• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

How do YOU record your bass?

MustangMan78

MustangMan78

Supporting Member
Mar 20, 2021
186
340
Douglassville, PA
#1
Several years ago I was playing drums with a band and we went into the studio. We had the privilege of working with David Ivory, so I figured I would be able to learn a lot! My bass experience was minimal at that point, so I was curious to see how he recorded the bass track. I figured a large diaphragm cardioid like the standard Beta 52, Audix D6, or AKG D112 in front of the speaker. Nope, he used an Eden preamp pedal direct into the board. I've since learned that direct tracking bass is quite common, but it surprised me at the time. I'm going to pick up an Acme Motown DI one of these days! For now, I'm quite happy using the DI out in my D-800+. How do you all record? Direct? Direct with a chain of gear? Micing the cab? Just curious…
 
#5
All of my recording for the last few years has been laying tracks for people from my home. If it's electric bass, I just plug my bass direct into an instrument input on my Focusrite interface, which goes right into the DAW. If I'm playing upright, I use a large diaphragm condenser into a mic input on the interface. I might add plugins after the fact, usually some light compression, sometimes an amp simulation. Or I let whoever is producing the recording worry about that later.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KohanMike
#6
I do a bit of commercial recording as well as recording for my own projects and for the most part record through a @Sushi Box FX Particle Accelerator, Southampton Ictineo, LBA 2020, Sushi Box FX Finally Tube DI into my interface. The Zoom GCE3 is a decent interface and works well with my main DAW Harrison Mixbus 7.

Recording chain 2022.jpg
 
#10
Direct Injection for many years…I have recorded and experimented with many setups over the years and what has always worked best for me was an SM57 wherever it needed to be placed depending on the cab being mic'd and direct injection recorded on two different tracks (gives you the ability to sub-mix).
 
#11
I record two ways; when I'm adding the bass track to my leader's singing/uke/drum track, I use a Focusrite Solo connected with Lekato 5.8GHz wireless pods, and into my Mac Studio, using Garage Band (I tried Logic, but it did a couple of things I didn't like). For live, I have a Zoom L-8 digital mixer that has multitrack recording built-in. Again I use the Lekato wireless from the bass uke to the Zoom. I then put the SD card into the computer and transfer the tracks to Garage Band.

L-8_slant_02_ZuHE1DO.png.768x0_q60.png
Lekato WS-50 300.jpg
 
#12
I use the 'balanced out' of my Effectrode Blackbird tube preamp directly to the interface, it sounds so good that I also do electric guitars this way. Sometimes there might be a pedal or something in front for sound shaping purposes, and sometimes I add a cab sim in the DAW (guitars with grit tend to need it), or a bit of compression, but the Blackbird is the key. Only acoustic stuff gets the mic.
 
#14
I mic my rig. My rig is EQ'd to sound good where I sit (amp is directly to my right about 6-7' away), so I have an Audio Technica AT2035 next to my right ear. Also have a Shure Beta52 about an inch above the floor directly below that. Those goto my Focusrite.
 
#15
Straight into a REDDI Tube DI into the interface. My Presonus 32R rack mixer makes a good interface, but its inputs use a Neutrik Combi-Jack which allows the use of either XLR or TRS cables, both balanced. But a pro recording engineer friend of mine told me to check the block diagram of the rack mixer and see if the TRS side of the input jack is wired to bypass the mic pres and go straight to the converter. Indeed it does, as do a lot of the smaller interfaces. I made an XLR-to-TRS cable for use with the REDDI and I think it's a more clean, pure tone connecting this way. This works well with all of my basses, too.

But anywhere else I do sessions, I simply take my bass(es) and my REDDI. They can connect the REDDI as they see fit (usually the good ol' fashioned way with a mic cable to their console/interface. And they seems to always like the results.
 
#16
Using mics on a bass cab is tricky and most studios and venues don't like doing it. I either use the DI out from my amps into a DAW that has IRs on it, or I go directly to the interface from my pedal board, and use an amp sim with IRs.
 
#17
Large diaphragm condenser mics based on the fet 47 for amps.
I have friends that swear by re20 or sm7
Ev 664 or 666 is a cool vintage alternative

I like a 12" or 15" speaker in the studio but you can get good sound out of a lot of amps.

In my home studio I go dbx 163 to a neve clone or a tube pre (sebatron because I can't afford a v72) then to an optical comp
I'll have a pedal chain that I mult to on separate track.

i have a lexicon PCM80 with pitch card if I'm feeling froggy
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back