| With modern music (especially pop/rock music) | | | | mic you are using) in front of the speaker. Next, run |
| production demands are greater than ever. The | | | | the mic through some loud heaphones with good |
| average listener expects the recording quality of your | | | | isolation. Then, with the headphones on, start moving |
| music to be the equivalent of those amazing | | | | the mic in front of the speaker. You will be amazed at |
| productions you often hear on the radio. Since this | | | | what you are hearing. You will hear all sorts of |
| discussion could take weeks and weeks and page | | | | changes in the tone simply from moving the mic |
| after page, I've decided to narrow the focus of this | | | | around. The users of the forum recommended putting |
| guide to recording the electric guitar. | | | | the mic on the brightest spot. I have not had much luck |
| With any recording, getting the source right is 99% of | | | | with putting a mic exactly at the brigthest spot |
| the ballgame. This means that a great singer with | | | | because it can get a little bit too fizzy at times, but feel |
| great tone will sound good through pretty much any | | | | free to try it and see what works. The brightest spot |
| microphone. This means that a great sounding violinist | | | | may be perfect with a darker sounding amp. |
| with a great sounding violin in a great sounding room | | | | My favorite trick when recording guitar amps is to use |
| will sound this way through any functional microphone. | | | | two different microphones on one speaker. You have |
| Granted, some microphones will impart their character | | | | to be aware of phase cancellation. (If you are not |
| onto the source (for better or worse), but with any | | | | familiar with phase cancellation, check out my website, |
| operating microphone a great musician will still sound | | | | However, when you get the mics in phase, you will |
| great. | | | | have much more control off your recordings. I find that |
| So with the guitar (and anything else you intend to | | | | what I'm looking for when mixing is much different |
| record), it's important to get the instrument doing | | | | when I'm tracking. Sometimes I wish I could go back |
| exactly what you want before you even bother | | | | and change something on a tone. One rememedy for |
| putting a mic in front of it. You should walk around the | | | | this is recording the two mics from one speaker to |
| room the amp is setup in to hear exactly what is going | | | | two seperate tracks that will allow you to blend them |
| on. You might find sweet spots in the room. You may | | | | differently to create different tones on the recording. |
| try actually moving the amp in a few different places | | | | I start out by placing one SM 57 on the cone. This |
| in the room. | | | | means I put the mic in the dead center of the speaker. |
| In my first recording room (which happened to be very | | | | This sound is almost always fizzy and thin. With very |
| small and very unideal for recordings), I noticed that | | | | few exceptions, I've found it to be a crappy guitar |
| moving an amp just a few inches had a dramatic | | | | sound. As crazy as it may sound, that's exactly what |
| effect on the low end coming out of the amplifier. I | | | | we want. We want a track in the mix that is bright, thin |
| later learned that this was quite normal for small rooms | | | | crap that we can use as much or as little as we feel |
| with no acoustic treatment. (Just a side note, if you are | | | | the mood for. |
| planning on doing treatments for your room, skip the | | | | The second mic should sound the opposite. We want |
| foam stuff. It probably won't help. In many instances, it | | | | it to be big, meaty, and full of chunky low end. This mic |
| will make the problem worse. Try a search for "bass | | | | ends up in different places with every amp that I use, |
| trap" or visiting So exeriment greatly with the amp | | | | but most of the time it can be found 2"-3" from the |
| before you get serious about microphones. | | | | first mic in any direction. Sometimes angling the mic |
| In fact, I recommend that you mess with the tone quite | | | | towards the edge of the speaker helps, too. This mic |
| a bit just to see. You could always settle for the tone | | | | should sound a little dull by itself. |
| already on the amp, or you could push the highs up too | | | | Now record both mics and see what you get. Listen to |
| high to see where they end up. You could pull the highs | | | | each mic by itself first. Then listen to both of them |
| down too far to see where the tone ends up. | | | | together. Assuming you like the sound that each mic |
| Eventually, you'll find a middle ground that keeps your | | | | makes (Remember, you want one to be too bright and |
| perspective out of the way. | | | | the other to be too dull) you will experience one of |
| The type of guitar you use makes a big difference on | | | | three things. |
| how the amp will sound. This is no secret. However, | | | | 1) The sound will be extremely thin sounding as if you |
| many people get in a rush when recording and think | | | | rolled off all the low end with a parametric equalizer. |
| that adding some sort of effect or plugin on the | | | | This means the mics are almost totally out of phase. |
| computer will get them what they are looking for. If | | | | The solution is to push the phase button on your |
| you find that you are not happy with a given guitar, | | | | preamp or mixing software. This is what you want. |
| maybe you should try plugging in a different guitar just | | | | You want the combined sound of the mics to be so |
| to see. Try doing something off the wall or downright | | | | thin that it isn't usable. Then when you push the phase |
| wrong. You'd be amazed at what kind of recordings | | | | button on one track, the tone comes to life. This is |
| you could get with a Telecaster through a Mesa | | | | what I always go for. |
| Boogie Rectifier. I've heard success stories of acoustic | | | | 2) The sound will be big and full. This sound almost |
| guitars running through cranked Rectifiers. | | | | means good things. If you push the phase button, it |
| When you have a tone that you are pretty confident | | | | should sound like what you may have experienced in |
| about, it's time to pull out the mics. There are a few | | | | #1. If the tone totally dissapears and all you can hear is |
| methods to trying out mics. You could slap every mic | | | | some fizz, you've got the tone down. Push the phase |
| you own on the amp to see it it's happening for you. | | | | button back to your big guitars again. |
| The problem with this approach is mic placement. Did | | | | 3) The sound is weird. You are not sure what it |
| you take the time with each mic to make sure you | | | | sounds like. It's not bad, but it's not right either. Pushing |
| found the best sounding spot on the amp? You could | | | | the phase button only changes the tone in the mids |
| do this with each mic, but the spot that just sings for | | | | and does not have make a big impact on the low end. |
| each microphone will probably be in a different spot | | | | In this case, some other frequency is out of phase and |
| for each mic. I tihnk your time could be spent better. | | | | the low end is in tact. You need to use your ears on |
| If you are just starting out and have no idea what mic | | | | this one. I usually don't like to leave the mics like this. I |
| would be best for a given job, start with an SM 57. | | | | go for #1 or #2. However, many great engineers use |
| They are cheap and everyone has one. If you don't | | | | phase cancellation as a way of eq'ing the amps. This |
| have at least one, get one used off of Ebay or | | | | is highly advanced engineering, and not for the faint of |
| something. In the meantime, grab whatever dynamic | | | | heart However, if you stumble on a sound that you |
| you have and give it a try. There are a number of SM | | | | really like, by all means, go with it. |
| 57 clones that are essentially the same microphone. | | | | Well that gives you food for thought. You'll notice that |
| Even if they are not the same mic, try them. You | | | | we didn't talk about different microphones. The truth is |
| never know. | | | | if you master the techniques above, you won't have |
| One trick to help choose the best spot to place the | | | | too much need for more mics. If you want to expand |
| mic I read in a forum years ago. It said to unplug the | | | | your mic collection, go ahead. There are a number of |
| instrument cable from the guitar amp, crank the amp | | | | mics that work great for electric guitar amps. Check |
| up to very high levels, and put the SM 57 (or whatever | | | | out my website for details. |