Mic Placement

[duhvoodooman]

Am trying to determine where to place/point my mic for the best sound. Up to now, I've been centering the mike on the speaker and pointing it directly perpendicular to the plane of the speaker face, about 1/2" in front of the grille cloth. And I haven't been that impressed with the results!

I found an old thread started by Robert that delved into this, and the following diagram is my interpretation of the recommended placement relative to my amp speaker. Would you seasoned recording mavens please check it out and tell me if I'm on the right track here?? Thanks, doods....

 

[Guitar-Chris]

Most time, I use this setup (sorry, no colour, drawing is not my thing)

View attachment 150

Pointing to direct to the center is very sharp for me.

 

[Robert]

I do what the top picture shows, Voodoo, but instead of a 45 degree angle as in the bottom picture, I prefer to set the mic facing directly opposite the speaker (not sure what angle that is - none!?). I mean "dead on" - that way the dynamic mic I use (SM 57) gets the best chance of picking up what the speaker is producing. That's how I do it anyway.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Thanks, Robert, I follow you. How far back from the speaker do you position the mic head?

 

[Robert]

As close as I can get it - right up against the cheese grater, but not so close that I risk getting cheese leftovers stuck on my nice mic.

 

[Nelskie]

Voodoo - Chris & Robert both have some good recommendations regarding mic placement. Both are pretty close to what I tend to use most frequently. However, I would like to add to that the you need to be cognizant of some other things too, when mic'ing your amp direct. First, as Robert mentioned, a dynamic mic like the Shure SM-57 is tailor made for direct mic'ing an amp. The mic you use (a Behringer, I believe) may not have those same characterists, and as such, you may find that it does not respond as well closer to the amp. Trial and error is really what dictates how you want things to sound, so don't limit your options as far as that goes. Try some different mic placement positions, and then decide for yourself which tone suits your style, or the feel of the song. What you end up liking may be way different that what you had initially thought.

Another "trick" I use for rhythm parts is to pull the mic well away from the amp (2' - 3', and in some cases higher / lower, or further away), and use the space of the room I am recording in as natural, ambient reverb. If at all possible, I like to cut a single track using (2) mic's, one close, one ambient, and running each into a different mix channel. That way, I can do an insert effect on one of the channels (usually the ambient channel), and keep the close-mic'ed track for the main rhythm. This technique also works good for leads, to "fatten" up the tone a bit.

There are literally a gazillion ways to mic an amp. The tried and true methods are usually pretty effective in getting a good recording tone, but sometimes may not work the best with the mic you're using, or the room you're recording in. That's when you have to do a little "Dr. Mikenstein", and come up with something that works.*large thunderclap* IT'S ALIVE!

 

[Spudman]

Simple way.

Put on your headphones.
Play or have someone else play.
Move the mic around while the playing is going on.
Pay attention while listening in the headphones as to what the sound is like in various mic positions.
Position mic according to taste.


Take 2 Strats and call me in the morning.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Spud - whos the babe.

Really good suggestions from these guys. You can also use a 2nd mic for an ambient feel and mix both for some sonic butter.

 

[Spudman]

Spud - whos the babe.

Just a fantasy or my lil fren or spokesperson for the Florida Travel Board. You choose.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Sweet.....

 

[duhvoodooman]

I got ramblin' on my mind

Yeah, I'll bet you do!

And many thanks for the very useful inputs everybody gave me, both here and by PM. Looks like I've got some experimenting to do!!

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Voodoo - Nelskie got me hooked on the Beano album hence the "ramblin' on my mind" quote.

 

[Nelskie]

You can also use a 2nd mic for an ambient feel and mix both for some sonic butter.

Sonic butter . . . ! Awesome term, Tone. That's going in my literary arsenal like now!

Wonder how sonic butter would taste with some fresh, pipin' hot tweed biscuits . . . ?!! MMMMmmmmmm, good!

 

[SuperSwede]

Wonder how sonic butter would taste with some fresh, pipin' hot tweed biscuits . . . ?!! MMMMmmmmmm, good!

I would not mind having a few of those together with a nice glass of penta-tonic.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Wonder how sonic butter would taste with some fresh, pipin' hot tweed biscuits . . . ?!! MMMMmmmmmm, good!

And maybe a dab of some brown marmalade!

(Hold on, that doesn't sound so good, for some reason! )

 

[Tone2TheBone]

LMAO. You guys crack me up. Sonic butter was invented during a weekend alcohol binge on the night I happened to log on. hahahaha

 

[warren0728]

LMAO. You guys crack me up. Sonic butter was invented during a weekend alcohol binge on the night I happened to log on. hahahaha

would make a great band name

ww

 

[Nelskie]

Nelskie got me hooked on the Beano album hence the "ramblin' on my mind" quote.

Correction: You got yourself hooked on the Beano album.