Bass Pre Amp

[Indica]

I'm looking for a bass pre amp to use for recording. I don't mind getting a used one as long as it sounds good. Does anyone have any suggestions on this? I would like to get one for under $200. A pre amp/processor would be perfect. I used my Roland GP-100 as a pre amp on some recordings but I couldn't get the punchy sound I was looking for. I understand that it was made for guitar but it worked ok and it was all I had at the time.

 

One of my buds used to leave a preamp over that I used for recording but I can't remember the name of it for the life of me. It had a tube amp emulator built in and it really got some nice punchy sounds for my 5 string Bass. I'm guessing there's quite a few Bass players on a rush forum that can steer me in the right direction.

[Indica]

While we are on the subject, I was wondering if some bass players can share how they go about getting their sound for recording. I know there's several ways to go about getting different sounds but I guess it depends on personal preference and the sound you are looking for. It's always cool checking out how different people go about getting the sound they like for recording.

 

Mic your bass amp?

Go direct?

 

I'm looking forward to reading some responses.

[launchpad67a]

Sansamp RBI or the Sansamp PSA rackmount preamp units. I've worked with both in my studio and both are equally great.

RBI

PSA

 

As far as how to record, I prefer direct when I can. Although I have recorded about every combination available. If you do decide to mic a cabinet make sure you use a suitable mic.

A great way to get a nice tone is to run 1 direct and 1 mic, then mix in final production.

I have tons of options that I've tried, if you need advice I can help.

 

Also as you're aware, cheap gear equals cheap sound. $200 will not get you what you need. Mabey find a good used unit and it will.

 

Just to note, I'm not a bass player by trade (I do play), but I am a studio owner and have been for over 10 years.

Edited September 27, 2005 by launchpad67a

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

I like anywhere from 2 to 4 bass signals recorded. From a DI take the instrument out and run it to the amp and take the mic out and run that to the board. If there are more than one speaker size or amp then I mic one per size/amp (i.e. a 2 or 4 x 10 cab with a 1 x 15 cab; one mic on a 10 and another on the 15). I use larger diaphragm dynamics on 15" speakers (AKG D-112 for example or maybe an EV RE20) and still experiment with different dynamics on a 10" but generally use a Shure SM57. I also use a large diaphragm condenser to capture the entire rig in the room, at least 3 feet away from the amp (and depending on the room). The distant mic allows for the soundwave to build a bit and captures lower frequencies. It also captures a more overall amp sound. The direct signal can also be routed to various speaker or amp modelers and/or processors for addtional tweaks. Mix to taste!

 

A cheap and easy way to record bass is using a POD. I have used my guitar POD to record bass with great results. The hard part is finding the right amp and cabinet model combination. I am sure the bass POD is much easier to achieve a more ideal tone.

 

If you don't have a lot of track space but want direct and amp sources, record just a direct signal then when you mix down you can route that track using an aux send to an amp in another room with a mic on it and mix the two to taste.

One of the best direct only bass recordings I ever did was using a Millennia preamp. They are not cheap, but talk about tone! It was a J bass right into the Millennia, lots of top end definition with very round and deep lows. Very nice.

[Indica]

Thank, I'm checkin these out as we speak.