"We save ebikes from landfill"

[lenny]

About Us — Ebike Freedom CIC

www.ebikefreedom.co.uk

 

[jimriley]

Great idea, but it's in Glasgow.

 

[Raboa]

Where in Glasgow are you?

 

[Scorpio]

Afraid the cynic in me has seen a few of these "green" schemes and is now deeply skeptical about them.

My ex used to work for one of them and even she was very open about saying their main reason for existing was to make money for themselves - they had no interest in "improving and protecting the local environment" despite what their advertising said.

My local council tip is as bad, they often have a skip full of pushbikes including some quality bikes and some that you could ride home if you put air in the tyres (some don't even need that). They refuse to sell any claiming they go for recycling - this translates as a local bike-fix charity cherry picks what they want and the rest are melted down

 

[portals]

The company is based on Cresswell Lane near Hillhead U, 5 mins from where I live. Might take a wander down dressed up in my painting clothes, plead poverty and see if I can have a look at what kind of stock they have (if they even keep it there).

 

[FJC71]

The company is based on Cresswell Lane near Hillhead U, 5 mins from where I live. Might take a wander down dressed up in my painting clothes, plead poverty and see if I can have a look at what kind of stock they have (if they even keep it there).

This company sell bikes on Gumtree, they always have a number of bikes advertised there and their offerings not all are low value.

 

[saneagle]

The company is based on Cresswell Lane near Hillhead U, 5 mins from where I live. Might take a wander down dressed up in my painting clothes, plead poverty and see if I can have a look at what kind of stock they have (if they even keep it there).

I used to walk up Creswell Lane every day on my journey to The Faculty of Engineering from 1971 to 1974 from Belhaven Terrace (Dalrymple Hall), along Huntley Gardens, then the staggered Byres Road crossing i to Creswell St, then along the lane to the Boyd Orr Building. I still bank with RBS on the corner of Louden Terrace and Byres Rd, where I crossed. Happy memories!

 

[portals]

I used to walk up Creswell Lane every day on my journey to The Faculty of Engineering from 1971 to 1974 from Belhaven Terrace (Dalrymple Hall), along Huntley Gardens, then the staggered Byres Road crossing i to Creswell St, then along the lane to the Boyd Orr Building. I still bank with RBS on the corner of Louden Terrace and Byres Rd, where I crossed. Happy memories!

Lol, I studied Electrical & Electronic Engineering and had lectures in the Boy Orr too very late 80s/early 90s. I spent most of my student life in the QM opposite where I used to DJ and book and run the touring bands, Nirvana being most memorable

 

[guerney]

Lol, I studied Electrical & Electronic Engineering and had lectures in the Boy Orr too very late 80s/early 90s. I spent most of my student life in the QM opposite where I used to DJ and book the touring bands, Nirvana being most memorable

Holy crap! Really? What was that gig(s) like? What was Kurt's guitar amp stack comprised of? I've been mucking about with amp modelling for ages, haven't quite nailed it. I blame the guitar, of course.

 

[portals]

I don't really remember much tbh. I was about to take over as the Entertainment Manager so this was the handover gig, previous dude booked Nirvana. Spent most of day and evening apart from when they were on stage running about doing stuff on 3rd floor, that was backstage area on band nights where my office was. Checking all the crew arrived, getting the gear in the fire escape from trucks, wiring in to 3 phase, sorting sound checks, working out stage times, lots of ppl to pay on the night etc., not as glamorous as you'd think.

I do remember they had McEwans lager on the rider or we just ignored their request and gave them it anyway In these days booze for the rider was signed out from the bar unless they were a really big deal. Ah, old school receipts, the geezer before me bought a fridge/freezer on the Christmas Ball rider that he took home next day to his flat! I used to eat for a week when I sent my catering team down to Safeways on Byres Rd for the rider.

Some of the bands I did book and run Jesus Jones, Ian McCulloch, The Sundays, Red Hot Chill Peppers, Utah Saints, The Creatures, The Fall, Bad Manners, Birdland, Blur, Curve, Lush, Belly, Extreme, Zodiac Mindwarp, Kurt & Courtney more will come back to me...

Also saw many other bands there back on day including The Pixies that forced us to start using 3 part tickets - had capacity of 1100 and was a sell out , that night I swear there was 1300+ in the building because everyone was reselling the £5 tickets on the path down to the underground .

Happy Mondays supporting James was also a stand out gig, remember sitting on the balcony just watching Bez....hadn't seen anything like it before...

Mac (bunnymen) was also cool, met him a few time over the yrs and ended up at a release party with him about a decade ago in a hotel in Glasgow city centre...

However my favourite was The Fall (one of my favourite bands), supported by Bad Manners (who I was never a fan of). Mark E Smith was sound checking in the afternoon and two dudes from Bad Manners were being massive diks and wouldn't leave the hall and give him peace. I had to get their tour manager (a nervous cockney woman), to remove them however Mark called one of them'boy' over the mic and all hell broke loose...the two guys accused him of being racist and chased him off stage though the doors and in to Female toilets and proceeded to give him a bit of a kicking....right in front of me and the tour manager...!

I spent next 90mins talking over my desk to him in office trying to convince him to play, he had a black eye coming up a cpl cuts on his lip and was shaken. After few whiskies and we'd smoked half his rider (40 B&H), he agreed to play but only if Bad Manners didn't. No-brainer, spoke to our private security and they got another 10 dudes down within in 30mins. I had to dodge a boorish Buster who wanted more rider until we had enough security along the 3rd floor hall to escort them all off the premises, also got a cpl of cops up who assisted. I found out months later from other promoters that apparently they had history of this behaviour. and one of the dudes was done in Birmingham for possession of a hand gun.

After that I booked security for when the bands were due to arrive rather then when the door opened...nuts...security required to stop bands fighting...

 

[portals]

I've been mucking about with amp modelling for ages, haven't quite nailed it. I blame the guitar, of course.

So you're in to guitars?

I have cpl fender squier strats, one now vintage late 80s black/maple the other 5yrs old 3/4 size black/rosewood, a gibson 335 copy cherry red early 90s , a gibson les paul classic copy (chibson) and a electro acoustic handmade Freshman Apollo OC2 (my most prized possession) and a Fender P-Bass copy black from 90s, only used for bass lines in certain songs, mostly I program bass

I printed this pedal board recently and made 3D base holders with the velcro on so you can remove the pedal to use on floor (never liked velcro on bottom of a pedal)








For recording have Cubase 13 with many plug-ins running on a dedicated editing laptop.

I use:
Shure SM-58 for vocals and guitar amp
Audio Technicas M50s for headphone monitoring
Odd JPW mini gold monitors with an old NAD 30W amp for monitoring
EMU 0404 USB digital interface for analogue gear in to PC at very low latency (early 2000s, works great at 44..1khz on W10)
AKAI APKmini MIDI keyboard (past yr) for keyboard/percussion
Roland W-30 workstation (early 90s - Prodigy by them all from ebay) for piano/strings
Roland TR 09 boutique drum machine
Amplitude plug in for guitar FX
Various other virtual instruments (GBs worth)
xx for bass lines using the AKAI

I've set all this up again as my 14yr old (plays piano / guitar / drums), so he can hopefully learn more about music production, he's also in to video editing and we do a lot of drone stuff these days so plan is to make out own tunes for edits.

So far this is the only song we've collaborated on together, I've written words for it but he's not yet had the bottle to record it in front of me though I catch him doing the song in his bedroom. Remember it's a demo, normally at some point I would re-do MIDI drum track from TR 09 using different samples and tart patterns up a bit etc. but I didn't and all guitars are first takes using the Les Paul copy ;-) I'm lazy.

LA-93.wav

drive.google.com

It was supposed to be a pastiche of west coast LA music from 90s, idea was to edit in GT5 footage we'd captured and make a 3min film, however given GTA4 is still available online we play that all the time now as the racing blows away GTA5 ;-) So next tune will be east coast to fit in with the 80s NY vibe (Liberty City BGT and TLTD)

Chibson running Ernie Balls 8s :


Cubase 13:


Amplitude guitar FX:


MODO for bass:



Various other pianos and string on it incl BBC Symphony Orchestra!

 

[guerney]

So you're in to guitars?

I've played acoustic for years, but recently started meddling with electric. I may change the pickups on my Yamaha Pacifica at some point. For now, the Line 6 AmpliTT app still works. I'll sell it before it doesn't.

That's usually a good starting point, after which all manner of awful things happen to the noises to make ever stranger noises, sometimes including an inline Korg KP2.

The AmplifiTT also streams audio from the phone/tablet to my mixer and amps via bluetooth, so I might keep it just for that function. I'm usually on keyboards.

Cubase 13

You have to know your stuff for Cubase. I use Sony Acid because it's p*ss easy. For personal stuff, I use Sony Vegas to edit video for the same reason. I've been using both before Sony bought them from Sonic Foundry. They appear to have now been ruined by Germans using Dutch programmers, and renamed Magix. My techo producer mates want me to use Ableton, I might at some point.

Various other pianos and string on it incl BBC Symphony Orchestra!

You never know what entity will crawl out of the woodwork to rip you off years from now - and that's why I only use my own noises and melodies. No matter how samples from elsewhere are licensed when paid for, it can become a horrible problem.

LA-93.wav

drive.google.com

Would like to hear it, but that isn't playable for me:





Throw it on Youtube, you never know what might happen. I never upload anything good or original these days, stuff got stolen

Best one of my recent strange sonic atrocity with video nobody has ever asked to see or hear has done so far, in 198 days. Hasn't slowed down yet, but I wish it would because I now feel pressured to make something even more abominably odd:

I've set all this up again as my 14yr old (plays piano / guitar / drums), so he can hopefully learn more about music production

Music is a great hobby. Gigging's the only way to make any money for all but a very few - I bumped into a young band on their way to rehearsals a few days ago, got chatting. Wedding rock band, like other small rock bands I've known... so I passed on contacts of a similar band who started the same way but now get constantly ripped off by their promotion company, which also sends them to music festivals all over the Europe to get exposure. I expect they'll get ripped off too, everyone does.

 

[portals]

I've fixed the link, had set permissions wrong...doh

I'm currently on LA-102 (the number is not related to the year but to the mix version, yes I have done a lot....), too late now to bother to master it and post latest version.

The version I've linked below is similar but I've put too much compression on the stereo O/P bus when mastering so it's a little 'poppy' and too tight for me. As soon as I can get my son to do the vocals I can put it all to bed and move on

LA-93.wav

drive.google.com

 

[portals]

I'll respond to other comments tomorrow...bed time ;-)

 

[portals]

Fuckin forum, what is it with writing a response only fr the forum to 'lose' it when you submit...grrrr...

I've played acoustic for years, but recently started meddling with electric. I may change the pickups on my Yamaha Pacifica at some point. For now, the Line 6 AmpliTT app still works. I'll sell it before it doesn't.

The Line 6 AmpliTT lookslike a lot of fun, cool that you don't need a laptop to setup all the effects, sounds great in the YT video, there is so much choice these days!

If your looking for something portable that doesn't need power the Lekato pedal is nuts for the money £40 (now £30), it's portable with USB power for gigs and it has some fantastic FX. On the pedal board I use it for reverb and delay when using the other pedals.

That's usually a good starting point, after which all manner of awful things happen to the noises to make ever stranger noises, sometimes including an inline Korg KP2.

Lol, that looks like fun, you can really 'impress' the neighbours with that one!

The AmplifiTT also streams audio from the phone/tablet to my mixer and amps via bluetooth, so I might keep it just for that function. I'm usually on keyboards.

What keyboard(s) do you have?

You have to know your stuff for Cubase. I use Sony Acid because it's p*ss easy. For personal stuff, I use Sony Vegas to edit video for the same reason. I've been using both before Sony bought them from Sonic Foundry. They appear to have now been ruined by Germans using Dutch programmers, and renamed Magix. My techo producer mates want me to use Ableton, I might at some point.

I bought a second hand Atari ST1040 (it had built in MIDI port!), with Cubase (full legit product with dongle and manuals and disks etc), in probably 1992 to use with my W-30 workstation so been using it for a long time now, although did have a break of a few years. Cubase 13 is quite straightforward but very powerful for MIDI and plugins, I still watched a few videos to understand how it has moved on.

Again a lot of choice, not used Sony Vegas, Ableton Live is pretty cool and have also use Pro Tools but always end up back with Cubase

You never know what entity will crawl out of the woodwork to rip you off years from now - and that's why I only use my own noises and melodies. No matter how samples from elsewhere are licensed when paid for, it can become a horrible problem.

Well so far in life that hasn't been an issue for me.

Would like to hear it, but that isn't playable for me:

Fixed the link.

Best one of my recent strange sonic atrocity with video nobody has ever asked to see or hear has done so far, in 198 days. Hasn't slowed down yet, but I wish it would because I now feel pressured to make something even more abominably odd:


View attachment 58036

That's a lot of hits, well done, what is YT link if it's still up !

Music is a great hobby. Gigging's the only way to make any money for all but a very few - I bumped into a young band on their way to rehearsals a few days ago, got chatting. Wedding rock band, like other small rock bands I've known... so I passed on contacts of a similar band who started the same way but now get constantly ripped off by their promotion company, which also sends them to music festivals all over the Europe to get exposure. I expect they'll get ripped off too, everyone does.

I've never really made a penny, the gigging band I was in during '90s got paid but we used the money to fund studio time to record demos. Crazy I can do it all myself these days and get better results!

 

[saneagle]

I used a Line 6 Pod XT Live, which is brilliant both for practice and live playing. At home, you can use your hifi as an amplifier. You get the full sound at low volume. On stage, you take the output direct to the PA. You can make any guitar sound you want with it. There are online resources too, so you can download sounds that other people made of your favourite guitarists. You can also customise the expression pedal to do all sorts of things. I had mine set as a gain control so that I could go from clean to full overdrive and anything in between. Once I had my sounds set, I only used about 4 different ones for actual playing.

 

[portals]

I used a Line 6 Pod XT Live, which is brilliant both for practice and live playing. At home, you can use your hifi as an amplifier. You get the full sound at low volume. On stage, you take the output direct to the PA. You can make any guitar sound you want with it. There are online resources too, so you can download sounds that other people made of your favourite guitarists. You can also customise the expression pedal to do all sorts of things. I had mine set as a gain control so that I could go from clean to full overdrive and anything in between. Once I had my sounds set, I only used about 4 different ones for actual playing.

Not seen one of these in a LONG time, very nice, I was always impressed just how bloody big they were! We demand some videos or audio links at very least a pic of the axe(s) in question...

I quite recently digitised old school VHS camcorder footage from a gig in early '90s and put on YT, it's when we supported The Primitives and quite a lot of footage of me playing my now vintage squier strat that I've just refurbed (fully cleaned electronics, new saddle, new nut, ernie balls 8s, truss rod adjusted so action is very low without buzzing). However I'm not posting any links as it was a bit of a shambles gig what with the huge rider we got... I will edit it down to best bits at some point.

I also did an 'installation' gig in a made-up techno band with an ex (she was the singer) just to prove I could do it, I recorded it all on my Yamaha MT3X 4 track that I still use as a casual mixer. 1st track is sparse mixed at a friends who had a load of gear (he had one of the early Akai samplers that we used to record the vocals). 2nd track was mastered in DJ booth live at QMU club so I could walk around the dance floor and check bass, best mix I ever did. The video of the two songs we did live in front of 800 randoms is also now on YT however link by request only ;-)

Any other closet @resholes failed musicians here...? (Apologies to the OP for the hi-jacking...)

 

[saneagle]

We demand some videos or audio links at very least a pic of the axe(s) in question...

This should get your juices flowing. The photos don't do it justice. It's a 1998 Ibanez J-Custom Gold 1. They only made 5 and two of them are in the Ibanez museum. I snagged it around 2004.
I also have a Levinson Blade Silver Streak, A Gibson 3 pickup Black Beauty 35th Anniversary, two Fender USA Strats, an Ibanez 3120 and a load more. My favourite has always been the £60 Chinese LP copy that played so well that I had to upgrade the pickups to Seymour Duncans and the bridge to a Kahler whammy, plus some other things. It beats any genuine Gibson any day for sound and playability. All these guitars have got to go because I don't play any more due to arthritis.

 

[portals]

Very nice, looks pretty custom, guess that's worth a few bob, sounds like you have quite a collection!

I couldn't play that one drunk though unless there are fret marks on side of neck ;-)

Sorry you're thinking of selling them.

 

[guerney]

This should get your juices flowing. The photos don't do it justice. It's a 1998 Ibanez J-Custom Gold 1. They only made 5 and two of them are in the Ibanez museum. I snagged it around 2004.

I've already told you I can't afford it! Unless the recently deceased @soundwave has left me all of his gold bars, house with studio gear, and Rolex wearing girlfriend as promised.

All these guitars have got to go because I don't play any more due to arthritis.

Take up keyboards? Loads of lovely highly collectable keyboards out there. Analogue is king at the mo. Because digital synths sound like crap. Mostly.

ROLI Seaboard 2: The Portable, Expressive Keyboard Controller

Seaboard 2 expressive wireless MIDI keyboard combines the tactile feel of an acoustic instrument with the limitless music production possibilities of electronic music. With 5D Touch technology, customizable performance controls, and compatibility with all major DAWs, Seaboard 2 lets you create...

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