hopeless service from retailers, online and in store. Ordered a part at a local motor factors last week, guy at the desk said to write my name and number on a pad he handed to me, as he pealed off another name and number. I asked if I should put the part detail on it so he'd know what he had my number for but he wasn't interested, haven't heard from them since. Ordered a pair of brake calipers for a car (left and right handed parts) online and received two totally different parts (after 7 days from ordering with 24hour post), the wrong one was nearly twice as big as the other in a completely different sized box, was fairly obvious they were not a pair. I had to send photographic proof of their screw up to them before they would arrange sorting it out.

Only acceptable when labeled as Top Tips

Nah a burst paint job can be great, even the solid colour with no wood grain showing through.

Not specifically musician insurance related but make sure you read all the details and fine print with your policy. You may find your policy only covers you if you have followed specific storage instructions and got their specific security set up. I tried to insure my workshop tools that weren't kept at home but couldn't meet all of the policy requirements, ended up being more cost effective to create storage space at home and have them covered under home insurance and transport as needed. Hopefully your insurer is more flexible but I could imagine things like vehicle locks, amount of windows, where its parked etc could be specified and come into play during a claim.

sold

Found a use for the case, now only available with a Washburn xb-100 bass on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322540541857?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

Anyone want a Burns London Bass Hard Case? This is from a re-issue model, not an original 1960's one (I hope). Fits a Burn Bison which is a tiny smidge bigger than a Fender Precision. Case is used, bashed, duct-taped and has no handle as it ripped of. I attempted to fit a new handle but that came off as well. It has an additional shoulder strap so you can move it with some ease. Free to good home, collection from Insch. I was going to ebay it but canny be hooped.

Focusrite have a range of thunderbolt interfaces, I'd definitely look into those over the USB ones. Although I'm only at a sub-amateur hobbyist level if I was to start again I'd look into replacing my Scarlett for one of those as latency issues really crippled me. I use a windows machine which is half the issue but having to get all IT on its ass when you just need to capture the greatest song in the world kills the flow. I'd second colb's points on backing up to external drive and getting a piano keyboard. Also I found having one of those laptop cooling stands that allow you to raise and angle the laptop really useful when standing and playing. I got mine from maplin and I couldn't believe how much easier it made recording instrument parts. Labeling the transport shortcut keys on the laptop keyboard with sticky labels was really useful as well as I'm too tight to fork out for an external controller and don't have a spare port for one either.

I've recently set up as a sole trader and currently using the business gateway materials http://www.bgateway.com/, I'm going to go to a couple of their events to see what's what. Best tip I've been given is stick to your plan!

So how long have you worn a shirt before you realised you haven't removed the cardboard from the collar? Send me your shirts and I'll unpack them for you and send you just the shirt, for a bit extra I can pre-crumple them for you. Next stop Dragon's Den.

Hope it works out man. It's been pretty grim for a good 2 years with my work. I've gone for voluntary redundancy and started back at college, I could have stayed in work but the constant re-organising/re-applying for jobs was doing me in.

These are gold!

Hi, I have a stack of Guitar & Bass Magazines, from roughly 2003 to 2006 period. You can have them for free if you can collect from Insch.

I have a FreeSat box, it's great if you don't like watching TV. If you like new films or sport it'd be shite. No monthly cost though!

I appear to be the only person that finds BT customer service acceptable, everyone I mention it to says they have had a nightmare with them. I've had to call up to negotiate better deals and get replacement hardware and never had an issue in the last 10years. There is a wait to get through and then some button mashing and then I have to talk in my best Sunday voice to be understood but what does everyone else expect? It's not like when you're dialing your mum and picking up a conversation from last week in fluent tuechter.

Remember when they used to do job interviews in Aberdeen?

Pet Hate: Going into a shop because you want to actually try/see the thing you want rather than just buying online only to be told by the shop staff "naaah, we don't stock that in-store, you just have to buy it online".

I work with all of these folk, in the IT department of a multi-national company.

but you'll never believe what he looks like now / wore to the met gala / did to make $1million a week There is a cracking example of this in the Interesting Music Promotions forum right now.

Great sounding track, I really like it. The staccato keys parts really make it in my opinion. They add an edge and keep the concentration. When they stop at 0:55 I feel a real relaxation point and then my attention is picked up again when they come back in. They induce a sense of anxiety that prevents me from not listening or paying attention. If they were smoother swooooshes it might add a totally different feel to the track though it might be more relaxing if that was the intention of the track. To me the track has a very subtle menace to it. I don't really like the hand clamp sound, this is personal preference, it sounds cheap to me as it just reminds me of cheap 1980's keyboards. I guess this is probably exactly why you use it though! Great track though, I'd like to hear the EP when your finished.

Pet Hate: Click bait headlines, even my work has started using them on their homepage. "You won't believe how we've spun this mundane pish into a news item" Just stop please.

I'm avoiding visiting my own family so I don't have to listen to the racist rants I know they'll be belting out now. Good times.

cool, done.

Did I read else where (possibly facebook) that you basically have songs ready you just want folk to play them as is? No song writing input required/just play the damn song type of thing? If so I'd be interested, I can even play bass.