There are entire books written about mic techniques for recording electric guitar; for bass guitar, however, it’s tempting (and often recommended) to just record direct. After all, that is the “purest” bass sound. And it works — in many cases the direct bass with a bit of EQ and compressions does the job fine. Or, you can add a modeled bass amp/speaker emulation plug-in to recreate the vibe of an amp.

Still, there’s something about the warmth and energy of an amplified bass guitar moving air through a speaker, especially if you’re trying to make a recording that sounds like a live performance. So why not cover all the bases and record the direct signal for maximum flexibility later, during mixdown, but also capture a miked up amp for the “live” feel. Then you can choose, blend, and use what like to create the ultimate bass tone.

Start by using a dynamic mic that has a reasonably flat low-end response or a dedicated bass/kick drum mic, placing it around six to 12 inches in front of the best-sounding speaker in the bass cabinet. At the same time, capture a DI track either from the line out of the amplifier, or split the signal going into the amp with a DI box. Record the mic to one track and the DI to another. This gives you the best of both worlds; the pure, unaffected bass sound and the sound of your bass through an amp. Mix to taste!

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How to Capture Both Bass DI and Amped Tracks

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