Mic'ing an amp

[wilkinsi]

I'm due a new amp next month and was wondering what's the best way to capture the sound I can hear from the amp's speaker? The only mic I have is an SE2200 condensor mic. Its incredibly sensitive to background noise as I've previously found when using it for vocals years ago. I've been told a lot of people use a Shure SM57. Being as I would be a stood a least 2 metres from the amp, I'm wondering if I should set up two mics, one against the speaker grill and another close to myself or attached to the wall. What are your experiences/recommendations regarding choice of mic, and placement?

I want to stop going line out of my GT-10 to my DAW.

[Hellbat]

The beauty of digital recording is the tape doesn't wear out. The best thing to do is leave the recording enabled, move the mic around to different places, and just say where you have it (ie 24" back, 45 degrees off axis left) and then lay out some riffs. Play it back and see which sounds best and put it back in that position/orientation. And good luck trying to capture the exact sound of the amp in the room, it's the hardest thing in the world.

[Twitch]

We (my band) get good results with just about any standard mic (non-condenser) aimed just off the edge of the voice coil at a very slight angle towards the voice coil (imagine the edge of the mic being aligned with the edge of the voice coil, but with an 85 degree angle in relation to the speaker baffle). Weve been using an Audix f10, which is actually a drum mic, but it has a very full range to it and isnt easily compressed by high spl's.



Granted, the sound isnt a replica of the amp to your ears, but generally results in a pleasing tone.

[toddstaples]

We (my band) get good results with just about any standard mic (non-condenser) aimed just off the edge of the voice coil at a very slight angle towards the voice coil (imagine the edge of the mic being aligned with the edge of the voice coil, but with an 85 degree angle in relation to the speaker baffle). Weve been using an Audix f10, which is actually a drum mic, but it has a very full range to it and isnt easily compressed by high spl's.



Granted, the sound isnt a replica of the amp to your ears, but generally results in a pleasing tone.

Pretty much what I've done for a long time as well.....

[wilkinsi]

Thanks for the suggestions

[Shawn Lutz]

SM-57 on the top left speaker of a 4x12 pretty close to how the drawing above is, about a 1/2 inch from the grill cloth.

[Twitch]

SM-57 on the top left speaker of a 4x12 pretty close to how the drawing above is, about a 1/2 inch from the grill cloth.

Out of curiosity, why top left?

[wilkinsi]

The Randall RT50C doesn't have cloth, but a metal grill like VOX amps do.

[Shawn Lutz]

Out of curiosity, why top left?

No clue really, probably just habit for what worked for me plus you don't have to bend down as far during mic placement. When stacked 4x12's I do the bottom speaker on the top stack

[Twitch]

Here Simon, I did this with the 6505+ as means to remember something. I micd it the way we described just about 10 inches away from the cab with a shit mic. Ignore the beginning, I screwed up the riff, it was only seconds old at the time..

http://www.soundclick.com/player/sin...ongID=10702614

[Newc]

I'm wondering if I should set up two mics, one against the speaker grill and another close to myself or attached to the wall. What are your experiences/recommendations regarding choice of mic, and placement?

Mics are more sensitive to distance than you are. While you can enjoy the amp's room sound (bouncing off the walls around you), the mic doesn't, and will generally come out as a muddied mess of reverb and distant noise.
It will gladly pick up anything near it with stunning clarity, but it simply cannot hear across the room very well.

If you want to capture room reverb to mix in with a dry close-up signal, that's fine, but you need total silence near the other mic. No one in another room making noise, etc.