how do you get good depth micing a cabinet?

[grn]

I have a cabinet. I want to record both clean guitar and distorted guitar for a rock style sound/genre. I know the cab must be off the ground on a wooden surface. I have that covered. I know the mic technique for placing it off axis off to the side of one of the cone's. I will be using an SM57 to do this.

How can I get more depth out of these recordings, particularly when using distortion? I also have a matched pair of Oktava MK012s and a SP B1. Should I use these for room mics? What kind of EQ'ing or effects should I be thinking about adding later on or ... more specifically... if it's not enough depth or too muddy, what frequencies should I mess with on the EQ... should I record dry and add reverb later on? Please describe what you do to get a good clean sound and a good distorted sound.

Edit: I'm going for a ... Weezer, The Darkness, The White Stripes kind of sound... on distortion. I also know to turn down distortion and turn down the low end on guitar so it blends better later in the mix. I have the sound I want coming out of the amp and it sounds good in the room and close up.

 

[Ronan]

You should be OK with just your SM57 as long you have an OK pre amp. just expereiment with mic placement with that one mic. You are doing everything else right. I actually like using only one mic on the amp (or two different dynamics right next to each other) If the amp is good and you experiment you should be able to get some great tones with lots of depth and detail.

 

[deadhippy]

I wonder how much of difference the material make which the cabinet is sitting on?

I finally got mine off of the floor, but it is on a makeshift "shelf" consisting of milk crates and spare pieces of drywall...

yea, I know... ghetto...

 

[grn]

from what I've read and tried... a simple fold out wooden chair will do... or a piano bench even (as long as nothing is inside of it)... mind you I am no professional and I'm barely good enough to be called amateur in recording... I'm more of a musician trying to get a good sound

 

[earworm]

i messed a little bit with guitar amps,
i don't like too much bass in guts, so this is what i did a few times:
if its not a huge cabinet,
then you can let it point to the ceiling, in an angle of like 45°,

then you probably get less bass in your recording

now i got a huge marshall top with a hiwatt cabinet below it,
can't move the damn thing so i just move my mic a bit further away

actually, the only thing i can suggest is record one long track,
let somone play guitar, the same loop all the time,
and change the mic position, each time you change the mic position you can scream in the mic: "NOW ITS FURTHER AWAY", so afterwards you still know what gave you that sound you like

most of the time my mic is real close to the amp cause i'm recording in my bedroom, no great accoustics to take advantage from


my 2 cents

 

[Armistice]

I'm not up on my Studio Projects mics, but presuming the B1 to be a large condenser, perhaps try that for your cleanish stuff as an alternate to the SM57 - you may have to put it back a bit and pad it, or turn the volume down, but I get my best clean electric with an LDC rather than an SM57, which I tend to use for the dirtier stuff.

Other tip is to use two mics on the same source, pan the results L & R, perhaps delay one a little. Lots of options. Start playing around with it and you'll find you can get all sorts of sounds.

Cheers