Good microphone for recording bass cab?

[Jazzdogg]

Microphones recommended for bass cabinets

AKG D11
AKG D112
AudioTechnica M25
Audix D4
Audix D6
Beyer M88
CAD E100
CAD KBM412
EV RE20
EV 868
EV Cardinal
Heil PR40
Samson Q-Kick
Sennheiser 421
Sennheiser 602
Sennheiser 902
Shure Beta 52
Shure SM57
Shure SM58
Shure SM7B
Shure Beta 98

Talkbass thread http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=401775

BOLD entries recommended in this thread:
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[TrevorOfDoom]

I've used a Beyer M201, Shure SM7, and an EV RE20.
i was fondest of the Beyer, but they all did a great job.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Like I said, clean DI doesn't get anything even close to the sound I want. If DI is the only option I have, I may as well not bother recording at all.

You can plug into a Countryman type 85 DI anywhere in the signal chain, including plugging the signal from the power amplifier directly into the DI, as long as it doesn't exceed ~400Watts; great if you want to capture the ouput of a tube head like an SVT.

Lots of sonic possibilities.

 

[Korladis]

I've heard of the Countryman DI. It's another thing on my wish list, would be really useful to have. My head would be no problem, I wouldn't think, as it's a fairly low wattage amp.

 

[honeyiscool]

I get a great sound by just putting almost any LDC right to the cab.

 

[aledeville]

What about software solution? I have the ampeg SVX on the mac and it's pretty good to be honest. That could help a lot getting the "grind" back on course.

With the mic, I'd vote for the RE20. Sounds great with vocals, bassdrum, basscab, doublebass...

 

[Korladis]

How much does SVX cost?

 

[Hellbastard]

$100

 

[Ben Clarke]

Man, I think you'd really get what you need with almost any decent budget dynamic mic. The Apex 381 is a 58 killer for like half the price.

 

[screaminglucy]

i used a CAD M179 condensor to record the song called Asleep on this page

 

[prepe]

On my last track I used a Royer R-121 and it worked splendid. Otherwise it is not a cheap mic.

 

[Eric Scholz]

+1
I frequently try using my Audix D6 on my cab and it just has no tone. 57 has always been good to me on its own. It gives me a real dirty sound. I also intern at a studio in NYC and they have an RE-20 that just lives on a stand in front of the bass cab.

"Bass mics" like the Beta 52, or Akg D112 are terrible for bass guitar in my opinion. They scoop out all the mids!

Those type of mics were designed for kick drums so you get a real-real low end woof, and the high snap of the beater hiting the drum head, everything in between is totally scooped. You need those mids for the bass to sound right and more importantly be heard in the mix.

 

[4to5to6]

Reamping... No one has talked about reamping...

I usually do live record using two channels where the first has an Avalon U5 DI and the other an AKG D112 mic. An MD421 would be just as fine or better with it's bass roll off selector but I like the D112. The D112 is an awesome large diaphragm dynamic mic that is also often used to record a kick drum as it can handle the SPL. The U5 can be a little sterile on it's own but it gives me the advantage to later reamp (recommend Radial Pro RMP). The REDDI adds tube grit but is not as clean for reamping and doesn't have the speaker input option. In the studio later I run the dry signal back through my amp again and re-record it. Reamping. This offers perfect isolation for my live track with better control over the acoustics etc. I have also reamped with the U5 in parallel with the speaker cab to capture the sound of my amp head direct. The U5 has both an instrument and speaker input. (can't be used at same time) I may also add some Ampeg SVT plugin to the DI signal or run it through a Sansamp to get that grit and then the U5 track is fine. Be careful with phase (comb filter) problems when mixing down all these multiple bass tracks into the final track.

All of this depends on the sound you're after and the blend in the mix. There's no one right answer. Experiment. The beauty of reamping is you can do a lot of experimenting on the same take.

Using a super clean hi Z DI and reamping also gives you the oppourtunity to later experiment with all those other great mics listed here in the studio; mics that are too expensive and fragile to ever take out on the road.

Add an effects pedal to your amp input later... there is a lot of possibilities.

Get a Radial RMP for $100 and have some fun!

 

[JimmyM]

reamping is cool if you don't know what you want to use for an amp. me, i like committing.

 

[Spencer!]

I usually do live record using two channels where the first has an Avalon U5 DI and the other an AKG D112 mic. An MD421 would be just as fine or better with it's bass roll off selector but I like the D112. The D112 is an awesome large diaphragm condensor mic that is also often used to record a kick drum as it can handle the SPL.

The D112 is dynamic.

 

[Eric Scholz]

+1 on the reamping. i have the radial reamp and it works great

 

[reddi]

The CAD M179 is great on bass and can be found dirt cheap.

 

[grobe]

When some of you guys say "clean DI" do you mean through a dedicated box rather than through the back of a head/combo? Or do you just mean pre-eq? Why is important to have a "clean" sound through the DI?


Great thread, btw.

 

[grobe]

+1 on the reamping. i have the radial reamp and it works great

With a Radial J48 for instance?

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[Korladis]

When some of you guys say "clean DI" do you mean through a dedicated box rather than through the back of a head/combo? Or do you just mean pre-eq? Why is important to have a "clean" sound through the DI?


Great thread, btw.

No idea. Since my sound isn't clean in the least, doesn't appeal to me.