Double Bass Mic placement for recording

[tito mangialajo]

What is in your opinion/experience the best mic placement (large diaphgram condenser, neumann-like) for recording double-bass in studio?
thanks in advice, Tito.

 

[Marc Piane]

Kinda depends. In my studio I do 6"-10" straight out form the bridge. I really dig the tone I get. I just did a session though that the engineer put it a little higher and off to the G side about 12" away and got a great tone. Just gotta play with it.

 

[Dave Martin]

What FIngers said - it depends on the bass, the player, the tune and the mic. With my Juzek, I'll generally put the mic about a foot from the G side F hole, more or less even with the bridge. But sometimes, it'll be 2 feet in front of the bridge....

 

[Ed Fuqua]

I been kinda opting for the two mic solution of late...

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I been kinda opting for the two mic solution of late...

What ballad were you finishing?

 

[Ed Fuqua]

What ballad were you finishing?

I'm not sure which tune, it was for the recording SUMMER BALLADS, SUMMER NOT...

 

[Marc Piane]

Here's from a session at CRC one of the top studios in Chicago. Just one mic on the G side.

I did one session at Sparrow Sound Designs where they used 3 mics. One U87 (I think) 12" or so out from the bridge and two AKG CK 1 (I think) one by the fingers and one about 5' off the ground and about 5' from me.

 

[Marc Piane]

What ballad were you finishing?

Isn't that what arco means?

 

[newfuture]

When I'm engineering double bass, I'll move my head around until I find a spot I like. It's usually on the G side, away from the f-hole, and around a foot or so back. Have had equal good luck with large and small diaphragm condensers.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

C'mon - SUMMER BALLADS, SUMMER NOT? That's GOLD.....

 

[milomo]

"That's gold Jerry, comedy gold!"

 

[Marc Piane]

GOLD I tell you.

I plan on using that one.

 

[Co.]

Are you recording in a seperat room, or with the rest of the band together?

 

[Silversorcerer]

I've done a bit of recording with two condensers that gave me a nice spacious sound with one mic about 3 feet away and even with the bridge and the other mic about 6 to 8 feet away and even with the heel of the neck. It depends on how "live" the room is and how much of the room's natural reverb quality evens out. If it's a dead room, you may as well put the mic in closer. If the room is favoring one frequency range over the others then it is best to bring the mic in closer also. Best room is kind of like a dining room without wall to wall carpet, some windows, wood floor on joists, plaster walls and 10 ft. ceilings with a few padded chairs. I've seen some studio rooms that were OK, but these days it seems most studios assume the instrument is going to be electric and these rooms are usually over damped. And then the engineer will put some plate reverb or something like that on it and it just doesn't sound as natural.

Ed, I did dig the "Summer Not"... It wasn't wasted. I like to bow a chorus through "Autumn Leaves". What a melody....

 

[Adam Booker]

I've had a mic about 12" from the top, and slightly on the G side, and another mic about a foot away and above the fingerboard. +1 to everyone else here, And that was gold ed!

 

[ee-san]

Autumn Leaves but Summer Not