The Recording Thread

[bulldozer1984]

how much? there were clothes hanging and i had a sound blanket behind amp

Just keep it in mind. If you’re not getting a good sound, it could be reflections off the walls. A small space like a closet is going to have all kinds of reflections going on. If you can’t hear them, all good. If you can, move your blanket etc. It will depend on a number of factors such as volume, type of mic etc.

If it sounds good, it is good.

 

[Australian]

Just keep it in mind. If you’re not getting a good sound, it could be reflections off the walls. A small space like a closet is going to have all kinds of reflections going on. If you can’t hear them, all good. If you can, move your blanket etc. It will depend on a number of factors such as volume, type of mic etc.

If it sounds good, it is good.

Bulldozer, do you close mic your guitar cabs, on your recordings?

 

[bulldozer1984]

Aus, my recordings are a mixture of close mic SM57 and also SUHR Reactive Load + Ownhammer IR’s.

I actually rely a lot more on the latter but mic up when I can as it’s more fun.

 

[bulldozer1984]

I should also add that when the guitars are isolated, I actually prefer the tones i get from the SUHR Reactive Load + Ownhammer IR’s. In the mix there is very little noticeable difference.

 

[SmokeyDopey]

Same here. When I put the 57 by itself I think to myself that I probably won't use that track, but when put up with the other mic(s) and the whole band, the 57 is pretty much a necessity. I would have the whole mix up and mute the 57 and it doesn't have that sharp bite and aggressive character the guitar "should" have. When I unmute the 57 it's like that's the classic rock guitar sound.

One of my favorite combos for a guitar cab is a SM57 and an MD421.

 

[el_bastardo]

One of my favorite combos for a guitar cab is a SM57 and an MD421.

Yes. Two 57s - on-axis and off-axis, right next to each other, works great too.

One should be able to get a good usable sound with one mic at a minimum. But using two and blending them to taste is usually just better.

 

[Derek S]

Great point about picking up rumble off the wall when the cab is in a tight space like a closet. You wouldn't think with close mic'ing that would matter and it took a long time before I figured out that unwanted source of muck was the friggin wall (I thought it was coming from the door at first) but through experiments learned the cab can't just be shoved in there tight against the rear wall. It doesn't take much though, mine is probably 10" off the wall and no issues. Of course if you have the space, centered in there would be ideal!

Here's my simple ghetto setup but it sure works well and I can CRANK my amps, get nice tight mic'd tones (rumble free lol) and then add ambience later in post.

I agree with elBastid and Smokey...a 57 off axis and ultra tight with another mic is a sweet way to get complex sounding mic'd tones...I have two of 'em just for this reason:

 

[Trelwheen]

This is a good place to rave about my latest mic for recording distorted electric guitar cabs. I've been using an AEA R84 for a few weeks now and it is flat out great for the purpose. Sometimes I pair it with an SM57 or 77, sometimes use it alone. The back side of the mic is brighter with less proximity effect so it's great when tracking the heavy palm mute chug chug stuff. Overall it is very smooth and does a great job of taming fizzy cabs. Sometimes a Beyer M160 gets the job but it's usually when I'm using a little less distortion.

I bet it'll make a good room mic for drums too.

Bottom line, the R84 is a great tool and worth the price of admission without a doubt.

 

[Australian]

Its all about the treatment of the room. We recorded in a studio a couple of weeks ago and everything sounded amazing. The bass tone was just right. Ok they used good mics-414's etc. but the room we recorded in had a great vibe.

 

[J Saw]

Could someone recommend a good plug and play mic for laptops(usb)? Just wanna record some single guitar tracks and possibly get better results than my samsung phone will offer. Thanks a bunch in advance.

 

[Australian]

Could someone recommend a good plug and play mic for laptops(usb)? Just wanna record some single guitar tracks and possibly get better results than my samsung phone will offer. Thanks a bunch in advance.

A USB Sure Sm57.

 

[J Saw]

Excellent. Thank you. Another newb recording question, will I need some kind of recording software in tandem with that mic? I'm trying to go no frills. Just want to accurately capture what my cab is putting out.

 

[ampmadscientist]

Excellent. Thank you. Another newb recording question, will I need some kind of recording software in tandem with that mic? I'm trying to go no frills. Just want to accurately capture what my cab is putting out.

The mic is going to preamp / A to D converter in digital recording. It is not unusual to use an analog preamp...
A good guitar amp mic would be sennheiser 906.

 

[Australian]

Excellent. Thank you. Another newb recording question, will I need some kind of recording software in tandem with that mic? I'm trying to go no frills. Just want to accurately capture what my cab is putting out.

What do you use-Mac or PC?

 

[J Saw]

Looks like this might be more than I expected since I'll be using chromebook OS .
Not quite sure were to go from here. I'll have to find out more about CB operating systems first I guess. Hopefully it's doable.

 

[4Horseman]

What do you use-Mac or PC?

Hey Aus, do you have experience with either Universal Audio or Antelope? If so, which would you recommend? I'm wondering if these interfaces with built in DSP processing are worth it? Have you seen Antelope's new Discrete 4s? Thanks.
https://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/discrete-4/

 

[Australian]

Hey Aus, do you have experience with either Universal Audio or Antelope? If so, which would you recommend? I'm wondering if these interfaces with built in DSP processing are worth it? Have you seen Antelope's new Discrete 4s? Thanks.
https://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/discrete-4/

I don't know much about Antelope.
But it would take something off the planet to change me from UAD. The UAD plugins are fantastic.

 

[4Horseman]

I don't know much about Antelope.
But it would take something off the planet to change me from UAD. The UAD plugins are fantastic.

Thanks. I was thinking about a twin duo mkII, but that demo for the Antelope sounds really good. A couple of those amp models sound inspiring. I could get the UAD for half the price though.

 

[Australian]

Thanks. I was thinking about a twin duo mkII, but that demo for the Antelope sounds really good. A couple of those amp models sound inspiring. I could get the UAD for half the price though.

The UAD plugins are expensive, but they have specials each month. I dont know how good the Antelope plugins are.
But something to consider is how many plugins the unit can handle.
If you go with the UAD, and want to do full on song mixes you’d do better with a Quad or above.

 

[Crunchifyable]

What do you do when you have 1 SM57 and all you want is the sound you "hear" when you are off axis from the speaker?

I've tried the other approach, dialing in things with my head on axis, but the reality seems to be no one designs or listens to an amp like that. And taking the mic off axis usually produces a very effected dark sound.

Right now i tend to put the SM57 right on the grill, near the center (maybe edge of dust cap...not as if I can see well without a flashlight) and it seems ok. I'm aware that dual mics sound best but my zoom h2 doesn't play nicely with other mics (usually has time sync issues unless I get a line out cable for it).

Closest I can get is near center, and add a LPF or high shelf after to take a little off after 6khz-10Khz.