Recording a combo amp?

D

Don Tonberry

New member
I've been recording my 112 combo with one condenser mic and it sounds decent but I want to combine my dynamic into the mix as well for some variation. How would I mic the amp without much phase issues?

I'm trying to get a good clean bluesy sound, rock sound, and metal sound
 
Don Tonberry said:
I've been recording my 112 combo with one condenser mic and it sounds decent but I want to combine my dynamic into the mix as well for some variation. How would I mic the amp without much phase issues?

I'm trying to get a good clean bluesy sound, rock sound, and metal sound
Click to expand...

If you want both mics to do the same job (IE: giving them both that "close mic" sound or whatever), then just mic them similarly, just try to make sure that the distance between the speaker and the diaphragm matches. Although, this technique is more about doing it by sight than doing it by ear. What I normally do when using two mics on a source is:

Throw the two mics up as you'd want to... Then, flip the phase on one mic, and slowly move one of the mics until the sound becomes REALLY out of phase, and then flip the phase back so that it becomes in phase.

You'll notice something more if it sounds really wrong than if it sounds really right. So, by making it sound really wrong, you can just hit a button and its right again.

Alternatively, you can actually use the phase relationship between the two mics to change the sound of the amp. If you have to mics out of phase, it could work to your advantage. Either by making the amp sound a little darker, or by creating a strange effect.

Moral of the story: Play around, see what works!
 
Another way to do it is close-mic the amplifier with the dynamic and then mic the room with the condenser. Just set the condenser several feet away from the dynamic mic and the amplifier. Try standing in different positions within the room to hear where it sounds best, then set up the mic there. If, when combining the signal, you have phase issues, try moving it elsewhere.

-MD
 
themaddog said:
Another way to do it is close-mic the amplifier with the dynamic and then mic the room with the condenser. Just set the condenser several feet away from the dynamic mic and the amplifier. Try standing in different positions within the room to hear where it sounds best, then set up the mic there. If, when combining the signal, you have phase issues, try moving it elsewhere.

-MD
Click to expand...

If the room isn't acoustically treated, the chances are that it won't sound very good. So by close-micing, you don't pick up the bad room sounds, and then if you still want some space later on, try adding a little reverb later on.

Then again, you might have a room that really works with the sound that you're looking for, so give it a shot anyway!
 
Honestly, for most scenarios you may actually be better off JUST using a dynamic... What do you have to work with?

So much of the sound of electric guitar that you've heard over the years is just a SM57 up against the grill of a cabinet.
 
We used to put the mic in the back of the amp. Sometimes this sounds great, sometimes not. Try several positionings and see what sounds best....Robert
 
Stick the dynamic up close...put the condenser directly behind it about 2' back.
Build a "tent" using some chairs/rods/quilts that fits over the entire rig (that takes the room out of the equation).

Like this (I'm only using a single ribbon mic in this setup...and I use two quilts):

AmpTent01.jpg

AmpTent02.jpg

AmpTent03.jpg




Then during mixdwown, you can place the two tracks as you like and/or even time-align them if you don't want any delay between them...lots of options.

:)
 
Ok, so I'm using an Audio Techinica ATR30 and an AKG Perception 100.

I'll try the ambient miking technique, but will that help get a tight metal tone? I know it sounds pretty cool for clean and rock distortion sounds
 
You'll get a better sound if you don't use a girly quilt like Miroslav has in his second picture... perhaps something more muscular featuring yachts or horses or something... sound waves have feelings too...

And you may find that a 60/40 down/feather ratio in the quilt is optimum for sound bafflement... goose is better than duck as a rule too....





Kidding :D

Nice pics Miroslav... never thought of the quilt thing... I'll try it myself sometime.. with "manly" quilts of course... !
 
miroslav said:
Stick the dynamic up close...put the condenser directly behind it about 2' back.
Build a "tent" using some chairs/rods/quilts that fits over the entire rig (that takes the room out of the equation).

Like this (I'm only using a single ribbon mic in this setup...and I use two quilts):

Then during mixdwown, you can place the two tracks as you like and/or even time-align them if you don't want any delay between them...lots of options.

:)
Click to expand...

couldnt have said it better myself
 
or if the combo has an open back to it place one mic behind it facing towards the driver and the other mic in the same place but in front of the cab, then simply flip the polarity
 
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