NEED Help Micing a Combo Amp!!!

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Mbest

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I am trying to mic a Marshall combo amp. I am recording in a 1000 sq ft concreate basement. I am tracking to a Roland VSX-880EX, using an SM58 about one inch from one of the speakers, and a room mic about 15 ft directly in front of the amp. For the room mic, I have tried a Beyers, EV RE16, and an Audio Technica, and the all sound pretty close (The Beyers has a little more signal strength, so that is the one that I am using). I am using a Mackie 1202 for the mic pres. I am recording a distortion guitar using the overdrive on the Marshall.
My problem is that no matter how I mix the two channels, I can't get the recording to sound as full and tight as the amp sounds in the room.
I know that it is not my monitors, because the drums sound great!
Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
I like tight mic'ing the front and the open back on combos and mixing the two.
 
I don't have lots of experience with this subject, but a couple suggestions: First, don't mic directly in the middle of the speaker. The tone's too harsh. Aim it straight in, but halfway out from the middle. Or try aiming it at the middle, but at a 45* angle from the side. Second, maybe the room mic needs to be closer than 15' and/or higher off the floor.
 
Keep moving that room mike around until you find a spot where the sound jumps out at you. You're probably thinking too "linear." 15 feet "directly in front" of the amp is not the answer. That's not what you're perceiving in your ears that's making the room sound full and "live" to you in the first place. It's the sound bouncing all over the place in a concrete box that sounds good, and that's what you want to capture.

So start moving that room mike. For example, point the amp at a wall (vary the distance from the wall and the angle) and try to catch the sound bouncing off the walls with the room mike. Try miking the corner of the room, try miking more toward the floor or more toward the ceiling. It's often a tedious process of trial and error.

Get someone to help you if possible. An extra set of hands usually helps.
 
Wally's Almight Combo Micing Trick!
Well it's not really that great but it stiil works.
#1 Take the pop filter off the 58 and presto a 57!
#2 Close mic the combo
#3 Grab a down comforter or heavy blanket
#4 Drape blanket over combo

What this does is a natural compresion is achived, then you can lay down another track with the room mic.
 
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