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Mic for cab
- Thread starter TheArchitect
- Start date
This mic is a classic. Used on bass cabs for years.
It could also be mic for a kick drum, or double bass, or vocals, or horns, or…….
Sure, you could go with something more expensive or fancier but this is a great “Swiss army knife” of mics and it’s a dynamic. No phantom power required.
Side note:
You should include a budget range in your query.
Because you will see mics suggested from the $100-$4000 range.
It could also be mic for a kick drum, or double bass, or vocals, or horns, or…….
Sure, you could go with something more expensive or fancier but this is a great “Swiss army knife” of mics and it’s a dynamic. No phantom power required.
Side note:
You should include a budget range in your query.
Because you will see mics suggested from the $100-$4000 range.
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Probably cap at $500 tops. Was considering Beta 52 or maybe a Royer R10 initially
Do you have any other mics currently?
Don’t know the Royer, never heard one myself.
As far as the B52 goes it’s a go to for kick drum live but I feel like it’s more of a one trick pony. It isn’t a flat mic at all.
Bang for buck if you don’t have a bunch of other mics I’d try and pick something you could use on multiple things at home.
Budget friendly and multipurpose list below.
EV RE 20 (old faithful works on a lot of stuff)
Senn 906 (for drums and cabs)
Senn 609 (for drums and cabs)
Senn 421 (functional on a cab, vocal, horn, drums, sounds better than a 57 imo)
SM 57 (personally I’m tired of these)
Beta 57 (nicer then the sm and works nice on a cabs and drums, probably could use it for other stuff)
Beta 56 ( surprisingly nice cheaper drum mic you can use on other stuff)
Shure 7b (Shure version of a RE 20)
My pick bang for buck at around $400 is the RE 20. Been used live and in studios for years now.
Ribbon mics are nice but you better baby it, they aren’t as stout as a good old dynamic mic.
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I don't use one, but the least expensive mic I see commonly recommended is an AKG P2. The is a bass instrument mic, but it does not have a strong mid-scoop contour like the typical bass drum mic.
Probably no reason to buy a mic. If you have spare dynamics, try them. Other mics I don't believe have been mentioned yet: Audix D4, Beyer M88.
Ribbons can sound great on bass cabs, however be mindful that they tend to be somewhat fragile and some can't handle phantom.
Probably no reason to buy a mic. If you have spare dynamics, try them. Other mics I don't believe have been mentioned yet: Audix D4, Beyer M88.
Ribbons can sound great on bass cabs, however be mindful that they tend to be somewhat fragile and some can't handle phantom.
I'm a new guy here, but I've been recording professionally for a while. My favorite cab mic for either guitar or bass cabs is a Sennheiser MD421 II.
Here is the latest recordings that I've done, it's my band Vorraro (I'm lead singer and guitarist)... Our Bass player recorded with a vintage 70's Fretless Precision through different amps (Mesa 800, Ampeg RB500n 2X10, and my bass amp, an Orange Terror 500 Combo on "Liar
The Sennheiser and a direct send from the amps were both going through Universal Audio LA610 tube channel strips.
Here is the latest recordings that I've done, it's my band Vorraro (I'm lead singer and guitarist)... Our Bass player recorded with a vintage 70's Fretless Precision through different amps (Mesa 800, Ampeg RB500n 2X10, and my bass amp, an Orange Terror 500 Combo on "Liar
The Sennheiser and a direct send from the amps were both going through Universal Audio LA610 tube channel strips.
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D
You should definitely not get a Beta52 (or any other pre-eq'ed kick drum mic) unless you specifically want a SEVERELY mid-scooped tone. Personally I think the Beta52 is a HORRIBLE choice for mic'ing bass amps. It can work for SOME styles of music, but it's a very poor allrounder for bass cabs.
I haven't tested that specific Royer, but a good ribbon mic can definitely be an interesting choice if that's the kind of tone you're looking for. The figure-8 pattern means you will need a good sounding room for a good result though. Ribbon mics are also quite fragile, so it might be a good idea to use a wind/pop shield to avoid blowing the ribbon (although Royers are said to be more robust than many other ribbon mics).
I have a feeling you might be happier with a more "standard" bass cab mic though. Ribbon mics on bass cabs can sound cool for an "old school" vibe, but they wouldn't be my first choice if could only own ONE mic for bass cabs.
My personal favorites are:
1) Beyerdynamic M88TG. This is my all time favorite for mic'ing bass cabs. I use this mic 80-90% of the time.
2) Sennheiser MD421 II. This is the one I reach for it I want a slightly more aggressive tone, more upper mid presence.
3) Electro-Voice RE20. This one has a flatter frequency response than the ones above, which means it's more of a "blank canvas". This also means it typically needs a bit more eq in the mix. I generally only use this one if the two mics mentioned above don't get me where I want. It's a fantastic mic though.
I've tested a lot more mics on bass cabs over the years, but I honestly can't remember the last time I used anything other than the three mentioned above.
Lots of people like condenser mics on bass cabs too of course, but personally I prefer the "tighter" feel of dynamic mics. Don't get me wrong, you can definitely make excellent bass recordings with a condenser mic, but if you don't have an acoustically treated room you will probably get better results with a dynamic.
If you combine the mic with a direct (DI) signal for the lows (and make sure you know how to deal with the unavoidable phase issues) you can even get great results with something like an SM57 or a Sennheiser 609/906. But the rather limited low frequency extension of these mics (and other similar type dynamics) means it won't be an ideal choice for bass guitar on it's own.
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Off-topic, but I find the Beyer M88 to be a shockingly good vocal mic!
I don't do this anymore. Its way more work and ultimately is not better than one carefully selected and placed mic. The only thing I use more than one mic on is inside my ISO cab. Its there so I don't have to open it up to switch mics. I use one for cleaner tones and one for higher gain tones.
I already own those to mics so no purchase needed. THe RE20 and 421 are commonly used quality mics. Those a worth a look.
The 906/609 , 57 variants I have had. They all roll off a lot of low end. I got rid of the 906/609 in particular because they rolled off too much on guitar. The 7b is an option to consider as is the 421
D
You lost me there...? You already own the mics you are considering??? Out of those two I would choose the Royer without even having tested it, based solely on the fact that I think the Beta52 is a very poor choice for bass guitar.
My first choice, by quite some distance, would still be the M88TG. Fantastic mics for bass cabs. Great for lots of other stuff too.
