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Best cab for live sound micing?
- Thread starter darwin-bass
- Start date
Driver size really isn't that important, though one-way, sealed cabs would be the easiest to mic. However, that doesn't preclude ported cabs with horns from being successfully miced.
Ah, yes, I forgot about sealed vs ported. I'm thinking that cone size doesn't matter but that the speaker should be full range. Sealed would be another benefit to ensure that the full sound is coming from the speaker.
Or I suppose one could far-mic it but that would be a feedback nightmare in a live setting.
Or I suppose one could far-mic it but that would be a feedback nightmare in a live setting.
just my 2 cents...explore impulse response technology. this allows you to digitally take a snapshot of your favorite cab + mic(s) + preamp, in a portable solution, to be used as a direct feed output to the mixing console. Mics, and the problems associated with mic'ing bass cabinets, are virtually eliminated using I.R. technology, and it essentially allows you to have access to your expensive "studio sound" to use in live performance.
explore: Two Notes Torpedo C.A.B.; Logidy EPSI; (big bucks gear) Fractal Audio AxeFx II; Kemper Profiling amp.
This is the way of the future IMHO. You no longer need a physical mic on a cabinet to get that mic-on-a-cabinet sound in a direct feed for live use.
Thus, to answer your question: any and all cabinets that sound good to your ears.
explore: Two Notes Torpedo C.A.B.; Logidy EPSI; (big bucks gear) Fractal Audio AxeFx II; Kemper Profiling amp.
This is the way of the future IMHO. You no longer need a physical mic on a cabinet to get that mic-on-a-cabinet sound in a direct feed for live use.
Thus, to answer your question: any and all cabinets that sound good to your ears.
Or record (take a impulse response) of your favorite cabinet in a studio setting and use it in a cab emulation for on stage.
I opened for a national act last month and one of the guitarists was using a Kemper unit. I don't know what he had profiled, but my guess was either a Marshall or Fender variant. But it sounded, really really good. Fractal Audio is good stuff too. Of course, neither is cheap.
The 2 Notes C.A.B. gets the job done, also, with limited features but a good selection of cabinets and mics to choose from. A nice preamp output to the 2 Notes can sound very good as a virtual mic'd up cabinet. AxeFx and KPA are definitely serious tools.
Cab design doesn't matter...just make sure it sounds good and slap a mic in the middle of a cone.
What am I doing here? You mean why am I in the forum?
I'm making an assumption and want to check it to see what others think. I assume it is better when micing to have the full range of the instrument coming from 1 speaker so that it can go into the mic. A 3 way ported cabinet will have the low bass coming from the port, lows from the woofer, mids from the midrange and highs from the tweeter. Gee, we'd need 4 mics to get it all.
My gig is a church gig. We currently run DI but I've been thinking we'd be better able to hear the bass if we mic'ed the cabinet.
I don't buy into all that. The lows seem to make it to the mic regardless, and even with a 2 or 3-way design like a fEarful, Baer or Audiokinesis, there are ways of creatively placing the mic to get everything with one mic. Depending on the mic, this could make micing a little more difficult than usual, but it's not impossible.
What am I doing here? You mean why am I in the forum?
I'm making an assumption and want to check it to see what others think. I assume it is better when micing to have the full range of the instrument coming from 1 speaker so that it can go into the mic. A 3 way ported cabinet will have the low bass coming from the port, lows from the woofer, mids from the midrange and highs from the tweeter. Gee, we'd need 4 mics to get it all.
My gig is a church gig. We currently run DI but I've been thinking we'd be better able to hear the bass if we mic'ed the cabinet.
A couple of things...
First, you'll be surprised at how much content makes it out of the 10", the 12", or the 15". Mic up an SVT and you'll see what I mean. And the 3 or 4 times sound guys have mic'ed my EBS 410 cab (which is there for the band's benefit since I'm almost always on IEMs), they've been complimentary on the tone of the cabinet. The idea of needing to mic the other components in a cabinet is waaaay much icing on the cake. And can you imagine the poor soundguy trying to mix 3 or 4 mics on a bass cabinet? A rabbit hole you want to avoid, no doubt.
Then, ASSuming that mic'ing the cabinet will allow the bass to be heard better is not exactly correct. If you aren't hearing the bass, that's other issues altogether. If you are going for the mic'ed tone, that's fine and I highly recommend it. Actually, I recommend a DI and mic'ing in tandem, but the sound guy needs to be experienced at this technique.
One of my gigs is a church gig and we have no bass amps at any of the campuses (campi?). None of us need it. We are all on IEMs and Avioms (the new 360s, not the wretched little 16IIs). And I'm perfectly fine with them.
Nope. The ultimate question is how does the cab affect mic'ed sound in FOH and are certain cabs better for giving good FOH sound than others.
Do you not like the way your bass stage rig sounds, thus you are looking for a different cabinet? I'm not trying to be difficult. Honestly.
I've heard it said that for a "bigger" sound, use a smaller driver for micing in the studio. Recently my guitarist and I threw together this recording of one of our surf tunes called "Deprivation." First he recorded the drum track (he's an excellent drummer). Then I recorded the bass track, close-micing my 2-way Greenboy Audio Crazy8 (main driver is 8"). Then he close mic'd the guitar track. Everything was recorded on an iPhone using the Apogee mic and the DAW app by Harmonic Dog.
Check it out. Does the bass sound HUGE or what? BTW, I played a Fender P-bass with a pick.
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Check it out. Does the bass sound HUGE or what? BTW, I played a Fender P-bass with a pick.
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A fender ? You went slumming Dave ? ;-)
Mic v DI ... Frankly the differences are nuances. Fixing things like 'the band isn't hearing the bass well' - are probably not going to be dramatically altered by the choice. In fact, for the majority of situations, a good DI is probably a better choice overall...
I've mic'ed my fEarful 12.6 and played around with mic positions a bit. I thought what I got from about 1/2 way from the center to the edge of the 12' mic at 45 degrees, aimed towards the edge and away from the mid driver translated into a good solid live sound. I tried a few mics and from my locker a Sennheiser 421 is the mic I would use.
A few times this summer I mic'ed my ported 2x15 driven with an old Music Man HD-150. I used the 421 in the same position. I also sent a dry line from my Bassbone. The various sound guys seemed happy, no complaints from the crowds and I have no idea what the sound guys actually used. I think they were mostly amused to see a vintage 421 on a bass cab...
The vast majority of the time, I prefer to DI... Unless it is a really great sounding amp and the tone of the amp is actually appropriate for the room, mic'ing live* is probably creating more problems than it is solving...
Recording, yep. Mic away, best signal chain you can get,preferably multiple lines... Live KISS is generally a better approach...
*live - if you are outside or in a really wonderful acoustic space then you can get away with nearly anything. The reality of most spaces is that there are acoustic anomalies to overcome and what sounds wonderful 6 to 10 feet from your amp may actually sound horrid 40 feet out and beyond... Spend some quality time at the console, out front...
If the band is having trouble hearing your bass, I doubt a mic is going to help... If you think the audience isn't getting the sound you want to send, then I would probably hang a couple of reference mic's out front and capture the mix. Give it a it listen and start fixing the real issues ...
Mic v DI ... Frankly the differences are nuances. Fixing things like 'the band isn't hearing the bass well' - are probably not going to be dramatically altered by the choice. In fact, for the majority of situations, a good DI is probably a better choice overall...
I've mic'ed my fEarful 12.6 and played around with mic positions a bit. I thought what I got from about 1/2 way from the center to the edge of the 12' mic at 45 degrees, aimed towards the edge and away from the mid driver translated into a good solid live sound. I tried a few mics and from my locker a Sennheiser 421 is the mic I would use.
A few times this summer I mic'ed my ported 2x15 driven with an old Music Man HD-150. I used the 421 in the same position. I also sent a dry line from my Bassbone. The various sound guys seemed happy, no complaints from the crowds and I have no idea what the sound guys actually used. I think they were mostly amused to see a vintage 421 on a bass cab...
The vast majority of the time, I prefer to DI... Unless it is a really great sounding amp and the tone of the amp is actually appropriate for the room, mic'ing live* is probably creating more problems than it is solving...
Recording, yep. Mic away, best signal chain you can get,preferably multiple lines... Live KISS is generally a better approach...
*live - if you are outside or in a really wonderful acoustic space then you can get away with nearly anything. The reality of most spaces is that there are acoustic anomalies to overcome and what sounds wonderful 6 to 10 feet from your amp may actually sound horrid 40 feet out and beyond... Spend some quality time at the console, out front...
If the band is having trouble hearing your bass, I doubt a mic is going to help... If you think the audience isn't getting the sound you want to send, then I would probably hang a couple of reference mic's out front and capture the mix. Give it a it listen and start fixing the real issues ...
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