Why is it always the bass? I have been on stages that had mics for a lead singer, two back-up singers, two guitar players that had their cabs miced plus a vocal mic for each, drummer with God knows how many mics on the kit, keyboard player with a vocal mic plus two different types of mics in two different locations for the Leslie, a mic each for the two horn players. And then when the "sound guy" gets to the bass player with a 1969 SVT and two 2x15 cabs it is always "Hhhhmmmm tisk tisk tisk... Mind if I DI your rig. It's kind of hard to mic with all the bleed and stuff"???
***!!!! Come on already.
Hired Hand, YOU are my hero! I've had this same lament time after time (although usually at rock clubs, and not bigger gigs) but until now it's almost always uttered under my breath because I also believe (as lots of TBers have mentioned earlier) the best way to sound bad is to piss off the sound engineer during setup or sound check. Although more than bleed, the excuse I usually get is that with a mic'd amp, ultimate control over volume is out of the engineer's hands. Most of these guys (and probably us TBers, too) have had the experience of the guitarist (could be bassist, but let's just say guitarist) who keeps turning up his amp long after sound check. If a bassist does this, it can really wreak havoc with a house PA and the overall sound of the band.
But more to the original point of the original post, mic selection and placement are critical- this would seem an obvious point, but beauty is only in the eye of the beholder. We've all got a different idea of what the perfect tone is. I work with one particular engineer on a fairly regular basis who's idea of great sound is very different from mine. It's a difference I've learned to cope with, because although I would prefer it a different way, lots of people (audience and other musicians alike) have complemented the sound of the band when he's mixing. What are you going to do?
To combat this situation, I have a couple of mics (with stands) that I'll bring with me to gigs. I know how they both sound with different rigs and for different styles of music. Plus, I've never had a sound guy, even at the lamest of the lame Hollywood rock clubs, tell me they wouldn't hook up an EV RE-20 when I pulled it out- It's usually the most expensive mic onstage (not that that really means anything, but it seems to do the trick) and I think they'd feel embarrassed not to use it. I use the EV or Sennheiser MD 421. In a pinch, I actually think an SM57, especially blended with a DI, is not a bad way to go. You get the smooth lows from the DI and midrange growl from the 57- although it's probably best if you're using 10" or 12" speakers.
Finally, if your sound really matters, and you didn't hire the sound guy yourself that night, tip him before you set up. I've never spent a better $5.00/band member. (Except that one time in Calcutta...). A mere $20 will almost always crack the crusty exterior of even the most embittered engineers.
-b
(if I bother that is).
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