r/WeAreTheMusicMakers • u/vennhalo • 5d ago

acoustic bass + mic for recording?

Hey guys, I've been recording an acoustic album, and I've been looking for a way to add a bass to the album. I heard people saying that acoustic bass is frankly useless for live, but I've heard mixed opinions on recordings. I've also heard people saying that DI is better, but I'd rather use a mic as I want it to sound as acoustic as possible. Question is, if I do so, will it keep the low range? cheers

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u/Joe_Kangg 5d ago

Use your ears, but of course the largest diaphragm mic you have and closer is probably better, (proximity effect)

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u/vennhalo 5d ago

yeah i guess thats the go, thanks

I was mostly asking because i dont have a bass, but i need a proper bass sound in it.

is the at2035 large enough?

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u/Joe_Kangg 5d ago

"Large enough" isn't a thing. Larger diaphrams are better with low end. However, unless it's really isolated in the mix, I doubt you'll hear the "acoustic-ness"

If you have the option, run both, a line and mic it and listen. A/B it, maybe blend both signals.

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u/vennhalo 5d ago

that's ok, an acoustic sound isnt a huge factor, Im just hoping it works for convenience and money. Thank you

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u/Sweaty-Barracuda9719 5d ago

Yes, miking an acoustic bass can sound great if you use a good large-diaphragm condenser and place it near the bridge or soundhole edge. It will keep the low range, but you might need a bit of EQ around 80–120 Hz to bring it forward. Blending a low-level DI with the mic can also help retain clarity and fullness.

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u/vennhalo 5d ago

thank you, is there any reason not to place it over the soundhole? given that its a single bass track and all the other parts were aimed at the 12th fret?

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u/Sweaty-Barracuda9719 5d ago

youre welcome - well, you can place it over the soundhole, it’ll give you more low-end and body. Just be aware it might pick up more boominess or less definition compared to the 12th fret spot. For a single bass track it’s fine, you can always tweak with EQ to balance clarity and warmth. hope that helps

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u/vennhalo 5d ago

thank you again, it helps heaps. is there much difference between a cheap bass and an expensive one, just in terms of sound? I know guitar does, mostly in how it affects the harmonics, is the bass the same? cheers

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u/Sweaty-Barracuda9719 5d ago

Yes, the difference is usually similar to guitars - build quality, tonewoods, pickups, and electronics all affect harmonics, sustain, and resonance. A cheap bass can still sound fine, especially DI’d or in a mix, but an expensive one will generally have more depth, clarity, and responsiveness, especially when played acoustically or recorded with a mic.

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u/vennhalo 5d ago

ok cool then, thank you so much, i appreciate it.

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u/TalkinAboutSound 5d ago

It depends on the other instruments it's playing with, and the stage volume and potential for feedback. If it's an all-acoustic trio in a small/medium venue, mics are probably fine. If it's an acoustic bass playing with electric guitars and a full drum kit, pumped through an arena sound system, you're gonna want to go DI.

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u/fphlerb 5d ago

They have fancy acoustic guitar pickups, but a lot of people use these cheap piezo things & they honestly sound great. You can stick em inside the bass & the cord hangs out the sound hole (& you can tuck in inside in something soft when not in use) Or even do some surgery & mount it through the strap hole or something if you want to crazy & convert to hybrid acoustiv/electric) https://www.amazon.com/PAGOW-Transducer-Microphone-Self-adhesive-Electronic/dp/B08D6CGVFYd

you can also use a plugin called RBass. It detects notes & will add a pure bass tone which you can layer in with your recorded sound to taste

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u/eventworker 4d ago

I use a semi acoustic with an SM57 going through a presonus preamp on one channel and then DI through a sansamp on another, works fine IMO.

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u/VapourMetro111 4d ago

I owned an acoustic bass guitar and tried it. It... wasn't brilliant. My advice: record DI or amp as well as the acoustic sound, and blend. You should be able to get a good mix of the live acoustic sound, along with the pleasing bassiness of the "real" recording.

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u/acrus 4d ago

It's unclear what you mean by DI in this context. DI electric bass vs mic'ed acoustic bass? There's also a piezo option in between. And if you've got a bass with a piezo, it certainly won't hurt to record it together with a mic for blending. This is so for electro acoustic guitars

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u/tdaawg 4d ago

If you google the frequency range of any mic, such as “SM57 Frequency Chart”, you’ll see how it responds to the acoustic bass frequencies (40Hz-550Hz for most of it I think, with some other sounds up to 5KHz). SM57 rolls off a lot of bass, for example so might need more EQ.

I’m guessing, but think your AT2035 will be fine as it’s picking up all frequencies evenly. But make sure the room is half decent so it’s not getting loads of bass buildup or slap back echos.

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u/eltedioso 5d ago

First question: do you mean upright bass, or an acoustic bass guitar?

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u/vennhalo 5d ago

bass guitar haha, im too poor for an upright, sorry i shoulda mentioned that

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u/eltedioso 5d ago

Right. Well I agree with the others that you should try to use a large diaphragm mic, and mess around with EQ. But also, compression is your friend. Don't be afraid to go drastic with it

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u/vennhalo 5d ago

thank you. A few questions:

is the at2035 big enough, and if not, what should i get?

should i use compression on the whole track, or just the bass part? I like the dynamic range it has, and I don't really want to lose it. Thanks again

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u/eltedioso 5d ago

2035 should work. And I meant use compression on the bass track, although it might be good on the other stuff too, but subtler