How can I increase signal from SM57

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Phil66

Member
Hello everyone
I'm using an SM57 to record my guitar amp. The volume at the mic is 85-90db, I can't go any louder without annoying family. I'm plugged into a Boss GT-001 and have the mic preamp on max (+20db) but in Reaper it only registers around -30db on peak meter.
How can I increase gain without increasing noise?
Thanks for your time.
Phil
 
Play louder or get a preamp that can provide more gain.
You don't need a lot more....and 85-90 dB SPL is really not that loud for guitars. You would want the amp up more for best tones. Try putting some isolation around the amp to cut down on the noise. Stick it in a closet if you have to...etc....or just tell everyone to go out for pizza while you cut the tracks.
 
Phil66 said:
Hello everyone
I'm using an SM57 to record my guitar amp. The volume at the mic is 85-90db, I can't go any louder without annoying family. I'm plugged into a Boss GT-001 and have the mic preamp on max (+20db) but in Reaper it only registers around -30db on peak meter.
How can I increase gain without increasing noise?
Thanks for your time.
Phil
Click to expand...

Maybe a Fethead inline preamp would help.
 
Thanks both,
I don't really want to play louder in the house. I live with my wife so I can't really send her out on her own for pizza, and if she's out for pizza I'm sure gonna be there too.
I've been thinking of a preamp but not sure if it will damage the GT-001 which I use to add modulation effects.
Been thinking of a Presonus Tube v2. What do you think? £150 Max.
Thanks for your time
Phil
 
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Are you plugged into the mic input with an XLR to XLR cable?

Could there be a pad on the mic pre that's turned on?

Is there any post mic pre/FX master level control?
 
Hello and thanks for helping,
I am using xlr to xlr
All I can find is mic gain and I have it set to +20bd
That's all i know I'm afraid
Cheers
 
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OK, if you both need to go out for pizza....then order Chinese take-out, and send the wife to pick it up while you bang out a few tracks. Order from the place that's at least 10 miles away. :D ;)

Try the other options that let you crank up the volume a bit more.
Either build a "tent" with a few heavy quilts/comforters, where you use like a chair and a couple of sticks placed across the top of the chair and amp, and then you cover the mic and amp completely with the quilts/comforters, which will give you maybe another 10-15 dB SPL...or stick the amp and mic in a fairly full decent sized closet, run the cable out, under the door, and close the door and crank it up a bit. That could give you another 20-25 dB SPL.
That way you get more amp volume, but the wife still hears only 85-90 dB SPL.

Honestly...85-90 dB SPL from a guitar amp is just starting to get close to the sweet spot. Even the lower wattage amps need to be cranked up to hit their sweet spot.
So...buy her something extra nice for Xmas...bring home some flowers...cook dinner....do the laundry..., whatever...and then kiss her and explain that you NEED to crank some volume and move some air so you can cut that killer guitar track that will end up on the songs that will make you famous, and let you bring home the serious bacon.

Can I lay down the BS or what? :p
 
OK OK yeah you can crank out the bs lol. I am 50 years old in February and my wife is 49 so we are both wise old birds.
I need a usable solution :)
Cheers
 
What's age got to do with it?
I'm in the same ballpark...even a bit further out. ;)

I'm just giving you options that are usable and that work.
I got my elderly mother here, up from FL during the summer, and her room is not far from my studio.
I'm cranking guitar amps at 2AM and she's sound asleep.
So I've had to deal with the loudness issues myself.

Here's what I'm talking about when I say make a tent:

AmpTent01.jpg

AmpTent02.jpg

AmpTent03.jpg


And if that doesn't cut it or looks like too much effort...you do have closets you can try out, don't you?
Just stick the amp and mic in there and try it.
I mean...these ARE "usable solutions" before you spend any $$$...but if you just want to look for a higher-gain preamp right off...then do what you think is best. :)
 
I went to the Boss website and looked at the manual, there's a lotta menus/parameters/options!!

I would start by setting the output to line/phones

Set the pre-amp to either full range (would be my 1st choice) or natural clean

Turn up the master setting patch level
 
Atkron205 said:
what about building or getting a box and insulating the crap out of it, stick the amp in it. :D
Click to expand...

That too is an option...though iso-boxes tend to be...well...boxy sounding, because they are air tight and everything is very compressed. Not to say they don't ever work, just that they don't always sound best...and it still takes time to build and there's a cost.
 
miroslav said:
What's age got to do with it?
I'm in the same ballpark...even a bit further out. ;)
Click to expand...

:laughings: I meant I'm old enough to suss out BS, nothing to do with playing loud :facepalm:

OK, bit more info, I am using a Blackstar 1 watt valve head so it does sound sweet at 85-90db. I don't really want to start moving my room around (see pic below) so I think the preamp option is the best option for me, I just need to know if it will cause too much noise if I go into the GT-001 as that is my soundcard and interface. I also want to know a good brand of preamp for around £100.

Thanks for your help :)

Latest wall of sound.JPG
 
Once you go through and make sure all the settings in the boss are correct, if you still need more gain, either a cloudlifter or other in line preamp will do fine. An outboard mic preamp will also work, but don't get caught up in getting a tube preamp for the reason of "warmth" or because you are using it for guitar.

Real tube preamp are expensive to implement, so a solid state preamp in a similar pricerange will be of better quality. Any tube preamp that costs less than $600/channel is probably a starved plate design, which just adds a little distortion/mud as an effect to a solid state preamp.
 
Phil66 said:
:laughings: I meant I'm old enough to suss out BS, nothing to do with playing loud :facepalm:
Click to expand...

That may be...but women at any age will fall for the flowers or something sparkly. :)
I would think there would have to be some way to persuade her to let you have some air-moving time.

Those amps must have more to give...don't you want to crank them? ;)
I monitor my mixes all day long at 85 dB SPL...it's really not that loud.
Good luck with your "more gain" solution....but next time she goes shopping...just turn the knob up. :D
Also consider that the lower the source level and the greater the gain...you will start to pull up the background noise and internal noise too.
 
Cloudlifter was just the first/most well know name for this sort of thing. More and more people are making these things now. Since I no longer record, I'm not up on the latest.
 
lol @ miro continuing to force his idea on the OP who has repeatedly said that's not what he wants to do.
:laughings:

Make sure the output of the Boss is also high and set to 'line'.

If that's still not enough then some sort of pre-amp ..... it won't hurt the Boss .... just set the Boss for line input if you add a pre-amp.
And actually, almost any pre-amp you buy, even cheap ones, will be a better mic-pre than the one built into a multifx.
 
Lt. Bob said:
lol @ miro continuing to force his idea on the OP who has repeatedly said that's not what he wants to do.
Click to expand...

Why you trying to stir shit up Bob...?...it's always the same thing with you. :rolleyes:

We were just joking around about ways to get his wife to let him play louder.
If you read my follow-up post...I gave an option to for a low-noise line-pre for him to check out...so I'm not forcing anything on him. :facepalm:

For someone who doesn't really record much, Bob....ahhh...never mind...no need to waste my time with you.
 
Which is the problem? Your input signal from the mic isn't strong enough? Or your amp sounds crappy at low volume? I don't understand why your mic signal should not be loud enough. That's what preamps are for. I use an SM57 to record guitar tracks all the time, usually at moderate loudness. Achieving a good input level should never be a problem. If you can get a good tone from your amp at whatever volume, you ought to be able to capture it with that microphone and a decent preamp.

If the problem is that your amp doesn't sound good at the volume you want to play, well you're stuck there. Miroslav has been suggesting that you negotiate with the wife a time when you can track at higher volume. Most of us who have families and do just that. If you ever hear the sound of a larger amp cranked in my music, you can assume it was recorded on a Tuesday when I have the house to myself. However, if that's not an option, then get a smaller amp or resort to modeling. Of those two, low watt tube amp will sound better in my opinion.
 
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