building a box to record amps and maybe vox...?

  • Thread starter Thread starter shackrock
  • Start date Start date
S

shackrock

New member
right now i'm recording in my basement...which is a pile of crap as far as acoustics goes.

i put my own carpet pieces down on the floor, and on parts of the walls already...the ceiling is just wood rafter lookin stuff with wires and shit goin all through it - and furnace vents all over the place too...

so - what is my best bet for recording amps? face the amp into a completely carpeted corner of the room, and mic it there? build a little box? i'll be willing to do whatever i need thogh.

also - i have a really small bathroom...which is made out of rotting wood, and fits 1 person comfortabley in it...just a toilet in there, and a door....ha

can i carpet all the parts of that room, and get better vox then i could if i just sang it right in the middle of the room, or the corner (which i do now)?


thanks...
 
For recording guitar amps, I've always put the amp somewhere else than the control room, and the guitarist in the control room, with headphones.

Your bathroom could be used, but instead of carpeting it (assuming you want to keep it a bathroom) you might need something more billowy like layers of moving blankets hung around the ceiling perimeter to significantly reduce the tile reverb and potential standing waves.

Might also sound good the way it is - experimet!

There are boxes on the market for under 400 bucks US that is basically a 12" speaker in a sealed box, with a place for a mic. This allows you to "cranK' your stack without ringing your ears. I've used them before to some degree with good results.

Another option is a Pod or Pod Pro. The latter is rackmount and has digital out - a nice touch. Anyway, guitar to pod, pod to mixer, and you have the stack of your choice, with the cabinets of your choice, just twiddle knobs or use the included software on your PC via Midi.

I have a fender Cybertwin Amp which is fender's version of the pod pro built into a dual speaker guitar amp. I like it a lot, but its about double in price as the pod pro. I wanted something with speakers too, thats rugged, and didn't like the sound out of the line 6 amps (speakers and amp section, not the digital pre-amp part before it).

Can always use partitions, or put the amp in another rooom, and run wires down the stairs :)
 
i was considering pods....but - are they REALLY better sounding then micing an amp?

it seems like it would be missing something if i recorded all my guitars with POD's instead of using mics...you know?

i mean, im sure the pro's dont use pods - but then again, they HAVE the amps the pods model, and perfecct rooms..lol


but when i keep thinking about all of it - i dont wanna spend any 100's on a pod...maybe if my guitarists who are recording have one, definately we'll use it...but otherwise...i rather mic the amps. also - i was thinking of spending less then 20 bucks for this box thing...DIY as hell is fine with me...thats what i'm all about..ha

i'll try some stuff out...thanks
 
My though on POD (or other digital emulations) vs. mic'ed amp and speakers:

POD and their ilk are quick to set up and sound very good right away.

Mic'ed amp sounds better WHEN YOU SWEAT THE VARIABLES. If you just are thinking of sticking an SM57 in front of the amp, it is a crap shoot. It might sound great, or it might sound crappy.

My advice is if you have the time to work on it, go with the mic'ed amp. if time is important to you, then POD it up.
 
i was considering pods....but - are they REALLY better sounding then micing an amp?
Click to expand...

Some of the presets are damn good. Plus, you can download more from line 6. What turned me onto these type of devices is the ability to tune in the marshall double stack sound, without the headache of turning it a double stack up to 10 to get it.

it seems like it would be missing something if i recorded all my guitars with POD's instead of using mics...you know?
Click to expand...

You'd be missing the hassle of mic placement, the hassle of carting a stack around your studio, and of course, the hassle of owning a stack to begin with :)

The advantage of the Pod, Pod Pro, and the fender cybertwin that I have, is that you have MANY amps for the price of one. Plus, the cybertwin and the pod pro have digital outs - this is a beautiful thing - I can go right into my digital board without any hum, noise, or BS. Plus the cybertwin has dual XLR's out for analog consoles. Its a very flexible amp. The pod pro is no less flexible, just didn't have an amp and speakers. Plus, 2U is a nice amount of real estate to give up in exchange for having access to many, many amps.

i mean, im sure the pro's dont use pods - but then again, they HAVE the amps the pods model, and perfecct rooms..lol
Click to expand...

Do you have 200 amplifiers, and a perfect room to record in?

but when i keep thinking about all of it - i dont wanna spend any 100's on a pod...maybe if my guitarists who are recording have one, definately we'll use it...but otherwise...i rather mic the amps. also - i was thinking of spending less then 20 bucks for this box thing...DIY as hell is fine with me...thats what i'm all about..ha
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with that at all. Do whatever works for you. I avoided it for a long time, until I a guitarist brought one over, then I realized the value I could get out 600 bucks for the Pod Pro. The "regular" pod is basically the same, except its not rack mount and didn't have the digital outs, and is a lot cheaper.
 
I built a box, it still leaks a little into the contol room but it keeps control room noise out of the mic thats inside the box with cabinet. Its 2x4 construction, stuffed with insulation and has drywall inside and out. I also covered it with oak ply stained to taste. I have an xlr cable coming out of the box. I have 11 inches of space between the speaker face and 3 inches of air behind. I have added blankets to make the sound tighter, and remove them when I want a little reflection.
The amp is never played during mixdowns so it doesn't matter if it leaks during tracking into the control room because I get a good enough. I track with cans on, I mix with monitors and Im happy. Im still working on a vox workaround right now.


SoMm
 
well...i'll let the recordIE decide if they want THIER pod, or THIER amp (aka, whatever they own, i'll record with...haha).

thanks.
 
Build one out of 3/4" particalboard and carpet the whole inside and then get a Vintage 30 and a mic flange. You can get the demetions from the Randall web site. It costs only 20.00 to build one this way.

My personal one has no vintage 30, but a place to put the amp inside, I use a tech 21 10 watt combo
 
frederic, you said there are boxes you can purchase. Where? Can you post a link?
 
I can't find any specs at randallamplifiers.com for the iso cab. I see it and can envision the basic design, but more details would be helpful.

I will do a wider search...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top