Which mic to use?

EADG mx · #1 05-14-2006, 08:15 PM

I dont know what mic I should use to mic a 1x15 for home recording. Does it really matter? I have heard somewhere that a bass drum mic is a good choice since they have similar frequency range, but I don't know if it's true or not.

Name any, I work at a sound store which has tons of mics, Shure, Apex, you name it.

nicoli · #2 05-14-2006, 08:28 PM

Sure, a bass drum mic would work fine. Shure Beta 52, AKG D112, RE-20, etc etc. Even a simple SM57 can work out ok if you find the right position.

barthanatos · #3 05-14-2006, 10:55 PM

Audio-Technica AE2500 should do the trick (I have one, but haven't recorded a bass cab with it yet). I've heard good things about the Audix D6. AKG D-112 should be worth a try, as mentioned above. Check the SPL level that the mic is rated for and don't go above that, to avoid damaging the mic.

rebelbass · #4 05-14-2006, 11:11 PM

I used to do live sound;I've used lots of mics on bass guitar. Unless your tuning really,really low most mics will work O.K. You can check the specs sheet to see if the mic will go low enough. Placement is very important:sometimes a great kick mic won't give you enough highs to make the bass clear.Probably the best thing to do is to run the bass thru a D.I. There are some really cheep ones (passive & active). Mic'ing a cabinet great for effect/fill in but a good direct box will give the bass a nice,full sound you can then adjust eq/limiter/etc. to get a good/great tone.

Munjibunga · #5 05-14-2006, 11:16 PM

I've had real good results with a Beta 57A.

EADG mx · #6 05-15-2006, 11:01 AM

I am running a DI from my amp's line out, I want to try a DI and mic at the same time though.

nicoli · #7 05-20-2006, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebelbass

Placement is very important:sometimes a great kick mic won't give you enough highs to make the bass clear.Probably the best thing to do is to run the bass thru a D.I.

Conversely, you could use two different mics. I've had great results blending a kick mic with a 57 (or similar) for presence. It's a good way to go if you prefer the sound of a mic'd cab over a DI, yet still want to have good HF presence.

Magical_Max · #8 05-20-2006, 03:48 PM

Both the mics that I own are 'technically' vocal mics but i've found them both to be fine for recording. Positioning wise, I found off axis to be best.
Mics are: Sennheiser E818 and Beyerdynamic TG-X48

Big Cadillac · #9 05-24-2006, 04:52 PM

A AKG D112 works well. If you don't want to spend $ 200 on a new one there are other options. Check out Shure.

scuba steve · #10 05-24-2006, 05:00 PM

i just used a SHURE SM-7 today and it sounded great. i also ran through a direct box at the same time and mixed the two. i used more of the mic recording than the di. i used a nemesis nc-410 and placed the mic about 3 inches from the center of one of the cones.