DI for bass not so great...

Jeff_D

Jeff_D

New member
Im using the Direct out from my Hartke Bass head into a channel on my Soundcraft M8 into a 1010lt on PC. the bass leaves something to be desired. Is it even an option to mic a bass cabinet? is so is there a preferable type of mic to use? Can you mic the room instead of the cab? I like the way my rig sounds live. I think i read once about someone who wired a 4" speaker to work as a dynamic mic. any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

thanks- jeff
 
thanks for the quick reply Harvey- thats tradidionally a kick drum mic i think- what about the backwards speaker thing- you probably would know more about that than anyone else. How about a large diaphram condensor (i dont own one yet)? I guess my big concern is this- since bass wave are soo long, can close micing a cabinet capture the source?

thanks for the help, keep em comin, as always appreciated

-jeff
 
I kinda feel a bit redundant replying after Harvey, but yeah, you can certainly mic your bass amp. LD condensors can be used, but LD dynamics like the D112 are the traditional choice. I have used a Peavey 520i LD dynamic for this purpose, and seen Shure Beta 52, Audio Technica ATM25, Senheisser MD421, and others used too. I do also like my Johnson J-station for bass sounds - $150, good guitar and bass amp models. Much better than any of the other direct tones I've gotten. As far as the wavelengths go, you can try close or distant micing (or a combo of both) and see what's best. Most of the mic'ed bass rigs I've seen have been close miced though.

Steve
 
Ill agree with the J-Station....

leave miking a bass cab for the pros (and lots of them use more of the direct signal anyway)

another good DI is the Countryman DI......
 
Bypassing the M8 would make a lot of sense. Why are you running in to that? Seems like useless signal fodder to me.
 
gentlemen- thanks-
tubetude- convenience- but i see what you're sayin
gidge- support our troups- i do- my girlfriends little bro is in the Navy- he should be in the Persian Gulf any day now- i got nothin but respect for our soldiers (except those fuckin moron soldiers who protest and intentionally blow up our own troops- seems like a conflict of interest- what'd they want- just a free ride through school- ugh)

rock and roll
-jeff
 
my wifes little brother is in the Navy also, he is there in the Gulf already......
 
DI can give great results with the right pre and bass.

I did some tracks through the RNP. It sounded thick and full, but still clear.

It also helps to have a good sounding bass, especially if you're going to DI. We tracked with a jazz bass with emg jazz pickups. Even if you have a crappy bass, replacing the pickups will do wonders to your recorded sound as well as your live sound.

Brandon
 
tubedude said:
Bypassing the M8 would make a lot of sense. Why are you running in to that? Seems like useless signal fodder to me.
Click to expand...

I'll second that.You're adding a whole other EQ to the chain that has no business being there.

Have you tried plugging the bass directly into the mixer?You can get some excellent Bass tracks without using a bass amp.The bass amp is gonna sound it's best when interacting with a speaker,not the line out.If you wanna capture the sound of your bass rig you should mic it like harvey suggested.
 
tried plugin the bass directly into the mixer- sound like ass. my bass is an ibanez, slightly modified- with bassline p and j pu- i'll try skipin the mixer all together- the 1010lt has xlr ins- so i'll connect to that when i get a chance to mess with it again- i re-strung and it sounded alot better. if you wanna hear so far you can check this out... www.geocities.com/guardrailrockpunk - enter the site, click on music on the left side- i guess it doesnt sound terrible- just not great...

thanks guys-jeff
 
Hey Jeff!

Just got my 1010lt this Friday!! AWESOME!! Kudos to you and Gidge for spreading the word about it.

It's so great to have something that WORKS!!

I have a J-station, Art tube mp and an Oktava mk319 that could be put to use in your quest for better bass sound if needed.

email me at star4dmhNOSPAM@excite.com (minus the NOSPAM)

Rock on!
Pat
 
I always track with an re20 on the cab and a DI, just to cover it 'cause I never know ahead of time which will fit best. But the di track almost always gets the go. Usually sounds tighter and less boomy. (R&B, ect.)
Wayne
 
Apart from mic'ing uprights, and from the couple of occations where a downright dirty, heavy sound was required, the last time I put a mic in front of a bass cabinet is many years ago.
So in my opinion, the best bass sounds are obtained by going direct.
I have tried taking directs from amps. Quite a few amps. Apart from the THD's, I have yet to find a direct out from any amp to provide a decent result.
Its all down to a good preamp with line level input, or a good direct box. As always you get what you pay for, and I would always "try before you buy".
 
I will third the Countryman DI.

But if you got the cash, and REALLY care about your DI, the Avalon U5 sure works well. :) http://www.avalondesign.com/instrudi.html

I have gotten good results using Line Out's on bass heads before. It is really hit and miss that way though.

When all else fails though, something like a RE-27 in front of the cabinet will work quite well. Just make sure you turn the amp WAY down.

Ed
 
The RNP works pretty well, too.
My favorite right now is running my bass into my Rectifier head and running the slave out directly into the converters... sounds really really good. Add a dab of vintage warmer and poof, pro sound...
 
Don't forget the ART Tube MP. Most people don't like it as a mic pre, but for $79 it's a great buy as a bass DI.

I also bought a SansAmp Bass Driver a few months ago, which is a lot more flexibile than a one-trick pony like the ART Tube MP.
Actually, I started using the SABDDI into the ART and found I like that better than either by themselves. I remember someone else saying they found the same thing (Slackmaster2k, I think?).

The SABDDI is a great buy at $169, but if you're on a tight budget I think the ART is worth checking out.
 
the J-station is soundin like a nice alternative- cheap, and if it sounds as good as alot of people say- it probably worth investigation- tricky- thanks for the offer- i may take you up on that- at this point im still in the learning stages of recording- i.e. not makin a dime off it- i record myself and my band and as i get better, im sure i'll do recording for other bands as well- im close but not quite there yet- so if im gonna go spend 500-1000 theres probably other more wise investments- mics in particular- for me. I do punk rock and rock and roll primarily- which although i dont want it to sound like shit- but im not tryin to obtain the mysterious glow of a great piano, or the sweet embrace of a well seasoned tenor :) - ya know what i mean- but i would like nice relatively clean raw tracks. Im of the opinion that my station in recording currently doesnt require the "finest"- id be happy with raeally good, or pretty good- my goals now encompass "good demo quality"- oh yeah, and dave-o, i have the art tps and that didnt do me much good either- little fucker is noisy!

thanks everyone
-jeff
 
Sounds like you have an impedance mismatch between the output of the DI in your head and the input of your mixer...i can only assume you're plugged into the mic input at the mixer and not the line in...and doesnt that M8 have a switch or a -20db pad on each channel? you might try that...or if theres a phase switch try that....could be a difference in hot pins between two manufacturers.....if not get a countryman DI they arent that expensive and you'll keep it forever...and soundmen everywhere will thank you for throwing that out at em....
 
cavegog- thanks for the new info- the M8 doesnt have phase switch or pad- only a low cut @ 100hz, direct pre, mute and pfl- should i connect into the line in- i've got an adapter (lo-z balanced to hi z unbalanced)- ill try it latter

does anyone know what im refering to to about the speaker wired as a mic? ( see original post)

-thanks- jeff
 
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