I have Studio One 5 and an Audiobox, so it’s something I will do anyway, but that loop station is just cool for live performance, though it is a skill in and of itself to use it well and to its potential. I guess either way I’m gonna record and release stuff. As a matter of funds though…limited. Just not sure where to go gear wise. If I do choose live, think I’d go the amp route…though the pedals can go right into the PA…and then there is DAW stuff and plugins, but those don’t help live…lol.
1 Like
Which Helix? 
Twice as expensive as an HX Stomp or HX Effects. Not a Helix LT or Helix rack.
All I want is Helix Native, which is $400.
I would probably get a Quad Cortex over a Kemper today, but I expect Kemper to come out with a revised modeler/profiler at some point.
But really this only matters for live playing. What I actually would want is Helix Native.
1 Like
Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. I have hit pause on the course to practice and solve this problem. So, 10 days of focus on this… result in zero progress. I guess Rome wasn’t built in a day.
1 Like
I am getting close to completing the course, half way through 15. I am struggling mentally but not horribly. Seems like the last 4 months I have made huge improvements in overall play after starting this class. A lot further along than after months of private lessons. I can’t help but feel though that I am not ready to join the real world if that’s a thing. I feel like I have so much more to learn in music theory, actually learning complete songs at full speed, and fretting good notes consistently that I don’t want the modules to end.
Like others I am looking through options of my next course of action. SBL, TalkingBass, and others just trying to find the right teacher/course with the level of where I think I am. This weird place of kind of sort of knowing what I am doing but still being completely novice after a year of playing. I will be looking for structure of playing/practice and music theory primarily as my main focus. I really enjoyed module 15 so far as it gives me hope of actually jamming with friends. I kind of can’t wait to learn more theory and really be able to explore chords outside of the 4 frets by actually knowing the notes or alternate locations.
Will also spend some time going back through this course to try some of those fast work outs again that I didn’t really quite nail or in some cases even come close. Just was wondering for graduates if any of this sounds familiar or am I the only one.
3 Likes
You are not the only one. As you can read, most all of us that posted about it, felt a little lost at the end of the course “Whats Next”, Don’t leave me now Josh!!!
For me, I want to Talking Bass and signed up for the all access pass (he only offers it periodically) and I started taking his courses. I did the Scales Essentials first, and am almost done with Cord Tone essentials (both cord tones and scales compliment each other very well) and am almost thru the beginner Sight Reading cours. There is an intermediate and I heard an advanced one coming out this year.
if you can’t get the all access pass (if it is not available when you are ready) I would recommend to pick the Scales or cord tones course, and start there.
once you are done with the one you choose, go into the next one.
Plus, Sight reading, I never would have thought it, and if I didn’t have the pass, I may not have tried it for a long time but within the first 10 lessons, there were a ton of A-ha moments, going back to the scales and cord tones and even most stuff covered in B2B. They were really simple, but in your face and jut made things that still had my head spinning immediately make sense.
Anyway, thats how I proceeded after B2B and am still going on with it, and it has really been great.
Oh yeah, I also was taking private lessons on Zoom with Josh for a while, but I got sick and had to stop them back in October. I took about 3 months off due to that hospitalization and just got back to playing a few weeks back.
I am just getting back to talking-bass lessons now, and hope to resume lessons again when I am ready.
3 Likes
It’s scary, but you gotta kinda put yourself out there. Even if it is just in private. Pop a drum machine on and play along to it. Play to some backing tracks. Play with a friend who plays guitar, let him know you are learning and ask him if he can help give you some pointers. Practice different techniques. Learn your scales. Record yourself, record yourself, record yourself. Get in person bass lessons. The biggest thing that is gonna help you is improv and trying to make your own bass lines to backing tracks (or playing with others). It’s hard as first, but it sure teaches you fast!
3 Likes
Ah, sorry… yes, I meant the LT! And, perhaps “twice as expensive” was slight hyperbole, but the Kemper or the Quad Cortex are in a league of their own, at least price-wise…
1 Like
Prices are the same range, really:
Helix Rack: $1500
Helix Floor: $1700
Helix LT: $1200
HX Stomp: $600
HX Effects: $600
Quad Cortex: $1600
Kemper Floorboard: $1700
Kemper Stage: $2300
1 Like
and what I really want:
Helix Native: $400 ($99 or free with their other Helix products; $250 with POD Farm)
And to tie it back to the discussion in the other thread about the Plethora pricing not making sense to me:
Plethora X5: $450 (3/4 of a HX Stomp)
Hm, yes, I think prices are slightly different here, but the overall tendency is, of course, the same. And, I guess, I was mostly looking at the Kemper Stage, which is indeed almost double what an LT is.
The main problem/challenge remaining for many (apart from the financial burden) is to be able to define their needs so precisely that they can then choose the best solution to match those needs. And, here, you are again “blessed” as you, for example, have decided for yourself that you are not worried about a live, gigging situation, which makes defining your “needs” already much easier 
A lot of the rest of us are forever dithering between the many options, as we really are trying to put that square peg into the round hole, namely one solution for all possible scenarios: live/on stage, recording (studio/home), rehearsal with band, practice alone at home, …
3 Likes
thanks! @T_dub @Mike_NL and @kerushlow very helpful. Pretty much between all the threads sounds like my next step is TalkingBass.
2 Likes
Im having to retrain myself already… I rest my thumb on my pickup all the time I dont move it up to the e or a when I move up… I realized this isnt good for muting purposes… I had to retrain myself whilst trying to do the octaves lessons which I found challenging anyway but what I have found and love about my experience learning bass is anythings possible with practice and so far everything has been achievable early days though.
4 Likes
Not sure if this was mentioned by anyone,but I have just noticed I have issues with,of all things, pauses.
Especially in fills,even if the fill is ridiculously simple- like 3 notes,but a pause- quarter usually, can throw me completely to a point of groove meltdown.
I realise now that until I started the course my playing relied on "hiding " around the guitar,as that’s where I come from and my mental metronome is actually misfiring quite a bit.
I can hear it now much better and it’s like my fingers either want to add an extra pluck or just let the note sort of ring instead of cut the sound off…and muting isn’t the issue ,I think it’s a problem that stems from misunderstanding rhythm- one thing I thought I had( besides the looks 
)
So yeah, I can’t count nor shut up when needed 
2 Likes
Know exactly what you mean. A trick I use is hearing it in my head, or “pretending to play a note. After you get it down you can do it without. But pretend to play it (while having strings muted, or just hear the note you want to be there, but only have it there in your head, then play the next note.
4 Likes
Yes that’s it actually - I hear a note and want to play it!!! And while my mind, ear,fingers and all of my personalities have a shouting match about it not being an actual note I lose the groove!
Funny that you have put it that way,because I was going to add ghost notes to my original post…I make a hash of those too,but only when I focus on playing them.
Thank you. I’m about 95% there with the cover of "soul to squeeze " be the chilli peppers,but mess up these two time related passages that have started giving me an anxiety headache!
I’ll incorporate your tip on the morro 
4 Likes
Take a look at Rich Brown’s recent metronome exercises on YouTube. He mutes beats 1 and 3 on the metronome, it really helps develop the feel for the individual beats and their subdivisions. Might help you with the rests.
4 Likes
Glad I could help in my non-professional and non scientific way lol! Good luck, keep it going, this particular problem is one I totally get.
4 Likes
Thank you both!
@akos : I have to utilize the metronome on my zoom more often, even downloaded a drum machine app. That is definitely the way- I have bot developed my count,especially the “and” part between beats.
@kerushlow: oh this isn’t the first time I found your tips and insights helpful on here.
That’s why this place just rocks…the people here are just pure gems!
4 Likes
When I played drums back in the day, when I had to pause a beat, I often threw in a fill. I imagine I will on bass too.
4 Likes