Recording Bass - by Ross Hogarth (R.E.M., Jewel, Motley Crue, The Black Crows)
When recording bass, the first thing is to have a great sound. You have to make this a priority and give it some real time and attention. Beyond that, I like to record several tracks at a time by splitting the signal up 4 different ways. Doing this gives me a lot of flexibility when it comes time to mix and helps maintain proper phase alignment.
To split the signal, I use a Jonathon Little D.I./Splitter. It takes the original bass signal and splits it four ways. I will then send one of these outputs directly to tape. The sound I get from the D.I./Splitter is very clean and untainted, which allows me to EQ the actual sound of the bass. I can also use this D.I. signal as the original bass signal if I need to add a track or fix a sound in mix down. However, the straight D.I. sound is too clinical to use by itself.
To get color and character in the bass sound, I’ll use different treatments on the other 3 outputs of the Jonathon Little D.I./Splitter. I’ll send one output to an amp, which I mic with a large diaphragm condenser. I often use a fet47, although I have also used a Blue Mouse. I’ve tried blending multiple mics, but I found that one great mic works the best. Unless the bass is clacky, an amp tends to have less detail. Therefore, placing the mic close to the dome of the speaker helps compensate for an amp’s typical lack of detail. The amp is always crucial. Air is Air. But I also get a great sound from a tube D.I. that I have called the Evil Twin. It has a sound that’s similar to the tube front end of a Tweed Twin; it’s very fat. The last output I will send to the “Soup de Jour”. Sometimes this is a Zvex Woolly Mammoth or one of the new Dunlop pedals. This is where I put on distortion and any weird effects. In rock, a little distortion goes a long way to bring bass out of a mix. It keeps you from having to compress the bass too much. A little bit of grind really helps. I like to actually hear it.
Finally, you have to pay close attention to phase. Using multiple mics will tend to create phase problems. Anytime you are mixing multiple bass tracks, you can have phase problems which will affect your sound. Make sure your tracks are phase aligned. With proper phase alignment and the versatility that I get from 4 different tracks, I’m able to get a sound that works well for a variety of musical styles.
[ 本帖最后由 史前巨阵 于 10-2-2 19:50 编辑 ]
To split the signal, I use a Jonathon Little D.I./Splitter. It takes the original bass signal and splits it four ways. I will then send one of these outputs directly to tape. The sound I get from the D.I./Splitter is very clean and untainted, which allows me to EQ the actual sound of the bass. I can also use this D.I. signal as the original bass signal if I need to add a track or fix a sound in mix down. However, the straight D.I. sound is too clinical to use by itself.
To get color and character in the bass sound, I’ll use different treatments on the other 3 outputs of the Jonathon Little D.I./Splitter. I’ll send one output to an amp, which I mic with a large diaphragm condenser. I often use a fet47, although I have also used a Blue Mouse. I’ve tried blending multiple mics, but I found that one great mic works the best. Unless the bass is clacky, an amp tends to have less detail. Therefore, placing the mic close to the dome of the speaker helps compensate for an amp’s typical lack of detail. The amp is always crucial. Air is Air. But I also get a great sound from a tube D.I. that I have called the Evil Twin. It has a sound that’s similar to the tube front end of a Tweed Twin; it’s very fat. The last output I will send to the “Soup de Jour”. Sometimes this is a Zvex Woolly Mammoth or one of the new Dunlop pedals. This is where I put on distortion and any weird effects. In rock, a little distortion goes a long way to bring bass out of a mix. It keeps you from having to compress the bass too much. A little bit of grind really helps. I like to actually hear it.
Finally, you have to pay close attention to phase. Using multiple mics will tend to create phase problems. Anytime you are mixing multiple bass tracks, you can have phase problems which will affect your sound. Make sure your tracks are phase aligned. With proper phase alignment and the versatility that I get from 4 different tracks, I’m able to get a sound that works well for a variety of musical styles.
[ 本帖最后由 史前巨阵 于 10-2-2 19:50 编辑 ]
观众反应
感谢史版的资料，给大家提供一点延伸阅读，Ross Hogarth关于录人声的访谈：Whatever works！
Blue: Can you pinpoint what's most important in getting a good vocal sound?
Ross: Well, a few elements come into play, the first of which being that you understand the result intended. As an engineer/producer I have to know the sound I’m going for, and I must also assess the type of singer I’m recording. This will dictate my choice of microphone, pre-amp and compressor.
In most cases a traditional large diaphragm microphone will be the choice, but not always. In general, tube mics will give a wonderful 3D quality over a normal FET, although sometimes they can’t take extremely loud vocal level. So in some cases I’ve found that a cheap dynamic works well for the louder singers.
The acoustic space in which you’re tracking a vocal will come into play once a vocal chain has been picked. I tend to stay away from small vocal booths – they very often have a boxy sound that will not compliment the overall sound of the vocals.
Blue: What kinds of things do you listen for in the microphone you choose?
Ross: I look for realism, and maybe even a sense of a sound that is larger than life. A mic needs to flatter the vocalist, “flatter” meaning embellish. Sometimes I want just a flat sound, but most often I want the mic to do some of the work for me…a warm, bright, sensitive, 3-dimensional sound is a great start.
Blue: What's the most unconventional technique you've ever used?
Ross: I’ve used three mics all placed together and recorded at once to get three different sounds. I had an AKG C24 tube mic for a wide, warm stereo signal, a Shure SM7 for the crunchy rock vocal sound, and an old World War II radio/broadcast mic for a really distressed radio signal sound. This gave me options and created a very cool sound when all blended together.
Blue: Do you record the voice dry without compression?
Ross: I will almost always record with some amount of compression on a vocal, not only for the technical side of level management but also because I love the sound of well-used compression – especially on vocals. I find that the more I build my sonic vision every step of the way in the recording process, the easier it is to realize that vision in the mix.
Blue: Describe your audio chain for us.
My vocal chain on a normal vocal will be a tube mic of some sort into a Neve or a Neve-like mic pre into a compressor. As far as mic pre's, I love the Neve 1084, the Telefunken V72 tube pre is huge, and Chandler LTD has a great new EMI channel from the old Abbey Road design. Compressors range from an LA3a or LA2a to an 1176, a Manley ELOP and sometimes an Empirical Labs Distressor.
Blue: Do you prefer cutting vocals to analog or digital?
Ross: I am working these days quite exclusively in ProTools. I was always a big analog guy, but now with better converters and the awesome software they have now, it’s so much easier to exist in the digital domain. It helps in the record-making process.
Blue: How does your approach change when you record lead vocals versus back up vocals?
Ross: Background vocals are just that, background vocals. They need to fit with the lead vocal and the track. I find myself looking at making microphone and sonic changes when it comes to background vocals. I’ll switch out mics and compressors, and maybe look at EQ changes.
Blue: Tell us about one of you most memorable experiences recording vocals.
Ross: There have been many! On one record, the singer was having a rough time getting his tracks and felt isolated in the booth, so he took my dog in the booth with him to sing to. He enjoyed singing to Buddah so much that after that he couldn’t sing another vocal unless Buddah was in there with him. On another record we ended up tracking the vocals in the lounge with the singer laying down on the couch, singing up into the mic since that was where he was most comfortable. Whatever works.
Blue: Can you pinpoint what's most important in getting a good vocal sound?
Ross: Well, a few elements come into play, the first of which being that you understand the result intended. As an engineer/producer I have to know the sound I’m going for, and I must also assess the type of singer I’m recording. This will dictate my choice of microphone, pre-amp and compressor.
In most cases a traditional large diaphragm microphone will be the choice, but not always. In general, tube mics will give a wonderful 3D quality over a normal FET, although sometimes they can’t take extremely loud vocal level. So in some cases I’ve found that a cheap dynamic works well for the louder singers.
The acoustic space in which you’re tracking a vocal will come into play once a vocal chain has been picked. I tend to stay away from small vocal booths – they very often have a boxy sound that will not compliment the overall sound of the vocals.
Blue: What kinds of things do you listen for in the microphone you choose?
Ross: I look for realism, and maybe even a sense of a sound that is larger than life. A mic needs to flatter the vocalist, “flatter” meaning embellish. Sometimes I want just a flat sound, but most often I want the mic to do some of the work for me…a warm, bright, sensitive, 3-dimensional sound is a great start.
Blue: What's the most unconventional technique you've ever used?
Ross: I’ve used three mics all placed together and recorded at once to get three different sounds. I had an AKG C24 tube mic for a wide, warm stereo signal, a Shure SM7 for the crunchy rock vocal sound, and an old World War II radio/broadcast mic for a really distressed radio signal sound. This gave me options and created a very cool sound when all blended together.
Blue: Do you record the voice dry without compression?
Ross: I will almost always record with some amount of compression on a vocal, not only for the technical side of level management but also because I love the sound of well-used compression – especially on vocals. I find that the more I build my sonic vision every step of the way in the recording process, the easier it is to realize that vision in the mix.
Blue: Describe your audio chain for us.
My vocal chain on a normal vocal will be a tube mic of some sort into a Neve or a Neve-like mic pre into a compressor. As far as mic pre's, I love the Neve 1084, the Telefunken V72 tube pre is huge, and Chandler LTD has a great new EMI channel from the old Abbey Road design. Compressors range from an LA3a or LA2a to an 1176, a Manley ELOP and sometimes an Empirical Labs Distressor.
Blue: Do you prefer cutting vocals to analog or digital?
Ross: I am working these days quite exclusively in ProTools. I was always a big analog guy, but now with better converters and the awesome software they have now, it’s so much easier to exist in the digital domain. It helps in the record-making process.
Blue: How does your approach change when you record lead vocals versus back up vocals?
Ross: Background vocals are just that, background vocals. They need to fit with the lead vocal and the track. I find myself looking at making microphone and sonic changes when it comes to background vocals. I’ll switch out mics and compressors, and maybe look at EQ changes.
Blue: Tell us about one of you most memorable experiences recording vocals.
Ross: There have been many! On one record, the singer was having a rough time getting his tracks and felt isolated in the booth, so he took my dog in the booth with him to sing to. He enjoyed singing to Buddah so much that after that he couldn’t sing another vocal unless Buddah was in there with him. On another record we ended up tracking the vocals in the lounge with the singer laying down on the couch, singing up into the mic since that was where he was most comfortable. Whatever works.
观众反应
试试翻译～～
Bass录音－Ross Hogarth（R.E.M., Jewel, Motley Crue, The Black Crows）（都是乐队名）
当对bass吉他录音时，首要事情是得到一个好的声音。你必须花费时间和精力优先考虑这件事。除此之外，我喜欢把信号通过4种不同的路径分离，在同一时间录很多规。这样做的好处是：到了混音的时候，这可以让我很灵活，同时可以保持合适的相位校准。
我使用Jonathon Little D.I./Splitter进行信号分离。这个设备将原始的bass信号按4种路径分离开。然后，我会把其中之一直接发送给磁带。从D.I./Splitter中获取的声音是非常清楚、无音染的，这使得我可以对bass的真实声音进行EQ调节。而且，当我需要添加一轨或者在混缩时修复某个声音的时候，我也可以用这个D.I.声音作为原始的bass信号。然而，直接的D.I.声音太临床（clinical？）而不能单独使用。
为了获得bass声音的色彩和特性，我会对Jonathon Little D.I./Splitter的其他3轨输出进行不同的处理。我会把一个输出信号发送到bass音箱，用一个大振膜电容mic录下来。通常我会用fet47，虽然我也用Blue Mouse。我曾尝试用多个mic录音，但我发现一个mic录音是最好的。除非bass是“噼啪” （clacky？bass演奏技巧？）的，这时一个bass音箱会得不到足够的细节。因此，把mic放在接近音箱的顶部位置，可以使得bass音箱的典型细节损失得到补偿。bass音箱总是最关键的。
Air就是air（Air is Air？临场感？）。但我也会通过一个电子管D.I.获得好的声音——我称之为“Evil Twin”（邪恶双子星）。它的声音和Tweed Twin（fender的bass音箱）的电子管前端相似，非常“肥”。
我会把最后一轨输出信号发送到“Soup de Jour”。有时是Zvex Woolly Mammoth（bass效果器），有时是一个新的Dunlop踏板（bass效果器）。我会在此处加失真效果和其他怪异的效果。在摇滚乐中，小小的失真对bass在混音中的凸显十分有益。它使你不用拼命地压缩bass。小小的碾磨（grind？）十分有用。我喜欢实际上地听到它。
最后，你必须特别注意相位。使用多个mic录音易于带来相位问题。任何时候，当你对多轨bass进行混音时，你都会遇到相位问题，这会影响你的声音。确保你的音轨是相位一致的。通过合适的相位调整和对4轨声音的多功能使用，我就能够得到一个适合各种音乐风格的bass声音了。
[ 本帖最后由 shutupwj 于 10-2-17 23:10 编辑 ]
Bass录音－Ross Hogarth（R.E.M., Jewel, Motley Crue, The Black Crows）（都是乐队名）
当对bass吉他录音时，首要事情是得到一个好的声音。你必须花费时间和精力优先考虑这件事。除此之外，我喜欢把信号通过4种不同的路径分离，在同一时间录很多规。这样做的好处是：到了混音的时候，这可以让我很灵活，同时可以保持合适的相位校准。
我使用Jonathon Little D.I./Splitter进行信号分离。这个设备将原始的bass信号按4种路径分离开。然后，我会把其中之一直接发送给磁带。从D.I./Splitter中获取的声音是非常清楚、无音染的，这使得我可以对bass的真实声音进行EQ调节。而且，当我需要添加一轨或者在混缩时修复某个声音的时候，我也可以用这个D.I.声音作为原始的bass信号。然而，直接的D.I.声音太临床（clinical？）而不能单独使用。
为了获得bass声音的色彩和特性，我会对Jonathon Little D.I./Splitter的其他3轨输出进行不同的处理。我会把一个输出信号发送到bass音箱，用一个大振膜电容mic录下来。通常我会用fet47，虽然我也用Blue Mouse。我曾尝试用多个mic录音，但我发现一个mic录音是最好的。除非bass是“噼啪” （clacky？bass演奏技巧？）的，这时一个bass音箱会得不到足够的细节。因此，把mic放在接近音箱的顶部位置，可以使得bass音箱的典型细节损失得到补偿。bass音箱总是最关键的。
Air就是air（Air is Air？临场感？）。但我也会通过一个电子管D.I.获得好的声音——我称之为“Evil Twin”（邪恶双子星）。它的声音和Tweed Twin（fender的bass音箱）的电子管前端相似，非常“肥”。
我会把最后一轨输出信号发送到“Soup de Jour”。有时是Zvex Woolly Mammoth（bass效果器），有时是一个新的Dunlop踏板（bass效果器）。我会在此处加失真效果和其他怪异的效果。在摇滚乐中，小小的失真对bass在混音中的凸显十分有益。它使你不用拼命地压缩bass。小小的碾磨（grind？）十分有用。我喜欢实际上地听到它。
最后，你必须特别注意相位。使用多个mic录音易于带来相位问题。任何时候，当你对多轨bass进行混音时，你都会遇到相位问题，这会影响你的声音。确保你的音轨是相位一致的。通过合适的相位调整和对4轨声音的多功能使用，我就能够得到一个适合各种音乐风格的bass声音了。
[ 本帖最后由 shutupwj 于 10-2-17 23:10 编辑 ]
也练着翻译一下，没有楼上的朋友ROUTINE完整。学习了学习了~
当开始录制贝斯的时候，首要的事情就是有一个完美的声音。你不
得不先在这上面花上一些时间和关注。除了这些，我倾向于每次将信号分成四种
不同的方式录制。当开始混音时可以帮助在正当的相位选择上给我提供了很多选
择性。
对于信号分割，我用的是Jonathon的小型DI分线器。他能提供原始贝斯信号和
四种方式。我将发送其中一路直出到轨上。从DI分线器上得到的信号是非常干净
的，它可以让我通过均衡得到绝对的贝斯声音。我也可以把DI信号当成原始的贝
斯信号使用，如果我需要在缩混中增加或修复一个声音。无论如何，直通的DI声
音总是特别直白的而不能单独使用。
为了得到贝斯的色彩和特性，我使用不同的对待方式来处理其他三个轨的信号。
我将发送一路输出到音箱，用大振膜的电容话筒来拾音。我常常用FET47，有时
候也用BLUE MOUSE。我曾试过混合多只话筒，但是我发现一直好的话筒往往足矣
。除非贝斯弹起来是劈啪响的，那么从音箱上获得的信号可能没有那么多细节声
音。因此，把话筒位置贴近扬声器的圆顶处以补偿音箱对于音色细节的典型缺憾
。音箱往往是至关重要的。空气感就是空气感。但是我也常常能从电子管DI上得
到一些好的声音。我给他起名叫邪恶的双子座。他的声音很接近一个FENDER
tweed twin音箱的前级信号，非常的肥美。最后的一路信号我发送给Soup de
Jour。有时候也用Zvex的Woolly Mammoth FUZZ或者是个新款的DUNLOP踏板。我
用他们来得到失真音色或各种怪效果。在摇滚乐中，一点点的失真音色会对贝斯
音色从混音中跳出来大有帮助。他阻止你把贝斯压缩的太过分。一点点的碾碎感
确实能有些帮助。事实上我还挺喜欢听这种。
最后，你要花上很大的注意力在相位上。使用多只话筒将导致你产生相位问题。
任何时候你在对多轨贝斯进行混音的时候，出现相位问题将绝对影响你的声音。
搞清楚你分轨的相位是一致的。通过我给出的四个包含同相位轴和多功能性的轨道，我能得到一个适合工程并且具有多样音乐风格的好声音。
当开始录制贝斯的时候，首要的事情就是有一个完美的声音。你不
得不先在这上面花上一些时间和关注。除了这些，我倾向于每次将信号分成四种
不同的方式录制。当开始混音时可以帮助在正当的相位选择上给我提供了很多选
择性。
对于信号分割，我用的是Jonathon的小型DI分线器。他能提供原始贝斯信号和
四种方式。我将发送其中一路直出到轨上。从DI分线器上得到的信号是非常干净
的，它可以让我通过均衡得到绝对的贝斯声音。我也可以把DI信号当成原始的贝
斯信号使用，如果我需要在缩混中增加或修复一个声音。无论如何，直通的DI声
音总是特别直白的而不能单独使用。
为了得到贝斯的色彩和特性，我使用不同的对待方式来处理其他三个轨的信号。
我将发送一路输出到音箱，用大振膜的电容话筒来拾音。我常常用FET47，有时
候也用BLUE MOUSE。我曾试过混合多只话筒，但是我发现一直好的话筒往往足矣
。除非贝斯弹起来是劈啪响的，那么从音箱上获得的信号可能没有那么多细节声
音。因此，把话筒位置贴近扬声器的圆顶处以补偿音箱对于音色细节的典型缺憾
。音箱往往是至关重要的。空气感就是空气感。但是我也常常能从电子管DI上得
到一些好的声音。我给他起名叫邪恶的双子座。他的声音很接近一个FENDER
tweed twin音箱的前级信号，非常的肥美。最后的一路信号我发送给Soup de
Jour。有时候也用Zvex的Woolly Mammoth FUZZ或者是个新款的DUNLOP踏板。我
用他们来得到失真音色或各种怪效果。在摇滚乐中，一点点的失真音色会对贝斯
音色从混音中跳出来大有帮助。他阻止你把贝斯压缩的太过分。一点点的碾碎感
确实能有些帮助。事实上我还挺喜欢听这种。
最后，你要花上很大的注意力在相位上。使用多只话筒将导致你产生相位问题。
任何时候你在对多轨贝斯进行混音的时候，出现相位问题将绝对影响你的声音。
搞清楚你分轨的相位是一致的。通过我给出的四个包含同相位轴和多功能性的轨道，我能得到一个适合工程并且具有多样音乐风格的好声音。