Advice on how to proceed on amp mic'ing

  • Thread starter Thread starter ax2x3m
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ax2x3m

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hi,

i just bought a Marshall MG15CD Amplifier, I KNOW I KNOW!!! its an entry level amp, but i still would like to mic it...

i have a korgax100g though i have yet tried to use its amp modifying capabilities o yeah, i also have a sennheiser e835 (i know again not the greatest mic) but im a student on a budget you know... o yeah, i plug the mic directly to the pc... i also tried plugging the amp's line out to the pc... cant decide which sounds better... because i just placed the amp and mic inside a cabinet to reduce the noise

so i was wondering how should i go about this mic'ing business, at first i was thinking POD but ITS WAY TO EXPENSIVE for me so i just gone and bought the amp... is it still possible to get a decent recording from the gear that i have, or do i have to by extra ones.. if so, what?

any advice would be appreciated
 
Plugging the mic direct into the PC is going to kill your tone. Is there no way you can afford a cheap standalone pre? I think the cheap ones are like 80 bucks, hell even a cheap 50 dollar behringer MX mixer would be better.

That said, it'll still probably be better than using the line out of the amp. The e835 is actually a pretty good mic, many like it better than the venerable Shure SM58. I'd start off putting the mic dead on the center of the cone, and the mic just off the grill cloth. See what that sounds like, tilt the mic slightly and/or move it off center a little at a time until you hear a sweet spot. For cleaner tones, you can back the mic off a little ways, maybe about a foot or so to get more room sound. You said you had the whole rig in a cabinet, so you probably don't want to capture the "room" sound after all.

Good luck.
 
reshp1 said:
Plugging the mic direct into the PC is going to kill your tone. Is there no way you can afford a cheap standalone pre? I think the cheap ones are like 80 bucks, hell even a cheap 50 dollar behringer MX mixer would be better.

That said, it'll still probably be better than using the line out of the amp. The e835 is actually a pretty good mic, many like it better than the venerable Shure SM58. I'd start off putting the mic dead on the center of the cone, and the mic just off the grill cloth. See what that sounds like, tilt the mic slightly and/or move it off center a little at a time until you hear a sweet spot. For cleaner tones, you can back the mic off a little ways, maybe about a foot or so to get more room sound. You said you had the whole rig in a cabinet, so you probably don't want to capture the "room" sound after all.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

what gear do i lack??? ofcourse i would like the best gear possible... so that i could buy it in the future?

and my amp is just 15 watts, does that mean it sucks?
 
o yeah, is the thing where i put the amp inside the cabinet ok? or should i let the sound come out? and hjow far should i place the mic?
 
final question, i heard a lot of good stuff about the POD but its too expensive for me... do you think its worth to save up for it?
 
not really...If you can find "your sound" by micing an amp why spend money on an amp simulator.....save up for mic, pre, and better guitar amp (not neccesarily in that order).....but if to much noise is a concern then the POD is a good idea
 
First and foremost thing to get is a "preamp." The mic input of the computer is not designed for serious recording, it's for one of those cheap desktop wand mics for voice recognition etc. A preamp will at least go into the "line IN" of the computer, which still isn't ideal, but should be much better. If you can drop just a little more cash, I would recommend a "audio interface." A lot of them will have a preamp built in.

Something like this would be the bare minimum,
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrackUSB-focus.html

you'll probably want to save up for something with at least 2 channels like this
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MobilePreUSB-main-1.html
 
what are your advice with regards to how far i should i place the mic from the amp, and is putting the mic and the mic inside the cabinet ok or should i let them all out?

o yeah, is my amp enough to do the job?

i appreciate all your help! thanks for the replies
 
stick the mic right up to the front of the cabinet and "aim" the mic slightly off center from the cone of the amp. experiment with different positions and see what fits your style.

you don't need a loud amp to get a good recording, preferably the amp should be as quietly as possible while still getting the sound you want from it.
 
ax2x3m said:
and my amp is just 15 watts, does that mean it sucks?
Click to expand...

Not neccesarily, (not sure if I spelled that right) it's the sound that counts. Two famous guitar players, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and Brian May (Queen) got some amazing, good sounding, huge tones out of tiny amps. I think that Brain's amp that he sometimes used for recording was built out of a car radio, and was battery powered. Then again, they were EXCELLENT guitarists, and the player has a lot to do with the sound.

Hope I helped. :)
 
so my current set up is allright, i should probably buy one of those audio interface things i saw, is the TASCAM US-122 DESKTOP RECORDING STUDIO any good?

o by the way do you think that buying the audio interface is a more value for your money decision that the POD? coz the POD is just arounf 100 bucks more and i was wondering if it was more useful than the audio interface

though i also thought that i could maybe use the tascam for the vocals to
 
suddenly a thought crossed my mind, i have an archos jukebox 20, it has line-in input and digital in/out, could i somehow use this so i dont have to buy the audio interface

or is the interface really a must in trying to record cd quality material?
 
I have an MG15MSII and it sits next to my TSL100 / 4x12 cab.

I can use an AKG C414 through a Focusrite Platinum Voice master Pro (not just an SM57 into a sound card) and it is very difficult (not impossible) to get a nice sound out of the MG. Using the same kit on the TSL it is just easy as pie even at low volume.

My advice, first get a Pod V2 (100 bucks second hand). Much cheaper than a bunch of mics, a new pre, a new guitar amp and a bunch of noise citations from the local constabulary !!

If you don't like it you can always sell it and go the live rout.
 
i have an important question, if i invest in a POD2, can i use it to record vocals or is it just for guitars?
 
dont get the pod...the amp is fine...just get a card like the little m-audio one for a hundred bucks...the with your leftover money you can get two mics..a sm57 for the amp and a studio projects b1 for vox and audiobuddy preamp ...that way you can record guitar and vox and you will have a preamp....that will cost 400 hundred dollars....the pod2 alone is 200 dollars and i dont think it would sound as good..
 
ok here when i need more opinions, im really torn between sticking with my puny amp (which im not really sure if it sucks or not because its my first one but im assuming it is because its hella cheap) and buying an audio interface...

or buying a POD2

any more advice? currently the score is 1-1, hahahahahahahaha
 
Yo Ax! You're obsessing, and repeating the same questions. Word-

1. There's nothing wrong with your amp, if it sounds OK to you. A mic is an ear that is one inch from the amp. How loud does it have to be? Most recording is done with small amps, even by big name bands. The question is- does the amp produce the sound you want? If not, you need to sell it and buy another puny amp that sounds good *to you*. What I think about the sound doesn't count for diddly.

2. Sennheiser e835 is an excellent mic for recording cabs, a job where even the biggest studios often use a cheap dynamic stage mic, because that's what works.

3. Sorry, a mic requires a microphone preamplifier, *always*, and no, you can't get out of it. As suggested above, even a cheapie like M-Audio Audiobuddy ($80 new, less used) or better, M-Audio DMP-3 ($140 new, or less used), will give you a vast improvement. Plug it into the line in on the sound card, not the mic in. The mic in on the soundcard is useless for recording.

4. POD (or a cheaper alternative, Behringer VAMP II, $100 new) does have uses, and I use a POD for a bunch of stuff. But- *It doesn't move air* like a real speaker. Over many years, we have become used to the sound of a speaker moving air at a real mic, and they can't really simulate that digitally yet. Personally, I get around that by plugging the POD into a power amp, the amp into a speaker, and then mic'ing it. That *does* move air, but you are looking for cheap and simple. And yes, you can plug a mic into a pod, and it sucks, big time. One more reason why *you need a mic preamp* The line out of your amp doesn't move air either, a big part of why it sucks. Again if you plug the line out into a power amp, the power amp into a cab, and put a mic in front of the cab, it works fine. Are you seeing a pattern here? GET A MIC PRE!

Best of luck- Richie
 
If you're tallying votes, go with an audio interface. You can get decent ones for $80-300 that you won't have to upgrade until you get a)more recording experience and b) more money.

and your amp is fine for now. it may not sound fancy to your ear, but if you mic it right you can get a satisfactory sound.

you learn the most about recording by getting a good sound out of sub-standard gear.
 
i have enough money for a POD now, and i itching to get one because i cant use my amp late at night, i plan on getting a tascam 122 sometime next month

i read somewhere that if i plug the POD to an amp it could improve its sound, so thats why im placing it first on my list, and its just so sexy!

i have a question though, can i plug mics into the POD for vox or is it just a strictly guitar machine?
 
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