Which mic is best for micking a guitar amp with distortion?

[frank_1]

Which would you say has the (cleanest, in-your-face,live) best sound for rock...
...example; Dream Theater/Creed

I would love some recommendations on miking techniques (don't be shy).

[Blue Bear Sound]

I voted "other" 'cos there is no "best" mic... it all depends on what you're trying to acheive.

I personally use a 57 for a classic sound, a Beta 57 when I want a bit more presence hype to that "classic sound", and I've used a Marshall MPX2001 to get a jazz-type sound on occasion (the Rode NT2 was too clean, but the Marshall has a nasty honkiness that "muddies" up the sound in just the right way - at least it did on a couple of tracks!)

Whenever my Beyer M160 ribbon comes in - I'll be checking that out and posting here...

Bruce

[ametth]

I hate the 421 on guitars. love the royer 121. the 57 is good too.

[LongWaveStudio]

definiltey a Shure 57. sometimes i put a condensor a fair distance away from the cab to get the room reverb.

mic placment is an important thing too, dont forget.

[Tom Hicks]

This one is going to be a slam dunk for the 57.If there is an evolutionary theory of music gear,survival of the fittest,than the 57 is the King-Daddy predator.
The element was developed in the unidyne II series in the late 60s.My earliest example I bought from Pacific Music in the 80s and was reputed to have been Mick Fleetwoods vocal mike on a Haiwallian tour in the 70s(which Pacific bought after the tour).$40 to my buddy Paul who worked there.
These mikes are tough as nails.Reliable classic tone.Really,the question is not which mike,but mike position.
Personally,I like it near the surround,angled toward the middle.

Tom

[MISTERQCUE]

SMack 57 or 58's!!!!

[VOXVENDOR]

Audix D2

[BBB]

The most incredible guitar tone that I have ever mic'ed was with a SM57. The 57 was in the classic straight-in-the-speaker configuration. However, I also used a COSM mic simulator. The simulator converted the SM57 to a large diaphragm DYNAMIC mic. The result added more balls to a guitar running through a Mesa/Boogie with Celestion 30's. I have yet to purchase a large diaphragm dynamic to attempt to obtain similar results.

Matt

[LongWaveStudio]

i usually use nice condensors like u87's far away form the guitar cab to capture the room ambience. makes guitar fit in the mix really nicely. that in combination with a close mic'd sm57, ahh, sheer heaven.

[sjoko2]

57, U87, U89i, AT4050CM5
Like LongWave's post - 57 on the cabinet, sometimes another one behind it, depending on kind of cabinet.
One of the cond. mics away for dept and ambiance.
sometimes more than one, additional ones even further away.
Lately using more and more of the AT's instead of the Neumanns.
4050's can take very high volume without screwing up.

[tubedude]

How about the Beta 57 on guitar cabs? Huh? Huh? Huh? Thats what I thought!
The little square Sennheiser sounds great too, and it doubles as a tire chock.

[LongWaveStudio]

ive been recording with a band for the past week, and one this track, we actually did that mic technique, 57 close mic'd and a U87 further away. if i have time, ill upload a rough mix so you can hear the guitar.

[sjoko2]

LongWave, the 57 / U87 combo is the most common one used for guitars.
Two problems with it here - not everyone can affort an 87, second, you need a decent acoustic environment to record like that, or the sound from the 87 will suck

[LongWaveStudio]

the 57/u87 dosn't always work on every track. hmm, over this side of the sea, not many people use u87's on the guitars.

sjoko, ive got a perfect accoustic enviroment. the u87 sounds absolutely amazing. yeah, i know not everyone can afford a u87. but if you can, it's a great buy.

ive been playing around with amp farm lately on pro tools, ..hmm, interesting.it's handy for sure. you can mess with the amps after the track. i still haven't tried it out properly, just had a quick play earlier.

[LongWaveStudio]

Frank_1, are you actaully recording the guitar in the right way in order to get that "in your face" sound, i.e.panned double tracking,etc.

[sjoko2]

LOL but.............I am from that side of the ocean!

I love the amp farm, its an amazing piece of gear, both the software and the hardware version, and not just for guitars!
Great for basterdizing loops etc..

However........ My latest and by far the best sounding weapon in the amp / guitar sound wars I've ever had - the THD UniValve. I've had it for 7 months now, and nobody recording has ever used anything else, all the other stuff seems to be obsolete, Marshalls, the awsome vintage brown Vox (now feeling rejected) ... they don't get a chance.
Want a different sound? - pull out the tube and put another one in. From the heaviest possible to Les Paul like clean jazz sound, the UniValve can do it all - but better. On top of that, it has THD's HotPlate build in, so you can use the UniValve as a pre - go direct to tape / disk - or use it to drive another amp. To me this is the most exciting piece of gear in many years. I don't know if you can get it yet in the UK, but if you want one I'll gladly send one over there.

[frank_1]

LongWaveStudio : This is how I record my guitar...


I either use a 57 or a Sennheiser MD421 U-5.

I use a Blue Tube mic preamp.

I do double the guitar when I record on ProTools FREE, but I don't double when I use my 4-track Tascam.

Even with ProTools FREE, the sound is not like I would like it. It still does not sound like any rock band who has a great guitar sound.

I will upload an MP3 soon, so you guys can hear for your self.


*Cheers*

[Wallycleaver]

Originally posted by LongWaveStudio

sjoko, ive got a perfect accoustic enviroment. the u87 sounds absolutely amazing. yeah, i know not everyone can afford a u87. but if you can, it's a great buy.

Them be fighting words. The perfect enviornment. A bit cocky and not really cool to mention and infact not possible.

[LongWaveStudio]

well, when i read it, i thought Sjoko was saying a didn't have a decent acoustic enviroment.

wallycleaver, i dont have a home studio, it's a pro studio, the rooms are all fine tuned.

[LongWaveStudio]

y'know what sjoko, i love using PODS on drums now and again to "basterdize" them:-) i hate pods on guitars, but it sounds great on drums:-) ive yet to run anything through the bass pod. ill experiment with amp farm when i get into the studio tomrrow.

how much is the UniValve?

[Wallycleaver]

Just seems like saying "I've got a bigger penis than you" IMHO

[LongWaveStudio]

WallyCleaver,
i didn't mean to make it out like that, i just thought Sjoko was trashing my acoustic enviroment and i know there's nothing wrong with it.

i wasn't saying "ive got a bigger penis that you", or to that effect. i was stating that i wasn't being cocky, the rooms were good because its a professional studio, so it has to be good.

[sjoko2]

no need to argue guys, I never take offence at anything .......just here for fun.

I just looked at THD's website, looks like Chandlers in Kew sell them. http://thdelectronics.com/products/. I didn't have to pay for it, so I don't know how much it costs.
They also make an awsome cabinet to go with it, with 2 good'ol (modified) Celestions.

I'll guarantee you'll have fun bastardizing tomorrow! (my favorite occupation)

[LongWaveStudio]

Hey man,

ill look into that univibe thing, ill get one sent down to try, who are the distributors, d'ya know?

hey, i HAD to bastardize something today. it was a drump part for like an intro to a song, it needed some lo-fi distorted drum sound. but i had a play in amp farm, couldn't find anything i reeeally wanted, but i think it's cus i have't played with it long enough. i ended up running the overheads through a gx700, the snare through another gx700, the bass drum through a bod with all the low end taken off (im remiding you we needed a really almost radio sounding kit), and then ran everything through an Electrix Filter Factory. sounded wicked.it's only for about 15 seconds , then the proper kit just blasts through. we were pretty drunk too:-) it's the last track on their album so we kinda had early celebrations, oops:-). try using auto tune on a guitar solo, sounds so funky!

[sjoko2]

Chandler Guitars
300-302 Sandycombe Road
Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3NG
44 181 940 5874
sales@chandlerguitars.co.uk
www.chandlerguitars.co.uk


If you have a prob with them, let me know.

Did you listen to Uru's demo of Desert City? http://www.mp3.com/uru
Thats another one we did at home, while the studio is being build, on a pretty bare PT system. I just wanted a quick loop, just as a rythm indicator, that's all.
So, what I recorded was a standard loop from a $399 Yamaha DJX, consisting of a light drum beat and a fretless bass. Didn't have any MIDI stuff set up, so I recorded the whole thing on 1 track first, then each component individually, and alligned them by ear with the single track.
We recorded all vocals over this, and then I squeezed and basterdized the tracks, using the fretless sound, mainly by using amp farm.
The 'heavy guitar' sound, synth sounds etc .... its all the fretless.
Other effects came from a telephone answering machine sounds CD.
I wonder what I'm going to do to it when we record it for real