4X12 Cabinet Mic Placement

[VesuviusJay]

I have thouroughly studied Mr Gerst's teachings on the microphone sticky. I have been rather randomly trying different miking techniques. I have begun to see how you can't just place the mic anywhere, even starting with the suggestions in that thread, and hope to get lucky and get the sound you want through the monitors. I am slowly but surely fattening up the guitar sound, and even once I think I found the sweet spot, but still havent quite achieved my desired sound. I think I am lacking in mids in the rhythm guitar, although once I did get a nice even tone even through the mids.

Just wondering if there were any thoughts on some of your tried techniques that I may play with to see if I can it yet a hair closer to the sound I envisioned.

Thanks \m/

 

[Tom Hicks]

In any 4X12 cab, one particular speaker will sound better than the others. There is no other way for it but to stick your head down there and listen to some loud music. Even those few moments will screw up your ability to make delicate level adjustments for the rest of the day, however.
I use the 'ol Shure SM57 very close to the speaker, within an inch. If you want to accentuate the bass end of the sound, mic out toward the edge or surround. Micing to the center of the cone will reveal more high freqs. I like it dark, so I'm more out on the edge micing usually.
I don't, but a lot of guys will add a room-tone mic. The distance really depends on your room. The time honored method to find the room mic position is for the engineer to listen on his phones while the assistant walks around with the mic open. The shape of your particular room makes certain nodes and standing waves, so that moving the mic position even slightly could have a big sonic effect. That is the "sweet spot" of the room, if you can find it. But, for home recorders like me with acoustically untreated walls, it can be tough to find a room-mic spot that doesn't sound boxy.

 

[Gidge]

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33141

check out sonusmans pics.......