the ports on most bass cabs are more or less without sound output. there is almost no airflow even at highest volume as you would expect from a bass reflex port. probably they are used to make the cab leaky, so that a smaller than required cab can be used (just like dynaudios variovents). ampeg doesnt use ports, but when you look at their cabs, you recognize that they are almost as twice as deep in size as most other cabs.
i think micing the cone should do the job in most cases, otherwise the mic signal can be mixed with the DI one, just as pathdoc2 suggested
i think micing the cone should do the job in most cases, otherwise the mic signal can be mixed with the DI one, just as pathdoc2 suggested
Peckerwood, on a speaker with a dome (not all have domes) type dustcap in the middle, especially one that is aluminum it's not that more "sound" comes from one place or another, it's that the tonality is different because more highs come from the center and the dustcap than from the surface of the cone... so when you mic OFF the center (and I never said to mic on the center of the speaker cone) you get less highs. If you are close enough to the driver then there are some phase related issues that come into play in terms of the freq response as well, but it's sufficient to say that you get more highs from the center than middle point on the cone...
_-_-bear
_-_-bear
You could also look at different mics. The 57 really needs no defense, but there are other mics that can work better. The Beyer M 88 is one of my personal favs, but the good old RE-20 and e602 can be great. Large diaphragm condensers can also sound great. A nearby rental house could probably hook you up with a selection to try.
Alot of very good advice here.
The best way I have found is by experimentation.
One of the easiest ways I have done this is to listen to the source with some good head phones (I used to use koss K-40's) while you move the mic around while the artist is playing.
Even as little as 1/4" movement of the microphone can chage the sound greatly.
In some cases I have found that close miking did not capture the sound I was looking for and that backing it off of the cabinet was better.
Sometimes I have found that room reverberations can color the sound making it sound tinny.
I have even went as far as piling pillows and wraping blankets up and around the setup as well.
SM57 is a great mic but try diffirent ones.
I have use used everything from a peavy 520tn (large diagphram) to a at4031(pen mike) inculding an AKG kick drum mike on bass cabinets.
They all sound different.
In some cases my oldsest and crappiest sure and radio shack microphones did the trick. As those old microphones have no high end response anymore (from years of use and abuse) and took some of the edge off as it is sometimes greatly enhanced when miking up close.
I hope that helps, cheers. jer
The best way I have found is by experimentation.
One of the easiest ways I have done this is to listen to the source with some good head phones (I used to use koss K-40's) while you move the mic around while the artist is playing.
Even as little as 1/4" movement of the microphone can chage the sound greatly.
In some cases I have found that close miking did not capture the sound I was looking for and that backing it off of the cabinet was better.
Sometimes I have found that room reverberations can color the sound making it sound tinny.
I have even went as far as piling pillows and wraping blankets up and around the setup as well.
SM57 is a great mic but try diffirent ones.
I have use used everything from a peavy 520tn (large diagphram) to a at4031(pen mike) inculding an AKG kick drum mike on bass cabinets.
They all sound different.
In some cases my oldsest and crappiest sure and radio shack microphones did the trick. As those old microphones have no high end response anymore (from years of use and abuse) and took some of the edge off as it is sometimes greatly enhanced when miking up close.
I hope that helps, cheers. jer
- Status
- Not open for further replies.