Miking a guitar amp

pinksoir

I finally got around to modding my amp so there's no more hum or buzz, which means I can use it for recording now. Woop.

But I don't really know what I'm doing. That being said, any sounds I have gotten so far have felt a lot more alive than using cab simulators, so I'm really happy about that. The mic is picking up some nice ambient sounds, including the sound of the strings from my guitar, which I love, even if it's only barely audible.

So do any of you dudes have any tips on how to get the best sound I can?

The stuff I have at my disposal is an AT2020, a bunch of ****ty dynamic drum mics (Red5Audio) and a Tbone SCT800 LDC. So far any of the dynamic drum mics sound thin and crappy, absolutely no bottom end which I would have expected from a dynamic mic. Even the kick drum mic sounds like poo. The AT2020 sounds pretty good on vocals, it's actually an alright mic. It also sounds alright on the amp, if lacking in dynamics quite a bit. More low end in it than any of the dynamics. I had an SM57 but I have no idea where it is right now unfortunately.

So I've been using the AT2020 mostly so far. I'm dialing in a good tone on the amp but it's not translating so well through the mic. I know that obviously I'm never going to get the same sound I can hear with my ears onto my DAW, and that all mics colour and process the signal in their own way.

I really don't know much about where to position the mic. Right now I have it about 2-3 inches away from the speaker, on axis and at the edge of the speaker. I reckon that might be a bit close as the signal sounds pretty compressed and lacking in dynamics and clarity. It all sounds a bit flat and boring tbh. And it doesn't sparkle at all, which I thought a condenser may help with.

That being said, what I've recorded so far sits really really well in the mix. Much better than using IRs. It's just the tone isn't what I'd like it to be.

So yeah, any help with this would be mucho appreciado.

Cheers.

pinksoir

Also, I guess there's a part two to this question.

I have a bit of cash I could spend on a mic for this (and possibly for other applications like hand persussion and backing vocals), or maybe even a stereo pair (for guitar too). So any suggestions on a mic(s) for this?

The amp I'm using is a modified Harley Benton GA15, which is basically a 15 watt Epiphone Valve Standard. I have to say it sounds pretty good now. I swapped out the stock speaker for an Eminince V1030 too, and it sounds much better. I'm running two different Tech21 knockoffs into the power amp section. One is for Fender tones and the other for Vox tones. I'm pretty happy with the range of sounds I can get, from nice and sparkly clean to full on saturation. I mostly go for clean, clean with a touch of drive and medium overdriven sounds. I dunno if any of this makes any difference to mic choices but thought I'd say it.

Thanks.

pinksoir

Never mind. Turns out the mic cable I was using with the tom mics from the drum mic set was bad. I changed the cable and now it sounds really really good!

Dynamics all the way.

if6was9

Alot of people favour dynamics over condensers for close micing an amp. I find condensers to be a bit too bright for guitar and emphasise the fizz too much when used as a close mic.

A good way to start is to stick on a set of cans, turn the amp way down and crank the gain on your mic pre and start sweeping the mic around slowly right in front of the speaker. Pretty much right up to the grill and keep it up till you find a spot that has the qualities you want- for me it's a spot where it's bright but not too fizzy and full but not really flubby in the low end. Use this as a kind of EQ.

The further away you pull the mic the more of the room you'll hear so bear that in mind. Pulling it back from the speaker can help but it's hard to go wrong with close micing.

I sometimes find that micing an amp will make you hear undesireable qualities that are masked in the room. Like a particularly annoying frequency of fizz or a muddy low end thats present in the amp tone that comes to light under the mic.

It's best to start with using just 1 mic I think. Once you're getting sounds you're happy with start adding extra mics but at the start the phase problems that will arise in doing so won't help you! Using stereo techniques on amps isn't really all that common, most people are using a close mic or 2 and maybe a simple room mic aswell and thats it.

stateofflux

find your sm 57. and use it. can sound really nice with a condenser a bit further back from the amp if the room sound is daycent. i like to use closed back ear phones from the daw play some guitar, listen to how the amp sounds then move mic around until i get something i like..

pinksoir

Cheers for the replies dudes.

I missed your one from the other day if6was9 but it's good info. I've got a decent sound now. I have one mic pretty much about an inch or two from the grill and I've also got a mic in the room, about two feet or so from the amp. There was phase issues when I first added the room mic but I've got a nice blend now. What I did was reverse the phase going in and move it around until the blend between the two was thinnest, then I put the phase back to normal and it sounds pretty good!

stateofflux, I wish I could find the 57, I think it's somewhere in the depths of Limerick and I don't rekon I'll ever get it back... Though I'm using the tom mics from my drum mic set and they're actually pretty good. I'm surprised actually. I had a look around online and they've gotten good reviews in SOS and a few other places so, while not having a 57 to compare them to, I'm pretty happy with them. Which is nice.

I don't like the sound from the condenser either on the amp or as a room mic. The dynamics are doing a fine job. I gotta say, even using the not-so-stellar amp I have, I much prefer the sound I'm getting over the amp/cab sims I was using before.

Squidgy Black

If it's an open back cab, try sticking your condenser behind the speaker magnet and blend it with a dynamic in the front.

You'll have to master the phasing issues but it can sound fairly cool and it's always handy to have different options.

pinksoir

That sounds like a cool idea. My amp's not open back though. But I could always take the back off...