The acoustic string bass is one of the hardest instruments to record for a variety of reasons. First, the tone depends largely upon the player. Second, mic placement is extremely important, and lastly usually the bass is played in a live setting like a jazz trio where it's placed very close to other instruments. That means that there may be leakage from those instruments to contend with. With all that in mind, let's look at how to mic an acoustic bass. Mic position is everything when recording acoustic bass. Just like with an acoustic guitar close miking the f-hole makes the sound muddy with no definition.
So, another approach is needed. (music playing) Perhaps more than any other instrument the bass needs space to really sound right. Place a mic end below the bridge about 18 inches away. This should give you some nice definition along with all the body of the instrument.
(music playing) Also, try to move the mic a bit closer, and move to the position that gives you the right balance of body to definition. (music playing) What kind of mic should you choose? Ribbon mics and string bases seem made for each other, but a nice condenser mic also works as well.
Let's take a listen to how they sound. (music playing) Don't fret if you don't have any of those microphones. Any kind of mic will give you good results with the right placement. It may not have the same low end, but it can still get you a good recording. (music playing) That's one way to mic an acoustic bass.
Place the mic below the bridge of the instrument about 18 inches away. Move it in closure, a further away to get the best combination of body and definition. (music playing).
Author
Released
10/24/2012- Optimizing your listening environment
- Listening to how different microphone types affect recording
- Choosing the right microphone for the right recording application
- Positioning microphones for a wide variety of recording scenarios
- Utilizing proper gain staging, preamps, and direct boxes
- Avoiding phase cancellation
- Using a compressor, equalizer, and high-pass filter during recording
- Setting up a headphone mix
- Adding the right amount of compression or equalization
- Capturing great sounds from drums, guitars, basses, keyboards, pianos, strings, and vocals
- Creating a great drum set sound
- Getting the best out of any singer
- Dealing with microphone leakage
- Utilizing a variety of stereo miking techniques
- Setting up and producing a recording session
- Creating a rough mix in any digital audio workstation (DAW)
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
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Introduction
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Welcome2m 7s
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Using the exercise files1m 29s
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1. Monitoring
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Setting up your monitors4m 17s
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2. Microphone Basics
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Exploring direct boxes1m 9s
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3. Recording Basics
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Choosing a preamp1m 35s
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Setting up the mic preamp1m 39s
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Setting the record level2m 29s
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Using proper gain staging1m 46s
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Avoiding latency3m 51s
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4. Microphone Placement Basics
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Choosing the right mic2m 24s
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The secret to mic placement2m 12s
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Checking polarity3m 9s
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5. Recording the Drums
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Tuning the drums2m 19s
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Tuning tips and tricks2m 26s
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Using a subkick microphone1m 31s
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Adding a bottom snare mic1m 45s
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Miking the hi-hat2m 14s
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Miking the toms2m 24s
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Miking the cymbals3m 14s
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Miking the overall kit1m 25s
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Using room mics2m 2s
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Getting the drum sound2m 47s
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Checking the drum phase2m 18s
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Panning the drums2m 25s
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Tracking a solo drum part1m 10s
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6. Recording the Guitar
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Tracking the guitar part1m 11s
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7. Recording the Bass
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Miking the bass amplifier2m 13s
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Tracking the bass part1m 11s
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8. Recording Vocals
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Recording a scratch vocal1m 24s
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Doubling the vocal2m 52s
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9. Recording the Acoustic Piano
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Recording the piano part1m 13s
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10. Recording Horns
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11. Recording Acoustic String Instruments
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Recording a dobro1m 36s
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Recording the dobro part1m 13s
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Recording the string section1m 13s
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12. Recording Percussion
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Recording drum percussion1m 19s
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Recording hand percussion1m 17s
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13. Recording Electric Instruments
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Recording electric keyboards1m 58s
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Recording the synth part1m 14s
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14. Recording in Stereo
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Using the X/Y configuration3m 21s
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Using the ORTF configuration2m 27s
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Using a stereo mic1m 46s
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15. The Recording Session
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Setting up a talkback mic1m 27s
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Setting up the headphone mix2m 31s
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Setting up a click track2m 11s
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Setting up for overdubs2m 17s
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16. Setting Up a Rough Mix
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Setting up the effects3m 47s
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The rough mix of Simply Falling35m 35s
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Conclusion
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Goodbye1m 2s
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Video: Miking an acoustic bass: Technique one