How to record bass guitar

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Recording bass guitar technique two microphones at Signature Sound Room A with Christian Cummings. http://www.signaturesound.com/

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Recording tips
• recording studio
• pro tools
• recording music
• how to record music
• home studio recording
• home recording
• home studio
• logic tips
• microphones
• microphone placements
• Bass guitar
• recording bass
• recording guitar
• bass
• electric guitar
• bass recoding
• Christian Cummings

[kakahich]

The only question is

why did choose this very place for the mics? Did you first tested the place with the pink noise? and found that spot of the lowest level of the noise? or how did you do it

do you have any video about recording double bass?

[SignatureSoundStudio]

@kakahich I'm not sure what technique you're talking about with the pink noise. The mics are placed where they sound the best. Placing the mic dead center on the speaker will produce the brightest tone and as you move to the outer edge of the cone, the sound will get darker. Knowing you microphones and what they are capable of will also help you decide where and how you place them. Hope this helps.

[JustSomeRandomNewb]

Hey, why do you use compresion to start with? I know its to even the output level, but isn't the fact that you can play loud or soft part of the music, to change the tune (i think you know what i mean)? why would you want to remove that?

[SignatureSoundStudio]

@JustSomeRandomNewb Compression is used to control the dynamics, from loud to soft, and this helps the bass to sit in the mix. With bass especially, certain notes often ring out and can overpower and mask guitars or other instruments. Compression is just one tool that is used to have more control and to keep the bass fat and tight. Even with compression, playing softer or harder will be audible so you are not giving up this part of the performance by adding compression.

[SignatureSoundStudio]

The amp is a SVT 810

[psufilm]

Hey Christian thanks for the "How To" videos, they are really informative and everything sounds great! I often wonder how loud the amp in the tracking room should be while tracking electric guitars. What levels do you shoot for? Is the amp really cranking? Moderate volume? Low volume? Thanks!

[SignatureSoundStudio]

@psufilm Thanks for the positive feedback! This isn't Christian typing, but I think I can answer your question. Most people would agree that amps sound their best when cranked to loud volumes causing the speakers to break up a little which adds some pleasing distortion. However, if you're recording a clean part, a moderate level might sound better. In the end, it all comes down to personal taste and what kind of music you are recording.

[MisterNoHead]

The legacy console stuff ... yikes ... now-a-days you can plug straight into an audio interface to the PC and get perfect clarity and control of tone/eq/effects etc ... seems like a ridiculous amount of gear - none of the stuff shown here is accessible to common man. I have a nice bass amp and a nice mic - but I'd never bother having gotten very good sound going straight into the PC. Everyone has their tools I suppose ... end result is all the same.

[daneeehhhh]

I didn't follow the summing part of the mics, you mentioned you would use just one mic and on the board mixed the two, since the capsules were positioned diferently wouldn't that cause phase issues? how about summing the DI line with the mic'd lines, would that be phase problematic as well?

[saheltaja]

@MisterNoHead Well, when mixing, many of us like to have the physical faders so we can concentrate on the audio rather than the screen display (you can't really mix with 'muscle memory' or whatever it's called in English if you do it on-screen). Other than that, different people have different preferences about sound, and it comes to the fact that when you like the sound of your equipment you're usually more confident and generally do a better job. Plus some of us love gear... ;)

[samuelmichaud]

Not a big fan of this sound.

[samuelmichaud]

@IScH45I Bass sucks too.

[IScH45I]

hey, why the drums sound so bad? they have like that splash sound of bad quality audio...

[andrewt248]

The API desk is HOT!!!

[jorgepeterbarton]

@SignatureSoundStudio the pink noise is used to find the spot without phase cancellation. you flip the polarity of one mic, then running the pink noise find the quietest spot and then flip back.

that said most the time i actually like a little phase cancellation unless i want to be really biting. its seems to make it more colourful.

[omtnxyz]

@SignatureSoundStudio if i9 use both same mics... for recording will that be a reason for phase issue..

also... what basic grounds does mastering cover..

is every recording incompete without mastering.. or sometime eq+commpression can pull the job of... and sorry if the ques and my english is stupid... ive just started .. on them :)

[jrmagrelis]

very cool, the recording technic is very well done....

[CasparBass]

or just use a m-audio fast track......