Hi.

Im writing because everybody raves about the RE20 for bass amp recording. I currently only have a SM7b. Would it be okay for that task? As the RE20 has no proximity effect, I suppose maybe it can achieve a more balanced sound?
Opinions please.

Thanks.
Pandemonium

I'd probably try both and compare but if I could only choose one, it would be the RE-20.

If you only have the SM7b, use it. Is it the best bass amp mic ever? No. Is it completely usable? Yes.

I had good results with an SM7b + DI.

I use both of those mic's all the time on bass cabs. I like to use the Shure on a lotta things. Its a very nice mic but it all really depends what kind of sound I am working with, as the SM7B is a little thinner in the bottom, and the RE20 is sounds to me, less detailed in the top end, which is a lotta the reason why I use it on stuff most days.

One big difference between the RE20 and just about every other directional dynamic is that it has almost no proximity effect. Meaningful if you're miking a bass amp.

Thanks people. I dont want to spend 450$ on a new mic just to record bass cabinets, so I though the SM7b is good enough, but I'am willing to spend the cash if the RE20 is that much better in that application. Well, thanks. Any more opinions?

How about a U47 FET instead. heh

Give the SM7 and RE20 a try and throw a MD421 in the mix as well. One of them will sure to please.

I would love to try a Bock iFet. But it's too much money for me at the moment.
In all honesty, I think I will keep using the SM7b until I have more funds. I guess the RE20 is next on my list.
Thanks.

+1 for several yr. RE20 was 'goto' of choice . . . but when I down sized (savagely) couple of yr. ago kept SM7s & MD421 as more versatile overall, sold my one RE20 (for slightly more then I paid for it if I remember correctly). But I probably spent less time positioning RE20 then either 7 or 421. (and it's a fairly common practice for me to DI bass and use a ribbon in bass environment as well (even if all three sources are seldom required, one or more frequently discarded entirely))

Sm7 on bass cab sounds very interesting. i heard the re20, md421, and a md441 on bass cabs. i must say if found the 441 the most interesting. i love what it does in the low high end. just saying.

I find the re20 losses a lot of the higher frequencies as well, it tends to sound a bit more synthy to me.

I like to use a beyer 260 for bass, but I think the ribbon is starting to stretch so I have been using an RE20 with a beyer 201 ( but a 57 would work as well)

I was recording bass this morning with an sm7b on a drZ z28 guitar amp along with a countryman di. Was able to get a good, usable sound but every time I hear the bass tracks I recorded with a soundelux ifet7 on an Eden amp I just shake my head and wonder why I got rid of that mic. If the new bock mic is similar, which I'm sure it is, it's tempting to start saving for that mic again.

I put an SM7b and an RE27 on a bass cab yesterday.... usually go with the RE27, but the SM7b won out this time.

+1 on the MD441, gives a bass cab a nice tight focus in the mix.

The RE20 is great, but it's an interesting mic and one that takes some thought ahead of time as to whether it will be the right sound for the mix or not. It's really a transparent mic for bass/low mid frequencies and there's no proximity so it's great for tracks where the bass plays more of a background role, ie - you want the bass to be heard and to fill out the track nicely, but you don't want it to have a glaring spotlight. The other side of this is, you might use the mic IF the bass is the main focus of the mix maybe in a jazz application or solo bass artist application, because too much proximity might be tiresome to listen to - the RE20 will give you an nice even sound/representation of how the cab sounds.

I find when the RE20 was the wrong choice of mic for the application, it was really the wrong choice - sometimes (a lot of the time, as you do with a kick mic) you want a bit of that proximity to give the track some extra punch and pop. When it's the right mic, it's definitely the right mic, but I find myself usually always having a second mic set-up and ready to go in case it isn't right or the bass player doesn't like it.

If it were a desert Island choice, I'd definitely go with a MD441.

At school we usually combo a RE20 with a converted speaker to microphone NS10.

I really like an RE20 through a high impedance preamp for any amp or kick drum

I'd try a Beyerdynamic M88 .. wins for me personally against the SM7, as well as the RE-20 ... not just for bass cab, but also for vocals.

I did a blind test with several mics on a bass cab I have in an iso cabinet and for me an AT4033 was the winner over RE20 and 421 amongst several other mics.

First thing I personally like to do is get the DI signal, no matter what. You can re-amp later, or run software cab emulator plugs, or just leave it raw and solid in the mix. As long as the performance is solid, you got options.

I do like the sm7 (with the presence boost on) off-axis in front of a speaker but aiming at the HF horn, kind of a 45* angle in front of a higher speaker cone, and then throw an Audix D6 right up into a lower cone. Works awesome on 8x10s, I know it is kinda channel *****ish for a bass when most people just go direct, but whatever.

Yes, I am a bass player

If all you have is an SM7, I would say get the DI and combine the sm7 to taste in the mix to give it some presence and liveness.

if only there was a mic that was great on bass cabinets that was also great kick drum, sax, trumpet, spoken-word voiceovers and lead vocal singing!

Another bass player agrees

Bass player here too.

haha, yeah, you are right. Totally. But I am fairly covered with mics for those applications. I used to only DI the bass, but know I'm recording the amp as well. Wanted to know if the RE20 was that much better than the shure for that application. I guess I will keep using the SM7b and experiment with placement. You know, my gearslutty mind was creating excuses for buying the Electrovoice.

You could always rent a couple of microphones to try out and see what works best in your setup.

Yeah, get your hands on one before buying. You might need it, or you might be underwhelmed and save the doe. Ten thousand opinions are worth less than you spending one hour with the thing in your environment.

<< this guy is sitting over your left shoulder saying 'buy it, you need it'

again, Beyer M88
well, not exactly my 1st choice for sax & trumpet, but definitely usable;
great on all other applications mentioned

hahaha, yeah, he is our nasty friend. Devil shut up!! **** you! xD

RE20 feels more wooly in the low-mid, which I always prefer on bass! SM7 has always felt a little too present for bass cabs, IMO.