The Tone Thread

[CrowsofFritz]

I’m so glad I got a bass amp. I need to learn how to mic it because it sounds a tiny bit boomy, but here’s the Vox T25 micd four inches away with an SM57.

Do you guys generally use different EQ settings when you record vs playing live? Or are they the same for y’all?

I thought it was a decent sound. I also noticed that some notes get boomy. To me I think you have the bass knob on the amp dialed up a bit too high. I think backing that off a tick or two might get you a little nicer sound.

Yeah, it sounds good in person, but not when recording. I’m figuring that out.

[WhiskeyJack]

I thought it was a decent sound. I also noticed that some notes get boomy. To me I think you have the bass knob on the amp dialed up a bit too high. I think backing that off a tick or two might get you a little nicer sound.

Yeah, it sounds good in person, but not when recording. I’m figuring that out.

If it sounds good in person it is possible to capture what you are hearing. Mic choice and mic placement

What interface do you have crows?

[CrowsofFritz]

Yeah, it sounds good in person, but not when recording. I’m figuring that out.

If it sounds good in person it is possible to capture what you are hearing. Mic choice and mic placement

What interface do you have crows?

A crap one. I’m using a iRig into my iPad lmao. I’ll try different mics and placements.

[CrowsofFritz]

So I read that Paul used a condenser 8 feet away in the studio. I tried doing the same thing and I got some passable results! I think if I had my computer turned off and my brother wasn’t showering right next door, I could get some useable results here. Still a tiiiiny bit boomy but not as much as it was the last take.

[WhiskeyJack]

It is still a bit boomy yes and very very distant. Hard to say how it will work out in a mix? I suspect you'd need a heckin lot of compression and eqing to get it nestled into a jam. Keep tone searching. It'll stick out like a sore thumb when you find the sweet spot.

It kind of sucks you don't have two inputs on your interface.

[CrowsofFritz]

Yeah I might move it up about 4 feet and see how that works. Turn down the bass and it might turn out pretty good.

[TripleM]

The condenser 8 feet away sounds like a roomier version of the close mic dynamic. Boomy and distant.

If it were me I'd still fiddle with the bass knob - see if turning it down gets rid of that boomy low end. I'd go back to the 57 on the grille. If it was not positioned over the center of the cone, I'd move it closer to the center.

[Greg_L]

So I read that Paul used a condenser 8 feet away in the studio.

By all means try everything. But you can't really put too much faith in what someone allegedly did in a pro studio 55 years ago. Your digital interface and spare bedroom with cars driving by and someone showering next door is not quite Abbey Road. Not trying to be mean, I'm just saying - what worked in one moment in time probably won't work now. Hell it's hard to get repeatable results one day apart using the same gear in the same room.

I don't think the big distance thing will work out. I think you need to keep the mic closer to the source if you want a clean capture.

[CrowsofFritz]

So far, the 57 sounds boomy even with the bass turned down to 0. This is a very boomy amp.

BUT, I think I’m getting closer. Here’s a condenser 2 feet away with the bass turned to 0. Sounds pretty good.

[Greg_L]

So far, the 57 sounds boomy even with the bass turned down to 0. This is a very boomy amp.

BUT, I think I’m getting closer. Here’s a condenser 2 feet away with the bass turned to 0. Sounds pretty good.

That's way better.

[CrowsofFritz]

So far, the 57 sounds boomy even with the bass turned down to 0. This is a very boomy amp.

BUT, I think I’m getting closer. Here’s a condenser 2 feet away with the bass turned to 0. Sounds pretty good.

That's way better.

[JD01]

[mention]CrowsofFritz[/mention] I reckon that last one sounds pretty good. Try plonking it in a mix with some drums and see how it sounds.

[rayc]

The last one sounds HEAPS better than the previous. Are you still using round wound strings? Sounds toppy and the slides have round rattle.
Close mic'd but with the 57at the edge of the dust cap will capture more top & less bottom. You could also compress on the way in to tame the bottom end a bit.

[CrowsofFritz]

The last one sounds HEAPS better than the previous. Are you still using round wound strings? Sounds toppy and the slides have round rattle.
Close mic'd but with the 57at the edge of the dust cap will capture more top & less bottom. You could also compress on the way in to tame the bottom end a bit.

I’m using flats. I’ll try at 57 at the edge, but it’s pretty boomy.

I wish I had my old compressor that I sold

[Greg_L]

I’m using flats. I’ll try at 57 at the edge, but it’s pretty boomy.

I wish I had my old compressor that I sold

Edge of the dustcap, not edge of the speaker.

[Lt. Bob]

on bass you can even try the center of the dustcap ..... that's too s[pikey for a guitar but on bass it might be a useful spot

[TripleM]

So far, the 57 sounds boomy even with the bass turned down to 0. This is a very boomy amp.

BUT, I think I’m getting closer. Here’s a condenser 2 feet away with the bass turned to 0. Sounds pretty good.

I agree. That's a lot better.

I'd still bet you could get the 57 sounding better. Just my personal taste, but the clarity and detail on the top end of a bass guitar with a condenser isn't pleasing to my ear. That detail may very well get covered in a mix, but I still don't like it as well as a dynamic..

[WhiskeyJack]

So far, the 57 sounds boomy even with the bass turned down to 0. This is a very boomy amp.

BUT, I think I’m getting closer. Here’s a condenser 2 feet away with the bass turned to 0. Sounds pretty good.

Shit dude i missed this post. I like this take though. You are getting there. This is the most useable one yet for sure. I think i am picking up the characteristics of your bass a bit more than i have in your previous clips! I think you are much closer. Be cool to take that set up and try putting it into a mix of some sort and see where it sits. You can always micro tweak and fine tune mic position after the fact as you tinker.

Cool to see this rig progress dude

[CrowsofFritz]

So far, the 57 sounds boomy even with the bass turned down to 0. This is a very boomy amp.

BUT, I think I’m getting closer. Here’s a condenser 2 feet away with the bass turned to 0. Sounds pretty good.

I agree. That's a lot better.

I'd still bet you could get the 57 sounding better. Just my personal taste, but the clarity and detail on the top end of a bass guitar with a condenser isn't pleasing to my ear. That detail may very well get covered in a mix, but I still don't like it as well as a dynamic..

I’m wondering if I can fix that with a bit of corrective EQ. I EQd out some of the high and boosted the low miss and it sounded perfect to my ears then.

https://imgur.com/a/kyIXIsI

I wish the EQ in GarageBand was a bit better because I don’t like the little control I get in the low and high frequencies cut/boost. But that’s what you get for using an iPad version of GarageBand I suppose lol.


Thanks [mention]WhiskeyJack[/mention] I think I’m getting there too.

[CrowsofFritz]

Probably could have picked a song I actually knew but I always liked the bass on this one and winged it. I sucked, but I LOVE how it sounds in relation to the song.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5j7j6mc9wpgdt ... 4.m4a?dl=0