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Double Bass Mic Preamp for Recording

#3
I've never done DB with a 737, but it's a good pre that should do you well- it's a bit brighter than most people expect tube preamps to be, but the EQ section is very musical so you can tame it if needed.

Beware of the cheap starved plate "toob" preamps (ART, Behringer, etc)- they're essentially cheap solid state preamps with a 12AX7 distortion stage. A good solid state pre will beat a cheap tube pre every time. I always liked recording standup with a ribbon mic, which means you'll need a good amount of clean gain- I was partial to the Sytek MPX-4a, but there are lots of contenders out there. Are you looking to buy, rent, or studio shopping?
 
#4
I'm using a Shure KSM 32 into an API 512C Mic Pre (Lunchbox 500 series) into an Apogee Rosetta 200 A/D converter to pro tools. It sounds really good, but I'm just wondering what are the likings of other people, especially if people prefer tube to solid state.

What are your favorite mics besides the expensive neumanns, maybe something in the $500-$1000 range?
 
#6
The API is a pretty nice mic pre. I don't think the Avalon will improve the sound just be different. Different mics will improve the sound

The mic thing can get pretty complicated a C414 is a great mic but I don't think it's neccesarilly great on DB, pretty good though. Unfortunately the Neumann u87 does sound great and it's much more $...
 
#7
peterpalmieri said:
The API is a pretty nice mic pre. I don't think the Avalon will improve the sound just be different. Different mics will improve the sound

The mic thing can get pretty complicated a C414 is a great mic but I don't think it's neccesarilly great on DB, pretty good though. Unfortunately the Neumann u87 does sound great and it's much more $...
Click to expand...

I tried the AKG C414 and I prefered my Shure KSM 32, the difference was obvious. Actually, the guy who owns the studio where I tried the C414 borrows my KSM32 when he needs to record double bass.
 
#8
That API is a nice unit- as peterpalmieri said, you won't get "better", just "different".

For mics, try a ribbon mic- I was always partial to the (ahem) Beyerdynamic 160. It may sound a little dark at first, but ribbons take EQ very well if needed.
 
#9
kscbass said:
I'm using a Shure KSM 32 to a API 512C Mic Pre (Lunchbox 500 series) to a Apogee Rosetta 200 A/D converter to pro tools. It sounds really good, but I'm just wondering what are the linkings of other people, especially if people prefer tube to solid state.

What are your favorite mics besides the expensive neumanns, maybe something in the $500-$1000 range?
Click to expand...

In that range I would suggest the Audio Technica AT4047 (fet amplified LDC), the AEA R84 ribbon mic (ribbons have low impedance and low output, you'll need a preamp with at least 60 db of gain, AEA makes a preamp designed for ribbons that has 80db and the optimal input impedance), or a Beyerdynamic MC930, which I haven't heard in person but is said to be fairly similar to the classic Neumann KM84 small diaphragm condensor. KM84s can be found in that range (they haven't made that version in a long time so it would be a used mic; the current version, KM184, is widely regarded as a much lesser mic).

Also for studio recording, don't be afraid of omni pattern mics, like the Neumann KM83 or many others, or the omni pattern in a multi pattern mic of which there are many including the AKG C414 and the AT 4050 in that price range. Omni provides the best low end (with the possible exception of figure 8 in some cases) and the most linear response.

And then there are omni dynamics; I happen to like the Beyer M101N(C) and I got pretty decent results recently recording another bassist using an AKG d160 (I think that's the model # but I don't have it here to check). There are many others.
 
#10
As far as preamps, for upright bass recorded with a mic I've generally used the console preamps in the studio, or on my own recordings I've been using the built in pres in the Apogee Duet. If I was shopping for more outboard pres right now with bass in mind as one of the sources I would be using them for, I'd be trying to arrange a way to hear the Grace M101, A Designs Pacifica, the John Hardy pres, and maybe the Daking 4 channel unit and the Sytek 4 channel unit in person.
 

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