Micing speaker for mixing

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Yesman

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This might be a crazy question. But does anyone ever mic a speaker cabinet for things other than a guitar? lets say i wanted to mic a speaker and run vocals through it again or lets say a hi hat or snare to get a different sound. Is that something that is ever done? or am i just crazy?
 
When you run something that's already been recorded back through the amp and speaker, recording again via a mic on the speaker, that's called re-amping. There are several variations/configurations. It's a common practice. I don't usually do this, but some others here could probably expand on it.

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Never done that, but I've put Logic's guitar amp+speaker simulator plugin on things that weren't necessarily electric guitars. Pretty much the same thing (and less trouble).
 
I used to run electronic drums through speakers to capture the room and some 'air' around it.
Also normal reamping guitar and bass di signals and vocals throu all sorts of things to get a sound.

Once Amp and cabinet simulators got good enough, I just started using those instead of setting up the Amp, cabinet, mic and do the routing...
 
Hmm so you guys think the amp sims are good? I guess i should try that too then
 
I wanted to also run drums too but i thought it was crazy. Now i know!
 
Amp Sims can be good, depending on what you are trying to do and which ones you choose.

If you are just trying to disort a vocal, does it really matter if you run it through a fender twin or a mesa boogie dual rectifier? About any Amp Sim would mess up the vocal to an acceptable degree.

With drums, since I was trying to get the room sound and maybe add a little more "oomph", I would send it through a pa system, not a guitar Amp.
 
im gonna reamp the s*&t out of everything even the cowbell! fun to experiment!
 
I've re-amped lots of times, even vocals. I've also recorded drums through an amp. It would have been good except this amp had a compressor button and it made the drums all floomy and rubbery and it was hell to mix.
But the other times on other instruments, it nearly always has worked quite well.
 
Electronic drums sound best through an amp designed for keyboards. Vocals usually sound best through bass amps. I don't know why, they just do. The idea of recording amped anything is to get a "live" feel from the sound. Works good.
 
The only problem is that if you want to reamp without plugins thoses amps take up space
 
Yesman said:
The only problem is that if you want to reamp without plugins thoses amps take up space
Click to expand...
Indeed. Another problem you might face is getting a clean signal of the correct level into them?

If you are coming out of a desk the signal is likely averaging +4dBu, about a volt and that will be too hot for a guitar amp*, the signal might also be balanced. Then there is always the bogey of "Ground Loop Hum" looming.

The level problem can be solved with a simple 10k log pot in a tin. Just pull the signal off the jack tip or pin 2 of an XLR to crudely unbalance it.
GLH if it occurs can often be fixed by simply not connection the ground, i.e. screen from the desk feed. Better is a small 1:1 audio transformer. You CAN use a passive guitar DI box 'the wrong way around' but often they cut the level too much.

You can of course buy "re amp boxes" but they tend to be a bit expensive and have features you don't really need. Beer into water to make if you can solder.

*You could go into the FX return on a gitamp if it has one but much more of the "tone" of an amp comes from the pre-amp section than many people realize.

Dave.
 
I have a drum booth that is not huge, so when I want a "Big Room Sound" I set up a pair of room mics in the main room and record the mix from my studio monitor playback.
The extra cool thing is you can tailor the mix you want... so if you don't want cymbals... turn them down or off completely if you want more kick or snare or toms... add it!
 
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