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goose134
takin' a dinner break
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 194
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 Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:43 pm Post subject: upright bass micing |
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I've got to help a friend out and do sound for a show. It's turned into quite a cavalcade of performers, including an upright bass. I'm unsure how to mic this. He may have a plug and play setup, but I don't want to count on it. Thoughts?
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Gregg Juke
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Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:35 pm Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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It depends  ... Primarily on a) whether or not there is an amp, and b) whether you want a great sound or just a sound.
Great Sound = multiple blended mikes and miked amp
Sound = a mike pointed at the bridge (or a bridge pick-up like a Fishman), or a mike pointed anywhere in the general direction of the bass.
Be advised that in a live sound reinforcement situation, with hollow-body instruments, there may be a need to be very proactive re: feedback destruction.
GJ |
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mjau
genitals didn't survive the freeze
Joined: 29 Sep 2003
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Location: Ithaca, NY
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| Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:35 pm Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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*Amateur alert*
i've mic'ed up an upright for live performance a grand total of one time, but it seemed to work: Oktava mc012 in omni, down near the bridge and off slightly to the side, and looking up toward the player. I'm sure there's a more tried and true way, but for what it's worth, this one worked pretty well.
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dgrieser
steve albini likes it
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| Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 10:19 am Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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At bluegrass festivals, I've seen a lot of basses mic'ed with a 57 wrapped in foam or cloth, stuffed under the strings between the tailpiece and the bridge, pointed up at the bridge.
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rhythm ranch
moves faders with mind
Joined: 07 May 2003
Posts: 2623
Location: Corrales, NM
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| Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:43 pm Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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| dgrieser wrote: | | At bluegrass festivals, I've seen a lot of basses mic'ed with a 57 wrapped in foam or cloth, stuffed under the strings between the tailpiece and the bridge, pointed up at the bridge. |
Or an EV 635.
Also, I've used an AT4033 about a foot out, but it depends on what the bleed from other instruments is like.
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goose134
takin' a dinner break
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 194
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| Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:57 pm Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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Good tips. I'm thanking my lucky starts there are no drums in this lineup. The hollows of large acoustic instruments just boom away with the drums.
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Brett Siler
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jhharvest
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Joined: 23 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 6:20 am Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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| DPA 4060 with the string attachment holder sounds pretty good and you don't have to worry about the player moving. |
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Scodiddly
ghost haunting audio students
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Posts: 3154
Location: Libertyville, IL, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 8:51 am Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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Mic in the tailpiece is a classic, and rightly so. Something in a hypercardioid mic is even better.
In general you want to point across the body, not directly at it. And avoid the f-holes. |
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SafeandSoundMastering
gettin' sounds
Joined: 02 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 12:17 pm Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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You might well want a pick up on the instrument and also a clip mic on the instrument this way the sound will not change too much as it moves and also a little less spill. A blend of both is normally the way to go.
cheers
SafeandSound Mastering
Mastering dance music |
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MichaelAlan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 2:28 pm Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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This is an awesome thread. My bass player just got an upright and I had no idea how to mic it... some pretty interesting ideas here.
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tonewoods
buyin' a studio
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Location: Orcas Island, WA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:30 am Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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| dgrieser wrote: | | At bluegrass festivals, I've seen a lot of basses mic'ed with a 57 wrapped in foam or cloth, stuffed under the strings between the tailpiece and the bridge, pointed up at the bridge. |
I really like that EV egg-shaped mic (408?) for this...
It's small, and you can pivot the mic till you hit a spot you like, even when wrapped in a sock....
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tonewoods
buyin' a studio
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
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Location: Orcas Island, WA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:31 am Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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| dgrieser wrote: | | At bluegrass festivals, I've seen a lot of basses mic'ed with a 57 wrapped in foam or cloth, stuffed under the strings between the tailpiece and the bridge, pointed up at the bridge. |
I really like that EV egg-shaped mic (408?) for this...
It's small, and you can pivot the mic till you hit a spot you like, even when wrapped in a sock....
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"You see, the whole thing about recording is the attempt at verisimilitude--not truth, but the appearance of truth."
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goose134
takin' a dinner break
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 194
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: upright bass micing |
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| Scodiddly wrote: | Mic in the tailpiece is a classic, and rightly so. Something in a hypercardioid mic is even better.
In general you want to point across the body, not directly at it. And avoid the f-holes. |
This is good. I was hoping for more advice about where to point it. I don't have a lot of mics, but I do have some hypercardoid types I could try out. As for the DI question, I'm not sure if he's got some kind of bridge pickup or not. I'm a little leery of this because I've learned there will be a small amount of percussion and I'm afraid it'll just echo in the bass. Thoughts on this?
In any event, keep em coming, this is good stuff!
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Red Rockets Glare
tinnitus
Joined: 07 May 2003
Posts: 1127
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:08 am Post subject: Upright bass mixing |
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The best sound I have ever gotten out of my upright is by shoving one of those DIY mini-omni mics into the actual wooden bridge hole pointing at the bass.
Here is a link to make the mic.
http://tinyurl.com/6upelak
It gets a great blend of string attack, boom, and it's pretty easy to tape it in place and forget about it.
Someone smart like Avenson should make a line of these things and market them to bass players, I have already had several requests to make them for bassists I have used them on at my place. |
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