From the course: Audio Recording Techniques

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Recording the bass using a direct box

Recording the bass using a direct box

From the course: Audio Recording Techniques

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Recording the bass using a direct box

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Back in the 60s and 70s the way engineers recorded the electric bass was by miking the bass amp. As direct boxes became more and more available, the trend eventually swung the other way, with most bass recording now done direct. In this movie, I'm going to show you the ins and outs of using a direct box to record the bass. A direct box eliminates the need for an amplifier and a microphone to capture the sound. You get the pure tone of the instrument, which is usually what you want with the bass. Many microphone preamps have a direct input built right into them these days. That eliminates the need to buy separate output direct box. When using a direct box, be aware that they're not all created equal, and that some will not give you the low fundamental of the bass that you expect when recording this way. Active DI's, which require power for the electronics, do a better job at this than passive DI's. Although some passive boxes like the ones made by radio do an excellent job, because of…

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