Micing upright bass?

[Gordon]

I've never done this before and maybe have to do some next week - I've got a meager livingroom setup and not a lot of gear.

Shure SM7 decent for this? It's the best mic I got.

[la grange]

I like tube mic, 47 style, even 251 works for me.
On occasion, I have used ribbon R84 and dynamic like RE20.


Oli

[close/far]

You can get usable results with an SM7. The volume of the instrument is quite low, though, much like recording a singer at times in terms of the massive amounts of gain required. Placement is your friend with the SM7 on upright, and just pray that the muso isn't a mover and a shaker.

[M4-10]

I prefer the RE20 to the SM7 on upright bass. While trying mic positions, check out centered on the bridge, angled up slightly (pointing say 6 inches above the bridge).

It may have been the particular cheap bass I was playing/recording recently, but taking a bunch of 700-800 Hz out was good. A de-esser can help a lot to minimize string slapping noises if that's your aim.

Upright bass with either of those mics will require a lot of gain.

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by close/far

You can get usable results with an SM7. The volume of the instrument is quite low, though, much like recording a singer at times in terms of the massive amounts of gain required. Placement is your friend with the SM7 on upright, and just pray that the muso isn't a mover and a shaker.

besides "move the mic until it sounds good," are there any mic placement suggestions? it's an overdub on a low-tempo song.

[PRobb]

Accoustic bass is one of the more challenging instruments. Is this solo overdub or with a band? If it's just the bass, before you even get to the mic, move him around the room a bit. Listen in the middle, in a corner, in a dead area, next to a reflective wall, etc.

For a single mic, I like around where the neck meets the body, on the high string side about two feet away pointing at the plucking fingers.

Remember that F-holes are bass ports.

An SM-7 would not be my first choice. I do like small diaphragm condensers.

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by PRobb

Accoustic bass is one of the more challenging instruments. Is this solo overdub or with a band? If it's just the bass, before you even get to the mic, move him around the room a bit. Listen in the middle, in a corner, in a dead area, next to a reflective wall, etc.

For a single mic, I like around where the neck meets the body, on the high string side about two feet away pointing at the plucking fingers.

Remember that F-holes are bass ports.

An SM-7 would not be my first choice. I do like small diaphragm condensers.

Thanks - solo overdub.

[PRobb]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Thanks - solo overdub.

Yeah- i just saw that. The joys of cross posting.

What other mics do you have? Pres? Compressors? Accoustic bass gets along really well with a touch of LA-2 style compression.

[edvdr76]

Just recorded an upright last night. My usual set-up for this is a U87 at the bottom part of the instrument. about a foot away and kind'a off to the side a bit. Then I place a 414 about a foot away from where the player is playing the strings. I use the 414 for a bit more snap from the strings. My chain usually varies but I find that some tubes in there really help the overall sound of the instrument. An SM7 might work ok for this application but I think it would have to be placed a lot closer.....

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by PRobb

Yeah- i just saw that. The joys of cross posting.

What other mics do you have? Pres? Compressors? Accoustic bass gets along really well with a touch of LA-2 style compression.

I ain't got crap - it's ironic because I'm a bass player myself, just never had to mic an upright. As a bass-player how many mics do you really need? What I got sounds great on my amp.

got Rode NT1, SM57, and SM7. best pre is SSL Alpha Channel which i love and is pretty damned versatile.

What happened was I recorded an acoustic guitar/vocal song for this excellent female singer that I'm friends with. i thought it was going to just be a demo but it came out fantastic so now we're doing overdubs and who knows where it'll end. I'm a rank-amateur who's bit off more than he can chew.

[PRobb]

I might give the Rode a try. Or if the room is a decent size, the SM-7 close for pluck and note, the Rode distant for low end richness.

For EQ on the way in, there is often a resonance peak somewhere in the 200-400 Hz range. A bit of LMF cut can add a lot of clarity.

[leaper]

If you get problems with the SM7 not being sensitive enough try to place the contra bass in a reflective corner of the room, player's back to the corner.. of course.. don't want them to feel like a naughty victorian school child!
Otherwise, you can improvise a reflective corner anywhere in the studio with a couple of pieces of wood.
That's a rode NT 1A that you have?
If it is, try to use it in conjunction with the SM7.
For example, SM7 in the position that M4-10 suggests and NT 1A higher and further back. Perhaps looking at the neck / body join or even over the right shoulder of the player.
Remember to watch out for phase issues.
It'll be fun!

[BostonBassist]

If that is all you have for available mics, consider taking a direct line (hopefully you got a pickup) along with the mic'd signal - and/or run it through an amp and mic the amp so you can get some more volume...

I am not crazy about the RE20 on upright - but maybe I need to mess with it some more - and perhaps it's just the tone from my bass through it. I regularly use a D112 near the F hole on the bass side with a direct signal from a K&K Bass Master Pro. Occasionally I'll add a sdc on the neck for a bit more growl/string sound....

[amanitas]

Recently did a session wherein we threw up 5 mics and a DI on an upright and it sounded amazing.

That said I think you should be able to get something nice with the mics you have. I'd put the Rode pointing at the left hand fingers, maybe a foot away. Point the SM7 at the bridge, maybe 6 inches away or as close as you can get it without hitting it on accident. Then wrap the 57 in a towel and jam it underneath the strings below the bridge.

Use whichever pre has the most gain for the SM7.

Mix to taste.

[netrom]

Yeah, you need to crank the preamp. I wouldn't recommend 57. I get a lot of noise from the mic itself when I crank it. Maybe it was something wrong with the one I used. Anyway; LDC's where the neck meets the body and additional mics to taste (I like to throw up an extra mic pointing toward the neck to capture some finger work. )

[ebot9000]

dynamic mics can be good on acoustic bass, if you want more attack and less sustain. really depends on the players style (soft player or a hard thumper) and the sound of the instrument, and the song. Sometimes condensors yield a harder to control sound on acoustic bass because there's so much tone, but other times you get a nice natural sound. if the track's going to be dense a dynamic might be better. If it's going to stay just guitar and bass then a more open sounds might be cool.

best to experiment with what you have while the player plays to the song. If you have enough inputs, throw them all up at the same time.

Take a DI if you can. Even though it sounds pretty bad on acoustics, it can be useful.

Also, hard floors are generally helpful with acoustic bass because they help brighten the sound.

make sure you check phase if there are multiple mics or a DI in tandem.

They're so variable in sound and the players are so variable in style, you just have to work it out in the moment!

[Rednose]

I've had good luck with an AT 4050 and the DI line.
He had a decent pre amp for his DI, can't remember the name.
I also compressed it with a DBX 160 VU.
The bassist said it sounded great and it was the quickest anybody ever dialed in his tone in a recording session...
I guess compression would have something to with it?

[Benmrx]

Originally Posted by PRobb

I do like small diaphragm condensers.

I've recently been converterd to fan of SDC mics...... for all kinds of stuff actually. I did a session a couple weeks ago with standup bass and used an Oktava MC-012 with the RED capsule and I thought it turned out pretty darn good.

However, with the choices the O.P. has, I'de say dry the SM57 and don't be afraid to EQ on the way in with that Alpha Channel.

[Bob Amirian]

Try Mojave MA-200.

It's a tube LDC which needs approx. 1h warm-up, but has plenty of tone that works great for the double bass.

It really shines on low and muddy sources, no matter the price and gear pimps' bashing.

Check what master Michael Wagener says about it