Recording hi gain electric guitar. Is this two mic configuration viable?

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I am experimenting with recording hi gain electric guitar. Just on a lark, I taped two EV676 mics together and put them about 2.5" off center, right up to the grill of a cabinet with a 12" speaker, and then I tried various panning configurations of the two tracks. When both tracks were centered, there was obvious cancellation and the sound was thin, but panned heavily, they do make an acceptable and varied sound depending on where the pans are set.

So my question is, is my method a valid and used technique among engineer's? Any comments about it would be appreciated. There's part of me that thinks it might have some promise in capturing a more complex sound, one that allows more manipulation, but I am also aware of the fact that I could be easily going down the wrong road as there might be problems with it that I am not aware of.
 
Well...since the are the same mics, capturing the same thing, in the same position...there's nothing to be gained from panning them or blending them.

If you put them in different positions at the speaker...or if you had two different mics, blending might yield some usable tones.
AFA panning...even if they are different mics and/or in slightly different positions at the speaker...there's not a lot of value in panning them, and you may even end up with problems.
If you want panning, set them up as a stereo pair placed further back, away from the speaker. When they are right up to the speaker, it's basically a mono source point, so there is no stereo information there that panning would demonstrate.

Ideally...record with one of the mics, play/record the part twice...then you can pan the two tracks for a nice wide sound.
Panning identical tracks or sources doesn't really work.

Also...however much gain you have set so that it sounds good to you in the room...reduce it by about 30-40% for recording, otherwise it will sound like mush.
 
The other not-so-obvious problem you answered yourself is if the song were to ever be played in mono, the guitar would disappear.

I don't record amps at all, but if I wanted a stereo recording of one, I might start with a close mic and a distant mic and spread them across the stereo field. But more likely to do what Miro said and record the guitar part twice.
 
I've heard a few hi gain guitars recorded in the Fredman technique with a pair of SM57s, where 1 mic is on axis and the other is at a 45 degree angle. The phase cancellation that happens is in the higher frequencies so it tends to get rid of some fizz from the amp.
 
I've heard a few hi gain guitars recorded in the Fredman technique with a pair of SM57s, where 1 mic is on axis and the other is at a 45 degree angle. The phase cancellation that happens is in the higher frequencies so it tends to get rid of some fizz from the amp.

I've never heard it referred to as "the Fredman technique" but this is something I've done for decades: When you're undecided about whether you prefer the on-axis or off-axis sound, you record both. Probably 4 times out of 5 I select one or the other in the mix, but for those other 20% mixing the two signals has been just what the doctor ordered. (Note that they are rarely summed in equal 50/50 proportions. And sometimes I pan them apart, other times to the same location.)
 
*some* phase cancellation would be expected just because they're not quite in the same place, right?

Maybe not a ton, but a noticeable amount I'd think?

There might be a little cancellation in the highs, but thin sound indicates cancellation in the lows which suggests polarity mismatch. At least that would be the case if they're side by side. If they're at different distances, like by a half wavelength of 200Hz, then that would perhaps account for the thin sound.
 
I've heard a few hi gain guitars recorded in the Fredman technique with a pair of SM57s, where 1 mic is on axis and the other is at a 45 degree angle. The phase cancellation that happens is in the higher frequencies so it tends to get rid of some fizz from the amp.

I have heard of this too. It is used a lot in metal. Somebody sells a mic bracket designed to hold two mics on the right position. I meant to buy one but forgot.
 
I am experimenting with recording hi gain electric guitar. Just on a lark, I taped two EV676 mics together and put them about 2.5" off center, right up to the grill of a cabinet with a 12" speaker, and then I tried various panning configurations of the two tracks. When both tracks were centered, there was obvious cancellation and the sound was thin, but panned heavily, they do make an acceptable and varied sound depending on where the pans are set.

pan it in mono to minimize phase distortion
 
Phase distortion? I am not familiar with this. Are you using the term distortion loosely, meaning anything that is funky like cancellation, or do you mean actual distortion? I haven't noted any actual distortion. Also, given that so few people ever listen to music in mono, isn't the concern about phase issues when being played back in mono overblown? I mean how often is anyone going to play something in mono these days.
 
There might be a little cancellation in the highs, but thin sound indicates cancellation in the lows which suggests polarity mismatch. At least that would be the case if they're side by side. If they're at different distances, like by a half wavelength of 200Hz, then that would perhaps account for the thin sound.

Yay, by my shaky math for two 20mm D mics taped together the first cancelation would occur at 17kHz? Not much coming from a guitar speaker there!

I had an idea for two, nominally identical mics affront a cone on a speaker in an iso-box? One on cone centre and one on the edge and thought a cross-fade would simulate all the places inbetween?

I read a review of a robot mic handler (a modified XY plotter) but it was noisy in operation and that would I think P peeps off?

Dave.
 
I only use 2 mics in the same (or similar) position when using say an SM57 and a ribbon, or a large condenser and a SM57, Large condenser and a ribbon, etc. These combinations can make interesting blends.

Alan
 
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