Need some tips on recording my Amp

Techniques for getting your tone to tape.

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OdgeUK
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Need some tips on recording my Amp

Post by OdgeUK » Mon May 28, 2012 2:41 pm

I want to do some clips of my Marshall's running through different speakers, to share and also to keep as a reference for later when I start to believe that the Greenbacks I'm about to sell sounded a lot better than they really did :lol:

Seems the industry standard method is to mic the Speaker cab with a SM57 or Audix i5, then into some sort of Hardware which will allow the PC to take the signal and it be recorded by a number of available freeware utilities.

The trouble is, I really want to get the sound of standing about 3ft away from the cab in the room. Micing the speaker is ok but I know that if I duck my head down to my cab while I'm playing and stick my ear against the grill cloth, it sounds PRETTY different to the 'room sound'!

On a budget, I need to go out and buy the stuff I need for this. Any starter tips?
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Sral68
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Re: Need some tips on recording my Amp

Post by Sral68 » Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:50 pm

The easiest way is to start with one mic and then move it around until you find the spot where you think it sounds good.
From what I understand this is to get a representation of the amp, and not to record it to work along other instruments on a track.

You could start with placing the mic where your ear is, when you think it sounds best. Put on some headphones and listen while you move it around. Small movements can have great effects.

Choosing the right mic can be a challenge and it really comes down to your budget. But you can get good results with budget miss also. The placement has a lot to do with the sound you get.

You have to look at this as a sort of EQ.

For recording hardrock guitars I preafer closemicing. And I like the SM57, angled at 45%. You can combine this with a mic pointing straight at the speaker and then blend to taste.

Also a great mic preamp has a lot to do with the result.

I don't know if your on a mac, but if you are, the Apogee One is a great budget recording system. It even has its own mic. Check out Pete Thorns demo of it on You Tube. Its a great tool for budget recording and making demos.
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OdgeUK
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Re: Need some tips on recording my Amp

Post by OdgeUK » Fri Jun 01, 2012 2:27 pm

Sral68 wrote:The easiest way is to start with one mic and then move it around until you find the spot where you think it sounds good.
From what I understand this is to get a representation of the amp, and not to record it to work along other instruments on a track.

You could start with placing the mic where your ear is, when you think it sounds best. Put on some headphones and listen while you move it around. Small movements can have great effects.

Choosing the right mic can be a challenge and it really comes down to your budget. But you can get good results with budget miss also. The placement has a lot to do with the sound you get.

You have to look at this as a sort of EQ.

For recording hardrock guitars I preafer closemicing. And I like the SM57, angled at 45%. You can combine this with a mic pointing straight at the speaker and then blend to taste.

Also a great mic preamp has a lot to do with the result.

I don't know if your on a mac, but if you are, the Apogee One is a great budget recording system. It even has its own mic. Check out Pete Thorns demo of it on You Tube. Its a great tool for budget recording and making demos.
Thanks for this. When you Closemic, I assume this is more for getting a great recorded guitar sound, rather than trying to record the sound of the amp in the room? In terms of representing the sound a person is hearing in the room, closemicing seems to give a 'false' result, i.e it's a lot more aggressive and fatter than really being with the amp in the recording room?

Yes, I am learning that mic placement is critical, I've listened to EFraser68's great clips of his Mod5 Marshall (he uses an Audix I5 I beleive) but even he has admitted that moving the mic around yields dramatically different results. A few people have been asking him if the clips are a good representation of what the amp really sounds like in person...

I will be using a Windows PC to record the results, and I will be on a budget. This is mostly for recording clips of speakers and amp combinations and being able to save those for later A/B comparison. I certainly don't want to spend more than £100 on a mic and I'm not sure how much the hardware interface from Mic to PC is likely to be?
73 JMP 1987 w/LarMar
78 JMP 1987
79 2104
Peavey JSX 120
Marshall 1936 G12-65
Gibson LP Custom, Squier CV 50's Strat w/SD '59

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Sral68
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Re: Need some tips on recording my Amp

Post by Sral68 » Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:28 am

Yes, my focus is on getting a great recoded sound.

I think what you are looking for is a condenser mic.

The best ones are really expensive. The best I've tried is an AKG414. I've also tried a Neumann U87 with the amp in a great sounding room. That was really beautiful. But these miss are out of my price range. A buddy of mine owns a studio and he has a large mic collection, including Neumans and other big name brands. Still we often end up with some dynamics on the cab for closemicing. He often puts a mic a bit further off that pics up a more balanced sound. And this is usual the AKG.

Many music stores sell start up bundles witch include sound card and a microphone. These days you can get decent preamps in the budget segment also. Often a stripped down version of some software is included.

You should check out http://www.recordingrevolution.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. He has a lot of tips for us who are on a budget. He's focus is on tracking and mixing for records, but a lot of his advice would be useful to you anyway. Also his thoughts on gear.

The room has a lot to do with getting a great result also. Even when you close mic. The amp will sound different depending on the room, its size,the acoustics and so on. Everything is connected.
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Re: Need some tips on recording my Amp

Post by Reeltarded » Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:19 pm

I hate to say it again, but definately on a budget go SM57. If you have a grille cloth you can't really get close enough, but you can get almost close enough. The 57 will save you trouble on all kinds of things.

I don't have any sub-thousand dollar magic for a mic amp, or an interface. I think they are mostly very poor, or more expensive.
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Sral68
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Re: Need some tips on recording my Amp

Post by Sral68 » Fri Aug 17, 2012 3:35 am

Agreed.

You will always find a use for the 57. Its good on snare drums and other stuff to.
I heard that Heatfield sang into one on Master of Puppets.
Pluss its cheap.

Recently I tracked some guitar for our new record. I used a 57, an e906 and a 414 (borrowed).
The 57 went through a UA6176 that I borrowed. Then I blended the mics. I must say the 57 worked out great to add some growl to the sound. The e906 sounded thin in comparison.

I´ve heard that the 57 is dependant on a good preamp. But comparing the tracks to others that I´ve done using my sound card
I cant hear that big a difference
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