Amp recording volume

[grandmsterflash]

Hi ive just started trying to put some songs together, im recording my marshall MG30 with a shure c606 mic through a home-made analog devices ssm2019 mic preamp (with the mic right up against the grille slightly off-centre). Im getting some ok results but the guitar parts are a bit thin and weak sounding. I know this is partly due to the amp (new valve amp soon!)but i have one main question: do you get a far better sound with the amp turned up as loud as possible and using low mic preamp gain? as a pose to low amp volume and high mic gain. As at loud amp volume the mic will be physically moving more, capturing a better signal. Im just looking for a more in-your-face stronger sound. Any advice welcome!

Thanks

 

[RAK]

Hi ive just started trying to put some songs together, im recording my marshall MG30 with a shure c606 mic through a home-made analog devices ssm2019 mic preamp (with the mic right up against the grille slightly off-centre). Im getting some ok results but the guitar parts are a bit thin and weak sounding. I know this is partly due to the amp (new valve amp soon!)but i have one main question: do you get a far better sound with the amp turned up as loud as possible and using low mic preamp gain? as a pose to low amp volume and high mic gain. As at loud amp volume the mic will be physically moving more, capturing a better signal. Im just looking for a more in-your-face stronger sound. Any advice welcome!

Thanks

There's probably a lot of reading you could do on Gain Staging, but in general, you wanted mid levels at all stages, meaning that 5+5 is better than 9+1. Now in your situation, you may find your amp sounds better the hotter you drive it, so you may want to give more gain there. On the other hand, your amp may be noisy, so when you turn it up, you turn up the noise also. Basically I would just experiment, and see what you can come up with, and must make sure you're not clipping into the mic-pre. If you have noisy-mic pre, then you don't want to be turning up that noise either.

 

[metalhead28]

What he said.

Seriously, it all depends on what you're getting from the amp. That amp might not get "bigger" at higher volumes, it might just be "thin" only louder. Your best bet is always experimentation.

Also, don't pass over the easy and obvious things you should try for a bigger guitar sound, such as backing off the pre-amp gain, and layering tracks.