Dec 17, 2006 04:45 pm I prefer both on their own tracks so I can mix and match in the mixdown, typically I wind up sticking with the direct sound.
When Recording Bass... Direct in.. or MIC?
Posted on Dec 17, 2006 04:44 pm
m4ca
Member Since: Jul 31, 2006
Which do you guys prefer? i like direct plug in most. but i'm curious to what you guys do.
and if you mic the bass amp, what mic works best? SM57? Condencer Mic?
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Dec 17, 2006 04:45 pm I prefer both on their own tracks so I can mix and match in the mixdown, typically I wind up sticking with the direct sound.
Dec 17, 2006 05:00 pm I think dB is right. A blend of mic'd and direct bass gives a great balance of a solid low end and a defined high end.
But I think that its customary to use kick mics on bass cabinets when you mic them. I don't see why a SM57 wouldn't work though.
Dec 17, 2006 05:01 pm I've used an SM57 on a bass cab numerous times and it works...
Dec 17, 2006 05:50 pm I'm with dB on the both as well. Direct is a more refined and definite sound were the micced cab can have a bit more ambiance and some of the subtle things like the fingers on the strings and just plain a bit more air to the sound. But the direct sound is much more controllable and easier to tame. Shot through a good compressor and given a little bit of warming up and it really sounds better then a recorded micced cab track. But there is really a place for both, or the combination of both.
Dec 17, 2006 09:26 pm I've been wrestling with micing a cab for months, so im gonna vote direct. There is just too much going on with bass to be mic'd easily. It's a worth while task im sure, but its not one i have the time or patience to undertake.
Dec 18, 2006 12:18 am I use both. Usually a Radial DI with a few mics and then I will high/low shelf and bandpass those that I like. say the DI has a good upper mid range, then high and low shelf it to keep that frequency range. if mic 1 has great lows then I'll low pass it while high passing mic 2 for that string sound (i will pick the mics specifically for that purpose)... now I have a full bandwith bass tone from 3 tracks. I compress the tracks slightly individually for controlling the tone and submix those. then i'll send an aux off the submix to another track with for Parallel Compression. You can get very thick tones without walking over everything by balancing the 3 tracks and then add that punch by bringing up the compressed submix.
Dec 18, 2006 04:03 pm This might work out for you. I swear by it, but it all depends on what sound you are going for.
Get a nice, loud bass sound out of your cab, but dont crank it.
Put a mic (preferably large diaphragm like a beta52 or AKG D112) off-axis with the speaker and angled at about 45 degrees. Use a low-pass filter on this mic.
Put a second mic, (smaller diaphragm like an SM57 or 421) right on axis with the same speaker (pointing directly at the middle of the speaker cone). Use a high-pass filter on this mic.
Space both mic's 2-4 inches from the speaker, but make sure they are at equal distance from the cone to avoid phase cancellation. With micing the speaker, I find that I don't have to rely so much on compression because the speaker will act in a similar way that a compressor would.
Dec 18, 2006 04:19 pm I did a track recently. I ran it direct, setup my kick mic real close and then ran a condensor about 4 feet back from it. All in all it was really cool with alot of control.... but I still ended up using more of the direct signal than anything else.
From now on, I run it into an ART V3 and hit record.
My main problem is I have no standalone compressor limiter to use on the incoming signal. My bass recordings will always be lacking because of this no matter how hard I try to play consistently.
Dec 18, 2006 04:46 pm I rely on either the CoSM effects from my BR-532 (I don't record on it, just use it for the effects and to go into my PC via optical cable), and/or a SansAmp Bass Driver D.I.
I haven't used the amp in years.
A good DI box is all you need.
Dec 20, 2006 04:21 am beaxarthur's reply sounds excellent. I wish I could hear that right now. Choosing a DI or bass cabinet amplification depends on the amp and the sound you want. I have played with a bass player who plays through a 1970s Ampeg SVT, and refuses to go through DI because it cuts out the distortion he gets with mic'ing in front of the cabinet, and he also loses control of the sound. As an (electronic) drummer, DI's are cool because of how cut and austere the sound can be. But they also lose the ambience of a good tube amp, so that's the choice. Use both if you can.
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