Double Bass DPA mics

[John Goldsby]

By the way... do you remember/can you tell us, what kind of mic you used fore example here?

That was the Schoeps MK41, Jean Auray bass, Gerold Gennsler strings (silk core). I think I probably had the amp on a bit so Billy could hear the bass better, but that’s not coming through on the recording. This was recorded during the Covid era, which explains the rather wide distance on the stage between us.

 

[what the pluck]

My experience with the DPA is mixed. I think they can sound good once the sweet spot is found with minimal feedback but obviously this all depends on stage volumes etc.. My gripe with the DPA isn’t the sound, its the delicate cable and routing required, and how/ where to mount the jack short of having it lay on the ground, you need to come up with a method not to damage the cable and connections..not too much of an issue after a bit of fiddling, but most annoyingly I find is that the rubber mount and possibly the goose neck vibrate a bit and send unwanted sounds to the signal. I’ve tried the mic with and without mounting in the studio and it definitely adds an unpleasant sound. I’ve tested by having someone holding the mic (in the rubber mount) and moving it around the bass to find sweet spots and then when mounted it returns.. I’m currently trying to create my own mount to eliminate the goose neck and rubber thing… much more noticeable in the studio..

 

[Ric Vice]

My experience with the DPA is mixed. I think they can sound good once the sweet spot is found with minimal feedback but obviously this all depends on stage volumes etc.. My gripe with the DPA isn’t the sound, its the delicate cable and routing required, and how/ where to mount the jack short of having it lay on the ground, you need to come up with a method not to damage the cable and connections..not too much of an issue after a bit of fiddling, but most annoyingly I find is that the rubber mount and possibly the goose neck vibrate a bit and send unwanted sounds to the signal. I’ve tried the mic with and without mounting in the studio and it definitely adds an unpleasant sound. I’ve tested by having someone holding the mic (in the rubber mount) and moving it around the bass to find sweet spots and then when mounted it returns.. I’m currently trying to create my own mount to eliminate the goose neck and rubber thing… much more noticeable in the studio..

My experience was the same, that’s precisely why I moved to the Remic D5400 LB (Green) and D5400 (Red) The foam mount and soft cotton cable eliminate most, if not all of that extraneous cable and gooseneck noise and the resulting repositioning of the DPA to tune them out. The Remic’s can also be mounted under the Fingerboard, inside the bridge arch, and under the tailpiece. Just my take.

 

[Francois Blais]

I’m currently trying to create my own mount to eliminate the goose neck and rubber thing… much more noticeable in the studio..

H-Clamp?
It won't eliminate the cable issue but certainly the goose neck vibration.
Can't a HPF reject the gooseneck noises? (very low frequency I guess)

 

[what the pluck]

Yeah I guess the HPF would work but I’d rather not cut any lows when recording. I found the sweet spot on my bass is kind of angled just over the f hole, really resonant and natural. Coupled with a mic at about hip height about a foot away from the bridge gives a really nice natural (recorded) sound.. I’ve been experimenting last couple of days. I ended up making a mount for my DPA that has eliminated the sound I mentioned in previous post. I’ve yet to try the DPA mounted like this live but have a few low volume shows coming up soon that I might try.. for other stuff I use a bass max which is a no drama set up that sounds pretty good direct into most rigs but only now that I use Zyex light strings … it sounded horrible with spiros.. but that’s a whole other thread…

 

[LaFaro01]

My experience with the DPA is mixed. I think they can sound good once the sweet spot is found with minimal feedback but obviously this all depends on stage volumes etc.. My gripe with the DPA isn’t the sound, its the delicate cable and routing required, and how/ where to mount the jack short of having it lay on the ground, you need to come up with a method not to damage the cable and connections..not too much of an issue after a bit of fiddling, but most annoyingly I find is that the rubber mount and possibly the goose neck vibrate a bit and send unwanted sounds to the signal. I’ve tried the mic with and without mounting in the studio and it definitely adds an unpleasant sound. I’ve tested by having someone holding the mic (in the rubber mount) and moving it around the bass to find sweet spots and then when mounted it returns.. I’m currently trying to create my own mount to eliminate the goose neck and rubber thing… much more noticeable in the studio..

I don't have any long-term experience with the DPA and I don't know the differences between the gooseneck mounts, but so far I haven't noticed any background noise with my Neumann MCM...

My experience was the same, that’s precisely why I moved to the Remic D5400 LB (Green) and D5400 (Red) The foam mount and soft cotton cable eliminate most, if not all of that extraneous cable and gooseneck noise and the resulting repositioning of the DPA to tune them out. The Remic’s can also be mounted under the Fingerboard, inside the bridge arch, and under the tailpiece. Just my take.

The soft cotton cable of the Remic would be a really nice add-on/replacement for the Neumann, but so far the installation behind the tailpiece works very well...
and in an ‘emergency’ I would simply check out the adhesive putty of the Ehrlund to fix the cable....

 

[Ric Vice]

H-Clamp?
It won't eliminate the cable issue but certainly the goose neck vibration.
Can't a HPF reject the gooseneck noises? (very low frequency I guess)

Well,

I’m not certain a HPF will rid you of all the different extemporaneous noises created when the “kevlar” cable accidentally vibrates against the top plate, bridge,
or tailpiece. I tried for months to stow the cable so it can’t vibrate. It only worked some of the time The Gooseneck can also vibrate sympathetically due to touching the tailpiece or up the strings.