P-Bass mic'ing

Hello all,

Which microphones work well for recording a Precision bass? We're doing primal raw rock n roll so I need a mic with some attitude you know? Thanks so much in advance!

PinkStrat

Pink:

Try an EV RE20 blended in with a touch of DI. If you want something a little more ragged with less bass, an SM57 will always do.

Hi Spose,

Yep, Scott P. is never wrong & it also sounds like you've got some good advise on the C 4000B condenser too! Have a quick question about the appropriate distance to use the C 4000B at? How far away from the speakers do you usually place it & which pattern/pad settings do you use on this microphone for your own rig when recording? Thanks a lot.

Spose has some good advice.

Pink:

"Always right?" :LC

That AKG is a good choice for some air. I was thinking of using the RE20 for close micing with the DI blended in to add some definition. An RE20 is not an appropriate mic for distant micing. For that genre, I think you want something a little drier and immediate than distant micing alone but that's just my opinion.

Most studios are constructed to prevent standing waves but you should still experiment with distant mic placement so you don't wind up with your mic stuck in a null and your low frequencies disappear.

Another neat trick to alter the direct/reverberant mix of your distant mic is to alter the height of the mic. You will get maximum direct sound with the mic laying on the floor and greater ambience as it is raised. This is a neat trick for a frequency limited device like a bass amp but can cause some noticeable comb filtering on things like vocals, strings and pianos if you are not careful.

Scott & Spose,

FYI our recording studio will be some guy's house, so I am planning for the "anything can work" approach having various things at our disposal. Spose, which SansAmp is floatin' your boat...the Bass DriverD.I. or the RBI rack? I am also considering to upgrade the MIM Precision's stock pickup to either a Fralin Vintage P or maybe the Fender '62 Original Precision pickup. Angela's got a big sale on them now.

I do wonder which unit will sound better when the instrument's body wood is of poplar? I am sure that the Lindy P is really true to form. I've heard that if the P-Bass' pickup has less DC resistance [ say around 7.5 K ohms] the pickup will have much more detail than the usual 10 K ohm D.C. reading of the Fender. All I know is that we want a big fat GRUNT and grinding Bass sound.

I'm trying to guess what will do the job the first time---I'm still so new to bass playing & it's a bit of a mystery! Sure is a BLAST tho'... We also have access to an old Ampeg V-4 head and a several cabinets [one is a 4-10 while the other is a 115]. Thanks again for all your help.

Hi Spose,

Tried the SansAmp Bass Driver DI & C 4000B out last night--they do a wonderful job. That DI is pretty freaking nice sounding all by itself as well. Are you using the SansAmp BSDR DI yourself?

We're going into the studio in a few weeks so after we're done I'd love to show you what went down. Gonna be fun, that's for certain...I guess the regular Sanamp Classic might work for bass too, but the Bass Driver DI is much better from what I have heard thus far. More "air" to the effected sound.

When recording a bass or an acoustic guitar, I've always had alot of luck with my Countryman DI. You can always add low's or hi's and shape the tone at the mixer. But if you insist on a mic for the extra "raw" edge, I agree with the other guys by adding a little SM57 to the mix.