Electric Guitar Mic Results

[jeffoest]

This morning I conducted a bit of an experiment.

I used two songs - one using clean guitar and the other using distorted guitar (about an average Marshall type of distortion).

I used two microphones (SM57, MD421) and three positions (on axis straight into center of cone, 45 degrees pointing at the cone, straight into one side of cone).

Used a Grace 101 preamp and a Marshall AVT20 amp.

My very empirical and personal observations:

1) I liked the SM57 better for distorted guitar
2) I liked the MD421 better for clean guitar
3) The MD421 seemed to be a brigher mic
4) Distorted guitar sound seemed to benefit by using a combination of both mics mixed together and/or panned
5) Clean guitar also benefited from a combination but not as much as for the distorted guitar
6) I could hear no real difference between 45 degree pointed at the center and perpendicular to the center for both mics and for both songs
7) mic position pointed toward a side of the cone added some nice lows - was more beneficial for the distorted guitar in combination and mixed with other positions than for clean guitar

Would be curious to see if you all have similar or opposite observations....

Jeff
http://www.jeffoestreichmusic.com

 

[Jimbo Jones]

these are the kinda posts i like to see, people experimenting and not overthinking, just going for it!

jeff, i've had similar results too. I liked the combo of a sm57 and a 421 on some distorted guitar.

my best results were using the 421 as kind of an accent mic, mixing the signal from the sm57 as my primary sound, then adding the 421 little by little to add warmth and a little top end.

if you have one of the mikes off axis, try the 421 that way

 

[jeffoest]

Thanks guys! BTW - the MD421 that I have is a U5 as I had read on this newsgroup that the new one is not quite the same....