micing amps

[e-sin]

my rig is kinda odd, i play thru a marshall lead 12 (archaic little amp, 10") that i run a line out into a Peavy Transtube Audition 110...so, i'm in effect using a peavy/marshall 2X10 or whatever...

anyway, when i mic my stuff for recording, i generally place a mic on the Peavy and the Marshall, about 6" away from the amp, directly in the center fo teh cone. But...when i record it, it sounds pretty horrible...like a crappy live recording ro something. This doesn't work out so well since the rest of my music is digitally created...the contrast between sources is too high.

anyway, what can i do to get a cleaner sound? I'm /not/ using any sort of namebrand mic or anything...nothing fancy, standard $50 stage mics...

thanx,

-[e-sin]

[Ginzoo]

Hey E.
Go to your local music store and rent a GOOD mic and see if that is the problem.Placement will also affect the sound.Move the mic to the outside area of the speaker or wherever it sounds the best.Try an EQ.Record your amp at a lower/higher level than before.
My 2 cents...Ginzoo

[Tom Hicks]

Get the Shure SM57 ($50 used)and position it on the best sounding speaker,almost touching about halfway out from the center of the speaker with the mike angled a little in.Use other mikes and other positions to add variety but this arrangement is very commonly used to get a basic guitar tone.
Tom

[bvaleria]

A classic sound is mic'ing a cab with an SM57 thru a *good* preamp...

Your comment of "...I'm /not/ using any sort of namebrand mic or anything...nothing fancy, standard $50 stage mics... " is very telling - you WANT to be using a name-brand, *fancy* mic.... mic manufacturers aren't like jean manufacturers, where a non-Calvin brand is "just as good"!

And no, buying the $24.95 Sony mic for use with video cams won't cut it either!!!



Bruce Valeriani
Blue Bear Sound

[aaron the red baron]

You really have to get a good sound to begin with. Yeah, get the '57. It's cheap and will work. But if your tone sucks, so does everything else.

Play around with mic position. Put on headphones and listen to the changes as you move the mic - use low volume on the amp and turn up your headphones to minimize hearing both (assuming your studio is one room, like most of us here)

Mess around and practice. It'll get better....

[AndyMan]

Exactly! You need a good mic. But also:

1st. get a sound from your gear that people say is very good.
2nd. Its just like anything else; you get what you pay for.
Spend the extra dough for the mic, speaker, pickup, amp.
3rd. Mic placement is a science in its self. A .25 of an inch can make a difference. Also multiple mics make a difference. Try 1 at the speaker and one 20' back if ya got the room and tracks. Tile floors make a difference too. If your in yourhouse, lock that amp in another room and crank the volume!Experiment!