MIKING AN ACOUSTIC BASS??? JAZZ ACOUSTIC BASS

[peulock]

I am working on a salsa project (oddly enough) here in Brazil....never recorded an acoustic bass either miked one, so.... can anybody help???
This is not a regular acoustic bass ...sorry for not knowing the exact name but I would also refer to as a JAZZ ACOUSTIC BASS!!

Thanks a lot!!

[dynomike]

An upright bass perhaps? Are you recording the bass in a full band or overdubbed by itself?

I'd set up some gobo's around in (in the latter case, which I figure is the correct assumption)

Then mic with a supercardoid mic like the EV N/D 468 or 408, or a beyer 201.

If you have the resources, any good LDC a little distance further back from the bass would be nice.. Both mic's pointed directly at the fingerboard, where 12th fret would be. Maybe the supercardoid mic a little closer in and aimed closer to the bridge.

mike

[Professor]

If you mean an upright bass like you'd see in an orchestra (a double bass or bass-viol), but played jazz style, there are lots of mic choices. I used to religiously use an ElectroVoice RE-20 with a direct box connection as well if the player had a pickup. Lately I've been using either a Neumann-Gefell UM-57 or a Neumann U-67 either one in cardioid, and just over the last few days I recorded with an Audio Technica AT-4050 - all with fine results. I generally aim for the right side (when I'm facing the player) pointing into the F-hole at around the same height as the bridge and less than 12" away. Be careful if the player moves alot or if he will be using a bow.

If you mean the acoustic bass guitar that looks like a large acoustic guitar with four rather thick strings, then I'm afraid I've never recorded one, though I'd probably approach it in the same fashion. If it has a pickup, then use a direct box and record that. The pickup/DI sound will typically be brighter, edgier and more nasally on a bass, and won't sound too rich and resonant. Add one or more large diaphragm condensers by the sound hole the way you would for an acoustic guitar's low end. Tube mics would probably be something I'd reach for first. If you have to play in a room filled with other instruments, then it would probably make sense to go to a large diaphragm dynamic (RE-20, Beta-52, SM-7, etc.) but get it closer to the instrument. If the fret noise sounds pretty, then put another mic up where you would for an acoustic guitar - but if it sounds ugly then don't bother.

Either way, if you are at all in doubt, pull out a couple of mics, set them up ahead of the session, give a test listen to them and pick the best two or three (if you can spare the tracks). Then make the final decision in mix down.

If you go with a condenser it will probably pick up a lot of sustain so you might want to gate the bass in mix down so you don't get a muddy samba. You would get sustain with a dynamic, but I'd be worried you might also get less of a clear attack and tone which are important in samba.

Let us know how it turns out.

-Jeremy

[cgarges]

If you mean upright bass, do a search on this site. It's been discussed before.

As Professor said, there's a bunch of options. I've had especially good luck with the BLUE Bottle (not the Baby Bottle), Neumann U47FET, Coles/STC 4038, Audio Technica 4050, Audio Technica 4047, and Audio Technica 4051. A great spot for getting a good blend of definition and fullness is directly behind the fingerboard below where the neck joins the body. Mic positioning can be a really tricky here, especially if the player moves or uses a bow, but I recently found an excellent way to overcome this problem.

I tried a Crown GLM100, which is an omnidirectional lavelier mic, taped to the back of the fingerboard, hanging down maybe an inch from where it ends. The omni pattern helps eliminate muddiness usually associated with proximity effect and it's tiny size makes it completely unobtrusive. If you want a little more low-frequency extension, you can add another mic down closer to the F-holes or in front of the bridge. I'll probably be plenty happy recording upright bass like this for a while.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[penrithmatt]

upright bass.............i like to use an omni mic,like an earthworks or dpa wrapped in foam and wedged in the saddle of the bass,pointing up.you get a nice tone from the body and the snap of the strings.bit of compression smoths things out nicely
or....a u47/royer/di combo.out front about a foot back from the spot where the neck meets the body.whip a bit of la2 style compression on the 47 and off you go.
i was working with norah jones today and we used method two.you'll need to have some gobos around the bass to cut down on spill.

so yeah,today...norah jones band with levon helm on drums and garth hudson on organ.it's 3am.we just finished.fucking great day.one of those that makes you forget all the crap and reafirm why you do this......
goodnight!!!

matthew
www.allairestudios.com

[bigtoe]

so yeah,today...norah jones band with levon helm on drums and garth hudson on organ.it's 3am.we just finished.fucking great day.one of those that makes you forget all the crap and reafirm why you do this......
goodnight!!!

drool. i stole her record from a co-worker this week....a smoldering badass she is.

just beware the f-hole on it's own...a lot of subs down there so make sure you have the monitoring to judge the situation. i like a small diaphragm (451, 4011) somewhere out in front a foot or three pointing near where the fingers hit the strings for clarity...i'd also like to try a beyer 500 in this position...

Have a good weekend....
Mike

[CDSager]

I did a session a little while ago that was just acoustic bass (the kind hat looks like an oversized acoustic guitar), female vocals and the occasional flute.

I Had good results using a C3 out kind of near the 12th fret, maybe 8 inches out, and an AT4055 kind of down near the bridge, maybe 6 inches out. And i panned them so when you listen to it it sort of sounds like you are playing it. I love that kind of shit.


Rock and Roll

[auralman]

Two U87s about 6 inches off the side of the bass pointing at the F holes, panned hard left and right. It's Jay Newland's technique, and it works well.
Sub 4050s or 4033s - same thing.

[percussion boy]

This is not a regular acoustic bass ...sorry for not knowing the exact name but I would also refer to as a JAZZ ACOUSTIC BASS!

I'm wondering if it's one of those Ibanez electric uprights, which a lot of good salsa players use -- played like an upright, but much thinner and narrower since there's no need for a big resonating chamber; I assume it's a solid body.

Of course, if that's what it is you could just DI it . . .

[peulock]

I wanted to thank everyone for sharing their expertise.

This is an Upright bass and totally acoustic, no pick up.

Well there are a few options I won't be able to try it out , due to lack of gear(mics). However after all these comments I have a much better idea about what to do here....


Thanks everyone again and i'll be letting you guys know how it came out, maybe send out a sample of it, so I can hear comments and learn even more!!

Regards,

Fernando