best way to record

More details, please... Are you going into a pro studio or doing the recording yourself?

 

There is no right or wrong answer. You should try both. If you have the tracks available, do it all, and then you can fine tune your sound when you mix.

 

My recommendation would depend largely on your gear.

If for example you have a real nice sounding bass rig you'll want to mic that along with your DI signal from your bass.

The DI signal can originate right from your axe via a good DI box, or if you have a reasonably quiet DI built into your amp, you can use that.

My last session entailed me in the iso room with the amp mic'd up with a nice tube mic, and a line off the amps DI set on pre-EQ. If you capture good stuff from both pathways, you get the option of mixing them together at will, anytime during the mix-down process.

Being able to change the ratio can be useful for different songs too.

JKT

 

In your situation I'd prefer using a Sans Amp Bass DI straight into the board. It's not perfect, but it's easy to use and gets very acceptable results without a lot of cost or hassle. Don't have the Bass DI, use any other good DI box or the DI output from your amp. I've also achieve acceptable results using amp simulation pedals such as the Zoom 503, but the results can vary and are somewhat time consuming to get set up correctly the first time you use it.

A mixed signal from the both a DI box and a mic'd speaker will provide the best sound, but it can be a hassle if you have limited experience, inadequate studio quality mics and less than perfect sound control in the recording environment.

In short: for something quick and easy with repeatable results go with some form of DI.

 

Use DI. Unless the room has been treated acoustically your bass will sound tubby. If you record by micing the amp, you'll have a muddy bass line that you won't be able to fix.

Even going direct in a similar situation, I have to run all the other tracks through a high-pass filter set at around 150-250 Hz to control the tubbiness that's picked up by the vocal mics.

 

I dont agree with this, its a complete generalisation that doesn't necessarily hold true. And I've recorded in a load of different live rooms, one of the best was a converted barn with no specific acoustic treatment at all. Status Quo used to record there, they would roll up with their studio in the back of a truck just to use that room with their kit.

 

record using a mic and a DI, then mix the 2 bass tones to 1.

You have the channels, so there isn't a problem.

 

Here is another question about recording with a mic - what is the best kind of mic to use. Generally speaking as well as specific, i.e. regular or condenser, and what model, etc? Right now I only one mic, which is an Apex with an SM-57 (or SM-58, I never know the difference) capsule in it. I use it mostly for recording vocals at the moment, but I've recorded guitar with it as well. Seemed okay, but I'm no expert.

 

I agree with Stranger0

Also, try experimenting where to place the mic. In example close to the speaker, or a bit further away. I personally capture the best (in my opinion) combination of amp and speaker by placing the mic 2-3 feet away from the speaker. Moving the mic just a few inches can have a huge effect on what kind of tone is captured.

The D.I signal can be really helpful if you want to blend the tone, or for a more solid bass signal to shape up how the bass sounds in the final mix.

 

I agree with Stranger0 and Klap.

 

+1

I need to try moving the mic away myself. My tone tends to be a bit too boomy.