Recording Bass Guitar Using a Direct Box or Microphone

Though many musicians and listeners tend to play down the importance of the bass guitar, it is undoubtedly one of the most important instruments to get right when recording music. Bass guitar forms an important foundation on which all the other instruments in the mix build upon.

Next time you're recording a song, try muting the bass. It will feel like the whole floor just got pulled out from under you. If everyone could experience this maybe they would soon start to realize just how important a good bass line is to a song.

The first step to recording a good bass track is getting a good performance from the musician. When recording a bass line, it is important the musician plays very consistently. The bass guitar is very sensitive to how hard they hit the strings and it is important that the notes are consistent in volume.

There are two main ways in which a bass guitar is typically recorded. The bass guitar can either be recorded directly, usually by using a direct box, or through an amp.

By far the simplest way to record the bass guitar is with a direct box. In this case, the bass guitar will be plugged directly into the direct box, and then into the audio interface. Some audio interfaces even offer an instrument input that avoids the need for a direct box all together. Recording bass direct is easy, but can offer limited control over the sound. At this point, your only controls over the tone before recording are the instrument itself and the tone knob. There are many different direct boxes available that are either active or passive, but we recommend you consider the BEHRINGER ULTRA-DI DI400P.

Bass guitar can also be recorded using an amp. This can allow for greater variation in tone than with a direct box, however it adds a new level of complexity to recording that instrument that can make things more difficult, or even cause problems if done incorrectly.

The first step in recording a bass amp would be to find the perfect tone you are trying to capture. Experiment with volume, tone and EQ settings, and even try a different instrument if it's not working for you. If you can’t get a good tone in the room, it’s unlikely any recording technique is going to produce a useable bass track. If you’re looking for an amp that’s good for both recording and practicing, consider the Fender Rumble 25 v3 Bass Combo Amplifier. This is a small 25 watt combo amp that is easily portable, has great features for practicing, and has enough power for smaller performances.

Next you have to choose a good microphone. This is not as straightforward as it would seem, since many microphones aren't designed to capture the low frequencies produced by the bass guitar. You might find that the same microphone used for recording electric guitars is absolutely useless on a bass amp. Instead, maybe try choosing a microphone used on kick drums, such as the Shure BETA 52A. Though they don't necessarily have a flat frequency response, they do tend to emphasize the bass frequencies, which may be exactly what you're looking for.

Of course there is always one more option. Some recording engineers may even decide they want to record both the bass amp as well as a direct signal. This gives more control when it comes down to mixing, especially if you're not completely sure what you want the bass to sound like early in the session. The direct recording of the bass will also save you if a problem occurs that makes the bass amp recording unusable.

Finally, after the bass guitar is recorded, it is important to check how well the bass track and drums complement each other. Since the bass guitar and drums make up the main rhythm component of a song, it is important that they lock together tightly. Any slight variation in timing between these two instruments will be immediately evident to the listener, and can potentially ruin the entire song.

When recording bass, always remember you are forming the rhythmic foundation of the song. Keep this in mind, and you will be able to produce quality songs with great sounding bass lines.

3 Drum Microphone Kits for Recording and Live Sound Reinforcement

One of the most complex instruments to record in the home studio is a full drum kit. Recording drums requires proper technique to allow for the best overall tone as well as separation between the different drums. Not only is recording drums difficult, but it also requires a lot of equipment. Fortunately, there are many drum microphone packages available that provide all the microphones necessary to record a drum kit like a professional.

Drum microphones kits can be used for both studio recording and live sound reinforcement. Many of the microphones in these kits can also be used for different purposes. For example; some small diaphragm condenser microphones normally used as drum overheads also work great for stereo acoustic guitar recording.

Neewer NW-7A

The Neewer NW-7Ais a budget drum microphone kit that includes 7 microphones. There are two condenser microphones with windscreens which are used as overheads to capture sound from the entire drum kit and cymbals. Keep in mind if you’re recording with these microphones, you will require a mixing board or audio interface that is capable of supplying 48 V phantom power. There are also a 5 dynamic microphones included. There is a large dynamic microphone used for recording the low frequencies of the kick drum as well as 4 smaller dynamic microphones that are used for reinforcing the snare drum and toms.

Each of the dynamic microphones includes a clip to attach to the rim of the drum, so there’s no need to use additional microphone stands in the already crowded area around the drum kit. There is also a hard aluminum carry case to protect the microphones if they are being transported.

As an entry level drum microphone kit, there are a few issues that could be problematic in professional applications. First the kick drum microphone does not have a great frequency response, since it only covers down to 50 Hz. Some of the very low frequency sound you would expect to be picked up by a kick drum microphone may not be captured. Also, the microphone clips are made of cheap plastic and don’t hold onto the drums very well. This can be problematic in live environments if a microphone falls off. Over time, some of the microphone clips may also break, so these microphones may not be a great choice for some using them all the time.

Overall, the Neewer NW-7A is a great starting point for recording drums and is best suited for occasional live use or light home studio use.

CAD Audio Stage 7 Premium

Similar to the Neewer NW-7A, the CAD Audio Stage 7 Premium comes with 2 condenser microphones for overheads and 5 dynamic microphones for kick, toms, and snare. The tom and kick mics are cardioid, and the snare mic is supercardioid for superior off-axis sound rejection.

The CAD PRO-7 comes in a soft carrying case, which has plenty of padding and provides decent protection to the microphones, though it wouldn’t be sufficient for constant road use.

Compared to the Neewer NW-7A kit, the CAD PRO-7 kit has much more durable clamps for the tom and snare microphones that are unlikely to break even under rough conditions. One disadvantage of these microphone clips is that they can’t easily be replaced in they break, whereas many other drum microphones have removable mic clips. These microphones would be well suited for both live sound and studio applications.

Audix 4-Piece Drum Pack

 

The Audix 4-Piece Drum Pack is a professional quality drum microphone kit. It includes two condenser microphones for overheads, one cardioid dynamic microphone for the snare and one dynamic microphone for the kick drum. The overhead and snare microphones are tuned to produce a smooth frequency response, while the kick drum microphone is optimized for low frequency response.

These microphones are intended for use in a 4 microphone drum setup. If done properly, this technique can create a well-balanced natural drum recording, but it doesn’t allow much control of the levels of individual drums after the recording has been made. These microphones will provide a clearer, more professional sounding recording than some of the other options, but we don’t recommend them for live use. Instead, these microphones are well suited for the studio environment.

4 Budget Preamps to Expand Your Home Studio

In any recording situation, you’ll need to bring a microphone up to a useable recording level, without increasing the noise. Microphone preamps are used to increase the gain of the signal, but can also provide phantom power and influence the tone. They’re included on all audio interfaces, but there are also standalone preamps available at budget and professional price points.

ART TubeMP

If you’re looking for an inexpensive tube preamp to increase the number of useable inputs on your audio interface, the ART TubeMP is a good place to start. This preamp is a standalone unit that is not rack mountable. It features separate input and output gain as well as other features such as a gain boost, phantom power, and phase reverse. Though this preamp works great in most circumstances, we’ve found the +20 dB gain boost can add a considerable amount of noise to the signal and is basically unusable at best.

Behringer Tube Ultragain MIC200

The Behringer Tube Ultragain MIC200is also a 1 channel tube preamp. It features separate input and output gain, a 20 dB pad, 48 V phantom power, low cut and phase reverse. This preamp can also be used to tweak your tone. The Behringer MIC200 has a preamp voice control that can be set to different instruments such as voice guitar, bass, etc.

Nady PRA-8

If you’re not too concerned about perfect quality but you need to boost the signal of a lot of microphones at once, the Nady PRA-8 might be the solution for you. This unit features 8 individual preamps with separate gain control and phantom power, as well as a peak gain indicator for each channel. The unit is rackmountable, which is helpful as you expand your studio and purchase more gear.

Though this unit’s sound quality might not be as good as some of the others, it will be able to cleanly boost 8 microphones signals and is likely one of the cheapest options available. The Nady PRA-8 Mic Preamp is great if you have an audio interface with more inputs than outputs, but it doesn’t feature an optical out, so it relies on other line inputs to be picked up by the audio interface.

Presonus TubePre v2

The Presonus TubePre v2 provides professional quality processing at the price of a single preamp. With separate Drive and Gain controls, you can easily adjust your levels without increasing the noise.

The PreSonus TubePre V2 also features polarity reverse and phantom power. A high pass filter can also be enabled, which cuts out frequencies below 80 Hz. This is great when recording an electric guitar, since these frequencies typically interfere with the bass and cause low end problems during mixing.

This preamp features both XLR and ¼” inputs on the back, so it can be used with either a microphone or directly with a guitar or bass. There is an instrument switch on the front that allows the PreSonus preamp to also act as a direct box.

6 USB Microphones for Voice Recording

Whether you’re a musician, commentator, or podcaster, USB microphones are a fantastic way to get into recording. Many microphones use XLR, which requires an expensive audio interface and preamp to capture.

USB microphones are basically like a microphone and audio interface all included, which makes them great for people with minimal equipment and who are looking for a very portable solution to make recordings. Though USB microphones are simpler than an interface and microphone, they can still provide professional quality results at a fraction of the price. All the microphones featured on this list are compatible with both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.

Floureon BM-800

The Floureon BM-800 is a budget condenser microphone that connects via USB or XLR. The microphone features a XLR output, but comes with a USB adapter for connecting to the computer. This is an advantage, since you can still use the microphone if you choose to upgrade to a full audio interface in the future.

Since this is a condenser microphone, you’ll need a phantom power supply to get a proper recording level. The phantom power supply goes between the microphone and USB adapter, so you also need an additional XLR cable. Due to this limitation, we can’t consider this to be a truly independent USB microphone because it requires an additional component to be functional.

Unfortunately, this microphone does not have a built in stand. This reduces the portability of this model since you’ll also need to bring a small desktop microphone stand if you plan on using the microphone. One advantage of this microphone is that is comes with a shock mount, so any vibrations through the microphone stand will not be transmitted to the microphone.

Samson Go

The Samson Go microphones is a portable USB condenser microphone. This microphone is plug and play and only requires a USB connection to work properly. It works best with a laptop, since it is able to clip to the top of the screen. This microphone also features a headphone output, allowing you to monitor what the microphone is picking up without any latency. Due to its small size, this microphone is perfect for anyone looking for something that’s easy to carry around, since it can fit nicely within a laptop bag, or even your pocket.

One great feature of the Samson Go microphone is that it has multiple polar patterns. This microphone is able to switch between cardioid for directional sound pickup and omnidirectional for 360-degree sound pickup.

Blue Snowball iCE

If you’re looking for a professional sounding USB microphone used by many YouTubers, the BLUE Snowball iCE is a great place to start. This compact microphone is simple to use and only requires a USB connection. This microphone features a cardioid pickup pattern, making it great for recording one voice while excluding noise from other directions.

This microphone features a desktop stand, however it doesn’t have any height adjustment. Many people find this microphone difficult to use since the entire stand must be brought up to the proper height for speech recording. Fortunately, this microphone can be used with another microphone stand to eliminate this problem.

MXL 990

The MXL 990 is a fantastic sounding condenser microphone, that is completely powered by USB. This is a USB version of an already popular studio condenser microphone, and it achieves fantastic results when used to record voice. Though not built in, this microphone comes with a tripod stand for desktop use, but you can also use it with another stand if necessary, and there are also shock mounts available that can be purchased separately.

Unlike some of the other USB microphones, this one has limited features. It does not have a built in headphone jack and is only capable of recording in a cardioid pattern. If you’re only planning on recording your own voice and don’t require the microphone to have multiple pickup patterns, this microphone could deliver better audio quality than some of the others on this list. Keep in mind that this microphone is highly sensitive to plosives, so we recommend using it with a pop filter.

If you’re wondering about the sound of the MXL 990, all the videos on the Your Home Recording YouTube channel are recorded using the XLR version of this microphone.

Blue Yeti

Popular with gamers and YouTube commentators, the Blue Yeti USB microphone is easy to use and provides professional results. This is a condenser microphone, that is fully powered through USB. This microphone includes a built in stand that is sturdy and adjustable. There are also built in controls for microphone gain and mute, as well as a zero latency headphone output on the microphone itself.

This microphone is more versatile than some of the others, since it features 4 polar patterns. The Blue Yeti can switch between cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional, and stereo patterns, making it great for recording in any situation.

Rode Podcaster

The Rode Podcaster provides broadcast quality recording with the convenience of being a USB microphone. Unlike some of the other microphones on this list, this is actually a dynamic microphone. Though dynamic microphones are less sensitive than condenser microphones, this can actually be an advantage since they won’t pick up as much noise or unintentional sounds. The Rode Podcaster features a built in headphone jack for zero latency monitoring of your recording, without any echo.

This microphone features a microphone clip, but you’ll need a separate stand to mount it. There is also a shock mount and boom arm available separately for mounting the microphone and eliminating vibrations. The Rode Podcaster features a built in pop filter. This is an advantage for podcasting and gaming situations where an external pop filter can get in the way and impede your vision. Overall, this microphone is not as portable as some of the other models, but it without a doubt provides the best sound quality of the USB microphones featured in this article.


In conclusion, there are many USB microphones available for those who are not looking to use a USB microphone. Depending on your specific needs, a USB microphone may be the perfect solution. Overall, if you’re looking for portability, we recommend the Samson Go microphone. If you’re looking for a more professional quality microphone, definitely consider the Rode Podcaster.