Audience Member: Not to take a tangent but would you like to discuss your experience with recording upright bass?
Typically a [Neumann] U 48 is the best on bass. My bass choices for this particular project [Punch Brothers' Who's Feeling Young Now?] was an RCA 44. I also used this little green military mic — I don't even know what it is — because it was a very mid rangy, ugly aggressive microphone. I typically like to mic somewhere around the bridge. You just really have to listen — all of those instruments are really different. Sometimes near the F hole or lower can be really flattering. It all depends on how they are playing.
Or if they are playing pizzicato, arco, long notes bowed or busy fingered.
On the Tom Waits stuff there was a [Neumann] M 49 down low and a [Neumann] M 582. The M 49 down on the bottom of the body near the F hole to kind of get the warm tone of the bass then the 582 to kind of get the articulation
AM: Is that a small diaphragm?
Yeah it's a Neumann Tube condenser. I guess you would call it a small diaphragm.
AM: Would you put one above the ribs?
