Experimenting Recording Bass

For those interested, we had a three-mic set-up for this project.

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An SM57 at the fingerboard position picked up all that good string attack and buzz, which was critical to keying the ear into that unmistakable double bass sound for a pop record.

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A U87 was our workhorse for a majority of the body of the instrument, placed around the bridge a little less than a foot away.

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A fun toss-in was the sub-kick down low. I figured it may be nice to have the deep extended low end to help fill out the mix for the pop feel, instead of trying to make up for it digitally, we aimed to capture natural sub, and it worked super well!

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Absorption panels, packing blankets and acrylic shielding around the performer helped to keep things tight and focused, which was definitely a key component to recording a tight, punchy pop double bass part.