Micing guitar amps in a home studio: Your setup?
- Thread starter Robus
- Start date
fuzzsniffvoyage
Well-known member
Right now, when I actually record the amp (vs a amp sim or the 11 Rack) my amp is right next to me, same room, crazy loud so I turn down so I can hear what's in the cans.
So I'm contemplating using a different technique. Recording the guitar with the amp sim and re-amping.
Might be selling the 11 Rack, I don't really care for it.
So I'm contemplating using a different technique. Recording the guitar with the amp sim and re-amping.
Might be selling the 11 Rack, I don't really care for it.
Five minutes is what it takes. If you're satisfied with what you're doing, keep doing it. If not, try something different. But I'm telling you mate, I'd have that Blackstar of yours singing inside of ten minutes.
minerman
Tonetard
I've moved into another place since this pic was taken, but what I have now is basically the same setup. Loud ass amp in the same room I'm recording in, & I use Sennheiser HD280 'phones...
Miro made a good point about the cue mix, I do the same. Whatever I'm recording will be a little louder than it's supposed to be in the mix, just for the sake of being able to really hear what I'm doing...
FWIW, I don't have a problem recording my 100w head & 4x12 in the same room, I actually love it myself, YMMV....
Miro made a good point about the cue mix, I do the same. Whatever I'm recording will be a little louder than it's supposed to be in the mix, just for the sake of being able to really hear what I'm doing...
FWIW, I don't have a problem recording my 100w head & 4x12 in the same room, I actually love it myself, YMMV....
Interesting range of responses. Sounds to me like Track Rat, Jimmy69, and RFR are the ones who use something like my system--either a dedicated amp vault, or an improvised setup like mine.
There are many ways to get the job done, obviously. Proof is in the results. This is what works for me.
Jimmy that robotic mic stands looks pretty cool. However, for me it's not the mic placement but dialing in the tone knobs on the amp that takes a couple of trips between the studio and the makeshift amp room to dial in. A head/cab setup is the best of both worlds, because then the head can stay in the control room. I do that with my Hughes and Kettner head.
Tadpui, I use an old set of Sony closed back headphones, mostly for vocals and acoustic guitar. I just flat-out dislike tracking electric guitars with headphones.
There are many ways to get the job done, obviously. Proof is in the results. This is what works for me.
Jimmy that robotic mic stands looks pretty cool. However, for me it's not the mic placement but dialing in the tone knobs on the amp that takes a couple of trips between the studio and the makeshift amp room to dial in. A head/cab setup is the best of both worlds, because then the head can stay in the control room. I do that with my Hughes and Kettner head.
Tadpui, I use an old set of Sony closed back headphones, mostly for vocals and acoustic guitar. I just flat-out dislike tracking electric guitars with headphones.
jimmys69
MOODerator
Yeah, I've got a 25 foot speaker cable, so the Hughes & Kettner head stays in the control room with me, while the cab goes in another room. A head/cab rig is more convenient than a combo amp in so many ways--but it just happens that the sounds that really speak to me, like that classic Fender Deluxe, seem to come from open backed combos, so that is mostly what I have.
jimmys69
MOODerator
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
I can see where the robot mic would be a nice-to-have in certain situations...but I record most of my guitar tracks early on, especially the rhythm tracks, when there is little else in the cue mix....so I don't really spend more than like, 5 minutes setting up my mic(s)....and then I'll audition the tone, make one or two slight adjustments, and that's it.
I guess what I'm saying is...if I was far off in the control room, and I was needing to try out all kinds of mic positions against a fairly complete mix, where those minute micro adjustments of the mic would all reveal something different against that mix...mmm, yeah, a robot mic would be cool.
That said...most times, I'm getting the guitar tones up-front, early on in the tracking...so all I really do is look for a good tone, basic tone, and I'll work it in later, during mixdown.
After positioning mics over the years in front of cabs/speakers...it's become rather rudimentary to find "the spot". Heck, it's often one of 2-3 spots, and there's not a heck of a lot of mystery to it anymore.
With a new amp/cab...yeah, a little experimentation is required...but in my case, my guitar amps and cabs are just 2-3 steps away from my mix position. I like that I can don't have to move too far, and having everything all in one space.
Thought it can be a PITA when you have to walk back-n-forth between a couple of rooms...so I can see where the robot mic thing is a saver.
I guess what I'm saying is...if I was far off in the control room, and I was needing to try out all kinds of mic positions against a fairly complete mix, where those minute micro adjustments of the mic would all reveal something different against that mix...mmm, yeah, a robot mic would be cool.
That said...most times, I'm getting the guitar tones up-front, early on in the tracking...so all I really do is look for a good tone, basic tone, and I'll work it in later, during mixdown.
After positioning mics over the years in front of cabs/speakers...it's become rather rudimentary to find "the spot". Heck, it's often one of 2-3 spots, and there's not a heck of a lot of mystery to it anymore.
With a new amp/cab...yeah, a little experimentation is required...but in my case, my guitar amps and cabs are just 2-3 steps away from my mix position. I like that I can don't have to move too far, and having everything all in one space.
Thought it can be a PITA when you have to walk back-n-forth between a couple of rooms...so I can see where the robot mic thing is a saver.
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It would speed up the process of experimenting with new gear, for sure. My guess is that most of us find mic positions that work for the setups we use often and go with those by default, adding minor tweaks as needed. I'm using that Fender DRRI in the OP photo constantly. The mic is nearly always right where you see in the picture, with just micro-adjustments that take moments if that. If the tone is wooly, I move the mic closer to the dust cap. If it's raspy, I move it in the other direction. If if I want more or less proximity effect or air, I'll put it right up the grill cloth or pull it out a couple of inches. Done.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
I think the big benefit of a robot mic would be for when you want the REALLY crank a loud amp, where even with headphones, it's not easy having your head stuck in front of the speaker while the guitar is blasting away as you move the mic around...and of course, when you have the separate rooms, and/or you're in the control room doing guitar overdubs on an mix, and you want to hear it on the studio monitors not your headphones..etc..etc...it just saves the walking back-n-forth or your ears (or your assistant's ears)...'cuz in a commercial studio setting, every session is different people, different gear.
In your own studio, doing your own stuff...once you dial shit in, how often do you have to redial?
You get familiar with your gear and your mics, and your tastes...and it's pretty easy to set up quickly, IMO.
Still...toys are toys...and we love our toys. Any new studio toy is a good toy...and don't let anyone tell you it'd not.
In your own studio, doing your own stuff...once you dial shit in, how often do you have to redial?
You get familiar with your gear and your mics, and your tastes...and it's pretty easy to set up quickly, IMO.
Still...toys are toys...and we love our toys. Any new studio toy is a good toy...and don't let anyone tell you it'd not.
rayc
retroreprobate
Like many others IF I'm after the tone that comes with high volume I use ear buds under an industrial strength ear protection/isolation headset.
I'm in the room because I want to tweak as I go & I want the amp & guitar to interact ie: I want some feedback.
If I'm after clean tones the volume isn't an issue so rooms and head gear aren't an issue. The phones I use for tracking (moreMe) are VERY snug and have a quite focused range.
I only tried the other room trick once - lugging a very heavy cab & even heavier head weren't much fun - running back & forth was even less so.
I close mic & I don't have a better sounding room (or room not otherwise occupied).
I spent years using only clean tones until I learnt how to harness the beast that is know as cranked amp - thanks Greg.
I'm in the room because I want to tweak as I go & I want the amp & guitar to interact ie: I want some feedback.
If I'm after clean tones the volume isn't an issue so rooms and head gear aren't an issue. The phones I use for tracking (moreMe) are VERY snug and have a quite focused range.
I only tried the other room trick once - lugging a very heavy cab & even heavier head weren't much fun - running back & forth was even less so.
I close mic & I don't have a better sounding room (or room not otherwise occupied).
I spent years using only clean tones until I learnt how to harness the beast that is know as cranked amp - thanks Greg.
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
I mic my guitar amp in the same room that I play. I have it on loud, but it's not ridiculousy loud. I use headphones that aren't terribly good at isolating, but it doesn't matter because everything isn't too loud. As often as not, I record with my valvestate. Turning up an amp to self-destruct level is one way of recording a good tone, but there are others.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
While I don't try 35 mic positions every time I track guitar, and I just usually go with one of 2-3 known good positions...I do like to fiddel with the amp a bunch of times during tracking until I find the sweet spot. It would drive me nuts to keep walking into another room to do that, and I also like hearing the amp even if it's loud.
I used closed back headphones which take away that hard punch from a very loud amp, but I can still hear it very well...then I'll just turn away from the amp to where I'm getting as nice blend of both headphone and amp level.
I'm not knocking the amp in another room approach...just saying, I haven't seen a need for it, even with loud amps, and yeah, I'm often playing in the 3:00-to-dimed/11 zone, because that's where the good tones often are.