14 Condenser Mics tested on Double Bass: Neumann U87, U67, VoxORama47, AT4060, MKH40, C414 and more!

In this shootout I compare 14 different condenser microphones on double bass (played jazz-style pizzicato):
Neumann: U87, U67, M149, KM84, TLM103
Vox-O-Rama: Typ 47
Audio Technica: AT4060, AT4041, AT813R
AKG: C414 B-ULS
Sennheiser: MKH40
Røde: NT2A
MXL: 990, 2006

Before the shootout I try a few position variations.
The shootout is a blind shootout. Please take notes, each mic has an own number.
After doing the recordings I realized that at the end of the first phrase the bass sounds a little "roomy". This may have something to do with the ringing of the string part between the bridge and the string-holder. Next time I promise to dampen these strings with foam.

Do you have a favorite mic? Let me know in the comments! I was surprised that the results all sounded good, and I wouldn't say that the expensive mics clearly stand out. But this is only one recording situation, the results may vary in another room, with another player, with another bass...

I recorded directly into an RME Fireface UFX interface with Logic 9. I decided to put a little roll-of EQ to reduce the low-end (same EQ on all clips), because the low end was dominating on all mics. I must say that this bass has lots of low end. With a smaller, "middier" bass, I probably wouldn't have needed the EQ.