Mics for recording double bass

[Beer of the Bass]

I've been starting to try and get some tunes recorded at home, and getting a double bass sound that I'm happy with has been a bit of a stumbling block. I thought I'd put the thread in this section as not everyone with recording experience is browsing the double bass section. I've been using a Red5 Audio RV12 mic, which is an inexpensive cardioid condenser. I don't have a great sounding room, so I've been placing the mic relatively close to avoid too much room ambience. I'm happy with the Red5 for acoustic guitar and other instruments in that range, but I've been struggling with the low end being 'lumpy' and hard to tame with EQ when recording my double bass, even when trying a few different positions and avoiding the f-holes. It's been viable for demos or when mixed with a pickup for the low end, but I feel like it could be better. I'm wondering if this might be due to the proximity effect with a cardioid mic, and whether I might have better results with a different mic, perhaps an omni.

So, are there any particular recommendations for an affordable mic that might work well for pizz double bass in this setting? I can't go for anything particularly fancy, maybe £100 or £200 at the absolute upper limit.  I'm using my Zoom R24 as an interface, into a laptop running Cubase.

 

[Dad3353]

47 minutes ago, Beer of the Bass said:

...So, are there any particular recommendations for an affordable mic that might work well for pizz double bass in this setting?...

There's some useful stuff here ...

How to recorde a DB ...

My suggestion, if you can't record in another room, is to invest in a second, large-diaphragm condenser mic, and capture two signals. Optimise for each, then blend to taste. The mics would have to be spaced apart (the Rule of Three..? Distanced apart at least three times the distance of the closest to the bass...). One mic to capture lows, further out (so more room ambience, but that can be filtered out somewhat when mixing...), the other close to the bridge, to pick up the soundboard. Your interface will handle this with ease, and a large-diaphragm can be bought for well under that budget (the Behringer C3 is around £40 or so; we use Superlux, which are rather good, but I can't see any for sale right now...). You'll need to experiment with placement, of both the instument in the room, and the mic(s...) positioning, which implies having a full bucket of patience on hand.
Hope this helps, a little... 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Dad3353

[Beedster]

Dad's points are spot on. Worth adding that if you're like me and move around a lot an H-clamp can help https://exploraudio.com/categories/instrumounts-h-clamp-/1/. I use a Heil PR-40 mic which was recommended by a few folks on here a few years back, occasionally they can be picked up used for within your budget. I got a bit obsessive about recording DB but found that a lot of tonal and acoustic nuances I was trying to achieve when tracking and playing back solo'd were completely lost in the mix, although the degree to which this is true for you will depend a lot on what type of music you're playing of course. Good luck, a lot of fun to be had and as per the above, a fair bit of patience needed

 

(And please keep it to yourself but I found that conservative use of reverb, an effect I normally stay well clear of, seemed to work well with DB.)

[Happy Jack]

I was having reasonable success with a Samson C01 large diaphragm condenser before I decided to go crazy upmarket.

They're normally £69 but I've just found that DV247 are selling them at £45 delivered: https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Samson-C01-Large-Diaphragm-Condenser-Microphone-/art-REC0004572-000?campaign=GShopping/GB&ProgramUUID=5G_AqJarZwoAAAFl0FZyjI8V&gclid=Cj0KCQjwi7yCBhDJARIsAMWFScPHV1RKw6AJclMwHo4zKime7CsqEG-_iLV3ncCfC20k0mIR8pB2_p0aAsUNEALw_wcB

Even at that price, the mic comes with an adaptor for any mic stand and a solid case.

For me that's a no-brainer, so 🙄 I've just bought a second one to make a pair. They're also absolutely ideal for drumkit overheads ...

 

[dodge_bass]

Recording upright bass - there’s a rabbit hole you’ll never get out of! I’ve found that a very small diaphragm mic

(I use https://www.audio-technica.com/en-gb/pro35?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0caCBhCIARIsAGAfuMw2mk8_d3MJYlF4QHWWHMJCLV9hGEPGl_GebfG9TtuYDBlmMEbEDzEaAl9eEALw_wcB#701=298)

has worked wonders for my bass. started with a Rode NT2a which was great but quite boomy and a bit uneven. I’ve also accepted that I need to do quite a lot of post recording EQ and multi band compression to really even it out. And for me the main surprise has been just how much bottom end I’ve had to cut out of the signal.

Ultimately though upright basses are such individual beasts that you’ll just need to experiment lots until you find the sound you’re really into. Good luck and enjoy the ride!

[WinterMute]

Room plays such a big part in recording an upright, it's such a physically big instrument that close mics never really do it justice, other advice about multiple mics is solid, I've found something bright and present close into the finger board, around the centre of the speaking length of the string, works very well for the detail, but the essential mic is always something big and sensitive a bit further out, mix to taste.

If the scary expensive mics are beyond you, there are some excellent offerings form people like Sontronics these days, particularly second hand, the Orpheus isn't bad at all, but if you can pick up an Omega second hand, that's a great valve mic for around £300. Their STC3 solid state is cheap and cheerful. Rode do some good cheap large diaphragm condensers, as do SE.

[Beedster]

13 hours ago, dodge_bass said:

And for me the main surprise has been just how much bottom end I’ve had to cut out of the signal.

Absolutely, sounds lovely soloed, can turn to mush in the mix