amp level?

bsanfordnyc

bsanfordnyc

New member
I'm kinda new to recording electric guitar via a mic'd amp.

What kind of volume level should I be cranking out of my amp when recording? Or does it even make any difference?


At this point I am using my only mic, the MXL V67.

When recording a clean tone, about how close should the mic be and in what position relative to the speaker?



Thanks,

Ben
 
About 8 billiion answers to this one...

The amp can be anywhere between somewhat soft and blisteringly loud. The mic can be anywhere from smashed into the grille or in another room.

That being said, I "normally" start at a "reasonably" good volume (you can shout over it with no problem) and the mic no more than an inch or three away from the cone. That's for clean / overdriven rock sound.

For sheer metal distortion, the volume comes up a bit, but I'll start with the mic in the same position and go from there.

That all being said, I normally start with a '57, 421, M-88, etc. So, you may want to start 6-12" away and go from there.


John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com
 
thanks for the reply-

I'm taking here that if the sound is not being altered by the volume, then it shouldn't have any impact on the recording?

is the mic pointing square into the speaker or offset to any angle?
 
The sound will always change along with the volume. That's why it's good to start at a "medium" level.

I tend to go at a mild angle to avoid air puffs.... Sometimes right near the edge of the cone, sometimes where the dustcap meets the cone, sometimes dead center, etc. CENTIMETERS make HUGE differences. The "buddy" system will be a huge time saver...

John
 
I put the mic 1 to 3 inches from the center of the cone but slightly aimed towards the side.
but keep in mind that each speaker also sounds differant and as Massive Master says its only a starting place and starting at a mid volume is also a good idea.
if you have a four speaker bottum watch those handles if there the shacky kind,
at loud volumes they will rattle like crazy so you will need to rap something around them. good luck
 
Depends on a lot of things, mainly your amp and room. Turn it up to the point where it sounds good to you standing in front of it! And don't be shy.. especially if its tube. Personally, I prefer them smoking a little, but my guitar tracking room is fairlly large and has very nice acoustics. In a nice room like that, I usually like a dynamic mic anywhere from 3" to 2' from the grill, and often times a condenser of some sort somewhere else in the room. Depends on the song and how "Zeppelin" I feel like getting.
 
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