Recording setup help

[Grindcore]

Hi there

I am kind of a newbie when it comes to home recording... I've got a bunch of questions. First, I'd like to describe my current setup which leads into the current problem I'm having.

First off, I play metal, with a lot of growling and scowling downtuned riffs... Usually a half step down, almost always in drop D.

I've got a computer with a SoundBlaster Live! X-Gamer. Plugged into the Line-In jack is one of those portable mixing consoles by Behringer, the EuroRack 602A. Now, plugged into this is a Samson R11 Supercardioid (I have no idea how to pronounce this, if someone cares to help... >B-) ) microphone.

Now for my guitar, I play a B.C. Rich Warlock Bronze, plugged into a Line6 POD 2.0.

I have 3 amps... A Marshall mini stack, a Ripper 10 watt practice amp, and a brand new Johnson Stage 25 combo I just bought off eBay.

When I try to record using any of these amps, what I do is I set the amp and such on the floor, then set the microphone so that the tip of the mic is touching the cloth covering the speaker, and pointing directly at the speaker.

Before my 10 watt amp started fizzling and humming horribly, it actually sounded quite good recording like this. Not awesome, but good enough to have that "you-are-there" feel somewhat.

Now as for my Marshall mini... it sounds *awesome* when I play, but it sounds absolutely god-aweful when I record with it. It totally sounds like a really low-quality bootleg.

When my 10 watt started going on me, I bought the Johnson Stage 25... Set it up the same way, with the mic directly facing the speaker, with the tip touching the cloth covering, but it still has that cheap bootleg feel. The sound I get in my recordings doesn't even remotely have that "you are there" feel, it sounds like the mic is in another room, far away from the source or something... though it is a lot better than what I get from the Marshall mini.

Now, for my newbie questions...

1. Do I even have the right recording concept? In other words, a microphone recording from a real amp? I have tried to record directly from the Line6 POD 2.0 with the speaker/amp emulation mode, but it sounds fake.

2. If I don't have the right concept going, what exactly should I have set up to make good recordings with that "you-are-there" feel?

3. If I do have the right set up, why did my crappy 10 watt practice amp sound better than my Marshall mini (dual 12.5 watt speakers) and the new Johnson Stage 25 combo I just bought? Why do those 2 amps I have have that "in another room" feel when I record?

Basically, I just want to know what I'm doing wrong... Do I have the wrong type of microphone? I'm using a Samson R11... it's a supercardioid type that you don't plug in, but that's basically all I know about it. Would the microphone have that much impact on the "recording from another room" effect, or am I just set up wrong altogether?

Someone point me in the right direction? I would be most appreciative.

J

 

[toyL]

...you're certainly asking the right questions...and answers are plentiful--mostly opinions--which is better than zip...off the top of my head--your metal sounds fantastic as it comes out of your amp and hits your head, but a microphone is not your head--cut your distortion a bit--your mic picks it up very easily and therefore doesn't need much to get it into the signal...try placing your mic about 3/4 of the way from the center of the speaker...experiment with mic placement--soon enough you will find the "right"spot...
also, the ADCs on your SB might not ever be capable of recording music well...conversion of your analog signal to digital is of primary concern for any accuracy in the recording...the SB ADCs might not be "quality" components...check with SB for the specs, and then compare them to other more expensive components...gotta go.
oh yeh, buy yourself a couple of SM57 mics...

 

[Gidge]

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33141

check out the replies here, especially from sonusman......

 

[Grindcore]

Thanks for the info, guys. I played with my mic positioning a bit and found one that works decently with the mic that I have. I also cut the drive a bit (which takes an edge off the gain), and that seems to have helped. The biggest difference of all though, is recording the same riff several times and mixing them on top of each other. This is an old trick I used to use when making modules (.MODs, .XMs, .S3Ms, etc.), and I can't believe I didn't think of doing this with my guitar recordings. Basically I record the exact same riff like 3 times in a row with indentical settings, then switch to the fuzz box setting on my POD, record that, and then maybe play it again on British HiGain, record that, and mix it all together, and it sounds really quite dynamic. I'm sure if I experiment some more I can find an even better combo to mix.

Thanks again for the help!