Amp recording experiments

[Robert]

I just tested recording my Mack GEM with my SM57 and my MXL 990 condenser mic - both at the same time. I noticed some ugly hum appeared if I kept them too close (why is that by the way?) but if I moved them apart, I got some very nice tones indeed! I can post them tonight if you want.

The left channel is SM57 and the right channel is MXL 990.

Then I added some reverb in Logic, and panned each channel left/right, and voila. Heureka.

Certainly gives the guitar sound much more "life", compared to just the SM57.

 

[Meritone Music]

I just tested recording my Mack GEM with my SM57 and my MXL 990 condenser mic - both at the same time. I noticed some ugly hum appeared if I kept them too close (why is that by the way?) but if I moved them apart, I got some very nice tones indeed! I can post them tonight if you want.

The left channel is SM57 and the right channel is MXL 990.

Then I added some reverb in Logic, and panned each channel left/right, and voila. Heureka.

Certainly gives the guitar sound much more "life", compared to just the SM57.

hmmm, nice one.. I used to use just my condenser when recording guitar at home, but then a while back I found out a simple sm58 (beta) did the trick surprisingly well.. but of course, why didn;t i use both at the same time??? DUH!!!! Thanks


you reckon sm57 is better than 58 for this purpose???

 

[deeaa]

hmmm, nice one.. I used to use just my condenser when recording guitar at home, but then a while back I found out a simple sm58 (beta) did the trick surprisingly well.. but of course, why didn;t i use both at the same time??? DUH!!!! Thanks


you reckon sm57 is better than 58 for this purpose???

Always best to use at least two mics. Ideally a 57/58 close miked, a condenser a bit farther off-axis, and a large diaphragm condenser well away.

57/58 are exactly the same mic by their capsule, the only difference is the grille design. You can get a 57 closer to the source and the grille also affects some of its sound, while the 58 has a popscreen for vocal use. But in reality, they sound pretty identical. I use a 57 for vocals like many slightly broken-voiced people do, it allows for ultimate proximity effect, just have to mind the pops then myself. Unscrew the 58 grille and you won't notice ANY difference recording guitars.

Mind you, the new 57/58 has a different impedance than used to, many people use a shunt cable to tame the 57 back to original specs, a 680ohm resistor in the lead or such.

This kind of reminds me of what I discussed in the other thread...when achieving the sounds on records, don't look too much into the amps and how they were achieved by the original artist. They had the mics and placements and room spaces and compressors and whatnot in the studio - use your ears to mimic them, not a list of their equipment and how they supposedly did it. You can't replicate that @ home anyway.