Mic Placement

[JDOD]

Alright, been reading a few of the stickys and they are pretty helpful. However, I just generally stick the mic in front of my amp and hope for the best.

What difference does it make if you place the mic:
On the grill pointing straight at the speaker cone?
On thr grill but off centre?
Angled towards the centre?
Away from the grill facing at the speaker?
Facing away from the speaker?

Could just do with a "what to expect" list for different types of mic placement when recording electric guitars.

 

[c7sus]

Royer Microphones - Recording Tips Electric Guitar

Microphone Positioning: Amplified Instruments

 

[rob aylestone]

Don't people actually try these things? The results are pretty obvious! Move towards the centre of the cone and the sound gets darker, duller and thicker (hate these kinds of words). As you move towards the edge it gets brighter, thinner and perhaps tighter. The angle the mic is at and the distance also make differences. Some people even like the sound of the mic (especially SM57s) side on on a bass cab. Maybe this is because dangling them down on the cable for live use is so easy! Trouble is they rattle! My little 2x10" bass cab sounds nice centre cone miked - because it's a little bass light. Spend an hour seeing what you like. I bet it's the opposite of what I like. There really is no 'correct' way.

 

[witzendoz]

Don't people actually try these things?

This ^^^^, you change it depending on the sound you want. There seems to be a generation of people that don't try anything, where by I would try everything and still do.

Alan.

 

[Tadpui]

Move towards the centre of the cone and the sound gets darker, duller and thicker (hate these kinds of words). As you move towards the edge it gets brighter, thinner and perhaps tighter.

Oops, you've got that backwards. Towards the center of the cone and it'll be brighter (more highs relative to lows), towards the edge of the cone and it'll be darker (more lows relative to highs).

 

[jimmys69]

Oops, you've got that backwards. Towards the center of the cone and it'll be brighter (more highs relative to lows), towards the edge of the cone and it'll be darker (more lows relative to highs).

Yep.


There is no 'right way' until you find what that is yourself. Mic placement will change with every amp, singer, song, room, etc... Every mic will also give different results with placement.

There is just no possible answer to what is best. You have to just experiment.

That is why I bought a mic stand robot.

 

[Bobbsy]

As you're probably guessing from all the replies, there's no one right answer. The only way to decide is with your ears. Spend half an hour experimenting with different positions and find what works best for the sound you want. You'll be amazed how much difference small moves and changes of angle can make.

Me? I start with the mic about six inches from the cab, at a height level with the centre of the cone but positioned near the edge and angled to face about half way between the edge and the centre. However, as I say, I START with this and do little tweaks (unless it's a mic/guitar/amp combination I know well).

Have fun.

 

[JDOD]

Yes, people do try these things. Its just handy to know what is theoretically supposed to happen before you start cocking about with it too much otherwise you just get lost.

 

[Farview]

Don't people actually try these things? The results are pretty obvious! Move towards the centre of the cone and the sound gets darker, duller and thicker (hate these kinds of words). As you move towards the edge it gets brighter, thinner and perhaps tighter. The angle the mic is at and the distance also make differences. Some people even like the sound of the mic (especially SM57s) side on on a bass cab. Maybe this is because dangling them down on the cable for live use is so easy! Trouble is they rattle! My little 2x10" bass cab sounds nice centre cone miked - because it's a little bass light. Spend an hour seeing what you like. I bet it's the opposite of what I like. There really is no 'correct' way.

you've got that backwards. The center of the cone is the brightest sound and it gets darker as you move towards the edge.

Closer to the cabinet will be thicker and more in your face. The farther away you get the thinner the sound gets and the more room you capture.

Pointint the mic away from the cabinet is kind of silly, but it would be a way of picking up the room instead of the direct sou d.

 

[ido1957]

No idea what my Marshall cab has for speakers but my mic is pointed toward the outside of the cone for some meat. Center is too bright.