Active Band Man Chats - The ‘Less’ Edition

Alright, what are we doing today?

Hmm... let’s see…

?

We’ve done over 130 articles, so there’s no material left, you see.

Wait, what’s up with you?

What are you talking about?

Got it! The theme for today is ‘less’, isn’t it?

Gasp! You figured it out!

We’ve known each other for years!

Good job, the authority on all things ‘less’!

Authority? I wouldn’t go that far. At best, I’m just a ‘less enthusiast’.

But recently, it feels like a lot of things are going ‘less’. Let’s explore them one by one!

Alright, before we dive in, let’s give a quick explanation of ‘less’. The word less originally means ‘fewer’ or ‘reduced’ as an adjective, right?

Then, when it’s attached to a noun—like ‘-less’—it comes to mean ‘without’ or ‘reduced’. For example, cashless or paperless!

Exactly! You’re surprisingly cooperative today, huh?

Well, I finally got scolded by the Sound House rep the other day for my ‘long intros’. So, let’s get straight to the point!

Haha, my bad as always! Let’s jump right in!

First up is your favorite: headless!

Well... I did use it in my account name, so yeah, I like it quite a bit...

Guitars and basses typically have a headstock, but with headless ones? It’s gone!

Here’s a quintessential headless bass: the Steinberger.

Looks awesome!

Oh, really!? But it’s not just about looking cool—it has real advantages. For example, it’s easier to handle, and it eliminates dead spots.

Absolutely! And this particular model takes it even further by stripping the body down to the bare essentials!

Body-less! The very first Steinberger model, the XL, had an incredibly stripped-down body. By the way, this one here is the XP model. But, you know, there are headless instruments that don’t reduce the body at all!

You’re right! Normally, basses have tuning pegs on the headstock, right? But with headless models, are the tuning pegs also gone along with the head?

The headless basses I own—well, headless models in general—tune from the bridge side.

But with pegs...

It’s more like wheels than pegs. So, can we call it pegless?

Alright, so we’ve got headless, body-less, and peg-less—three lesses!

Yeah, that’s right. Another common example would be wireless systems.

The more affordable options have definitely increased.

JOYO / JW-03

Exactly. In the past, wireless was a high-end luxury, mostly in rack-mounted units. But with wireless, it eliminates the need for a shield connecting the instrument and amp, and the big advantage is being able to move freely on stage.

That’s true. I actually own a wireless mic myself. With it, I can “float like a butterfly, sing like a bee!”

What? “Sing like a bee”? But yeah, wireless is mainly for larger venues, but it’s also great for small venues. You don’t have to worry about tangled cables.

And another common one would be fretless!

As a fan of ‘less’, of course I own one.

It seems difficult to play...

It’s a matter of getting used to it, I guess. In fact, stringed instruments originally didn’t have frets.

That’s true! The introduction of frets was actually a revolutionary step!

Exactly, you’re right! The advantage of not having frets is that pitch changes become seamless. As I’ve mentioned before, pitch changes on fretted instruments are stair-step-like, while on fretless instruments, the changes are more sloped. Also, there’s that unique tone. The attack of the sound is slower, so to speak.

Anything else—’less’?

Well, for some instruments, they even ‘less’ the knobs... like the ones with no tone knob and just a single volume control. It’s pretty clean, right? If you need to adjust, you can always do it at your feet.

I see... wait, isn’t that kind of adding more equipment instead of ‘less’?

You can’t say that! People who play fingerstyle could be considered ‘pickless’ from the start.

If you’re not using a pick, you can also remove the pickguard and make it ‘less’!

Some instruments are actually sold like that.

La Bella / Olinto 4-String J Bass Burst

While we’ve been talking, I just realized... the tone knobs, picks, and pickguards were all things added later, right?

Ah! You’re right! In a way, they didn’t exist originally, but were added as needed... so it’s like returning to the original form. A kind of ancestral return, so to speak.

Maybe that’s it... what’s this ‘pickless’ thing, though? I just play with my fingers normally. Anything else?

The advancements in gear have been remarkable, and recently, I’ve seen guitarists using high-functioning multi-effects and sending their signal directly to the PA system!

So, that means no amp on stage?

Exactly! Amp-less!

There are cases like that now. Normally, you’d have an amp on stage, and the sound would be balanced through the PA system, coming out of the main speakers... but I think it really started after the arrival of the Kemper. That’s when ‘amp-less’ setups started to increase.

That makes sense. The Kemper can profile not just the amp’s characteristics and the cabinet’s sound, but also the mic placement and position on the amp. With just that one unit, you can easily replicate the sound without an amp or mic... but it’s still not something most people can easily afford.

⇒ List of Kemper Profiling Amplifier Products

It’s convenient, but I wish it was a bit more affordable. That said, I personally still like having amps lined up on stage. Like the Marshall wall, with tons of amps even though you’re only using one.

Don’t call it wasteful! By the way, I’ve heard of people bringing in floor monitors instead of amps!

I see. But with that, the equipment cost is about the same, right? Oh, but with in-ear monitors these days, there are people who even skip floor monitors now, right?

That’s true. Originally, the monitor was placed on the floor to send out vocals and instruments, but with the in-ear monitor system, the sound goes directly into your earphones.

That seems convenient. You get a balanced monitor and protect your ears, so I’m interested, but I think it’s still a bit of a high hurdle. I’ve seen a stage without both amps and floor monitors, but honestly, I prefer having amps and monitors on stage. It looked very clean, and it was cool in its own way.

Maybe it’s just more reassuring to be surrounded by equipment. Also, about the ‘less’ in band setups.

Huh? Band setup?

A bass-less band without a bassist, or a guitar-less band without a guitarist.

I see. Like Ben Folds Five or The White Stripes? But... I’m not really a fan of that. Speaking of which, with the rise of music programming, it’s almost like we’re heading into a ‘player-less’ world...

Exactly! With programming, you can create music without needing instrumental players...

I think it’s amazing that you can create music even without being able to play instruments, but... it still feels a bit lonely.

Yeah, with Vocaloid, you can even have a vocalist-less track, and now, with just a computer, you can record music, so you could even do away with recording studios...

There are still recording studios, but they might be on the decline. In fact, we even bring our equipment into regular rehearsal studios to record. While I do still have a bit of a longing for a big recording studio...

Some recording studios have closed down. It’s a sign of the times, but it still feels a bit sad.

And then, when it comes to selling the music that’s been recorded...

Ah, you mean streaming is on the rise. I guess we could say that physical music releases are becoming ‘less’ as well.

I love both CDs and vinyl, so it’s a bit sad, but recently vinyl has been on the rise again. Not only vinyl, but cassette tape releases are also increasing... maybe it’s a reaction against ‘less’!

It could be a reaction. People who want physical copies definitely haven’t disappeared. While some equipment is heading toward being ‘less’, more and more added equipment is being released as well.

Exactly. It’s just a matter of seeing the increased options as a result of technological evolution.

Yes! No matter how much the parts and media of equipment become ‘less’, the love put into it should remain unchanged!

Speaking of which, My Bloody Valentine’s classic album “Loveless”...

Wait a minute! So, everything is?

For love!