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DI or MIC it up

#61
jaco batista said:
most i deal with do both actually. i dont understand how so many people have problems with the sound man. start talking gear to a sound man..... he will be on his knees in no time.
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The only times I ever have a soundman problem is when they're not that good or newbies. Some guys are scared of what they haven't seen before. But I'll say that the vast majority of soundmen out there that I work with are absolutely wonderful and roll with any stupid idea I have. Like tonight's gig...King Center in Melbourne (Fla, not Aus). They had a 421 ready to go for my amp, I had my PR40 all set up, nobody complained...they just went with my mic and my speaker DI and didn't whine or argue with me. And it was fantastic sound the whole night.
 
#65
I'm surprised that nobody has brought up the issue of feedback with bass mic'ing, the smaller the stage, the less mics I want used. Never had an issue with the feedback, but it could definately be an issue with all the non-directional lows.

DI is your safe bet.
 
#67
Defacto said:
I'm surprised that nobody has brought up the issue of feedback with bass mic'ing, the smaller the stage, the less mics I want used. Never had an issue with the feedback, but it could definately be an issue with all the non-directional lows.

DI is your safe bet.
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in over 30 years of playing professionally, i have never had a feedback problem with a bass amp mic. not once.
 
#69
JimmyM said:
in over 30 years of playing professionally, i have never had a feedback problem with a bass amp mic. not once.
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ive had feedback on a bass once.. and it was because i leaned my bass against the amp to take off my shirt. didnt know bass would feedback.. but at high enough volumes, i suppose everything will.

i cant imagine feedback from the mics to mains being an issue. feedback in monitors is different
 
#71
Bass has a wide spectrum of frequencies, from sub bass to crispy hights from slap tones.
I don't think a microphone (not a studio one, but the one a live soundman could use) can do it all. You'll need at least 2 mics, a 57 type for hights and a kick drum one for bass.
In live situations i prefer taking the XLR output from my amp, it delivers the sound you choose and its more difficult for your soundman to rouin it! Recording I use a combination of mic and DI.
 
#72
ricca said:
Bass has a wide spectrum of frequencies, from sub bass to crispy highs from slap tones.
I don't think a microphone (not a studio one, but the one a live soundman could use) can do it all. You'll need at least 2 mics, a 57 type for highs and a kick drum one for bass.
In live situations i prefer taking the XLR output from my amp, it delivers the sound you choose and its more difficult for your soundman to ruin it
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thats where you'd be wrong. something like a 421 or pr40 has plenty of frequency range to pick up the entire bass spectrum. the lows wont be hyped like a kick mic, but they will be there.

and the FOH idiot can ruin your sound just as easily with a DI as a mic.
 
#73
ricca said:
Bass has a wide spectrum of frequencies, from sub bass to crispy hights from slap tones.
I don't think a microphone (not a studio one, but the one a live soundman could use) can do it all. You'll need at least 2 mics, a 57 type for hights and a kick drum one for bass.
In live situations i prefer taking the XLR output from my amp, it delivers the sound you choose and its more difficult for your soundman to rouin it! Recording I use a combination of mic and DI.
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There are innumerable mics that have smoother, more extended upper mids and highs than a 57, as well has having smoother, more extended low mids and lows than any "kick mics" I'm aware of. PR40, RE20, most any quality LDC,.....
 
#76
Mics are not all that flat... proximity effect by putting most directional mics very close to a bass speaker will give some low frequency boost and there's always the ever-popular upper midrange boost. These is present in pretty much present in varying degrees in all of the mics being discussed here. This most certainly alters "your tone" just like the FOH engineer changing eq. How would this be different than giving them a DI and letting them eq it as necessary for FOH, rather than taking a kic signal that is not the same as what comes off of your speaker no matter how much you might wish otherwise. The difference can be as much as 5-6dB in both the low end and the upper mids depending on the mic and positioning.
 
#77
If it's a larger venue, I use the DI and use my amp as a stage monitor. If it's a smaller venue, I use the stage volume. I find most mics aren't that good at handling bass amps. The SM57 always seems to be struggling, while a Beta-style mic loses highs. In my experience, most sound guys are better at dialing in a good tone with a DI. I always think asking a sound guy to deal with mic'ing your amp and running a DI is a little prima-donna-ish.

That said, I have a pretty rounded, vintage style tone that's easy to reproduce witha DI, and have been blessed by randomly getting good sound guys. Plus, I play all originals, so we're on for around 45 minutes to an hour most shows, meaning the extra time spent dialing me in is time cutting into our set and possibly the next band.

Of course, if you're running your own sound, or if you play covers for a three-hour gig and are familiar with the sound guy or have one that you hire, all bets are off and you can be as nuanced as you want.
 
#78
agedhorse said:
Mics are not all that flat... proximity effect by putting most directional mics very close to a bass speaker will give some low frequency boost and there's always the ever-popular upper midrange boost. These is present in pretty much present in varying degrees in all of the mics being discussed here. This most certainly alters "your tone" just like the FOH engineer changing eq. How would this be different than giving them a DI and letting them eq it as necessary for FOH, rather than taking a kic signal that is not the same as what comes off of your speaker no matter how much you might wish otherwise. The difference can be as much as 5-6dB in both the low end and the upper mids depending on the mic and positioning.
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alrighty andy, using myself as an example, the only time i'm ever happy using a di is when it's blended with a mic, and i'm really only happy when the mic is hotter and more noticeable. so how do you propose making us mic fans happy as well as you as the soundman? other than buying outboard gear to simulate mic'ed speaker response like I'm going to resort to, that is? and why, if i'm totally happy with the mix when i step out front when i use a cab mic and no di, and more importantly, i think it works in the context of the band and not just as a way to whack myself off, is that so bad?

btw, i'm trying to come at you from a position of respect, not challenge. i may disagree on this point, but just bear in mind that i like you a lot and totally respect your pov in all things musical. i'm just trying to understand the anti-mic thing so many people express on here.
 

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