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Best mic for a bass amp

fathom66

fathom66

Jun 11, 2010
73
5
New Braunfels, Tx
#1
Ok I know this subject has been beaten to death... But to get my sound a bit better up front, what is a good mic that is easy on the wallet that I could use live on my hartke hydrive 5410 combo... I use a Sansa di and my stage sound is great but up front it doesn't sound quite the same... So I was thinking of using my di and mic my speakers to simultaneously to get that same or close to the same blend. Please help! I've heard of the akg 115 and the shure beta 52, how do these own up live or any other recommendation
 
#3
Sennheiser MD421 and Electro-Voice RE-20 are my favorites. I don't like mics designed for bassdrum (like the B52 or D112), but they can work. I suggest for buying used and testing what you like most. SM57, as mentioned above, can work too. especially if you blend the lows from di and hi-frequencies from mic.
 
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#7
Just like kick drum mics, The ideal mic for a bass cab greatly depends on what is coming out of the bass cab's speaker(s).

I could run through the litany of mics that I think are good, but you'd do best to borrow the mics mentioned here and try them for yourself.

Oh, what the hey...Beta 52, Audix D6, or D4 in some cases, Heil PR40, Sennheiser MD421, EV RE20, Beyer M88. And while not my first choice, I've seen national acts roll in with SM57s on the bass cab and sound really good. So apparently, the FOH mixer tried a few mics and settled on the SM57. While not great for everything, the SM57 has the reputation for working when nothing else will or is available.

And I'm sure I've forgotten a few mics worthy of consideration.
 
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#13
Gearhead17 said:
AKG D4 - Captures the sound really accurately and does not impart a lot of new character your tone.
Click to expand...
this seems to be the ticket, not so much "kick mics" with their typical scooped mids and boosted bass and treble but rather "floor tom mics" that have the low end extension but aren't so hyped with the built-in kick EQ.

not sure there's all that much of a point vs. taking the DI from the sansamp or even the hartke amp itself. yes the speakers will impart something, but you can get much of the tone from the hartke by running a 1/4" cable from the effects send into a direct box. (that hartke's XLR DI out is apparently only "pre", which is just no fun at all.)
 
#15
I'm personally not a fan of SM57s when used by themselves on bass cabs - too much low-end roll-off, IME. But when mixed with a DI, I think one would work really well. Just make sure that your signals aren't too far out of phase with one another. I really like the PR40. While they are pricey, I find that you can score some cherry ones off of Ebay and save a few bucks.
 
#18
In terms of quality from member feedback here, I've made a list.
1st- Electro Voice RE-20
2nd- Heil PR-40
3rd- Sennheiser MD 421 II
4th- Beyerdynamic M88 TG

Others- Rode NT2-A
AKG Pro Audio P2

But the one that touring pros like Tom Petty's guys use, and the one I see on stage most often is the venerable Shure SM57.

 
#19
Probably not the best for a bass amp but I use a Sennheiser E609 with an Amp Clamp along with a DI out from whatever amp head I'm using. It works great on a tight stage without having a mic & cable sticking out 12"

The FOH guy makes it work.

Looks like this pic (from ampclamps.com)

Amp%20Clamp%20and%20E906_zpsyod8wigs.gif
 
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#20
Don't gig out any more, but if I did I'd run my amp direct out to the board, and mic my cab with a Beta 52. Used to do this with an SM57 and it sounded good. I was playing in an early 90's grunge band and the bass needed to have that sharp attack and a little dirt behind it.

Later when I was playing in an Allman Bros influenced band, using a '67 Rivoli I just went with the direct out to the board. Plenty of tone and smooth low end in that rig for the sound I was after.
 

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