• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

what Mic do you use when recording your bass cabinets?

M

Mr.Wednesday

Oct 19, 2009
9
1
#1
Ok so about a week ago my favorite bass cab mic died. I had a Behringer Condenser Mic from the 1990's that sounded great on Bass Cabs. I know it sounds stupid but I promise I got wonderful, lively bass sound out of that mic.

So I wanted to know what some of you use? What would you recommend in the sub 200$ range?

I know an RE20 would sound great...same goes for a U87, U47, MD421 and MD441. However, I don't have that kind of cash.

I use a 1970's Fender Bassman Head into an Ampeg SVT HLE-410 speaker cab.

I've tried the following mics from my microphone cabinet and I'm not happy with any of them:

Shure SM57 (not warm enough)
Shure Beta 52 A (couldn't coax enough lower midrange)
Audio Technica AT4040 (too bright)
CAD Large Diaphram Condenser the one that's gold on one side (bland)
CAD Trion 7000 (not bad but only really works well with a dynamic mic and I'm trying to be economical)
Carvin Tube Condensers (too soft)
EV N/D468 (not enough bass)

...so Let me know your thoughts.

Wednesday
 
#2
I have personal experience with the Shure SM57, and EV N/D468. The Shure, for example will produce down to about 40-45hz. Though maybe not the best choices for recording bass, both will produce enough bass... A little EQ will get you there.

Find the spot on one speaker that sounds best to you, put a mic there. If I have the luxury to record a bass cab in its own room, I prefer mic'ing from a distance where the bass waves have time/space to develop - not too far away though, because room/boundry reflection is a bass killer!

Which brings to mind another problem, room "tuning." Find the spot in the room where the bass sounds the best... which could be the difference of only a couple of inches, or a couple of feet from where it is now. Peaks and nulls in the bass range are difficult to tame. Learning where they are in your recording space is crucial...

Combining DI and a close cab mic is ideal. Mix and match to taste. I like to mix a vintage Fender Deluxe or Princeton amp and a DI signal for bass!! REALLY! The DI gives the sonic range and the amp for the personality and definition (or articulation).

BTW, Paul McCartney used an open back 2x10 Vox cab (intended as a guitar cab) to record much or Revolver and Sgt Pepper!

Enjoy the "journey!"
 
#3
tifftunes said:
I have personal experience with the Shure SM57, and EV N/D468. The Shure, for example will produce down to about 40-45hz. Though maybe not the best choices for recording bass, both will produce enough bass... A little EQ will get you there.

Find the spot on one speaker that sounds best to you, put a mic there. If I have the luxury to record a bass cab in its own room, I prefer mic'ing from a distance where the bass waves have time/space to develop - not too far away though, because room/boundry reflection is a bass killer!

Which brings to mind another problem, room "tuning." Find the spot in the room where the bass sounds the best... which could be the difference of only a couple of inches, or a couple of feet from where it is now. Peaks and nulls in the bass range are difficult to tame. Learning where they are in your recording space is crucial...

Combining DI and a close cab mic is ideal. Mix and match to taste. I like to mix a vintage Fender Deluxe or Princeton amp and a DI signal for bass!! REALLY! The DI gives the sonic range and the amp for the personality and definition (or articulation).

BTW, Paul McCartney used an open back 2x10 Vox cab (intended as a guitar cab) to record much or Revolver and Sgt Pepper!

Enjoy the "journey!"
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help. I do run through a DI at the same time. Depending on the song I run through a standard DI box or in some cases a Tech 21 Landmark 300. While I do enjoy the sound through the direct input I really do like having a mix of both.

I can try the 57 again however I really liked the warmth I got from that garbage condenser.

As for tuning to the room. I have to tell you that I actually spent quite a good deal of time on this. I record at my own facility and am lucky enough to have a quasi pentagonal shaped room with no true parallel sides. I really liked the sound I got out of the room until my mic died. I just figured this might be a good time to upgrade while still keeping costs low.

Thanks for the help.
 
#6
superbassman2000 said:
after seeing that mike gordon thread with the yamaha subkick mic, I'd like to see how that sounds alongside another mic that someone would consider not being bass-y enough
Click to expand...
it would probably be fine but you can accomplish the same thing by blending a di and a mic.

as for mics, there just isn't much in the < $200 range that'll get it done by itself.
 
#7
tifftunes said:
I like to mix a vintage Fender Deluxe or Princeton amp and a DI signal for bass!! REALLY! The DI gives the sonic range and the amp for the personality and definition (or articulation).

BTW, Paul McCartney used an open back 2x10 Vox cab (intended as a guitar cab) to record much or Revolver and Sgt Pepper!
Click to expand...

I'm with you on the small amps thing. I've gotten some pretty decent tones out of a 12-watt silverface Musicmaster Bass amp recently.

http://www.soundclick.com/tusec

The E Minor song is the Musicmaster mic'd with an AT3035 condenser.

My feeling about mics for bass is that there is a point of diminishing returns that happens pretty early in the price/quality continuum. Like I think a decent mic will get you 90% of what a great mic will get you. To me, the effects of mic placement easily swamp the relatively subtle differences in mics.
 
#8
I've found that we've come to a point , even with basic home recordings, where everyone should go direct.

That tiny bit of extra personality you get from a rig isn't worth the time and money it takes to duplicate it in the studio. It also kills the vibe spending too much time on a sound. It's easier to go direct, get a decent sound and just play -- and work towards the tone you want afterward.

You'll also have a better chance of getting the best sound for the song instead of being stuck with a set concept.

Just an opinion. Just sayin.'
 
#10
plangentmusic said:
I've found that we've come to a point , even with basic home recordings, where everyone should go direct.

That tiny bit of extra personality you get from a rig isn't worth the time and money it takes to duplicate it in the studio. It also kills the vibe spending too much time on a sound. It's easier to go direct, get a decent sound and just play -- and work towards the tone you want afterward.

You'll also have a better chance of getting the best sound for the song instead of being stuck with a set concept.

Just an opinion. Just sayin.'
Click to expand...

i recorded a band last night and miced the bass amp. i took a DI as well just for S&G's. i normally apply effects to it and bury it. took maybe 5 minutes to mic his cab. sounded amazing.

if you know what you're doing, and you're well equipped, a mic is easy. ive got a 421 that i got for 200 dollars on ebay. i use it every time. always good in a mix.

why try to recreate an expensive amp via DI? get an adequate mic and spend 5 minutes EQ'ing to the track as you will with every source in your song.
 
#11
plangentmusic said:
I've found that we've come to a point , even with basic home recordings, where everyone should go direct.

That tiny bit of extra personality you get from a rig isn't worth the time and money it takes to duplicate it in the studio. It also kills the vibe spending too much time on a sound. It's easier to go direct, get a decent sound and just play -- and work towards the tone you want afterward.

You'll also have a better chance of getting the best sound for the song instead of being stuck with a set concept.

Just an opinion. Just sayin.'
Click to expand...
thank you for the wrong opinion :D

you have no idea how strongly i disagree with that opinion. i don't buy into a single bit of it. in order to buy into it, i would have to buy into the concept that it's impossible to eq a mic'ed amp signal. i have done it a million times successfully, though, so that's actually a load that you're stuck with whatever it is when you record with an amp, and that's not an opinion.

it takes a couple extra minutes to mic up a cab as opposed to plugging into the board directly. big deal. it kills no vibe whatsoever, and can actually add vibe that you don't get from the di, especially for those like me who aren't fans of a di.

so i believe we've come to a point where everybody should do as they please, whether it's di or mic. speaking for everybody is risky business because you're just inviting people like me to prove you wrong.
 
#12
I'm with you on this one Jimmy! I like small tube amps best for bass, and add only a little low end from the DI if I needed it. Given enough space to let a big amp wail is really nice too! Usually not an option for my sits.

I find most amp/mic/pre signal chains are "livelier," and/or have more personality than DI... Which inspires better performances... IMO/IME.
 
#13
My head allows the EQ to go through the DI. Seeing as most of my tone comes from my head, I feel that is enough for me. Maybe if I had better cabs, I might think about a mic too. But £150 minimum for a good mic could go into my new bass fund, so no thanks.
 
#17
I combo I have liked recently is a sennheiser E602 with a shure KSM32. I put the E602 on the 15 inch low driver and the KSM near the tweeter. The amp is a Hartke 15" combo.

Mixing these two I get a really big sound at low volumes. Which is a great thing for me since I record at night when the rest of the family is asleep. :)
 
#18
Use a combination of two mics:
1. Your best overall LDC (to capture a nice full spectrum)
2. SM57 for what it does (capture tight focused mids)

The 57 adds great personality to the LDC track.
It captures a certain bite/raw-edge that the LCD won't

By balancing the two mics, you can find a bass tone that works well for nearly any scenario.

If you have the physical space, decent gear (and can deal with the noise), mic'ing a cab isn't hard.
Sometimes it's quicker/easier to just record a great sounding amp/cab than to futz with trying to dial in a good (sim) tone after the fact. That's not to say you can't dial in good AmpSim sounds... but there's something about the immediacy of recording a good sounding amp. Just as there is with recording a great sounding acoustic guitar, piano, etc...
 
#19
plangentmusic said:
I've found that we've come to a point , even with basic home recordings, where everyone should go direct.

That tiny bit of extra personality you get from a rig isn't worth the time and money it takes to duplicate it in the studio. It also kills the vibe spending too much time on a sound. It's easier to go direct, get a decent sound and just play -- and work towards the tone you want afterward.
Click to expand...

Sounds defeatist to me - tell that to my guitarist who was pissing around with the soundguy for half an hour getting "his sound" then I just literally had 1 minute getting "my sound"...which was pretty much just D.I.

I'm gonna start getting AS anal about my sound as guitarists do about their sound and if anyone starts moaning at me for it well they can go bollocks coz my tone/sound is just as important regardless of what any soundguy tells me - thats why I ALWAYS set the DI on my amp to post eq.

Oh yeah - beta 52 worked well for me last time...
 
#20
You should be able to find an RE20 for about $230 on eBay or CL if you're willing to wait for one.

But if you're used to the condenser sound... try a RODE NT-1 or NT-1A. (The NT-1 is discontinued, but still pops up on eBay). They can be had for < 200 on eBay and are a great all-around condenser. (Great as drum overheads as well). It's not really a bass mic, but if you're comparing it to a (relatively) cheap condenser from the 90's, the Rode may be able to produce the same sound as the old Behringer.

(Or if you're married to that sound, just find another old Behringer on eBay or CL.)
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back