Active Band Man Chats - 2022 New Gear Answer Key

Well, the New Year has come.

Happy New Year!

I look forward to your continued support for this column this year too.

You know, last year we did a column where we predicted what new gear we’d be purchasing, right?

Yeah, we did. I think it was around the beginning of the year.
Related Article: Active Band Man Chats - 2022 New Gear Predictions: Kizuhiko

The predictions were…


BOSS / AD-2 Acoustic Preamp


L.R.Baggs / Align Series Equalizer

Epiphone Casino


Squier / Classic Vibe Bass VI 3-Color Sunburst


BOSS / DC-2W Dimension C


BOSS / AC-3


ART / Tube MP Microphone Preamp


Shure / BLX14J/SM31 Wireless Set/Headset Microphone


Shamiko / 5-Go Masu Shamisen Shamiko

There were nine of them...

But? Which of these did you actually buy?

The BOSS AD-2 and ART Tube MP!
BOSS / AD-2 Acoustic Preamp


ART / Tube MP Microphone Preamp

Not many... I guess?

Well, I’ve chosen them carefully.

Okay. How was it? How did you feel about your new gear?

The mic preamp really brings out the volume.

Isn’t that a bit vague?

Maybe it’s because it has a tube in it, but it also makes your voice sound thicker,

which is nice.

But I think it’s a bit too much for someone with a naturally thick voice…

Too much? There are various types of directionality for microphones. So, would you recommend it to people who want a little more thickness?

Yes, I would. And, for the acoustic preamp,

Did it come through with a bang?

No, it’s just a subtle airiness.

Really? Is that good enough?

I think it’s probably better to use it casually, but to be honest, I want it to be more effective!

Kizuhiko is that kind of person. I guess you could say I like a strong flavor…

Yeah, I want to go with a rough and ready style in 2023 too!

Rough and ready... That’s impressive!

To be honest, I still don’t know how to use it well, so I think I need to get some experience under my belt.

That’s admirable...

And there is a new gear I bought last year, even though I hadn’t expected to!

You bought what?

The Squier Jazzmaster!

I see.

Just the fact that it’s a red Jazzmaster is justice in itself!

That’s just your personal opinion!

I think it was a good purchase! The neck is just how I like it!

That’s great.

And then, the Electro-Voice mic arrived at the end of the year!

Wow!

This is a brand that Ted (bassist for The Captains, and he was also a support bassist for Sukanchi) recommended!

So I guess that’s definite! I don’t really know much about microphones...

I’m sure!

Is that all?

Yeah! The only other things I bought were things like guitar picks. The year before last I bought a ukulele, a keyboard and all sorts of other things...
Related Article: Active Band Man Chats - 2021 New Gear: Kizuhiko

So compared to that, it was pretty modest!

Is that so...?

Okay, it’s your turn, Horry!

Yes.
Related Article: Active Band Man Chats - 2022 New Gear Predictions: Horry

The predictions were…


Ibanez / EHB1505MS-PLF Headless Bass


NS Design / NXT4 Black Satin

Zahnrad 4000PRE


Tronographic / Rusty Box


Gallien-Krueger / PLEX


Zoom / B6 Multi-Effect Processor for Bass


One Control / Blackberry Bass OD

TDC-YOU 006 Bass Driver

A tribute model of G&L’s SB-2, made in Japan.

But...

But?

I bought quite a few!

I know, right?

But, out of these, I only bought four. I bought five others. In total, nine... I didn’t buy any MNGs in the second half of the month.
*MNG stands for ‘My New Gear’

You did it! How do they feel when you use them?

Let’s look at them in the order I bought them... First up is the Zahnrad 4000PRE. This was just as I expected. It’s a booster, but just running it through gives you a nice tension and sheen, so I use it with it left on.

It’s something that’s indispensable for making basic sounds.

And next is the Comodoro Rat Bass. It’s distortion. I wonder if it’s a Rat type? But it’s surprisingly versatile. To be honest, it wasn’t exactly what I was aiming for, but it’s easy to use, so I find it really useful when I take it to sessions and stuff.

The way you say it is so cool! I want to copy you!

(Lol)

This is really useful for sessioooons!

The way you talk is a bit weird now... You are not like that! And next is Tronographic’s Rusty Box.


Tronographic / Rusty Box

This is a pre-amp. I think it’s a correction type. It makes a pretty fat sound. It gives a heavy impression. People’s tastes will probably differ, but it’s good. However, it’s quite heavy, so I took it off the board... I think this is also for sessions.

This one is also for sessioooons...!

You’re weird again! And next up is the EC Custom Bass Overlord. I bought it as a backup for the one I’ve had for a while... and next is the TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2.


TC Electronic / Hall of Fame 2 Reverb

It’s a reverb. There seem to be various types of TC reverb, but this one was just right for me. I like the way it works... At Sound House, it seems that the simplest one is sold out, but the other types are still available, so I’ll recommend it to anyone who’s interested in reverb.

I’ll leave it at thaaaat!

That’s enough!. Next up is the BBE Sonic Stomp.


BBE / Sonic Stomp MS92 Bass Effect Pedal

I bought this as a backup... or rather, to add to another board. I’d like to get another one, but it seems like it’s been discontinued…

A popular model!?

Next is the Sonic Research tuner. This was also good. The precision was so good that I couldn’t get it to tune at all! I use it for fretless and EUB, which require a lot of attention to tuning. I also use it at recording sessions. I’d like to get a few more of these...

It’s a high-end produuuuct...!

(Ignoring that) Finally, there’s the TDC-YOU 006 Bass Driver. It’s a distortion pedal. I’ve got this built into my board. I leave it on all the time to add distortion. So, although I use it in a relatively low-key way, it seems like it would be good even if I distorted it to the max, so I might change how I use it in the future.

You like pedals that you leave on.

Well... I don’t mean so, but I guess I ended up with this because I was looking for a different type of distortion pedal after I got hooked on the one I bought from Advent the year before last. But when you line them up like this, you can kind of see a trend, can’t you?

Yes, because everything is?

For love!