Talk to me about mic'ing a bass amp

[Matt Crooks]

So I've only mic'ed a bass amp a couple of times, and I think I'm just getting lucky, since I don't really know what I'm doing there Or maybe, it's just as easy as I think?

I have an SVT Classic and a 6x10. I've mic'ed it with at D6 and a yamaha subkick and it's sounding really nice, but perhaps a bit too bassy.

I have a bunch of mic's available (112s, 421, 57s, LDC, SDC, ribbon), what do you all use? Do you compress the mic'd tracks to "tape"? Any tips on mic placement?

Thanks in advance...

 

[doclegion]

I like a nice clean Bass sound so i use the direct out if i mic i just throw a beta out there.

 

[everybody's x]

I use a 4033 about a foot back looking at the dustcap of a 10" speaker
about the only thing I really like with a 4033

a 421 does a good job as well

combined with a di/sansamp

distorted as fuck of course
I usually compress on the front end and at mix

 

[sparkyness]

EX is on the money.....most of my pro sessions were done with my old SVT rig & cab miked from 8-12" back (57's or 421's) + DI. Have done straight DI for mellow shite, but love the sound of a cranked old SVT.

Never had too much of a problem finding a tone with the above so long as it was a semi-decent bass with new strings. I've played all kinds of shit basses and so long as I had a set of DR's handy, I can get a vaguely decent tone out of it.

I tend to hit the thing fairly consistently so only mildly compress (if at all) on the way in....mix tends to be anywhere from slightly squished to completely flattened depending on the dynamics of the track.

I like to get a lot of my lows from the DI track rather than the amp, but it's the opposite in the mids/high end of the spectrum.

 

[KeithRT99]

421's are great, 57's aren't bad either, get a di track as well. I actually find it really easy to get a good mic'd sound out of a bass amp, in comparison to mic'ing guitar cabs.

 

[Exocaster]

421's are great, 57's aren't bad either, get a di track as well. I actually find it really easy to get a good mic'd sound out of a bass amp, in comparison to mic'ing guitar cabs.

I like 57s to get some more mids going, especially with distorted tones. LDCs are cool as well. I'll generally combine the mic or mics with a DI signal.

How do you guys deal with tweeters in a bass cab? Mic 'em and blend? Ignore 'em? (my preferred method )

 

[sparkyness]

My Ampeg cab had a "tuneable" tweeter so I could drop it down 10db or turn it off. It was always at either setting depending on mood/need. I don't recall ever sticking a mic on it and dread to think what that would've sounded like

 

[Matt Crooks]

Cool, guys, thanks. For the distored bass, are you cranking the gain on the SVT, or using a pedal?

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I use a 57 (just one) and the low z out on the amp. Sounds fantastic, if distortion needs to be added I just throw it on later.

 

[sparkyness]

Cool, guys, thanks. For the distored bass, are you cranking the gain on the SVT, or using a pedal?

Usually used to just crank the thing. I've used a TS-9 before as well, but prefer the driven amp.

I've gone down the Sansamp Bass Driver route these days to get most of my sound as I love the dirty tones on that thing. I have access to a crusty old SVT if needed though.

 

[alexrookie]

hi matt,

i used a 57 for years ( now it is a sm7 ) on a 10" speaker and recorded the di track as well.
for distortion i just copy the mic track and run it through amplitube 'rock pick' preset and hi pass it.
so i have the di limited as hell and with a hi cut at something like 100hz.
the mic track that hasn't got that much bass but mids.
and the hi passed dist track at something like 6oo hz or higher.

of course, they are not recorded with limiting or filter cuts.
just some compression from the rnc (super nice mode) with something like 2-3 dB gain reduction.

mic placement?!: well, quite similar to recording a git cab works well for me!!!

oh and the tweater in the bass cab is turned off - there's just some noise i don't like!


many people i know and heard of use ldc's on the cab and that is what i will try in my next production, the only problem is, that i am quite sattisfied with the result i am getting right now with my sm 7, but we'll see.

i never used these BD mics like d6 or d 112 on a bass - i don't know why, i just didn't want the boost on the bass and the cut on the lower mids that these mics have in their frequency curve. - but as told, i never used one so they might work well!!!!


best,

alex

 

[greyskull]

beta 52, d112 57 or 421 are all great

 

[metalkingdom]

112 centered or FET 47 4"back with the d/i going to Avalon U5. Hermaphrodite tone....tits and balls.

 

[Razorjack]

112 centered or FET 47 4"back with the d/i going to Avalon U5. Hermaphrodite tone....tits and balls.

The FET U47 and Avalon U5 DI (or a Ridge Farm Gas Cooker) was what I was going to say too. Though a simple 57 and passive DI will do in a pinch.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Yeah I was gonna add that it is 10" speaks that I was using, I imagine a 57 on a 15" would sound like ass.

 

[Matt Crooks]

I've DI'd everything with the U5. Don't have a FET 47 but I've got a couple of 112s, so I'll try those. Has anyone tried a ribbon on bass amp?

 

[Razorjack]

I've DI'd everything with the U5. Don't have a FET 47 but I've got a couple of 112s, so I'll try those. Has anyone tried a ribbon on bass amp?

I ran an old Coles STC-4038 on my cab a while back and it sounded pretty bad-ass, also tried a 121 and that sounded pretty cool but had too much room sound for my tastes.

 

[Jaymz]

What Vst's are good for overdriving a bass signal? EVERY one ive tried is terrible.

 

[Ermz]

112 centered or FET 47 4"back with the d/i going to Avalon U5. Hermaphrodite tone....tits and balls.

What's the difference between the FET and the regular U47?

I've heard about the U47 used relatively close up with great results. And by D112 centered, do you mean centered on the cab or the speaker?

 

[KeithRT99]

fet is transistor, regular is tube.