Double Bass How mic a bass for live concert?

For live sound I've been using a Shure Beta-52 about 2"-4" in front of the bridge on a stand. I compared a few mics and mounting methods Link Removed.

In my studio I use a Rode NTV large diaphram tube condenser about 6"-8" on front of the bridge.

A short stand is indeed a solution, but in my opinion you should avoid aiming the mic at the f-holes. You can also read about the Exploraudio H-clamp here, and Chris Fitzgerald has posted a very detailed account of his experience with a dynamic mic mounted in the afterlengths here.

TimoMetzemakers said:

in my opinion you should avoid aiming the mic at the f-holes.

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+1

fingers said:

For live sound I've been using a Shure Beta-52 about 2"-4" in front of the bridge on a stand.

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What type of preamp do you use with that? I bought one after having great results on a particular gig, but it was with a good soundman with a powerful desk. Most times since they haven't been able to deal with the signal very well and I had feedback problems. I've been using a SDSystems clip on bass mic since, which works great, but I'd be curious about how you use the Beta 52 because it really sounded great when it worked...

I am having extremely good results with an Audio Technica ATM 35 clipped on the tailpiece and facing the top, not in front of the f holes.

This is all good advice. Great results can be had with a dynamic mic on a stand pointed at the bridge (not at the F-hole). Little clip-on condensers can be great too. Virtually every sound engineer will have a Shure 57 or 58 on hand. They can be excellent for live sound, and even recording. There are better mics, but if you don't have the time and money to really get involved, almost any Shure SM or Beta mic will do. They are more "fire and forget". You don't have to worry too much about placement or EQ to get a usable sound.

Hearing yourself on stage in a big concert can be more of a challenge. I generally run a pickup to my amp (usually blended with a little mic) on stage and just the mic to the house PA system. I use a Dtar Solstice blender to make that happen.

This will probably strike you as a bad idea, but when I was in school, the only way I could get a decent recorded tone out of my Korean plywood was to wrap a skinny condenser mic in foam and stick it straight up through the gap between the feet of the bridge.

Here's another thread that might answer some of your questions, or give you some more ideas ... and I think reinforce some of the things already posted above.