What are your preferences these days for recording and live? What do you think is the best live mic for a cab? Or does it vary with each cab?

What are your preferences these days for recording and live? What do you think is the best live mic for a cab? Or does it vary with each cab?

For recording at home on my 1971 B-15N:

M-Audio Sputnik (such a sweet mic for the $), Shure SM57 (seriously! it's good!) and Shure SM7.

In the studio: '69 B-15N or B-15R or Divided by 13: Fet 47. For an SVT, I like an RE-20, SM7 or an SM57.

Live, probably an RE-20, a D112 or an SM57.

I know, SM57 - weird, right? I just love the midrange "spank" that mic gives. SM7 is probably better ultimately, in that you get more lows with proximity effect if it's right on the grill. Fet 47 is the ultimate, though.

You can see that I'm pretty flexible. Every engineer I meet has a new trick: Some people rock a ribbon and a PZM! Some people rock a C12! It's all weird and different, and it usually sounds more than fine.

JMJ
JMJ

I was hoping you'd say Shure. Soundmen give me static about liking them so much, but I'm all about the 57 and 58. They've got a pretty flat response and you can drive nails with them that afternoon and use them that night. I'll take an RE-20 if they have one, but the Shures are very underrated for bass by soundmen. Next time someone argues with me about it, I'm telling them you said to use one. I haven't run across many of those other mics you mentioned, though. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try some of them in the near future. Soundmen seem to care about micing cabs again and they're finally putting a little effort into getting good mics for it ;)

So the B-15N...there's one at Bass Central like yours but I can't bear to try it out because I'm sure I'll love it and have to buy it, and my wife will kill me. I have a 64 so I shouldn't complain, but I'll bet those Thiele cabs like yours kill in the studio!

I was hoping you'd say Shure. Soundmen give me static about liking them so much, but I'm all about the 57 and 58. They've got a pretty flat response and you can drive nails with them that afternoon and use them that night. I'll take an RE-20 if they have one, but the Shures are very underrated for bass by soundmen. Next time someone argues with me about it, I'm telling them you said to use one. I haven't run across many of those other mics you mentioned, though. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try some of them in the near future. Soundmen seem to care about micing cabs again and they're finally putting a little effort into getting good mics for it ;)

So the B-15N...there's one at Bass Central like yours but I can't bear to try it out because I'm sure I'll love it and have to buy it, and my wife will kill me. I have a 64 so I shouldn't complain, but I'll bet those Thiele cabs like yours kill in the studio!


If you have a '64, you're straight! But I have a particular fondness for the next generation B-15N, circa 1970, hence I have two, one at home.

Yeah, I just can't be bothered about esoteric mics....57's capture enough lows, but they shine in the mids and have a no-nonsense sound that is complemented wonderfully by the pillowy lows of a DI.

JMJ

That's me sold on a 57 since I have a clean di :p thanks for the recommendation on a piece of gear that I don't have to sell a body part for.

You should add this mic info to that gear thing I sent you when you decide to post it would be useful all there in a single sticky.

Interesting that you mention the SM7. I'm hearing again and again what a versitile mic that is.

As for the 57, that little budget beauty really should be in the arsenal of anyone who is recording anything with a mic.

SM57s get as much use as any of my nicer mics(granted, I don't have the mic closet full of high-end or vintage goodies).
Actually, in lieu of having a B15 in my own studio, I too have used the humble SM57 on my equally humble B100R, and along with my REDDI DI, am getting a pretty darn cool sound (in my mind at least, not too far off if I had a B15:)

and along with my REDDI DI,

Yeah your rig stopped being humble right about there :D

Yeah your rig stopped being humble right about there :D

Ha! I guess so. Worth every penny that box. It's the first DI I've used that kinda sounds "like an amp" for lack of a better term. The 57 on the B100r gives me a little "air moving" vibe, but most of the tone is def coming from the REDDI.
It's probably usually 3/4 DI at least, and just a little amp for color. I suspect you cats with the B15s often have a lot more amp signal in the mix. I found it VERY interesting, JMJ, that you had no DI on Sea Change!
I always associate an amp-only approach with an end result not as "immediate" and fat sounding as that tone on that record!

Interesting that you mention the SM7. I'm hearing again and again what a versitile mic that is.
Robin Quivers uses an SM7 to talk through on the Stern show. I have never tried one but its frequency response chart looks really good for bass, especially if you like a little more shimmer on the top end and a flat response otherwise.

Robin Quivers uses an SM7 to talk through on the Stern show. I have never tried one but its frequency response chart looks really good for bass, especially if you like a little more shimmer on the top end and a flat response otherwise.
The SM7 seems to be a pretty common boradcast mic - some retailers are also marketing it as such. I spend a fair amount of time on a couple of recording forums, and there are quite a few pro engineers that regularly pimp it as a great vocal mic - particularly for aggressive rock. In Metallica's "Some Kind Of Monster", James can be seen nearly swallowing an SM7 with the windscreen removed. It makes total sense to me that it would be a great bass cab mic as well.

What do you guys think of the Beta 52a?

What do you guys think of the Beta 52a?

Good mic, actually. Have one in my studio on the kick. My soundman has used it on my bass amp from time to time, sounds fine to me.

JMJ

The SM7 seems to be a pretty common boradcast mic - some retailers are also marketing it as such. I spend a fair amount of time on a couple of recording forums, and there are quite a few pro engineers that regularly pimp it as a great vocal mic - particularly for aggressive rock. In Metallica's "Some Kind Of Monster", James can be seen nearly swallowing an SM7 with the windscreen removed. It makes total sense to me that it would be a great bass cab mic as well.

I will submit that if you have a home studio, you need a 57 and an SM7, no matter what. SM7 is great for so much. I love it on acoustics sometimes! Even overheads - and a big time engineer showed me that.

JMJ

Hey, Justin, I ended up test driving that 70's B-15N at Bass Central, and I see why you go with them over the double baffle cabs. That's the first I ever played one, and it's a really warm cab, much more like a mini-SVT. The double baffle cabs are most excellent, but they do have more angry upper mids. The Thiele cab is much more toned down. The head sounded pretty much identical to my 64 head, which kind of surprised me.

Would have bought it if we could have agreed on the price. It was a little more than I wanted to pay. But I think I may have to get one, or at least a cab. Unlike most people, I play in a band where I can actually get away with 25 watts a lot of the time. I'd like to see what it sounds like with both cabs together. Thanks for tipping me off to a cab I think I'll like a lot, and my wife would like to thank you for diverting more money out of her jewelry fund ;)

Hey, Justin, I ended up test driving that 70's B-15N at Bass Central, and I see why you go with them over the double baffle cabs. That's the first I ever played one, and it's a really warm cab, much more like a mini-SVT. The double baffle cabs are most excellent, but they do have more angry upper mids. The Thiele cab is much more toned down. The head sounded pretty much identical to my 64 head, which kind of surprised me.

Would have bought it if we could have agreed on the price. It was a little more than I wanted to pay. But I think I may have to get one, or at least a cab. Unlike most people, I play in a band where I can actually get away with 25 watts a lot of the time. I'd like to see what it sounds like with both cabs together. Thanks for tipping me off to a cab I think I'll like a lot, and my wife would like to thank you for diverting more money out of her jewelry fund ;)

Oh dear. Then I'm a name inspiring infamy and even hatred in your house! Anway, yeah - glad you got to check it out. I really dig those thiele ones. They speak to me in a cool way...my two from that era are quite aggressive, though; I just find they extend lower than earlier ones and have more headroom, too. The sixties ones have a very unique personality that one can't deny, I just found my flavor is all.

Best,
JMJ