Recording Double Bass Inquiries (microphone choice)

[jacofox]

Hey,
for an assignment I need to allocate and position microphones for a full jazz band. I've completed allocating what microphones I see fit for guitar, drums, vox, brass and keys but am having trouble on the double bass.

We need to assume there is no pickup built into the bass (so no DI). I want to place a mic on the neck for finger noise and another near the body for the lower fundamental frequencies.

The microphones I have available are;
- a Neumann TLM 170
- AKG C414
- Sennheiser MD421
- 2x Rode NT1
- Rode NT2

any ideas...i'm totally lost here, especially when it comes to avoiding phase cancellation...

Thanks

[ajfarber]

There are different kinds of bass players. Bass players with a big sound who usually play without an amp. They may use gut strings or steel strings and have high to medium high action. The other type of bass player is the "amp jockey". The amp-jockey usually plays very low action steel or black nylon strings and always uses an amp. Their own acoustic sound is so soft that it will be impossible to record them acoustically without the use of a DI or bass amp. Let's hope you don't get an amp-jockey.

With all of that said, I like to use a SDC on the plucking hand of the bass and a ribbon on the body just under the f-hole on the G-string side.

The mics you have make this difficult. You can try the Sennheiser on the body and the TLM170 on the fingers in a super-cardioid pattern or figure-8.

Should work. Unless you're recording an amp-jockey.