Mic for bass cabs?

H

hemmick reef

New member
I use for all of my recordings.
But I am wondering what other dedicated mic options there are for recording a bass cab in a home studio setup?

Secondly I use amp modelling mostly for guitar, but on occasions I would like to mic up a guiar amp, so if there is a more general mic that could cover both, bass & guitar cab duties well what options are there?

Thanks
 
I like:

AKG D112
Sennheiser MD441, MD421
Beyer Dynamic M69, M88
EV RE-20
Shure SM-57, SM-7

I remember Steve Albini using/prefering an sdc on a bass cab.
I don't remember which, you might wanna read the forums on electrical.


I think most of these mics work for both guitars and bass.


good luck !

-Arno
 
never worked with it but since all the ones i've mentioned are dynamics it's possible. You can bring them up really close to the speaker/grill and still get a great sound!

You can also try moving the cab around in the room to get a better balance.

Also, what cab are you using and what genre of sound are you after ?


-Arno
 
A U87 ain't too far from common, however I assume we are talking budget here.


A Shure beta 52 is another one to consider, but as well as alot of other low freq mics, it's a tailored response mic.The 52 was the original to be introduced specifically for low end applications in the 90s. The other companies followed suit soon afterwards.



However, with the 52, it naturally gives punch, so you might want to go easy on compression if you use this type of mic.


Also, some ribbon mics are notable for thier low end response. But I suppose you just have to try out different positions. Perhaps try covering the amp and mic with a thick blanket to help those reflections. However, in doing that, you might have to watch the low mids and EQ after putting on the blanket.



You can try the DI/Mic cab-to-grill method. Or you can place the mic a few feet away from the amp in a good room. Some people even use an additional mic to mic the back of the amp as well.

I suppose the last note I want to mention is, don't get stuck into the notion that "the larger the diaphram, the better", which is simply not true. Comparing mics will be the best way to get instant feedback on what mic you prefer for micing bass cabs.
 
I usually record bass DI. But when I do mic a bass cab, I usually use a combination of the RE-20 and an MD 421, with the 421 snug on the cab, and the RE-20 about 2 feet back to allow the lower frequency wave forms the distance they need to develop properly. When doing this you need to listen and play with the placement to avoid phasing issues, but these two mics blended together usually give a really nice tone.
 
Most bass cabs have a direct out that can be plugged directly to the line in on your interface/mixer, they don't sound the best but with a little EQ they can be made to sound pretty good. It is a case by case basis. If I can make it sound good with that, I'll usually just do that. Sometimes I'll borrow a Countryman DI from a local studio owner that is a friend of mine, but I've only used that a couple of times, I was pretty impressed though.
 
Bass is so damned subjective...Some days direct (SP VTB1, Behri VAmpPro, Acoustic 370 preamp out, whatever's in favor with me), and sometimes I'll mic the cab, depending on the sound I want...But I ALWAYS use a DI to blend with the mic (I've only used the Senn MD421 II so far, it's been perfect for my purposes and really takes the SPL)...

...Mic'ing the cab is the tough part. I run through an Ampeg SVT50DL, and the mic placement possibilities are endless...

Eric
 
the AT4033 works very well,
along with the re20 (i like this mic because i can get it in the grill and not have a ton of proximity effect, which i personally find annoying on bass)
or the b52
 
Didn't you just get a Brick? You can use that for DI. If you are using it for your mic and need another box, a used GT Ditto (@$150 or so lately) or a used Radial JDI (@$100) would work well. Lots of good DI boxes out there and some are pretty inexpensive. GT also makes an inexpensive passive DI --

http://www.groovetubes.com/product.cfm?Product_ID=2106

For mics, EV RE-20 or Sennheiser MD421 would be standards, although a Beyer M380, Beyer M88, Audio Technica ATM25 or Audix D6 could be used too.
 
Yes I did get the brick, I am just looking at options for recording good bass, as I have an old amp.

I just noticed part of my original post is missing. It should read:

'I have a groove Tubes GT67 valve mike, and a PZM mic which I use for all of my recordings.'
 
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