Mics for recording bass in the studio

[peaceofmind]

Hello folks-
I'm looking for a good mic for recording bass in the studio. I always line out of my head (SVT-CL) and use a mic in front of the cab to catch the warmth and grind from the speaker. I never seem to be fully satisfied with mics though, but that speaker sound is very important to me. I enjoy blending the two channels together to get just the right feel. Any suggestions? What do you folks use?

[TyronPotamkin]

get the AKG D 112 drum/bass mic. for two bills its a bit steep but damn worth the money. looks like a football on a stick. I own one and couldnt be happier. another thing you will distort and blow up speaker before this thing will distort.

[peaceofmind]

Its kind of funny, thats what we recoed our drummers bass drum with and I'm suprised i never thought to give it a whirl. Well i guess thats because it's usual being used by him when we record! It's worth a try, I'll check it out.

[scuba steve]

in our studio, we have been using a studio pair of AKG 414 b-xls for alot of stuff. their pretty pricey, but they sound AWESOME for recording your cab. these mics are so versatile , its amazing, i cant say enough good stuff about them.

[BR Audio]

what is your budget?

My best results have been with either a MD-421 or an Earthworks TC30 (a few feet away).

[peaceofmind]

I don't think I want to spend more than $300.00 on a mic for this application.

[addylewis]

Shure beta 52

Problem solved

[kalle74]

depends on what you´re after...

I´ve used AKG 112(pretty good with scooped mids), Shure B52(too woofy, not enough highs for my taste), Sennheiser MD421(nice definition, but lots of hi mids), Shure SM57(bass-shy, but good if combined with DI), E-V RE20(kinda flat, but honest), Shure KSM32(pretty good, takes EQ well), Neumann TLM 103(huge proximity effect), Audix D4(a lot like MD421, maybe a bit more forgiving) + various other dynamics, condensers and even some ribbon mics...

They all have their good and bad sides... I guess what I´m saying is: try out as many as you can (P.A. rental companies are a good source) and find the one that suits your needs, and economy, best.

[T. B. Player]

ElectroVoice RE20 - Best kick drum/bass mic ever - the standard for voice/over talent. Sometimes you can find them on sale for around $400.

But the AKG suggestion is very good too for budgetary concerns. I picked up a couple of 135's a while back - had to tweak the EQ, but got it to the point that I liked it almost as much as the RE20 - and at $100 a pop, you'll have $200 to enjoy - http://www.fullcompass.com/product/319030.html

Usually, IMHO good kick drum mic = good bass mic --> if that's the kind of "pickup" you want. If you want something that will bring a little more clarity to the higer end, though, it can be a little pricier. I'm sure there are others out there that have differing opinions, so your work is just beginning.

[peaceofmind]

Thanks alot for all these great suggestions folks! I know the SM57 isn't what I want (thats what I currently use), but the AKG's are a good possibility. Cool.

[Edwcdc]

Originally Posted by addylewis

Shure beta 52

Problem solved

I use a Beta52 in the studio on kick drum. I have yet to try it on a bass cab. I usually just go direct but I think I will try it out this week when I lay the bass down for a song I'm working on.

[LowMiller]

Beta52 would quite nice for you, especially if your looking for under $300. I got a d112 i use on my kick that also sounds pretty nice when thrown in front of my bertha. you also gotta look at your Pre's as well...they can make a **** load of a difference.

[deaf pea]

This is what I said to "I Got A Mohawk" a few weeks ago . . . he wanted to record his MM Stingray thru a BDDI AND a SVT!

"If you don't have anything better, a Shure SM-57 (or 58) will get the job done. IME a bass drum-specific mic (Shure Beta 52, AKG 112 or anything similar) DOESN'T really work well with a bass cabinet. A dynamic (NOT condenser), cardiod mic with a flat response (or with a mid/presence boost - for more clarity) works better. Put the mic right up close to the grill, straight on. Try to borrow or rent a ElectroVoice PL-20 or a Shure SM-7, if you can. If not, any vocal mic will work good.
Record both of the DI's AND the mic, to separate channels of your DAW (it's a good idea to make the three channels a "group" so that you can't loose sync between the 3 bass channels)
BTW, after recording - when you have time to experiment - try inverting the phase ("invert" in the DSP menu) of one or both of the DI's to check for out-of-phasedness. [The best idea is to make a copy of the original tracks to use for your tests, and then, when you know what you want to do, phase-wise, you can apply the result of the tests to all of the songs.]
First check one DI together with the mic, then check the other DI together with the mic, and finally, check all three signals together. What you're looking for is the "bassiest" sound . . . that's how it is when it's adjusted correctly. If you´ve got the phase wrong the bass will sound thinner, and "unfocused"."

Good Luck to you, too!

[NJW]

Shure SM7 or Electrovoice RE20...

or at a budget, try a low cost large diaphragm condensor, such as the CAD E-100... you may be surprised.

[TL5]

Originally Posted by NJW

Shure SM7 or Electrovoice RE20...

or at a budget, try a low cost large diaphragm condensor, such as the CAD E-100... you may be surprised.

+1 That would be my suggestions and the order of preference.

Note Shure SM7 (or SM7b) not a SM57.

[NJW]

Originally Posted by TL5

+1 That would be my suggestions and the order of preference.

Note Shure SM7 (or SM7b) not a SM57.

a sensible gent!

Also remember that the position of the cab, and mic's, in the room will make a huge difference to the sound. Especially when in large rooms, I often find angling the cab just by a few degrees off axis with the walls creates a hugely different sound.

Oh, and then there's your preamps, A-D converters, compression and everything else that can improve (or ruin) your tones.