has nice, deep, and round low end,
and best of all, it fits into a minivan
stow-and-go. Concurrently, my
friend Andy Munro here in Halifax
is building a custom electric bass
for me that I’m really excited about.
My Jazz bass is too heavy and the
intonation and pickups on the Vio-
la just don’t cut it in the studio.
CM: You’re well-versed on both
electric and upright. What per-
centage of your projects these
days involve one or the other,
and generally speaking, how do
you assess which is the better
tool for a particular gig if the
artist you’re supporting doesn’t
have a preference? cide which projects to take on,
and whether or not it’s a good fit
on all sides?
KC: Most of my gigs seem to be on
upright. It’s exclusively what I play
live with David Myles and The Olym-
pic Symphonium, and seems to be
the go-to for anything in a quieter
range; however, I did a recent gig
with Jenn Grant that was all electric.
I’m often recording with both in
the studio, but usually only playing
one instrument live. Generally, what
I use is judged by what sonic space
the bass will be occupying. The up-
right is really versatile – a lot more
percussive and with the dynamic
range of arco – so if there’s a lot of
room, it’s my go-to, whereas if I’m
part of a larger ensemble, the tight-
ness of an electric sits really nicely. KC: I basically say yes to every-
thing and love that I can play with
a bluegrass band one night and a
prog-metal band the next. I’m always
game to try anything out and if we’re
not vibing then we won’t continue,
but that’s pretty rare these days.
CM: You’ve shared the studio
and stage with a very diverse
group of artists from different
styles, eras, etc. How do you de-
CM: How does the fact that you’re
collaborating with so many differ-
ent artists in so many diverse mu-
sical settings contribute to your
growth as a player, and as a song-
writer for your main projects?
KC: It’s what keeps me growing
and interested. I’ve always lacked
the discipline to rehearse by myself
for hours on end but I can go all
day and night when working with
others. It’s how I’ve always learned
and expanded my playing.
Orin Isaacs
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Vadim Custom 5-String
Bass w/ no knobs
Vadim Custom 4-String Bass
Vadim Custom 5-String
Fretless
50 CANADIAN MUSICIAN
•
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Crown XTi 4000 Power Amp
Tech 21 SansAmp RBI
Preamp
Groove Factory Custom 4x10
Cab w/ horn (x2)
Orin Isaacs is a decorated vet-
eran of the Canadian music
scene. Outside of his accom-
plishments as a bassist, he has
produced several gold, plati-
num, and Juno-winning proj-
ects and is now a sought-after
composer, producer, and mu-
sical director for live broad-
casts and events like Hockey
Night in Canada, The Launch,
Big Brother Canada, The Juno
Awards, Canadian Screen
Awards, Canada’s Walk of
Fame, and more.