miking bass w/ shure pg52

[mferguson]

I read that the shure pg52 bass drum mic is good for miking bass guitar, but I'm finding that I have to crank the amp up really loud to get the input level up to the -6 to 0 db range, & that causes the amp to buzz a helluva lot.

Is it normal for that mic? is it normal for the bass amp to buzz so much at high volumes? (it's a crate bx-100)

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I read that the shure pg52 bass drum mic is good for miking bass guitar, but I'm finding that I have to crank the amp up really loud to get the input level up to the -6 to 0 db range, & that causes the amp to buzz a helluva lot.

Is it normal for that mic? is it normal for the bass amp to buzz so much at high volumes? (it's a crate bx-100)

I can't speak to that specific amp, but it's normal for all sorts of git amps to "buzz a lot" when you crank them up; they are not exactly bastions of cleanliness at high volumes.

There are a couple of questions here: the first is what are you using as a preamp for that mic; i.e. what are you plugging it into? And second, when you say "-6 to 0 dB", what kind of dBs are you talking about? Are you saying dBVU on a mixer input, or dBFS on a digital recorder/computer, or something else?

if you're talking about digital dBFS levels, you're trying to record too hot. If you're talking about dBVU on the analog side, then we come back to the question of the preamp.

And finally, have you tried recording the bass direct? Unlike electric guitar, this is a very popular method with bass. The amp tends not to add all that much more character to a bass other than some natural compression, and miking a large diaphragm speaker can sometimes be tricky.

G.

 

[mferguson]

I'm recording on a Roland VS-2480. Don't have an external pre-amp for the mic. Yes, I've tried direct but am experimenting w/ miking amps right now. Also I don't have a DI box.

 

[darrin_h2000]

Il let you in on a secret...about 90% of what you hear on the radio has the Bass going direct in...you should have a direct in on that recorder...if you want you can reamp with it too.

 

[mixsit]

I read that the shure pg52 bass drum mic is good for miking bass guitar, but I'm finding that I have to crank the amp up really loud to get the input level up to the -6 to 0 db range, & that causes the amp to buzz a helluva lot.

Is it normal for that mic? is it normal for the bass amp to buzz so much at high volumes? (it's a crate bx-100)

If that is digi' level you should be shooting for -10 or 15 sustained notes, peaks -6 or so. But not enough level micing an amp? Odd. And you have the recorder input up presumably? (Does the amp put out clean signal at other volumes?
Seems something is out of whack.

 

[mixsit]

Il let you in on a secret...about 90% of what you hear on the radio has the Bass going direct in...you should have a direct in on that recorder...if you want you can reamp with it too.

So... don't?

 

[mferguson]

If that is digi' level you should be shooting for -10 or 15 sustained notes, peaks -6 or so. But not enough level micing an amp? Odd. And you have the recorder input up presumably? (Does the amp put out clean signal at other volumes?

Yes, it's pretty clean at a lower volume. This mike is normally used for miking bass drum, so I assume it's not very hot, but like I said I've read people use it for miking bass guitar & I'm wondering how they do it. An external preamp I guess... and I'm apparently recording too hot.

BTW, why is digital db different from analog?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

BTW, why is digital db different from analog?

Decibels are like degrees. Degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celcius and the degrees in an angle are all different things. Similarly, decibels on the analog VU metering scale and digital decibels in dBFS (dBFS, or decibles full-sacle) like you see in your computer software do not have the same relative values. There are also other types of decibels just under the visible surface, such as dBV and dBu, which measure actual signal voltages, and upon which the dBVU and dBFS meters we see are ultimately based, though again the numbers are different. There's even dBSPL, which is the measure of loudness coming out of your loudspeakers, which are still rated in decibels, but not measured in the same numbers as the rest of the dB types.

It can all get confusing for the beginner, for sure. Just understand that 0dB on an analog meter like an analog mixer is not the same as 0dBFS as read on the digital meter in your recording software. In fact 0dBVU can equal anywhere from -22 to -14 dBFS, depending on just how your A/D converters are calibrated. So if you;re trying to record at 0dB FS digital on your Roland, that's actually some 14-22 decibels hotter than the "normal" 0dB VU many of us are used to from the analog world (such as analog cassette recorders or analog mixers.)

If you want to dive into it in detail, as well as what to check for in your Roland's specs to see what it's exact calibration is), head over to www.independentrecording.net and click on the resource icon labeled "Metering and Gain Structure", and check out the section on metering.

G.

 

[mixsit]

.. This mike is normally used for miking bass drum, so I assume it's not very hot, but like I said I've read people use it for miking bass guitar & I'm wondering how they do it. An external preamp I guess...

Mic on an amp -a fairly robust signal shouldn't need a special preamp.