does anyone know any good, inexpensive mikes to use to get a decent sound from miking a bass amp. also, what are some good placements for the mikes. (oh, if it helps, i have a korg D12)
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miking a bass amp
- Thread starter Strat11786
- Start date
I can't remember model number, and i don't have time to look it up, but take a look at the Shure mic for bass drums.
I'll make my first post on this Forum a response to your question. Many people use a simple Shure 57 to mic bass rigs for recordings. I don't tend to like the tone from that mic so I use a Shure KSM32. It isn't cheap, but it captures bass tone extremely well. It's a great all around mic and can do fairly well at vocals, but I like them best for overheads and for bass.
i've found that the best placement for an amp mic is at a 45 degree angle on the edge of the cone, a couple inches away. some people do it different according to personal preference, but i think this setup is less "boomy." i've tried a several types of mics, all with similar results.
A kick drum mic definitely. My fave is the AKG D112 which retails around $200. The SM57 is a great mic for guitar cabs but the frequency response is 40 to 15,000 Hz. which isn't very good for bass.
There has been an article about how to record bass in bassplayer a few years ago. The effects of mic placement was covered in it. You should really try it yourself and choose the position that sounds best to your ears.
Here is a sample pic, that mic is a D112
Here is a sample pic, that mic is a D112
Where should the mike be placed if the cab has multiple drivers. I'm going into the studio in about two weeks and I've been wondering about mike placement. My cab has 2 10's, 2 5.25 inch mid drivers and a tweet. Would putting the mike a couple inches away still pick up the mids and tweeter?
That's why I use a Shure KSM32 and leave it a foot off of the grill. It captures both of my speakers and my tweeter. Usually one mics a single speaker and listens to see which speaker in a cab gives the best sound. There are lots of ways to get a good bass sound on the recording. Try a couple of different things and see which works best for you.
If you have a bass cabinet with a range say from 50 Hz to 5 KHz ( as a Bag End D-112 is rated ), does one really need to a mic that is rated as low as say 20 or 30 Hz, e.g. SHURE BETA 52 ?
Would seem that that the SURE SM57 with a range from 40 Hz to 15 KHz would do the trick ?
Perhaps something like SHURE BETA 52 is only an issue if one has a 5-string and hi-fi cab w/ lower registers ? Though few (any?) cabs are rated as low as 20Hz anway, right ?
Would seem that that the SURE SM57 with a range from 40 Hz to 15 KHz would do the trick ?
Perhaps something like SHURE BETA 52 is only an issue if one has a 5-string and hi-fi cab w/ lower registers ? Though few (any?) cabs are rated as low as 20Hz anway, right ?
rdenney.........It's not simply a matter of frequency ranges that might dictate the mic used for getting the bass sound one might want. Please remember that what I write is based on my personal preferences and is not necessarily suited for each person. To my ears, the Shure 57 has a compressed sound. Personally, I think this can be great for a guitar, but I can't seem to capture the kind of bass tone I want with that mic. At least for me, the Shure KSM32 seems to offer a fuller, deeper, bass track. I found this to also be true when miking a bass drum. The Shure 57 misses a lot of the sound and doesn't have the deep "oomph" I like to get. For whatever reason, the KSM32 does. Each mic has its own sonic signature or "coloring" of the tone. There are a lot of good mics out there and it just depends on a person's tastes as to which one would be preferrable for any given application. It's kind of like audio systems. Two amps (for home audio) can have similar technical specs, but can sound very different from each other.
yeah do the Direct and Mic. You get the warmth of micing it and the punch of directing it....the best of both worlds. But for Mics....your best bet for a decent price is going to be a SM-57. It is a great mic to have in your arsenal, it is an industry standerd.
Yes the 210 XST.
The cab I am going to have to work with this weekend in the studio.
Keep the advice comming, I am really interested in this as well.
Peace
Nick
The cab I am going to have to work with this weekend in the studio.
Keep the advice comming, I am really interested in this as well.
Peace
Nick
I just picked up an AKG D112 for use in my studio a cupla days ago and I must say it was a good buy. We cranked up the in house Ampeg V4B to a suitable crunchy tube level and the D112 captured it all brilliantly. Before this I've had many problems getting a suitable tone from bass amps at a good volume with mics like Shure 57's, beta 57's, Nueman U89, some other AKG's and Seinhaussers etc.
Yep, the D112 seems the way to go.
BTW, we have an old AKG D12 for the kick drum as well.
Cheerz,
Wounded Paw
Yep, the D112 seems the way to go.
BTW, we have an old AKG D12 for the kick drum as well.
Cheerz,
Wounded Paw
I biamp at about 260 hrtz. would a Sure 57 be good for my highs if i get something better for my lows then run direct and mix the three?
