Which pedals you normally use?
SansAmp BDDI and BOSS Chromatic Tuner pedal. Occasionally a compressor pedal, I've used a few different ones over the years.
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Do you find any difference in tone between a bass with a neck-thru and string thru bridge and a bass with a bolt-on and top load bridge?
I'm not going to lie and say I do, so no. So much of that stuff is for marketing purposes in reality, and even though one may add more sustain, who realistically needs 10 seconds of sustain on a note?
Do you think that nickel strings really lose their tone faster than stainless steel?
Most definitely, I used to use stainless steels for years. They seemed to almost never die. However, I prefer the feel of nickels so choose to use them now.
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Do you set up your bass guitar by yourself or do you got a technician to make the stuff.
We all set up our instruments ourselves. I usually have Chris or Travis adjust my stuff since they went to school for it!
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Robert Percy
When you say "Ernie Ball Orange Pack" Do you mean the nickelsilver hybrid ones? Could you please be more especific about the reference? Thank you.
I've been using the same types of strings for almost 2 years so not even sure what's out there anymore. It's the orange colored "6-String Long Scale Slinky Bass" pack, gauges: 32/45/65/80/100/130. It's the most common pack for 6-string if you walk into most music stores, in my experience.
Hi Mark! I want to say you I'm feeling so bad and lonely, but when I listen to STS all bad things disappear and everything goes good. My english isn't good and I want to express you more but I don't know how haha. Thanks for all, and some day I will buy The Migration :)
That's really great to hear, it's a pleasure to hear that our music is helping you in that sort of way...keep your head up! We appreciate your support and are glad to have you as a fan!
Describe your life in five words?
i sla pa da bass
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steve sipler
Guillermo Jurado
What kind of strings do you use and why?
Ernie Ball 6-String set (orange pack) -- We all use those in the band collectively as they sound great and are reliable strings!
Do you enjoy creating music with or without a vocalist more?
It really makes no difference at all to me, as I view a vocalist as just another instrument, sound, and melodic figure in the mix as any of the other band members. Obviously the approach is different with and without one, but both ways are enjoyable!
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Austin Averill
what's going on with tetrafusion? I havent heard from you guys in a while :(
Gary moved to China, so IDUNNOLOL.jpg. Nah, he did, and we all live in different states, so it's more of a studio-only project that's slowly (but surely) moving. We have just about a new record written, but past that, not sure what's next.
Congrats on getting your CD sold in stores in your hometown! Any tricks on getting the bigger stores like Walmart to sell them, too?
Yeah, thanks! To be sold in Wal-Mart you pretty much have to be selling thousands of copies each week, basically a Top 25 band I suppose, so we'd likely never see that. Stores like Best Buy and FYE reach a little farther down the line and are able to stock albums from bands our size. No trick really, it's all based on SoundScan numbers and sales.
I read your answer about your tone and it made me think for a minute about my set up..and I totally agree. I have a boss multieffect pedal and I used it to create a main tone, but I did find if I bypassed and went bass to amp sound, you do get a clearer more audibly pleasing sound..thanks mark!!!
Welcome! A big part of it is just making sure to have a simple, clear signal chain with true bypass effects, if possible. Personally, I try to only put things in my signal chain that are actually effects (to be used sparingly), versus a ton of things that just color my tone that are always on. Over the years, this just doesn't make sense to me anymore, and I've tried to get my "ideal sound" from the bass itself, not 400 other things. Much easier to troubleshoot if anything goes wrong as well!
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Yaresh-Bartholomeus Soekhlal
Garrett Miller
Any chance of some STS unplugged?
It's been discussed in the past...we'll see!
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Aditya Raj
is the way that you hold your bass bad for your arm? ..
My strap does the holding.
What are some funny touring stories you can share?
I could write a book...........
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Banshee
Robert Percy
You've probably been asked this before, but what do you do for tone? What's your main signal chain like? Also what scales do you prefer to use, especially in stuff like your solo off Narrow Salient?
My signal chain now is literally bass to amp when playing live. I have a SansAmp BDDI in the signal chain, but only use it for different EQ patched for solos, slap, really clean parts, etc. Otherwise it's off. After getting the Warwick I've found everything else seems to color and take away from the natural tone, so I've taken the simplistic approach and its made both myself and our FOH engineer much happier.
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Robert Percy
Did you get home for Christmas alright and on time? Turkish airlines problems aside but timings wise?
Yeah, just barely though! Could have been worse for sure.
Do you use in ear monitors or something along those lines when you play live?
I just use the regular house monitors occasionally to hear myself, sometimes my rig alone is plenty enough. Will definitely probably try in-ears one day soon, though.
I know you just did a playthough for "Atlas Novus" but is there a chance for a "Odyessy" playthrough?
Of course!! I have the full album filmed, and as it has been, they'll be posted periodically over the weeks. Make sure to subscribe!
Hello! will you consider giving lessons in the venue in your european tour?
I decided not to this go 'round just as its our first time there, but possibly next time!
We want Scale the Summit in Argentina in 2014 or 2015! :) Please!
We'd love to play there, it's just a matter of "when" -- get promoters interested to bring us there and make it happen!
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Devin Russ
Robert Percy
How do you feel about alternate tunings, be it something like Drop B or something like having The B dropped to an A when in standard tuning? Is there any particular advantage that to standard tuning? Is there any particular reason all STS is in standard?
Alternate tunings are great and definitely suit some bands, but I've just never really had a need to play around with them. For bass, especially, it's kind of arbitrary unless we did a Drop tuning, which would make sense. No particular reason that I'm aware of, I don't do any of the guitar writing but I'm sure it's just the way the music comes out with no real need for an alternate tuning. I'm not a fan of contrived alternate tunings.
Hey Mark,first of all,congratulations for your music. My question is the next. Some tips for compose a song with bass? no a bass a solo,a composition,wich later the other instruments add the other music.
Thanks. Hard to say really, there are a ton of factors that determine the approach. Overall, I try to think of the bass guitar as two personalities...a drumset that can play pitched-notes and a guitar that's an octave lower...simply meaning I can favor the drums and play something rhythmic or favor the guitars and play something more melodic. I work to combine the best of both worlds and work to "glue" the song together as my first priority before anything else. When I get songs that have guitars and drums completed, I first ask myself "What does this song need to sound complete". If it's playing whole notes and that's it, then that's what goes on paper. If more, then more!
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Robert Percy
What is the progressive music/metal scene like in Louisiana and New Orleans?
non-existent, so I went to Houston, TX. Kidding...but really, there isn't much of it. When we started Tetrafusion, we really had our work cut out for us and stuck out like a sore thumb at any local show/event. I don't know about New Orleans since that's on the opposite side of the state for me.
Since you're still living in Shreveport, are you still involved in Tetrafusion at all?
I don't really know what my involvement consists of really, we aren't really active nor doing much. To answer the question, there is (near close) to a full-length written but beyond that I have no idea what will transpire in the future. I believe it's more of a studio project at this point in time.
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Robert Percy
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