Recording Mag Article

[Ike Harris]

TBers-

If I could do a little shameless promotion, in this month's issue of Recording Magazine, fellow TBer and Nashville bassist/engineer/writer Dave Martin did a piece on me(among others) and my Kolstein, on miking an acoustic bass in the studio and paying particular attention to the differences in the basses and musicians wielding them, making adjustments in selection of mics and their placement in each instance. There is a nice shot of me (grinning like a possum)and the bass, and Dave also mentions working with his own Juzek setup, local bassists Roger Spencer and Byron House, along with Mark Winchester(Brian Setzer).

The mics used on the Kolstein were, an RCA 74B ribbon mic pointed toward the tailpiece but out quite a bit(bass projects like crazy) and a Neumann KM84 toward the fingerboard but out about 6" to the outside. I discussed what I wanted soundwise with Dave prior to the project(Ray Brown's name was mentioned, of course) and it paid off greatly getting a very present spot in the mix, especially for a bigger instrument such as this. I've also used in other, lesser studios, a single mic with a little of the Underwood mixed in with good results, too, for a little more modern sound. Thanks, Dave, for the kind words and the plug for me, Kolstein's , and the band.

Ike

[Marcus Johnson]

Great, thanks for the headsup, Ike. I'm off to Barnes & Noble.

Or, maybe I'll just swipe the copy from the engineer when I go back into the studio next week.

As I mentioned in my recent "Oh, Baby" thread, I'm using that same setup on a project right now, with great results. In my case, however, the ribbon mic was a bit closer, and the Neumann was probably in about the same placement as yours.

[bolo]

Originally Posted by Ike Harris

TBers-

If I could do a little shameless promotion, in this month's issue of Recording Magazine, fellow TBer and Nashville bassist/engineer/writer Dave Martin did a piece on me(among others) and my Kolstein, on miking an acoustic bass in the studio and paying particular attention to the differences in the basses and musicians wielding them, making adjustments in selection of mics and their placement in each instance. There is a nice shot of me (grinning like a possum)and the bass, and Dave also mentions working with his own Juzek setup, local bassists Roger Spencer and Byron House, along with Mark Winchester(Brian Setzer).

The mics used on the Kolstein were, an RCA 74B ribbon mic pointed toward the tailpiece but out quite a bit(bass projects like crazy) and a Neumann KM84 toward the fingerboard but out about 6" to the outside. I discussed what I wanted soundwise with Dave prior to the project(Ray Brown's name was mentioned, of course) and it paid off greatly getting a very present spot in the mix, especially for a bigger instrument such as this. I've also used in other, lesser studios, a single mic with a little of the Underwood mixed in with good results, too, for a little more modern sound. Thanks, Dave, for the kind words and the plug for me, Kolstein's , and the band.

Very cool. I gotta get a hold of this article.

When you say "Neumann KM84 toward the fingerboard but out about 6" to the outside," sorry but I'm having trouble picturing where the mic was placed exactly. Can you 'splain it a lil' different for me please?

Ray Brown. Like on We Get Requests or Night Train.

[Ike Harris]

Originally Posted by bolo

When you say "Neumann KM84 toward the fingerboard but out about 6" to the outside," sorry but I'm having trouble picturing where the mic was placed exactly. Can you 'splain it a lil' different for me please?
[/u].

If you look at my avatar, which is Dave's shot in his studio, you'll see the answer.

Ike

[Ike Harris]

Here's a little larger shot.

[Jake deVilliers]

Nice face Ike!

[Ike Harris]

My wife says, at least I wasn't doing the usual mouth maneuvers, you know - bass face. Actually, Dave was being his usual witty self and cracking me up.