Recording Standup Bass

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bodhisan
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Bodhisan

Hillbilly
I saw comments on this a year ago, but didn't need the info then. (Did a search -- and nada). I seem to remember Harvey saying a small condensor (MXL603?) around the bridge area? He's got a pickup, so I'll throw that through a bass sansamp, too.
 
Well everyone has their own method and none are right or wrong. You'll need to experiment and see what wirks for you.
My preferred method is a large condenser about 2 feet in front of the bridge, and a small condenser pointing at the fingerboard near the top of the body.
 
I really like my Rode NTK in this app.
 
I've had good luck with a V67 aimed between the f hole and the bridge.
 
There are two basic approaches.

Approach 1 is to find sweet spots and try to close-mic those.

Approach 2 is to realize that it's a huge sound source, choose one spot at least a couple of feet off the front, and pick one good mic. Obviously the room is part of the solution or of the problem.

And just as you don't want a mic with too much brightness for cymbals, you don't want a mic with too much boominess for URB. I've even engaged a LF rolloff when recording URB, with good results.
 
Recording an upright can be a PITA, because you need a good omni in a good sounding room to do it really good.

Recording an upright together with a band is more difficult because the instrument isn't loud and you'll have to put a cardioid close to it.
But too close will give you proximity bumps and if the player is moving a lot you'll have another problem.

Putting a mic with some foam into the bridge has never worked for me.

Best results I've had was with a Neumann M149 and an MXL V77, but not too close, at least a foot from the bridge and then somewhere between the bridge and the fingerboard.
 
My best results were isolating the upright with a gobo (OK, it was a futon couch, it's my home studio, OK? :D) so that the soundholes were pointing perpendicular to the other instruments being played; I used an AT Pro37R about 8" off the fingerboard at the neck-body join, and an AT3035 about 3' in front, pointed at the bridge, recorded to two tracks. Blended, it was great - you got attack with the SD, woof with the LD.

It takes a little distance for the wave to develop from the instrument if it's a low frequency instrument, which was why I stuck the mic out a couple three feet.

If they have a direct out or pickup, take that as well. If you only want to use one mic, put a mic in front of it and use the pickup for the definition.

Two tracks. You'll love it. :)
 
You might want to put a large over your shoulder and a small (or two) on the holes
 
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