Mike Placement Questions

[el34on11]

Hey all....

Well I dropped a few bucks last weekend so I could start recording some stuff........
Alesis Multimix 8 USB
SM57
And I'm using Reaper software

OK so here is the question...
Is there a starting point I should be aiming for with mike placement!?
No matter where I place the mike it just seems to be way too thin or kinda overbearing in the mids on playback....... Or maybee I need to do a little tweaking with the software (mixing)
Now I'm a total noob when it comes to recording, just looking for a piont of reference

Metro 100watt
Marshall Tall Vintage Cab w/25watt greenbacks

Thanks
Derrick

[rockstah]

using a sm57 i usually start with it dead center and start moving it over till i hear something i like. i use head phones to monitor my Mic positioning. also when i say moving it over i try both to the left and to the right.
for me it never ends up dead center or all the way on the speaker edge.

make sure your recording level is hot enough but not red lining and do some experimenting with Mic position.

Mark

[el34on11]

Thanks Mark

I just did your headphone thing and seemed to find a spot where it sounded good and I did set the level until it redlined and then backed the gain down a bit.......

but thanks for the headphone trick ........ did the job

Any ideas for other mikes??????

Thanks

Derrick

[jctaudiodesigns]

If you are going to record electric guitar a Sennheiser 421 is a mic you should have in your "stable". My background is in recording. The first record I worked on was the Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" cd. I have been able to work with all kinds of different bands, from Jimmy Vaughn to Metallica and this is the combo thats used 90% of the time. I am not saying that other mics have been used at the same time, sometimes I will have 4 or 5 mics on a guitar cab, but I always seem to comeback to those 2.

Of course if you have an extra 10,000.00 a U67 was used a lot on early Zeppelin and Hendrix records along with a ribbon mic. The formula though seems to be the same, one mic will give you the bite, the other the balls. Your balance between the mics is for the most part is your eq.

Go to e-bay and get an older one, Sennheiser have changed the way they sound. The newer ones sound more like SM 57's. Look for mics that have a silver connector where you plug in the mic cable. Black connectors are the newer ones.

On placement, what you are doing is a great way to go, but on this combo, close mic both mics, point them right at the crease between the dust cover and the speaker cone. This is a good starting point and where I usually end up leaving the mics 99.99% of the time if I have a good sounding rig.

Hope this helped.

[VelvetGeorge]

With 100 watts, just open the door and throw a 57 on the floor, then run for cover!

I'm attempting to be funny here of course, but there is a tidbit to take to heart. And that is, there are no rules. The resulting sound is the only criteria.

Some people will put on the phones and crank the amp for a little hum. Move the mic until you hear a loud, well balanced capture of the hum. Then adjust as necessary.

I agree on blending two mics. I never get the depth I'm looking for with only a 57. I did get a 421 recently, but it's a new one. Haven't tried it in front of a guitar amp yet.

Good read here:

http://www.badmuckingfastard.com/sound/ ... l#contents


VG

[el34on11]

Hey guys

Thanks for the replies.....
well since I posted the question, I've all but given up on the sm57.....A while ago I did go and buy a large diaphram mike..It is a Senneisier but I'm not sure of the model # right now. It requires phantom power and has given me what I think I should be hearing when I playback my recordings.I can hear the depth in the tone with this new mike.....Nice tip on blending the mikes as well I will give that a try too........

George I did the crank my 100 and run for cover....... .....Once!!!
The building super asked if I needed some boxes for my upcoming move... ...So I cant use that method any more........

Derrick

[ericopp]

The Slipperman rant contains a number of screenshots for his EQ plugin (mostly from drums, some bass guitar...) but where are the guitar EQ curves?

If any wants to share, I'd really appreciate it!

[6string]

Hey guys

Thanks for the replies..... well since I posted the question, I've all but given up on the sm57.....
Derrick

I wouldn't give up on the 57... It is the most used microphone (really the "go to" mic) for electric guitar. At least 90% of the sessions I do, there is a 57 on the cab.
421's are OK, but I prefer a 57 and a ribbon mic. Royers are awesome and can take the high spl's, but a bit pricey for most. The Cascade Fathead is a decent sounding and inexpensive ribbon. Someone used a Nady ribbon on a recent session I did, and it sounded pretty decent also... the Neve console helped of course.

[Roadrunner]

Hey guys

Thanks for the replies..... well since I posted the question, I've all but given up on the sm57.....
Derrick

... the Neve console helped of course.

Ya think?


Just kiddin' ya Bob...

This is a good thread!

Nothing like just taking time to experiment when it comes to recording. Follow the guidelines for starters and then just let your imagination take over.

[keano]

crease between the dust cover and the speaker cone.

So this isn't direct center then?? It is slightly off direct center of speaker?

Also would the CAD ribbon mic be better then the 421?

[NitroLiq]

With 100 watts, just open the door and throw a 57 on the floor, then run for cover!

I like the way you think! Reminds me of my first gig as a studio intern at New River in South FL. Yngwie was label-less and in the studio to record a demo. I was in with the 2nd engineer miking up a line of about 6 Marshall bottoms (57s about a foot away and off axis)—while yngwie warmed up at face-melting volumes...don't even think I had ear plugs. I remember from audio school "Your ear is a transducer...stick your head in front of the speakers...find the sweet one, then find the speaker's sweet spot." Mmmmmm kaaaay. We also had a pair of U-87s way back and up high for room mics.

Back on topic, just experiment, that's the fun of it. For close-miking, find the sweet-sounding speaker, do what Mark suggested, put headphones on, start at the speaker bell and move towards the outer cone. Try it again, further back from the cab 6-12", angle it 45 degrees to the cone, etc. Make some recording tests while you move it around. If you've got mixed speakers w/different characteristics, mic each and balance them in Reaper. Go lo-fi and mic the cab from further back in the room. Lots of stuff you can do without reverting to "Let's record the amp as close as possible, then add all the reverb, etc. in the DAW." This is why Zep records/songs always sound different from track to track and album to album...miking techniques and using the space. If you listen to albums today...it's like someone stuck one mic in front of a cab and called it a day. Also, you'll find that sometimes a solo guitar sound that sounds great by itself may sound like ass in a mix so you may have to adjust your miking accordingly. If you're just recording solo guitar noodling, it's not as much of an issue.

[thousandshirts]

If you listen to albums today...it's like someone stuck one mic in front of a cab and called it a day.

Boy, you can say that again. How true. Sit down, start listening to a disc, track 1, OK, track 2, wait-a-sec, is that the same guitar as track 1? Fast-forward to track 3, it is the same damn one! Flip to 4, 5, 6, all the way to 10 or whatever, and ugh, I suddenly need a new disc to listen to.

Cool remembrances, too, Pete.