Stereo Micing Guitar Amps

T

TripleM

Well-known member
I currently use an SM57 to mic my guitar amp. I've worked with different mic positions and I'm getting somewhat comfortable with being able to get the various sounds I want.

I'd like to improve of course, and I've been reading about stereo micing. I have two general questions:

1. What mic(s) would be a good compliment to the 57? Maybe ideas in the "under $100 range", "$100-$200 range", "$200-$300 range." Beyond $300 is likely more than I will spend.

2. What are some stereo micing techniques people use? If you're going for a "thick" distorted guitar sound what do you often do? If you're recording a clean guitar do you do things differently? I'm not looking for a specific recommendation, just examples of things you've done in the past that have worked well (and why they worked).

Thanks.
 
Not sure there's much point in stereo mic'ing a guitar amp.... at least, I've rarely seen an advantage to doing so.

I use multiple mics all the time - but almost always to "blend" into a mono track...

I'll put a 57, Beyer M69 or M160 on the front, and mic the rear with a large-dia condenser...
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
Not sure there's much point in stereo mic'ing a guitar amp.... at least, I've rarely seen an advantage to doing so.

I use multiple mics all the time - but almost always to "blend" into a mono track...

I'll put a 57, Beyer M69 or M160 on the front, and mic the rear with a large-dia condenser...
Click to expand...

OK, I'm unclear on stereo micing. I thought using multiple mics on a single amp is considered stereo micing. Gimme a clue.

I suppose what I really want to try is "blend a mono track" as you said.

I have an Oktava MK-312 and an MC-012. I'll try micing the back of the amp with them (since it's a "no additional cost" proposition) and see what it sounds like. Thanks.
 
Stereo mic'ing , to me, means you are trying to capture/recreate a 3D-soundfield via a pair of properly-matched, and properly-placed mics -- especially if you're including the environment the sound source is playing (ie, room/studio/hall/etc...)

This, to me, is different than using multiple mics to capture the "full audio spectrum" of a sound source that is intended to be blended.

Mind you - this is somewhat interpretative again because you owill create a stereo soundfield in the mix the minute you pan any of the multiple mic tracks.... this doesn't recreate the sound field you captured, but it makes a new one in the context of your mix!
 
oh and dont forget to reverse the polarity on the back mic! or at least move it around till you dont have phase problems.


another multiple mic technique: 57 on the cone, and LD condenser 3 feet out in front.

if you really want a "stereo" guitar, i would throw the 57 on the cone then do a stereo room mic. might sound cool.. on some sort of really sparse song i think. in a dense mix this will do nothing for you.

perhaps what you are looking for can be achieved by taking your mono 57 track splitting it in two, hard panning the both of them, then slighly delaying one...

this is the "modern rock" trick.
 
Stereo micing is good for doing a live recording when you only have one guitarist.

I stereo mic my guitar amp for PC recording, because EACH track is in stereo--why not take advantage of it? Of course, after panning the track somewhat, you can't tell much of a difference.
 
Aha Bear that helps. And now I see why you said that stereo micing a guitar amp (at least by your definition of the term) probably wouldn't make sense. I am interested in multiple mics to capture the audio spectrum. Any thoughts on large-dia condensers in the price ranges I mentioned?

eeldip - I know a little about phase problems, but only from a little I've read. Not from experience. I think I'm just going to have to try things, make mistakes, and adjust. I usually double track at least one guitar part. So I know a little about that. I'm trying to improve the process of capturing the sound.

holder - that's pretty much how I intend to do it. That is once I figure out which mics to use and how to use them. :D

Thanks everyone. It's been helpful.
 
holder said:
Stereo micing is good for doing a live recording when you only have one guitarist.

I stereo mic my guitar amp for PC recording, because EACH track is in stereo--why not take advantage of it? Of course, after panning the track somewhat, you can't tell much of a difference.
Click to expand...

You might want to read some of the recent threads about 'stereo'. I don't think that word means what you think it means.

The only time I do true stereo cab micing is when I am doing some type of stereo effect. On a recent project we setup two cabs in the room and ran a stereo tremelo to the cabs. It came out pretty cool.
 
As for the "thick" distorted sound I have found that actually using less overdrive can often help obtain a bigger more menacing sound.

I use a 57 at an angle from the center of the cone and a ADK A51 Chinese cheapie LD about a foot back for blending.

Every once in a while if I have guitarist who really kicks ass (a rare occurance) and has a great tone/ and set up, I will use my Earthworks TC30Ks as a stereo pair not so much for the stereo image but because they are so goddamned honest, and they look really cool and sometimes you have break out your coolest most expensive junk just to impress people(like I made them or something).

Twonky
 
Okay, here's how I "stereo" mic a guitar amp:

2 mics, usually the same model, micing the same speaker--one panned hard left, and one hard right. This goes though my mixer and into my PC.

Normally this would take up two tracks, but w/my PC software this only takes up one track.

Normally, a mono signal is right in the middle of your head and causes headaches; however, my stereo micing doesn't--even with just one guitar track.
 
holder said:
2 mics, usually the same model, micing the same speaker--one panned hard left, and one hard right. This goes though my mixer and into my PC.
Click to expand...
I strongly disagree that this is "stereo"....


holder said:
Normally this would take up two tracks, but w/my PC software this only takes up one track.
Click to expand...
It still takes up 2 tracks, just that the s/w is "hiding" that from you...


holder said:
Normally, a mono signal is right in the middle of your head and causes headaches
Click to expand...
Never heard of this... if that's the case I suspect you're not recording very good-sounding tracks! Mono doesn't cause headaches - bad sound does!


holder said:
my stereo micing doesn't--even with just one guitar track.
Click to expand...
Again - not "stereo", but whatever....!
 
To quote the really scuzzy guy off of "The Crow", "i feel like a little fish on a big phucking hook", but oh well.

I laughed audibly at : "Normally, a mono signal is right in the middle of your head and causes headaches"

Blue bear is probably right though, once again, humorless, but right...
 
holder

you should try your technique with two very different sorts of mics. like an ev 635 dynamic omni and an sp c1. hard pan them, and eq them a little bit to somewhat match them up (the extra high end from the c1 will make the guitar sound off center).

this would be a pretty fun stereo effect. especially on transients...

you will end up with some interesting phase and tone differences that will make a strange "stereo" field.
 
Lively conversation and good fun...

I've heard people who prefer putting the 2nd mic behind the amp and other people who prefer it in front (just further back than the 57 on the grille). To me it would be interesting to hear discussion on people's likes and dislikes of each method.

I'd also be interested in people's ideas of which mic's compliment a 57 well. Given the popularity of the 57 I would imagine a lot of people who be interested.
 
eeldip said:
perhaps what you are looking for can be achieved by taking your mono 57 track splitting it in two, hard panning the both of them, then slighly delaying one...

this is the "modern rock" trick.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's pretty cool. Thanks for sharing your secrets, man.
 
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Originally posted by eeldip)
"..Perhaps what you are looking for can be achieved by taking your mono 57 track splitting it in two, hard panning the both of them, then slighly delaying one...

This is the "modern rock" trick."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can you please explain how you split it in two?


:)
 
BillyFurnett said:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Originally posted by eeldip)
"..Perhaps what you are looking for can be achieved by taking your mono 57 track splitting it in two, hard panning the both of them, then slighly delaying one...

This is the "modern rock" trick."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can you please explain how you split it in two?


:)
Click to expand...

Most likely he means duplicating the track, panning the original hard to one side and panning the copy hard to the other. Then you put a slight delay on one of the tracks. It's a "decent" effect, but not what my original questions were getting at.
 
I have done the splitting of mono track/panning/delaying trick, on Ntrack and it worked out very well.

Here an I thought I had come up with something somewhat new/original!

Anywho, someone mentioned that there may be a good posting somewhere on here exlaining the "theory of stereo"???
Where may that be, I've not been able to find it...
 
It's a few weeks old, and the post is called,

is "stereo" just "panning?"

It's about four pages of acedemic discussion about what is and isn't stereo. Interesting but nothing short and concise.
 
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