Whats the best way to record guitar?

[dvsbruchko]

I wanted to record guitar using my friends pro tools setup and mbox, but I wasnt sure of the best way to do it. I could mic the amp directly into the mbox, mic the amp into my mackie 808s mixer and then send a line out into the mbox, Run his amp directly into the mixer and run a line out into the mbox (no mic), or run his amp straight into the mbox (no mic). When I tried this before with a mini disc recorder we put a mic on his marshall half stack...but it didnt turn out too great. Any ideas on what works best? Thanks

 

[Stealthtech]

micing is really the best way but with the advanced features of proccessors now, DI works pretty well. In my experiments, tapping off the amp itself wasn't that impressive....seemed to loose something. Experiment with all you have mentioned is the best way to get what your looking for. Mic placement is critical, and may be why it didn't work for you the first time. What mics are you using?

 

[dvsbruchko]

So far I have a shure sm58 and an akg instrument mic ( I dunno what model, I just borrowed it from a friend). Most likely these arent that good for the job anyway...since I think I should be using a cardiod mic, not a dynamic one. Any suggestions?

 

[tubesrawsom]

sm 57, e609 are great dynamics you can use
behringer b1 spb1 are great budget condensers ive had expierience more with a combo of the sm57 on axis in front of cone , behringer b1 on axis at the edge of the cone 6inches back

 

[Richard Monroe]

Yo Dvsbruschko- You are way confused. Cardioid is a polar pattern, which is to say what directions the microphone picks up in. Cardioid means heart shaped, so the mic picks up what's in front of it more, and sensitivity drops off to the side and rear. Hypercardioid is the same deal, but narrower, with minimum off axis response, as close to a laser beam as a mic can get. Supercardioid or wide cardioid picks up more to the sides, but is still directional. Omnidirectional is basically a 360 degree sphere, as even as possible in all directions. Figure of 8 (figure 8) picks up evenly to the front and rear, but much less to the sides.
Dynamic microphones have a different electrical operating principle than a condenser mic. Their generally lower output and sensitivity has made them an industry standard for mic'ing guitar cabs for many years. Before I can tell you what the AKG is good for, you'll have to tell me the model #, AKG makes a lot of mics. That SM58, though- First, unscrew the little ball off the top and set it aside. Then place it tight up to one of the speakers of that half stack. Put the mic right up to the grill, without touching, pointed just a little off center. Then, wearing headphones, have someone play while you move the mic closer to the center and away from it, changing the angle of the mic to the speaker cone, and listen to the sound change, which it will. If the sound of the amp is good, there will be a "sweet spot" where you pick up just the sound you're looking for. All you have to do is find it. For the record, the SM58 is a *cardioid* *dynamic* microphone, and it is a very good mic for recording electric guitars.-Richie

 

[DigitalSmigital]

Yo Dvsbruschko- You are way confused. Cardioid is a polar pattern, which is to say what directions the microphone picks up in. -Richie

He meant condenser, not cardioid.

Good advice on how to mic the amp.

 

[dvsbruchko]

Cool I'll try it out. I was a little confused, you're right. I'm used to working on film projects where you use primarily different cardiod mics to pick up specific sounds and prevent all the noise of everything else. I thought maybe in the case of recording a guitar amp, which does produce some undesirable noise when turned on even without an input, this might be the case. It's cool to hear I can just use my sm58 though. Thanks for the recommendations

 

[venuesound]

remove the windscreen?

I just have to ask, why would you want to remove the windscreen from the head of the mic? Putting the most sensitive part of the mic, the diaphragm, up against the grill cloth of hte guitar can produce a scrubbing sound if the guitar amp is turned up and the cloth vibrates. I could see removing the foam insert from inside the windscreen but I have never seen this method. What is the advantage gained? (please don't construe this as being a smart a@@, I am just trying to understand the thinking here)

 

[Richard Monroe]

Yo Venu- The SM58 with the pop filter removed is basically an SM57. The foam functions more as a pop filter than anything else, and like all pop filters, it scrubs highs off the recorded signal and results in a muddier high end. Romoving the foam would work about as well, but you may want to use it as a vocal mic, where it actually has a purpose. A great part of the point of recording a cab is to get the effect of moving air, and the noises the cab grill makes are part of what it is, although with a good cab, that is negligible. A closed back cab moves more air, resulring in what we call "punch". I'd leave the ball on if I were recording outside, where there is real wind. The alternative is to just use a 57.-Richie

 

[Garry Sharp]

dvs - nobody else has mentioned this, but also get the amp off the floor - put it on a chair or a table or something. Otherwise Richie's covered it for you.

 

[Thorguitarist]

Senheisser e609