which speaker do you mic?

[15000volts]

I was wondering which speaker do you guys mic. the question is branched, as I'm asking which size is that speaker, and the location of it on the cab( e.g.: top left one on an 810)

[deaf pea]

I listen to each speaker and then mic the one that sounds the best (to ME) . . . YMMV . . . . . .

[s_mcsleazy]

if ive got mixed cabs going (say a 1x15 and a 2x10) ill usually mic the 1x15 with a large area mic (i use a yoga stereo condencer.... but alot of bass players use kick drum mics)

for the 2x10 i mic the left speeker with a sure sm-57

and sometimes i take a line out my amp

verry simple actually

[steveksux]

How about if your cab has a tweeter? Do you use 2 mics?

Randy

[Blasto]

I am not much on mic'ing, for it takes so much time and experimentation. (DI is convenient and consistent)... but I have mic'd. On my cabs with tweets, I generally start by pointing the mic directly between the speaker and tweeter, then tilt the mic a bit off-axis towards the speaker. This allows for you to favor the actual sound of the speaker while still getting a bit of the "click" off the tweet.

[skwee]

NOT this one:

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by steveksux

How about if your cab has a tweeter? Do you use 2 mics?

Randy

In MY case, no . . . all of the tweeters are turned off on my cabs! . . . . . .

[greenboy]

Originally Posted by deaf pea

I listen to each speaker and then mic the one that sounds the best (to ME) . . . YMMV . . . . . .

Right on to that, and to choosing mics and how they are set/pointed by the same method. I think bass players can benefit by experimenting with this stuff on their own time so that when they get to gigs they know their stuff, and have a good mic and good suggestions for any sound engineer who is willing to listen.

BTW, deaf pea, realize that your cool work with the great Don Elllis still does not go unremarked. I love that many-metered stuff!

[greenboy]

Originally Posted by steveksux

How about if your cab has a tweeter? Do you use 2 mics?

Randy

Was joke? Anyway, if your cab design is good and you don't have a crap mic it's pretty easy to get a two-way or a three-way can with only one. It's a waste to use more in live situations.

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by greenboy

...BTW, deaf pea, realize that your cool work with the great Don Elllis still does not go unremarked. I love that many-metered stuff!

yeah, me too . . . . . .

and thanks for the mention . . .

[steveksux]

Originally Posted by greenboy

Was joke? Anyway, if your cab design is good and you don't have a crap mic it's pretty easy to get a two-way or a three-way can with only one. It's a waste to use more in live situations.

Yup, joke.. I figure you put the mic halfway between the HF/LF driver, adjust to taste until you get a good balance btw them.. or triangulate on a 3-way. I mean, we're bass players, we're not afraid of a 3-way, right?

Randy

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Blasto

I am not much on mic'ing, for it takes so much time and experimentation. (DI is convenient and consistent)...

not as much as you might think. i spent about 15 minutes recording my bass with the mic in different spots one day and came up with a placement that always works for me using my b-15 and 810 cabs. about 3" from the grillcloth, pointed toward the speaker where the dustcap is glued onto the cone. the distance varies from mic to mic (mine's a heil pr 40 so it has a pretty big proximity effect that i try to minimize by backing off of it), but it's really not such a big deal.

[Pollinator95]

Originally Posted by skwee

NOT this one:

Holy **** ... is that for real?

[Ric5]

Mike this one here ...



Not this one ....

[Johnny Crab]

In those situations, ALWAYS used a DI and a mic.
The DI supplies bottom and fullness and the mic supplied definition/my tone.
For an 8x10, we(soundguy & I) experimented one day in an empty club for a good while using a Sennheiser 421. We wound up using a short stand with a screw-on shock isolation and the mic facing the midpoint of the speaker cone radius(i.e. midpoint between center of cone and outer edge). If you turn the mic slightly towards the cone, you got more "highs".

The above mic placement works IF a 70's SVT is being pushed pretty hard(main volume between 10 and 12 c'clock) into it's 8x10.

[bikeplate]

HI

Almost always go DI from my amp or a DI box straight from my bass. I actually use the pre DI from my amp cause my basses sound so damn good! LOL

Rob

[KeithAlanK]

Pretty much no rules here.
Too many different mics and cabs out there, not to mention stands of various heights.
I recommend trying what you have lying around and see (hear) what happens, then modify to taste. More pepper.

JimmyM makes a great point about proximity effect, so keep that in mind.

[D.A.R.K.]

i recall seeing a pic of johnny a. from stainds' rig here,
with a mic on what looks like a 2" horn.
so, apparently mic'ing a horn isn't out of the realm of reality at all in certain situations.
i'm with def pea. listen up and use what sounds right.
trust yer ears first.

[Ben Clarke]

when I'm micing my own cab, it's almost always the B15N, whether live or studio. My preference is a large diaphragm condenser up pretty close, usually 1 1/2" or so from the edge.

When doing sound, I will almost always ask the player (or whoever's "in charge") if they have a method that has been working for them. If not, I may wing it and try something new or do something tried & true. Always, always, always with a clean DI as well.