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06-19-2009, 01:48 PM
| | |  Basics of mic'ing bass amp for live show?
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Hi - Chaazums. I'd first like to say that I'm new to live audio. It seems that I just can't understand that technical stuff...  Okay, my goal is to be able to mic my weak 20 watt bass amp with a Nady DM90 when I play live. (I'm 12 years old, so I don't have the money to buy a huge stack or even a half stack.) I'm only going to be plugging into provided speakers, but along the way I'll buy some of my own speakers. Is it as simple as Bass guitar --> Bass amp --> Mic --> Speakers???? Could you please explain?
Thanks. 
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06-19-2009, 01:52 PM
|  | passionate hack | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: the tundra of northern NY | | | Perhaps this belongs in the live sound section?
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06-19-2009, 01:56 PM
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Originally Posted by lomo  Perhaps this belongs in the live sound section? | No - look at this discussion that started in the "amps" section: Mic'ing bass amp for live shows? 
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06-19-2009, 02:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Chaazums | are you kidding me!?!?! |
06-19-2009, 02:09 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Boston | | | Yup, simple as that.
However, with a Nady mic and a 20 watt combo, it will most likely still sound like poopdick.
The easier solution would be to simply run a DI; that will sound better than micing a small combo. Then you can just put your combo wherever on stage it works best as a monitor. |
06-19-2009, 02:09 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Greenville, NC USA | | | I imagine your 20 watt amp sounds like poo. I wouldn't mic it. Run a DI. I'm feel pretty sure that ANY stage monitor will sound better than your little amp will on stage. I'm NOT picking on you! We all started with crap gear. I started out with a Peavey TKO. I never would have dreamed of micing that thing. In fact, you could probably get a really nice DI for about 1/10 the price of a nice bass rig. Get one of those first and then save up for the good stuff. I'm sure somebody will swing by any minute a say something like "If you want to, go for it. Who knows, maybe it'll sound awsome." But that's just not realistic. Best of luck!
P.S. Just saw your join date. Welcome to the forum!
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06-19-2009, 02:09 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: 97465 | | I like the mike about 1"+ off the grill, aimed where the paper meets the cone.
I just posted this in the other thread you pointed out! 
I didn't realize it was so old!  me thick 
EDIT: I would also add a DI as well. I'm batting 1000 here
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06-19-2009, 02:12 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Greenville, NC USA | | P.S. Too many of these won't get you very far around here. It's OK. We were all 20 at one point. Stick around. Learn some stuff, and give of yourself as well. You may get flamed a little bit this first time out, but don't let that get you down. You probably deserve it just a little.  But we've all done something flame worthy at some point.
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06-19-2009, 02:25 PM
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06-19-2009, 02:29 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Lancaster Pa | | | Where are you playing live at?
Do you jam out with a full band (drums, guitar, etc...)?
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06-19-2009, 02:37 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Greenville, NC USA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaazums | Ha! I think I'm starting to like you. A DI is also known as a direct box. You plug your bass into it and then run a mic cable from it to the mixing board. It changes your signal to make it work well with the board (over simplified, but that's about it). I'm sure your Acoutic combo sounds great in your bedroom, but when you get on a big stage, in a big room, it will get swallowed up big time. So if you ever get booked for a show, just trust me and run a direct box. You will probably love the sound of your bass through the monitors. Again, I'm not trying to give you crap. Just trying to give you some wisdom I've picked up since I started playing out live gigs a few years before you were born. Since that time I've done several THOUSAND shows. And again, I like your grit. Stick around. I think you moght be kinda fun around here.
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06-19-2009, 02:37 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Boston | | | Oh, one of those B20s? I really like those amps!
You could go with mic'ing it, but with the Nady...I still say better off with a DI.
A DI (aka Direct box) is basically a transformer which changes your signal to something the FOH (Front of House, or PA system) can use; essentially, to a Mic level. They just run a mic cable from the DI box to the mixer, and voila!
So, your signal chain would go Bass-->DI-->Amp
l--> PA |
06-19-2009, 02:42 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dacula, GA | | | Get the $30 Behringer knock-off of a sansamp.
A Sansamp is seriously the best thing a bassist like yourself can get. I would've killed for one when I started.
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06-19-2009, 02:49 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Lancaster Pa | | | Personally, I would just put it on a chair (just be careful that you don't walk too far away and your cord pulls it off) and crank it! Just have fun and remember to smile at your audience!!!
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06-19-2009, 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Greyvagabond Oh, one of those B20s? I really like those amps!
You could go with mic'ing it, but with the Nady...I still say better off with a DI.
A DI (aka Direct box) is basically a transformer which changes your signal to something the FOH (Front of House, or PA system) can use; essentially, to a Mic level. They just run a mic cable from the DI box to the mixer, and voila!
So, your signal chain would go Bass-->DI-->Amp
l--> PA |
So let me get this straight:
Bass --> DI -->Amp
-->PA/Mixer/etc...
I get it!!! 
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06-19-2009, 02:53 PM
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Originally Posted by big90sbasshorns Personally, I would just put it on a chair (just be careful that you don't walk too far away and your cord pulls it off) and crank it! Just have fun and remember to smile at your audience!!! | 
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06-19-2009, 03:07 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Boston | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaazums So let me get this straight:
Bass --> DI -->Amp
-->PA/Mixer/etc...
I get it!!! | Ha, right, when I typed that up, there was a little arrow going from the DI to the Mixer...but it didn't format that way! Suffice to say, you'll plug you bass in the DI, then the DI into your amp (with a regular cable), then the sound guy will plug a mic cable (XLR, it has three pins in it) into the DI, which will run to the mixer/board/PA/what-have-you |
06-19-2009, 03:12 PM
|  | Tone is almost everything | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dallas, TX | | | Yes, a DI is what you want. For about $125, you could get the MXR M-80 Bass DI+, which is a bass preamp with 3 band eq, a distortion with a noise gate, and a pretty darn nice DI, all in one box. Get one of those, and you and your 20 watt amp will rule the world. Good luck.
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06-19-2009, 04:30 PM
| | | THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP, EVEN IF A FEW OF YOU DIDN'T REALLY HELP ME!!! 
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06-19-2009, 04:48 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sioux Falls, SD | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaazums THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP, EVEN IF A FEW OF YOU DIDN'T REALLY HELP ME!!! | That's it Chaaz give em hell. What most of these guys forget is it's tough figuring things out for the first time when you're 12, 13, 53...
But some finally got with the program. Have fun, meet all the hot chicks and get fat, old and gray. (as opposed to Die Young)
BOB
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), it doesn't. It's an Acoustic (brand) amp. Oh and, what does a DI do?
