Double Bass Microphone Stage for Upright Bass

[AgostoMortal]

I just spent 3 plus weeks on a tour with a borrowed, Full Circle equipped Chadwick. I brought the Bartlett condenser with me. It went to FOH with the FC into a backline amp/DI with mostly FC in my wedge. The Bartlett was a winner in this situation. The FC alone was very direct and dry and the Bartlett really warmed things up and was easy to use. I ended up with great sound on a marginal bass and it could get loud. I personally think the Troll sounds better and that is what I use on my bass, but flying with a mic that fits in a sunglasses case and is on and off the bass in 2 seconds is pretty convenient.

So you went to FOH with the FC? where was the Bartlett going then?, was it a typo?

 

[Hasty]

So you went to FOH with the FC? where was the Bartlett going then?, was it a typo?

I read that as the Bartlett going FOH and the FC into a backline/DI/wedge.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

So you went to FOH with the FC? where was the Bartlett going then?, was it a typo?

Bartlett to FOH with a very small amount coming back in the wedge.
Full Circle into an amp with the DI from the amp going into a second channel FOH.

 

[AgostoMortal]

Bartlett to FOH with a very small amount coming back in the wedge.
Full Circle into an amp with the DI from the amp going into a second channel FOH.

That is what I thought, thanks. So you like the troll but would not take it on the road? I was under the impression that it is easy to fix into a bass (and take out).

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Maybe because ribbon mics are shock sensitive. A condenser is more robust.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

Actually in this case it was because I was flying to England/Europe and because I would be assembling and disassembling the Chadwick every gig. The Troll is pretty robust and easy to set up but it takes a few minutes and it's suspended from the bridge. On this bass that would have meant setting up a bridge with adjusters including a Full Circle and then suspending the Troll every gig. I also had the bridge fall a couple of times to the terror of everyone in earshot. If the Troll was involved, it would have been a lot trickier to get everything re-set on the fly.

 

[Jason Sypher]

@DoubleMIDI OK, but I can see that it is an option that many people use on big stages.

@lurk i know the tonedexter, but i think it's a preamp :/

In general, I would need more body on my instrument in addition to the pickup.
I already use a preamp, but I would need some advice on a stage microphone.
I see artists like Chris Wood, Christian McBride and others who play on big stages and they definitely have a microphone system, or at least I think so!

Big stages do not necessarily mean loud stages. A big open stage with low volume is a beautiful thing to behold. I’ve used an AMT mic mixed with a Gage realist on some huge festival stages but you’d be shocked to hear how quiet we are on stage….

 

[bassically_eli]

Big stages do not necessarily mean loud stages. A big open stage with low volume is a beautiful thing to behold. I’ve used an AMT mic mixed with a Gage realist on some huge festival stages but you’d be shocked to hear how quiet we are on stage….

^This for sure. I've only played big stages like that a couple of times, but I've had exactly that experience. Having room to spread out can help a lot too depending on your setup.

 

[Jay Corwin]

I've used the Bartlett for a handful of my low volume gigs, though straight into an amplifier. It's a great piece of gear for the price.

 

[AgostoMortal]

Actually in this case it was because I was flying to England/Europe and because I would be assembling and disassembling the Chadwick every gig. The Troll is pretty robust and easy to set up but it takes a few minutes and it's suspended from the bridge. On this bass that would have meant setting up a bridge with adjusters including a Full Circle and then suspending the Troll every gig. I also had the bridge fall a couple of times to the terror of everyone in earshot. If the Troll was involved, it would have been a lot trickier to get everything re-set on the fly.

Thanks, so looks like it is not advisable to use the troll with adjusters/FC on a bass? if yes why? and did the bridge falling apart was because of the troll installed on the bass?

 

[Jeff Kissell]

On my personal bass I’ve used the Troll on a bridge with adjusters plenty without any problems. I do not have a Full Circle on this bass but I don’t think it would be an issue.

On the bass I was using, the bridge feet were a little worn from being repeatedly set up and taken down so the issue with it falling was with the bridge itself (not the pickup or adjusters.) Once I figured out what was happening, it was pretty easy to monitor and prevent. I did not use the Troll at all with this bass, only the Bartlett.