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Is this it?

F

funkalicious101

Jan 21, 2007
2,957
10
36
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
#1
I'm lining up some purchases for some gear to record some of my solo stuff but I'm not sure if I have all my basses (pun definately intended) covered yet. I am not looking to spend a tonne of money, but I do want quality gear.

So far I am looking into:
Presonus firepod
Studio projects c1 condenser mic
Some DI (not sure which one yet, any reccomendations?)
Mic preamp (same as above)

is there anything else that I would need? or other products I should look into?

Thanks,
Sam
 
#2
I'd add a dynamic mic to that list if you dont have one. What about monitoring? Speakers or headphones? Dont forget the cabling also, you'll need at least 2 mic cables. A firewire cable.

Lastly I'd just get a pretty decent preamp that had a GOOD DI built in. Your not looking to spend a ton, I understand that, but one really good pre/DI will get you far. If your looking to do your own comps then you want your bass to sound killer. Id suggest a chandler germ pre, or maybe a 500 series pre.
 
#3
It depends on what you want to record. Bass obviously, for that you can either go direct from your head (if it has a DI out), use a direct box, or mic your amp (if you have a suitable mic). I've been getting good results just going direct from my head into my interface, no direct box needed so if you can do this it'll save you some money. The RE-20 I got as a kick mic also works well for a bass cab, but if all you're going to have is a vocal condenser and maybe an SM57, don't bother trying to mic your cab.

What price range are you looking at for a preamp? You can use the preamps in the presonus box and they'd probably be "ok" for that mic. If you were using an SM7 or something then you'd definitely need a seperate pre.
 
#4
Yeah, I figured I would need a whole bunch of cables aswell.

I never really understood why a monitor was needed. Cant I go from the DI to the interface aswell as my amp? And I dont even know what to look for in DIs or pre-amps or how much I would have to spend to get something worthwhile. I have looked but havent really found anything helpful.

I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to recording gear so sorry if I am just saying things that sound downright stupid.

Thanks,
Sam
 
#5
The firepod comes with a firewire cable.

Id skip the DI, unless you are wanting a coloured sounding one. The preamps on the firepod are fine for a DI bass sound :) , so you can just plug straight to the board.

I'd look at getting an SM57 in place of the DI.

The reason you will want monitors is for listening back to what you play when you are mixing ;)
 
#6
Monitoring is extrememly important. If you are recording along with ANYTHING else (click, drums, other instruments, etc.) you'll need to hear it while you play. Also, I expect you'll want to hear back what you recorded. A decent set of headphones are a necessity for tracking, and a proper set of monitor speakers are important for mixing. Headphones CAN be used for mixing, but are not ideal. Computer speakers are NOT monitors.

The Firepod has preamps, so you can skip a seperate preamp for the time being. An SM57 mic is considered a "must have" tool for any recording setup. I'd definitely add it to your list.

Whether or not you "need" a DI box is up to you. You can go direct into a Firepod with your bass and do just fine.

My current bass recording setup is to have a Radial JDI and SansAmp BDDI running parallel into a 2-channel preamp (in my case, an ART MPA Gold). The JDI gives me a clean, fat sound. I use the SABDDI for a colored sound (usually a gritty SVT). The 2 sounds get mixed depending on what I need for the song.
 
#8
you can go direct from bass to firepod?
Click to expand...

Yes

I thought it was XLR inputs only.
Click to expand...

It kinda looks like that but no, it has quarter inch ins also. Its a specific type of neutrik jack that will accept a quarter inch and xlr in the same space. Its a neat little connecter, suprised you dont see them on more stuff.

and an SM57 will pick up bass frequencies?
Click to expand...

No not really, well it does, just not all that well. You need an SM57 becuase in a pinch, you can use it on everything. Ive used an sm57 to pick up the upper harmonics of distortion if your running distortion, or to mic the highs. I'll Usually run like a d112 for the bass, a md421 for mids, and a sm57 for highs, then a u67 back a bit for room. Your right I woulnt use it as my only mic, but theres not alot it cant be used on. Great guitar amp mic, great drum mic, decent vocal mic in certain situations.
 
#10
funkalicious101 said:
I was recomended to go to TweakHeadz.com to help me figure out what I need.

It keep bringing up midi keyboards..... no one else has mentioned anything about this. Is there something I am missing?
Click to expand...

I recommended reading the Guide at Invalid Link Removed (click on "Guide" on the left side of the page) for your own self-education about recording equipment and the process involved.

Keyboards and MIDI are tools that can be used for making music, but not a necessary part of recording bass.

Learn and grow, young grasshopper :D
 

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