Like most other things it's a compromise. One of the simplest solutions is to have the mic on a small stand so that it can be aimed at the sweet spot on the G side f-hole. The problem now is that invariably the bass will be moved out of that sweet spot; after all, it's not really practical to tell the bass player not to move the bass when they're playing.
To answer your question:
I've played around with using different mics on different parts of the bass, and I've found that the one I was most happy with was having the mic strung on rubber-bands between the legs of the bridge, or pointing into the bridge, either from in the strings below the bridge, or in the tail-piece.
The rubber-bands work well, but can be a pain to set up, especially quickly, especially in the dark. So, my set-up evolved through the "behind the tail-piece", to "in the strings" - and that's where it is at the moment.
The problem with having a hypercardioid pointing through the bridge to the end of the fingerboard is that it will invariably pick up all the grunts and whispers of the player (listen carefully to the recording of Esperanza and you will hear what I mean).
Another solution might be to use a cardioid (e.g. KM-184), but the problem then is that the other instruments (especially the drums) will get into the mic.
I have a DPA 4061 which is a really tiny mic (see picture; it's slightly larger than a match-head), and I mount this on a tiny piece of Velcro™ behind the fingerboard, about 4" from the end. This works really well in a studio, in a booth, but is totally impractical on a stage or in a live performance as the 4061 is an omni (need I say more?)
The solutions I've described work for me (so far). If I'm playing a gig which doesn't need much amplification, I will use the FC on the bass, going directly into the GK-150 or the AI. If I'm playing at a venue which has a decent sound system, then I'll use my small amp as a stage monitor, and mic the bass with the mic going directly into the board (if the board has decent pre-amps and compressors), or failing that, I use a Presonus pre with a compressor, and feed a line-level signal into the board.
If I'm recording, I will always use the microphone/pre/compressor to go to the recorder, and if it's in a studio, I won't bother to use the small amp for a monitor.
The recording of Esperanza Spalding I posted earlier (see threads passim) was done with a Neumann KM185 (behind the tail-piece) -> Presonus pre-amp -> compressor -> recorder.
I have some rough recordings done in a local church (not studio), which were done for a quick demo: my bass was recorded using the KM-185 in the strings below the bridge through a pre-amp/compressor as described above. They're at
samples
Well, this turned out longer than I expected (as the actress said to the bishop…)
- Wil
