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Post by simmo123 on Feb 2, 2011 12:56:01 GMT
img138.imageshack.us/img138/6426/cimg0365r.jpg img600.imageshack.us/img600/627/cimg0366f.jpgimg251.imageshack.us/img251/1770/cimg0368s.jpgimg23.imageshack.us/img23/4102/cimg0360u.jpgimg546.imageshack.us/img546/6652/cimg0355.jpgimg46.imageshack.us/img46/8620/cimg0351p.jpgHi Folks,just keeping my hand in with posting pics,i have been struggling to remember how i did it the last time but hopefully this will work...the pics are of my busking setup (taken by Mrs Simmo today in our backyard ) & also a some of me leaving for an oldies gig today using my other setup...the busking gear consists of a Roland AC33 30W battery & mains powered Acoustic amp which takes my guitar & mic,the 8 batteries are the new rechargable type & last about 8-12 hours per charge,i carry a spare loaded cartridge just in case,my edited midifiles/converted to mp3 backing tracks are put onto an ipod which sits on my bose docking station which is also also rechargable,i get heaps of quality volume out of both units.The oldies gear is made up of a yamaha stagepas 500 pa system which gives me all my plugins ie,A/C guitar,mic & my backing mp3s are played on a Mblaster2 midi/mp3 player using a flash card,this unit has never let me down in 4 years,i normally take only one speaker but it depends on how large the venue is as to whether i need the other speaker,as you can see by the pics this setup is also very compact,it only takes a few minutes to set up as everything is pre-plugged into the pa etc.I am always getting more ideas on how to simplify things but i think i am almost there with both rigs.I also do not have to borrow bits from one setup whenever i go to play,i found out that was to risky what with "ole Simmo's mind having a habit of going as we say over here "Walkabout",there is nothing worse than turning up to a gig/busking & find something has been left on the other setup. Well time for a cuppa...Simmo ps.we had to be quick getting the backyard pics owing to a 36c temp which is not good for the gear to be out in it to long,when busking i find a shady spot othewise half the gear would melt-down
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Post by simmo123 on Feb 2, 2011 13:19:17 GMT
Whoops!!! pics to small i'll have another go....Simmo
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Post by simmo123 on Feb 2, 2011 13:28:13 GMT
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Post by simmo123 on Feb 2, 2011 13:32:24 GMT
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Post by weegeo on Feb 2, 2011 14:13:33 GMT
Hi there Terry great pics hope everything is still going well for you at the `busking`regards to the boss lol from all over here in N.Ireland will write soon
weegeo
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Post by rainbow on Feb 2, 2011 20:18:07 GMT
Cool set-up Terry and cool pics too!!   Keep on busking mate!! Best regards to you both from all the family.  |
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Post by JohnG on Feb 3, 2011 9:29:56 GMT
Nice to see some piccies there Terry,
Looking cool, despite the heat.
Do I detect two different trolleys there?
The set of tyres on picture 351f looks different to the others.
Or are my eyes deceiving me?
Are you a secret trolley collector too?
It was great to chat the other day, thanks for the call. Glad you liked the pressy.
Regards to Patricia and much love from Susanne to you both.
JohnG.
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Post by simmo123 on Feb 3, 2011 13:28:15 GMT
Hi John,not to much gets past you & yes you are perfectly correct i do use two seperate trolleys,the busking setup is less than half the weight & size because it makes it much easier to walk with the gear from wherever i park the car to various spots in the malls where i setup to busk,the other thing is i also utilize the trolley to clip on a shelf which i use to stand my roland amp on which makes it easier to make adjustments on the fly owing to the amp being a lot higher off the ground & easier to get at plus the sound carries further as well.The bigger trolley i use for my "oldies gigs" which entails a bit more stuff depending how many speakers i need for the different venues.Its funny you know John,but sometimes i will say to Patricia that i just can't believe how my life has turned around since giving up work to retire at around 65 years old & spending my day's just pottering around the yard etc & also being on call to two of our three boys who both work for themselves for whenever the needed me to spend a bit of time helping out if they got snowed under with work,which not only helped the budget for us but it kept me fairly fit as well what with one having a landscaping business & the other one is a self employed Bricklayer it was always manual stuff they wanted a hand with.Now all of a sudden the music has become a big part of our lives,going from a few years ago when i began mastering the simple chords on a very average guitar & being invited along to a local nursing home to sing a few songs for the oldies which i did for a couple of times acousticly with no backing,i think i only used to do about six songs (all three chord stuff with no bar chords), any way one day they suggested that they would give me a small sum just to cover fuel etc as they were already having professional musicians coming in giving hour long concerts & paying them whatever the going rate was at that time,my only problem was i had nowhere enough material to do an hours entertainment which meant i had to put some songs together quick smart,i remember i would sit down & practice two chord stuff like "tom dooley etc,i managed to bluff my way through a couple of concerts what with filling in with a few senior jokes etc but the funny thing was they all seemed to enjoy me making a fool of myself.just had a quick interuption from Patricia who's in the thro's of doing washing & watching a bit of TV in between cycles,its 8.45 pm our time,she has spotted a very good sized Redback spider going across the tiled floor in the lounge area,she is not a lover of spiders poisoness or not ,we don't get that many in this house not like our last home it was crawling with them,anyway i have just got rid of it & i must admit it was a beauty,biggest i've seen for a while.Ok back on track now with the music stuff,from there i managed to get a couple more venues at other aged care homes in the area this was by just by word of mouth,next i ventured into getting a drum machine ,a very basic one but at least it gave me a fuller sound & kept my timing a bit tighter,after that i began to explore the world of midifiles, someone gave me a copy of an editing program with some midifiles as well all on a floppy disc but with no instructions & i really struggled with it as i had only just got our first computer,i reckon it was more than a year of trying to actually get an audio track to work so you can imagine how much i progressed with the midifiles,next my big break,i discovered a site whose name i will not mention & the rest is history.What i am trying to get across is i could not have ever in my wildest dreams imagine that i would ever be so involved with music & better still to actually be performing ((although very average)out there in the public eye & i must admit i do come home pretty knackered (its got to be an age thing) but i get enormous satisfaction whether it be playing to the "Oldies" or when i am busking.One more thing i would like to say before i finish boring everyone completely is that without my good friends on the forum there is no way in the world i would have achieved what i have managed to achieve with regards to the music...Definitely time for a break...until next time ..Simmo & Mrs Simmo as well
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Post by weegeo on Feb 3, 2011 19:49:01 GMT
Hi there Terry[& the boss as well lol]i really enjoy reading your posts and i marvel at your courage [think thats the right word lol] i don`t know anyone over here in our music community that would have a `crack` at busking and i do admire you for doing it i wish i could be there to see it. I do however have to pull you up on 1 point you say that your an`average`player but my experience is if the people enjoy you,singalong with you and then pay you that makes you better than average in my books for sure. It` brilliant to hear you talk about your experience with your music and how much it means to you thats exactly how it should be i don`t know or can speak for anyone else but in 47 years i have never sang a song that didn`t mean something to me and to listen to you talking about the`music`takes me back to my younger days lol Keep it up young man and keep us up to date with all your news and if there is any songs you need if i have them you can have them with pleasure
Regards to your good lady wife the legend that is Patricia
weegeo
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Post by doricvision on Feb 3, 2011 21:46:02 GMT
once again Terry[and the missus], riveting reading. I agree with everything Weegeo says,you certainly do not lack courage nor enterprise.You are an inspiration to all approaching that dreaded day
I applaud you
Bigmike
ps. when is the book coming out
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Post by simmo123 on Feb 4, 2011 11:20:36 GMT
Hi Big Mike many thanks for you kind comments,the truth is i think i've passed the "dreaded day"  & i'm simply living it up on "borrowed time" ...... Simmo....
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Post by simmo123 on Feb 4, 2011 12:10:05 GMT
A big hi to you Weegeo & many thanks for your encouraging words,i really appreciate it,as you say to get personal enjoyment out of performing is really important otherwise it becomes a bit of a boring chore,the other upside for me is that it is a great way to practice which in my situation is a bonus,i am finding that my song book is not getting opened half as much as it used to owing to the fact that by doing the songs several times over during the course of a few sessions it really helps me.As you mentioned it would certainly be great to catch up with you "live " one of these days,having had the opportunity while Patricia & i were over your part of the world a while back to actually meet up with three of the forum members & families it certainly was the "icing on the cake" for us both & an experience we will always remember,maybe we will manage another trip one day which would give us the opportunity to meet many more forum members,on the other side of the coin any members finding themselves in our part of the world would be certainly made very welcome.Had a gig this afternoon in one of my regular dementia homes & was that a hot box,no aircon just a couple of ceiling fans which did absolutely nothing to the temperature,i don't think the folks were to bothered about the heat,anyway it all went well other than a patient decided he needed my music stand more than me & a couple of scuffles between some others ( poor buggers).Looking forward to a little busking tomorrow in my usual spot near the veggie stall,the boss actually slipped a bit in my case last week so i can't be doing he's business any harm...well thats it for now Weegeo,once again thanks for the feedback & a big hi to all the family from us both. look after yourself mate...Terry & Patricia
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Post by frank on Feb 4, 2011 13:25:54 GMT
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Post by simmo123 on Feb 4, 2011 22:24:18 GMT
Hi Frank,i can remember that song...gotta be way back which is a worry in itself....Simmo
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Post by shyamwestwind on Feb 9, 2011 18:37:13 GMT
Way to Go Simmo. Music is the "BESTEST" thing in the whole wide universe and keeps all of us going. All the very best, buddy Enjoy and yourself and do send in the pics...... they are, indeed, lovely pics of happy times ......... keep them coming !!
Love to you and yours.
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Keep on busking mate!! Best regards to you both from all the family. 
& i'm simply living it up on "borrowed time"
