Amp Mic -ing

[ShredCrazed]

In the past for my recordings I've used direct lines but recently I've started doing some with mics because I like the sound. Because I'm totally new to this I wanted to ask some of you more experienced people what the best positioning is for a mic to get the optimal sound quality. By this I mean the distance it should be from the amp, the position it should be relative to the speaker and where I should place it next to a 2x12 cab if I'm only using 1 mic. Any advice would be helpful.

[sirterrapin]

What mic will you be using? Different mics sound better in different positions, though I've only got experience with a handfull.

[axslinger]

http://www.orange-fields.com/widepages/elecguitmplac.htm

http://www.shure.com/shurenotes/how_aug2004/default.asp
scroll down on that one


hope this helps

hunter

[thegaz]

that shure link is based on live sound reinforcement. and while the concepts are basically the same, i think in recording you can make your own rules to get the sound you want. if you want a very straight forward, clean and dry guitar sound, a dynamic mic, close to the grille cloth is generally preferred. when it comes to recording, you should do whatever you want to get the sound you want. condensor mics are usually prefered for recording, but dynamics work fine too. try placing mics in different spots in the room, different distances from the amp, even behind the amp. basically, for recording, keep experiementing to find whatever sound you want.

[JaguarSG]

ribbons can be amazing too. don't underestimate those guys.

my three favourite mics on guitars:
- Shure SM58 (57s are too spiky for my liking most of the time)

- Sennheiser 421 (love them, the REAL studio workhorse)

- Royer 121 ribbon (amazing)