Microphones for amps.

[gaslight]

Just some questions about what, for recording purposes, are the best microphones to use for guitar amps and bass amps.

I don't know much about it, so maybe it depends on the amp I don't know, but I'd appreciate any info about it. Any miscellaneous info about mics in general I could probably also benefit from.

[action n00b]

guitar amps - sure sm57
bass amps - no :p use a d.i. box

[LivingDeadBoy]

I was reading some article bout that today.
A sm-57 touching the amp's grill(cloth) on the edge of the speaker
Optional: A condenser 3 meters away, pointing to the center of the speaker
Optional: A condenser overhead pointing at the amp

dun forget... u can use ne amp , just turn it up max volume

[KKKKKocaine]

You'd tend to have a dynamic placed right up against the grill pointing at your desired speaker, or a condenser a small distance away.
The dynamic tends to be the british rock sound and the condenser, the american rock sound.

Any instrument dynamic or near flat response condenser/back-electret should do you fine.
If your amp contains more than one speaker, try miking them up and comparing the sound to other speakers in the amp because contrary to most manufacturers blurb, they do tend to sound different.

You can also experiment with different mic set ups, such as the sound from the side of the amp or inside the back of the amp.

[gaslight]

Thanks KKKKK, I remember reading that for a bass amp, a kick drum mic can give a good sound.

But I also remember reading that a kick drum mic could cost quite the large banknote.

[KKKKKocaine]

Thanks KKKKK, I remember reading that for a bass amp, a kick drum mic can give a good sound.

But I also remember reading that a kick drum mic could cost quite the large banknote.

The AKG D112 is practically a God. You can even record good acoustics on that better than an SM57, it's got a 145 pound price tag, but it's one of the few mics that is worth every bit of it.
A kick mic will do well for a bass amp, it tends to be more usual to DI it, but miking it up isn't unheard of, a kick mic will probs give you a better sound and less string squeek than a regular instrument mic.

[gaslight]

Cool, so the AKG D112 is kick drum mic?

And would it improve the sound quality to say, use a DI and a kick mic-ed amp and combine the tracks? Or would that just be impractical/overkill.

[KKKKKocaine]

Cool, so the AKG D112 is kick drum mic?

And would it improve the sound quality to say, use a DI and a kick mic-ed amp and combine the tracks? Or would that just be impractical/overkill.

Yeah the D112 is a kick mic, but it's usable even for a 60's vocals feel, and gets a great acoustic tone.

As for DI and miking, it may be more likely to give you a confused sound with differing tones, it might be worth a shot, and if you do try it, you will probably then be able to choose between tracks and get rid of the method you least preferred, but I wouldn't expect anything great from combining the two apart from a fuller tone with the waveforms combining.

Oh, by the way, T36CF are great, they signed my hat.

[gaslight]

Awesome, thanks for all this mic info man.

They signed your hat? So you got to see them live? Wow :D. A guy I went to high school with got to see them live in Scotland recently. I wish they would play some shows here in Sydney, I'd love to see them. A new album by them is expected by the end of this year as well also :smoke:.

[KKKKKocaine]

Awesome, thanks for all this mic info man.

They signed your hat? So you got to see them live? Wow :D. A guy I went to high school with got to see them live in Scotland recently. I wish they would play some shows here in Sydney, I'd love to see them. A new album by them is expected by the end of this year as well also :smoke:.

Yeah I saw them on the roadrunner tour with Killswitch Engage and 5 Point 0, he just wrote a big "You ****ing rock" round the brim of the hat, but we had come in late so we missed 'Slit Wrist Theory' which sucked, but they were kewl. I've got 'A Snow Capped Romance' but I really want to get their first album now.

[gaslight]

I've got their albums and EP's on my soulseek if you use it, just add gaslight and see if you can browse the files, it's all there. My transfers are a bit slow but.

In regards to mics, is it common to purchase your own mic for recording purposes? Like if I was to buy a kick drum mic for my bass amp, would that be worth it or in a recording situation would I just use the studio's own mics, or the drummer's if he had one? There is a lot of gear I want and a disproportionately small amount of money I have to buy it with.

[KKKKKocaine]

I've got their albums and EP's on my soulseek if you use it, just add gaslight and see if you can browse the files, it's all there. My transfers are a bit slow but.

In regards to mics, is it common to purchase your own mic for recording purposes? Like if I was to buy a kick drum mic for my bass amp, would that be worth it or in a recording situation would I just use the studio's own mics, or the drummer's if he had one? There is a lot of gear I want and a disproportionately small amount of money I have to buy it with.

It's more likely that the studio will have mics, but you're probably free to bring along your own if you have a personal preference but most studios would have the D112 as it is a fairly standard kic mic. If you're going into a studio I'd leave it be, they'll most likely have it or another good mic for your bass amp.

[gaslight]

Cool cool :thumb:. That leaves me free to save for either an Ampworks Guitar Modelling Processor, or a new and better electric guitar or an electric-acoustic guitar, or that extra speaker cabinet I want. *Sigh.* One day.

[KKKKKocaine]

Cool cool :thumb:. That leaves me free to save for either an Ampworks Guitar Modelling Processor, or a new and better electric guitar or an electric-acoustic guitar, or that extra speaker cabinet I want. *Sigh.* One day.

The excitement of planning purchases runs a little dry when you realise you can't afford it huh?
I need a fair few things for my mobile set up, namely another pre-amp, another mic stand, some small monitors, and I would *kill* for an in-ear monitoring system for live work.

[gaslight]

Sure does, sure does :upset:.

I'd love to be able to just walk into an instrument/amp store and be like "Yes, I'll take one of these, one of these, one of these, and some of these. Is cash okay?"

[moaner]

the korg ampworks is ok, but for the same price, a behirnger v-amp 2 is much more versatile.

however, the ampworks runs on battteries, whereas the v-amp cannot, so if you're a busker or whatever, you might be using a battery amp and want a battery modeller

[moaner]

Sure does, sure does :upset:.

I'd love to be able to just walk into an instrument/amp store and be like "Yes, I'll take one of these, one of these, one of these, and some of these. Is cash okay?"

ugh, i tell you guys, i NEED a crybaby, and a new strat with active SC pickups, and a new humbucker for my strat, and a powered monitor to amplify my v-amp, and a rackmount set-up...


I am so getting a job.

[KKKKKocaine]

ugh, i tell you guys, i NEED a crybaby, and a new strat with active SC pickups, and a new humbucker for my strat, and a powered monitor to amplify my v-amp, and a rackmount set-up...


I am so getting a job.

You see, if you had just decided to play the recorder you wouldn't be in this mess.
/grade 5

[gaslight]

the korg ampworks is ok, but for the same price, a behirnger v-amp 2 is much more versatile.

however, the ampworks runs on battteries, whereas the v-amp cannot, so if you're a busker or whatever, you might be using a battery amp and want a battery modeller

You mean the little tiny Korg Ampworks that is like a tiny rectangle? What is the Behringer one like by comparison, like in terms of specs?

[Aes820]

I'd strongly reccomend DIing bass.. Or at least mixing in a DI'd signal with a Miced signal. Ratio of 80/20, perhaps.

Try out Mid-Side Micing positions on cabinets for more 'width' in your recordings

[gaslight]

Cool, thanks for the tip man.

Hey, are you the guy on here that does session guitar work?

[Aes820]

Hey, are you the guy on here that does session guitar work?
No. I think you may be thinking of Aus_Rock_God.
Or someone like that.

[gaslight]

Ahh that's the guy.

[moaner]

You mean the little tiny Korg Ampworks that is like a tiny rectangle? What is the Behringer one like by comparison, like in terms of specs?

the behringer has more amp models, a much better interface, 63x more patches to save in, LED dials so you can see your exact settings, and i love the tone of it, but that bits preference, full midi useability, included footswitch, bag (which is pretty decent and padded), includes power supply (korg doesn't), on the downside, the behringer is a lot bigger, and has a couple of annoying features, like switching to studio mode when you plug in a apir of headphones (this turns off EQ) so you have to remember to tunr it back onto live mode.

£70, www.gak.co.uk

[moaner]

Cool, thanks for the tip man.

Hey, are you the guy on here that does session guitar work?

for some reason, aes works with computers, and not in a guitar shop. This is so illogical, it proves that god does not exist.

[gaslight]

the behringer has more amp models, a much better interface, 63x more patches to save in, LED dials so you can see your exact settings, and i love the tone of it, but that bits preference, full midi useability, included footswitch, bag (which is pretty decent and padded), includes power supply (korg doesn't), on the downside, the behringer is a lot bigger, and has a couple of annoying features, like switching to studio mode when you plug in a apir of headphones (this turns off EQ) so you have to remember to tunr it back onto live mode.

£70, www.gak.co.uk

Sounds like I might go for the Behringer instead :thumb:. Cheers.