Conference napalm::guitar

    First thing, Get a Shure SM-57 (used for about $60-$70, $95 new)
    
    You'd be amazed at how many studios that can afford nearly
    any mic end up using SM-57's for this particular application.
    
    The bottom line is that you need to make experiments: put the mic
    in a particular place, make a test recording, then try it in another
    place.
    
    A lot of people report that the most successful/satisfying method
    involves mixing both a "close mic" (shoved up to the speaker) and
    "ambient mic" (further back in the room).
    
    Another recommendation that may garner some controversy here, but I
    am none-the-less rather convinced of:
    
    If you're recording a distorted part, when you're in the "adjusting
    the dials" phase, try and get a sound you like and THEN, although it
    may be painful to do, try and back down the gain a significant notch.
    
    The real problem here is that something that sounds great when you're
    soloing in a room by yourself, typically doesn't sound the same when
    you put it back into a mix.   Generally speaking the LESS distortion
    you have, the better it will both cut thru the mix AND... the less it
    will muddy up the rest of the mix.
    
    However, this is a very hard thing to convince yourself to do (record
    using a sound that isn't what you think it should be).
    
    Others, feel free to flame this suggestion:  I'm really curious if
    others have the experience, or have counter-experience.
    
    	db

    Keep in mind that what microphones pick up is not what your ear hears
    in the room, or even what your ear hears if you stick it where the mike
    is.   Depending on what you are trying to do (recording or miking amps
    for live performance, you didn't say which) there are lots of factors 
    to consider.
    
    In recording, the idea is to create a sound on tape that will give an
    *illusion* of an amp in the room.   How that sound is created is almost
    immaterial, there are numerous ways to get good sounds, and engineers
    will argue endlessly over how to do it.  
    
    In live perfomance, the intent is to project the sound of the
    instrument into the room and the concerns are faithfully reproducing
    the sound that the player wants,  minimizing the pickup of *other*
    instruments and vocals, and avoiding feedback.
    
    Modern pop music recordings use lots of techniques like multiple
    microphones, using signal processing to create artifical room
    acoustics, even miking multiple amps or dubbing multiple guitar tracks
    to create a "bigger" sound.  The intent is not even to make it sound
    *real* but make it sound *good*.  If I can plug a guitar into a tiny
    Pignose, stuff a mike in front of it and get a sound that makes the
    listener think he's hearing a wall of Marshalls, then that technique is
    justified.
    
    								Brian

    If you want to preview what a single mic will pick up in various
    location, listen with one ear blocked. granted, it's a little tough for
    a lone guitarist.

>    If you want to preview what a single mic will pick up in various
>    location, listen with one ear blocked. granted, it's a little tough for
>    a lone guitarist.
    
    Guess you could plug one ear with an earplug for the test.  However,
    guitar amps are generally close miked.  I don't recommend putting your
    unprotected ear anywhere near where the mike is usually placed!
    
    One point on recording guitar amps with SM57s.  I've read at least one
    source that says you want the mike very close to the speaker to take
    advantage of the mike's (considerable) proximity effect to get a
    reasonable bottom end to the signal.  If you're distance miking, you
    may want to choose a different mike.
    
    Greg

I'd have to agree with the trend in the last 4 notes.


Best luck I've had is to use a decent uni-directrional mike,
(Like an SM57) and get it about 2 feet out from the amp,
(I have a 2/12" combo) and I generally place the mike dead
center, be-twix the two speakers..

Then I take a BIG comforter, or sleeping bag, and I cover the Amp,
and mic stand, forming a makeshift tent, over the whole rig.

This helps to cut down the room noise a bit, and allows me
to make the appropriate adjustments on the input level of
the channel..

As far as effects, and such go, the less the better, add it later.
The goal is to get as good a track down as you can, worrying about
the grease and delay, or what ever, later.

Minimize any eq-ing you normally do, and try to miniminze
in-line boxes.  In otherwords keep the accessories
to a bare minimum to get the sound yer lookin for.

    Close miking is generally to prevent leakage from other sound sources
    and to eliminate room ambience. When you're recording solo, there are no
    other sound sources and a small amount of room ambience can sometimes be
    useful. To analysize a particular setting without endless trial and
    error taping/move the mike cycles, one can check the sound using the
    method I described. There would be absolutely no point in putting your
    ear up against your speaker.

    Sorry if that wasn't excruciatingly clear in my previous reply.

    --Ron
    

>    Close miking is generally to prevent leakage from other sound sources
>    and to eliminate room ambience. When you're recording solo, there are no
>    other sound sources and a small amount of room ambience can sometimes be
>    useful. 

    Just because your don't have to worry about mike bleed doesn't mean
    you'd select a distant mike position.  If you're using a common dynamic
    mike like an SM57, you're not going to get enough signal out of it to
    be useful unless it's within around 2-3 feet of the amp (unless you
    have the amp turned up to an absolutely excruciating volume).  If you
    have something that doesn't allow you to set the mike preamp gain, like
    most portastudios, then you're tracking a low level signal onto tape,
    decreasing the signal to noise ratio.  If you're using anything short
    of a professional recording mixer, you'll most likely start getting a
    lot of noise from the mike preamps when you crank the gain enough to
    get a decent signal level into the mixer.
    
>Sorry if that wasn't excruciatingly clear in my previous reply.
    
    Close miking is used far more often then distant miking for guitar
    amps.  No need to jump my case.
    
    Greg

    I generallly agree with close miking being the most useful technique
    for a recording studio application.  Assuming that 2879.0 was talking 
    about recording, you might want to use a recording studio quality 
    microphone.  SM57s are generally for stage applications.   Critical
    listening in headphones will identify the grittiness and the coloration 
    provided by this class of microphones.   It is a great workhorse, but
    not in the studio.  Test record a Grand piano and you will see what I 
    mean.
    
    If you want toughness plus clarity, a properly placed EV RE-16 can 
    provide satisfaction.  It does have the disadvantage of picking up at 
    +/- 120� off axis (it is super-cardioid, so avoid having another 
    instrument close by.  RE-16s cost more, but last forever and can be 
    re-sold to broadcast and recording studios.   Sennheiser 421s are 
    another decent choice.
    
    By the way, for stage, only mike the amp if you have to.  It is
    sometimes a shame to take a signal from a good guitar and nice tube amp
    and risk it by picking it up with a stage-microphone, sending it through 
    a stage-quality transistorized board (with EQ, no less), and force it out 
    through less-than-sweet PA speakers.  Sometimes ya have to, but don't do it
    just for the sake of doing it.
    
    
               
    

    RE: .8
    
    >>> By the way, for stage, only mike the amp if you have to.
    
    If you are playing anywhere other than lounge-lizard-land, you're
    going to have to mic the guitars. The amp should be dialed-in for
    the "sound" you want, but the volume should be set as an onstage
    monitor. No one (other than the guitartist!!) wants to hear the 
    guitar at "room-volume" while onstage.
    
    Some guys like to send a mic'ed signal and a Direct Box signal to 
    the PA board. If the soundman is worth his weight in beer, he'll be
    able to mix these two signals to get a real sweet mix in the mains.
    
    My 2cents,
    
    Billy_K
    

RE: -1

By the way, Mic'ing and Direct Box'ing works equally well for BASS.
I have two 15" Theill cabs and a 4x10 cab (bi-amp'd). I put a '57 on
one of the 10" speakers as well as running a direct signal to the board.
In this way, I mix the two signals at the board (one clean from the DB
and one real punchy from the 10" speaker.

/Billy_K