Amazing what a new day brings ....
- Thread starter docmoore
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Definitely one of the nicer plugin simulations I've heard. And you got some nice tones going, too.
I feel the same way, and have developed some techniques for recording my amps that clients have said really work for them in my ad tracks (so many ad people play guitar, they're picky!).
After many years of experimentation, I began to realize that putting a mic against the grille of an amp is simply not going to result in a comprehensive picture of what's coming off the speaker. Yes, the technique was developed to reduce bleed from other instruments in a live recording, and it was a necessity, but these days I mostly record one instrument at a time.
So I move my dynamic mics that are traditionally put against the grille back, anywhere from 18" to 3'. The distance depends on the mic, the speaker, the room, and other factors. What prompted me to try this distance was an old photograph of The Rolling Stones recording in the mid '60s, with the mics back a few feet from the amps on short mic stands. I thought, why not try it?
There's an easy way to decide where to put a mic if you don't have an assistant.
Just use a looper, play a few bars approximating what you want to do in the track, and then put on some headphones. You can then move the mic around more freely without being encumbered with the guitar, and wherever it sounds best to you IS best. At some point the tone seems right, and that's where to put the mic.
This gives me a fairly close-up picture of a bigger slice of the speaker, picks up some cab resonance, and of course, since even cardioid dynamic mics still pick up a little room from the sides, and a tiny bit of room from the rear, it sounds more natural, doesn't overload the mic preamps as easily, etc. You might also consider using an omni.
I also put up a room mic about where I stand when listening to the amp tone, at approximately ear level. This mic is going to pick up what I'm hearing in the room. It'll be on a separate track, and blended into the mix as needed. Be sure to put it back far enough that it stays in phase, though you can flip the phase in your software, mixer or mic preamp if you make an error.
Because I want that room sound to be natural and un-hyped, I'll usually use a ribbon mic in that spot.
Finally, if I'm playing unaccompanied and the track is going to be delivered that way, sometimes I'll use a stereo pair of pencil condenser cardioid mics in the 'NOS' (Dutch Radio) configuration wherever it sounds good. I use this technique because it's very, very easy to place in the room and move around to find the right spot. It's the most forgiving stereo setup I've tried. In fact, I almost always use it to record acoustic instruments as well, but it works great giving me a beautiful, realistically 3D version of how things sound in the room.
You can read about how to do that here, if so inclined:
en.wikipedia.org
I've been pretty happy with the recordings I've gotten this way. I know it sounds like overkill, but I just can't get into the idea that putting a mic an inch away from a loudspeaker sounds anything like what I'm hearing, or want people to hear, on a recording.
YMMV of course!
My final tip is that the transducer - i.e., the microphone, or the studio monitors - is the most important piece of gear we have, and that's where recordists should invest their money first. You'll strain to hear the difference between a $300 interface and a $2500 interface, though sure, they're there if you want to get into the weeds.
However, you will easily hear the difference the mic or monitors make. They're much more important elements in the signal chain.
And the most important thing to do with either a good mic or monitors is to put them in the right place in the room, just as with the amp.
That's so true!
I feel the same way, and have developed some techniques for recording my amps that clients have said really work for them in my ad tracks (so many ad people play guitar, they're picky!).
After many years of experimentation, I began to realize that putting a mic against the grille of an amp is simply not going to result in a comprehensive picture of what's coming off the speaker. Yes, the technique was developed to reduce bleed from other instruments in a live recording, and it was a necessity, but these days I mostly record one instrument at a time.
So I move my dynamic mics that are traditionally put against the grille back, anywhere from 18" to 3'. The distance depends on the mic, the speaker, the room, and other factors. What prompted me to try this distance was an old photograph of The Rolling Stones recording in the mid '60s, with the mics back a few feet from the amps on short mic stands. I thought, why not try it?
There's an easy way to decide where to put a mic if you don't have an assistant.
Just use a looper, play a few bars approximating what you want to do in the track, and then put on some headphones. You can then move the mic around more freely without being encumbered with the guitar, and wherever it sounds best to you IS best. At some point the tone seems right, and that's where to put the mic.
This gives me a fairly close-up picture of a bigger slice of the speaker, picks up some cab resonance, and of course, since even cardioid dynamic mics still pick up a little room from the sides, and a tiny bit of room from the rear, it sounds more natural, doesn't overload the mic preamps as easily, etc. You might also consider using an omni.
I also put up a room mic about where I stand when listening to the amp tone, at approximately ear level. This mic is going to pick up what I'm hearing in the room. It'll be on a separate track, and blended into the mix as needed. Be sure to put it back far enough that it stays in phase, though you can flip the phase in your software, mixer or mic preamp if you make an error.
Because I want that room sound to be natural and un-hyped, I'll usually use a ribbon mic in that spot.
Finally, if I'm playing unaccompanied and the track is going to be delivered that way, sometimes I'll use a stereo pair of pencil condenser cardioid mics in the 'NOS' (Dutch Radio) configuration wherever it sounds good. I use this technique because it's very, very easy to place in the room and move around to find the right spot. It's the most forgiving stereo setup I've tried. In fact, I almost always use it to record acoustic instruments as well, but it works great giving me a beautiful, realistically 3D version of how things sound in the room.
You can read about how to do that here, if so inclined:
NOS stereo technique - Wikipedia
I've been pretty happy with the recordings I've gotten this way. I know it sounds like overkill, but I just can't get into the idea that putting a mic an inch away from a loudspeaker sounds anything like what I'm hearing, or want people to hear, on a recording.
YMMV of course!
My final tip is that the transducer - i.e., the microphone, or the studio monitors - is the most important piece of gear we have, and that's where recordists should invest their money first. You'll strain to hear the difference between a $300 interface and a $2500 interface, though sure, they're there if you want to get into the weeds.
However, you will easily hear the difference the mic or monitors make. They're much more important elements in the signal chain.
And the most important thing to do with either a good mic or monitors is to put them in the right place in the room, just as with the amp.
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