Mic'ing a guitar amp?

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dabluesman

dabluesman

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I'm thinking of getting two SM57's and an Audio Buddy preamp to mic my 2x12 guitar amp. Is it common to mic an amp in stereo with two mics this way? I'm use to mixing stereo guitar signals (direct) so I figured stereo micing with two mics would be a good idea, is it? Is the SM57 the right mic for this? I've never miced a guitar amp before so if anyone could provide any info, that would be great.
 
I've mic'ed stereo combo amps with two 57s, one on each speaker with great success. If it's not a stereo amp though, I wouldn't do it that way. I'd either have one mic on one of the speakers right on the grill and one on the back of the cab or one on the grill and one back 3 to 5feet. YMMV.
 
me

there's a bunch of really helpful threads on this forum if you do a search for them....that's what i'd do.

but - as for me i always just use 1 SM57 at an angle....(just find the best spot to me)..... and always record 2 tracks. That way i can just pan them left/right and mix to the best sound.
I've tried just copying and delaying the same track - but the results are never as good as 2 seperate tracks played the same way..in my opinion at least. And it's especially easy if its just a bunch of easy chords/power chords that you are recording.

I guess if you have a solos or more complex guitar parts - stereo micing would be best though.
 
id go with 1 sm57 right up on the grill and maybe a condenser a few feet away if you have a nice enough sounding room.....
 
hehe

Or if the amp has a direct feed out, you can run that direct and mic, at the same time, and mix the 2..even tho the amp out is usually crap..or you can run your guitar direct into a direct box, and run the XLR to the mixer and the 1/4 back to the amp, and then you have a clean track of the same exact thing to play with in amp simulators and/or just send that BACK out of the mixer later into another amp :)

PS, Gidge, did you do that, or did one of the moderators have fun? :P
 
:))

Gidge
AlanHyattFanClubPresident

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Denham Springs, LA
Posts: 5183



?? :)
 
Guardian,
oh THAT!....no, it was my own work....just to help show that for the most part (outside of one bad day) all the ribbing i give Alan is justin jest.......
 
when you guys mention using a second mic in the back of the amp, you're talking about distorted sounds right?
i get the impression that whenever anyone talks about recording guitar here, everyone only thinks about distorted guitar sounds. what do you guys use for a clean sound?
i have actually given up using a dynamic mic for clean guitar, it just doesn't sound good enough to me. i'm using a ld condenser, but i'd like to know if there's a better way. maybe a ribbon mic, but then i'd be missing a lof of high-end, i guess.
my main guitar is a rick 360, if that's of any help.

adriano
 
Dunno if it was mentioned, but make sure you flip the phase on the rear mic if you go that route. One way that I've been digging the balls out of lately for dirty and clean both is to spen 20 minutes getting the up close mic JUST RIGHT where it sounds exactly as I want. Then put on some closed back phones with good outside rejection, and squeeze em on your head real tight (trying to NOT hear the guitar sound from the amp, only headphones, hard) and move the second mic around about 5 feet from the cabinet in different places til you find a place that sounds fantastic and is in phase with the close mic. THEN, this is where the fun starts... get yourself another mic after you have the 1st 2 going nice and strong together at maximum tone quality and move out around the room, get off axis, whatever, wheverever, kinda far away sometimes, and find the spot with this mic (alone) that sounds fantastic. Then, brung the other two mics in, and adjust the far mic with them around that little sweet spot until it is in phase. Now you have a close mic for detail, a mid mic for some air, and an ambiance mic that will sound great using in certain parts by itself or as a natural reverb that may be much better and natural than alot of crappy plugs might get ya. Mix to taste, mix and match throughtout the songs, etc. Experiment. Good luck.
 
and if you can pull it off, get one SM-57, and one Beyer M88 instead. This would be better, and the Beyer is like a 57, total workhorse, only sounds better on more sources than the 57 does. They are both workhorses and both will serve many needs. The Beyer M88 is kind of a secret weapon to alot of engineers. Check Musicans-gear.com for some awesome Beyer prices. If you cant afford the M88, maybe try out a M130 and use it is your 5 feet back mic. Putting an m130 right on the cab can blow it if its too loud. M160 would be ever better if you dont have a big room.
And to add to what shackrock said, using one is fine, but it just doesnt get the depth I like. Use the 2 like eveyrone else said, or the 3 like I said (fat) and you just pan them all as if they were only one mic... double track as normal. another thing that is cool sometimes is to pan your two close mics together, and your distant room mic to the opposite channel. Makes it sound like there is natural space going on there. Sometimes. YMMV. Try em all, and report back on what works for you. We like to hear how our time writing all this shit worked out for ya. :)
Peace.
Editing in... also, this technique gives you good options during mixdown. Use em all at once for super fat areas with no vocals, maybe just use the room mics during verses and bring the others in during chorus, whatever. Whatever works. You can never have too many options, in my opinion.
 
phase

If one was to want to switch the phase of a sound after it was recorded, in say a DAW, like CEP, that would be the 'invert' function? I've never actually played with switching phase before, and this sounds like the logical name for doing that?

--Sal
 
mic the front with 57. mic the back of the speaker with 57. flip the phase of the back mic.

blend accordingly.
 
I agree with the guy up there who uses condensors for clean toned guitar amp. I use a C1000s or my V67. Maybe I'll try my new 603s. Hmmmm.... In any case, don't get locked into thinking you can only close mic an amp with a 57.
 
i have recorded guitars for a whole five-song ep with an akg c1000, however i'm now using the studio projects c3, and i like it much better. it's warmer and softer. the c1000 highs are too harsh for my taste. i have used the 603s on guitar too, but i like the c3 better at least on my rick. on another guitar and amp combination it might not be the best choice though. i guess a very jangly guitar like a tele could do wel with a ribbon mic, since they're always TOO bright, IMO.

adriano
 
One reason I like the method that I listed, aside from it sounding pretty fat, is the options it gives you during mixdown. One mic on a cab gives you one option, where 3 gives you like 6 possibilities to change, fatten, and alter tone throughout different parts of the song.
 
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