Opinions on what amp is best for recording rock bass?

litlock123 · #1 06-08-2010, 09:56 PM

Im figurin tube, typical svt, or mesa amps like the 400+. What else is out there? And cab opinions?

dmusic148 · #2 06-08-2010, 10:10 PM

Engineers smile when I walk in with my 800RB and SWR 4x10. Every time.

BurningSkies · #3 06-08-2010, 10:20 PM

Most engineers in a recording situation would prefer you not bring an amp.

j-bass-kreep · #4 06-08-2010, 11:09 PM

just bring a good DI box

dmusic148 · #5 06-08-2010, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Most engineers in a recording situation would prefer you not bring an amp.

Not, IME, in a 'rock' situation.

will33 · #6 06-08-2010, 11:17 PM

Depends on what you definde as "rock". It will likely involve and RE-20 or some such high quality mic and an Ampeg, either the B-15 or the SVT or some such scaled down version thereof.

dmusic148 · #7 06-08-2010, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Depends on what you definde as "rock". It will likely involve and RE-20 or some such high quality mic and an Ampeg, either the B-15 or the SVT or some such scaled down version thereof.

Likely, yes. But the engineer who hires me from time to time insists on the GK.

Jim Carr · #8 06-09-2010, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Most engineers in a recording situation would prefer you not bring an amp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by j-bass-kreep

just bring a good DI box

+1 to both the above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Depends on what you definde as "rock". It will likely involve and RE-20 or some such high quality mic and an Ampeg, either the B-15 or the SVT or some such scaled down version thereof.

Every time I have been asked to use a mic'ed amp (almost always some old Ampeg) in the studio, the engineer wasted huge amounts of time on mic placement, and then often just ended up using the DI tracks that were recorded at the same time.

This has always puzzled me--Not!

dmusic148 · #9 06-09-2010, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

+1 to both the above.

Every time I have been asked to use a mic'ed amp (almost always some old Ampeg) in the studio, the engineer wasted huge amounts of time on mic placement, and then often just ended up using the DI tracks that were recorded at the same time.

This has always puzzled me--Not!

Agree, and this is the norm. I happen to work for a guy who loves to mic my Goliath II driven by my 800RB, cranked rather loud. He also takes a direct from the bass into an Avalon mic pre, compresses the direct a bit, and, presto- great tone.
Try it! I'll leave now.

James Lugo · #10 06-09-2010, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Most engineers in a recording situation would prefer you not bring an amp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by j-bass-kreep

just bring a good DI box

I'm a record producer in Los Angeles for a living and I totally disagree with that. Most lazy engineers just want a DI so they can throw a sans amp plugin on the single track and not have deal with the bass. A couple of well placed mics through some 1073s and a DI will kill a DI only track. No comparison. These are the same delusional people who think protools sounds as good as a Studer A800.

I'm going to bed, I'm getting cranky.

okcrum · #11 06-09-2010, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by litlock123

Im figurin tube, typical svt, or mesa amps like the 400+. What else is out there? And cab opinions?

B15 fliptops are an institution in good studios.

Eden WT405 has a really clean, low noise DI out, and could be used standalone or mic'ed with a good cab. Say, an Aggie 1x12, clean, punchy, lots of low end if that's the desired sound.

Lazy engineer, low project budget (or pro bono entirely), those kinds of things are what typically gets you DI tracks only unless the producer is going for a specific sound in the raw tracks.

johnk_10 · #12 06-09-2010, 01:28 AM

for me, an RE-20 mic'd ampeg B15N or an old fender bassman has always worked well. i've always used that, combined with a good direct box into one of my Amek M3000's channel strips with a Urei 1176LN for the direct signal, recorded onto a 3M M79 analog 24 track, and it sounds huge every time.

JimmyM · #13 06-09-2010, 01:49 AM

if i'm paying for a session and i think the music needs a mic'ed amp sound and the engineer tells me he's just going to di me, that engineer bloody well better mic my amp or he can count on a cancelled session. i really don't give a crap what engineers and soundmen want anymore. if i'm being paid to do a session and the PRODUCER wants to just run a di, that's a different story. then it's their session and i'll do what they want. but on my sessions, what i say goes.

fortunately it's never an issue for me because nobody calls me for sessions anymore nor do i pay for studio time to record all this music i write that will never make me a cent

tony_clifton · #14 06-09-2010, 02:57 AM

The Orange AD200B is _the_ rock bass amp at this moment in my opinion.

Jim C · #15 06-09-2010, 05:46 AM

We always had a B15 at the studios I worked in and was happy with that set up
Had a kid come in once with one of those little GK combos with a 12 and a metal case (MB200 I think)
Recorded great and I was so impressed I bought one as a practice amp

In a tiny studio, without iso booths, extra rooms, etc an engineer can have problems with mic'd amps with bleed in any open mic tracks (drums, vocals, acoustic guitar, etc); this bleed would ruin a take if there were a mistake in that punching out the problem on the dedicated track doesn't fix the bad note in other tracks

Not justifying the use of DI only, but am saying the engineer has to be responsible in identifying the limitations of his room with clients prior to pushing the red button

nysbob · #16 06-09-2010, 05:47 AM

Any amp that sounds exactly like what you want your bass to sound to sound like when you stick your ear near the speaker. If there are rattles, buzzes, hiss, or hum you're SOL...unless you want that on your track.

I 've been getting stellar results with a 25W Ampeg SB-12.

bassplayer7770 · #17 06-09-2010, 05:50 AM

I won't pretend to be a studio expert, but I've recorded mostly Rock in the past.

One time the studio miked my cab and used the DI on my amp to mix the signal. Overall, that studio wasn't exactly the best, so I hate to judge that method based on the quality of that recording.

The other times I used some sort of DI box. I thought the Avalon U5 and Sansamp BDDI both gave me pretty good recorded tone.

coreyfyfe · #18 06-09-2010, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Depends on what you definde as "rock". It will likely involve and RE-20 or some such high quality mic and an Ampeg, either the B-15 or the SVT or some such scaled down version thereof.

+1. B15. RE20. Done.

lbwdog · #19 06-09-2010, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Engineers smile when I walk in with my 800RB and SWR 4x10. Every time.

+1
I did staff duty in a great studio from '82 till '95. The studio owner/engineer/producer had a vintage SVT with an 8x10 cab which was used on a few "rock" sessions, but most of the time we took the bass direct.
When I got my G-K 800RB in '88, I brought it in on the sessions for my own band's album, and hooked it up to the 8x10. After that, he would call me before every session and remind me to bring it.....

jokerjkny · #20 06-09-2010, 07:19 AM

going straight into a DI for the board, then taking the split signal into a nice tube amp / cab gives you the best of both worlds.

and anything tube will do, and it doesnt necessarily have to be a huge 8x10. heck, i've used a 30 watt fender bassman head into my aguilar gs112 and it sounded great. mic'ing the cab is mostly for texture and roundness of sound, and tubes give you that nice bit of tube grit and power amp sag. the DI takes care of the rest capturing the huge low end and fullness of frequency. mix together, and stand back for a helluva brew.