Bass Amp Designer offers three virtual microphone types. As with other components in the tone chain, different selections can yield different results. After choosing a cabinet, you can choose the type of microphone to emulate and you can adjust the position of the microphone, relative to the cabinet.
The Mic pop-up menu is near the lower right. The speaker-adjustment graphic appears when you move your pointer in the area above the Mic pop-up menu.
Microphone XY pad: Microphone position is indicated by the white dot in the XY pad. Drag the dot to change microphone position and distance. Placement is relative to the cabinet and is limited to near-field positioning.
By default, the microphone is placed in the center of the speaker cone (on-axis). This placement produces a fuller, more powerful sound. If you place the microphone on the rim of the speaker (off-axis), you obtain a brighter, thinner tone. Moving the microphone closer to the speaker emphasizes bass response.
Mic pop-up menu: Choose a microphone model.
Condenser 87: Emulates the sound of a high-end German studio condenser microphone. The sound of condenser microphones is fine, transparent, and well-balanced.
Dynamic 20: Emulates the sound of popular American dynamic cardioid microphones. This microphone type sounds brighter and more cutting than the Condenser 87 model. The lower-mid frequencies are rolled off, making it a good choice for miking rock tones. It is especially useful if you want your bass guitar part to cut through other tracks in a mix.
Dynamic 421: Emulates the sound of a German dynamic cardioid microphone. It can capture a wide frequency range and has a slight emphasis of the treble range. It is useful for clean tones.
Tip: Combining multiple microphone types can produce an interesting sound. Duplicate the bass guitar track, and insert Bass Amp Designer on both tracks. Select different microphones in each Bass Amp Designer instance while retaining identical settings for all other parameters, then set track signal levels.