Author Topic: Miked recording - Is it always so annoying? (Read 9101 times)

Scotty477 · « **Reply #30 on:** May 06, 2008, 07:07:21 PM »

Decision made.

I'm going to stay clear of amp recording for the time being. It's more to do with the time element really. I thought I could get away with just doing the miked up recording at the weekend but with the best will in the world that's not the best way to go.

Thanks for all the advice on amp recording. I may well use that advice later on sometime.

Anyway ... It's Gumtree here I come - or ebay as a last resort - for my TSL601. I don't have the space for 2 amps at the moment.

Scotty477 · « **Reply #31 on:** May 09, 2008, 05:33:16 PM »

I've had a rethink. I'm liking the sound of the TSL601 - a lot, so I'm looking at preamps.

I'll also need one for miked up acoustic and vocals as well obviously. I've had a scout about and there are a few about that fit my budget, like this one:

I suppose my question is does anyone use one of these?

I'll also be looking at the preamps suggested earlier in this thread as well.[/img]

hamfist · « **Reply #32 on:** May 09, 2008, 09:38:58 PM »

I've used the Behringer MIC100 quite a bit, which is very similar to the one you pictured (probably built in the same factory I suspect). Not a bad piece of kit at all, IMO. Quiet, accurate and warm reproduction of the original signal. By "quiet", I mean, not hissy, hummy or crackly. The unit is definately not quiet, in that it gives a very hefty gain boost
I'd be wary of using the "voicing" control on the one you picture. I'm sure it's just a cheap EQing device. Set it at "flat" and I'm sure it will be fine though. You might even find the voicing control useful, who knows.

kevincurtis · « **Reply #33 on:** May 09, 2008, 10:24:20 PM »

Although I would advocate a good preamp, you will still be going through the boss inputs, so you could get a fantastic preamp but the sound will still be limited by the boss preamp.

When you say you had to have the gain really high and it still seemed weedy... were you getting a good level into the boss unit? meters should be just shy of red zone.

Have you tried vocals and acoustic into it? how do they sound?

Scotty477 · « **Reply #34 on:** May 09, 2008, 11:02:22 PM »

Thats a good point Kev. I'll take a look at a vovals and acoustic tomorrow.

I was getting a good level in, just shy of the red and it sounded like a very weak signal, very hissy etc.

ailean · « **Reply #35 on:** May 10, 2008, 07:32:15 AM »

I tried out my (genuine this time) SM57 last night (into an E-Mu 0404), and got some decent results. Tonally it sounded different to what I was hearing direct from the amp but I was expecting that, no way is a sound passing through a mic, pre-amp, PC, stereo amp, stereo speakers and coming out unchanged :)

The SM57 didn't sound weak and feeble to me (compared to the fake) it was a little light on the bass and treble's but that could also have been my stereo, so I need to do some checking on that. Could that be your issue? What are you using for playback?

hamfist · « **Reply #36 on:** May 10, 2008, 08:05:10 AM »

Quote from: ailean

I tried out my (genuine this time) SM57 last night (into an E-Mu 0404), and got some decent results. Tonally it sounded different to what I was hearing direct from the amp but I was expecting that, no way is a sound passing through a mic, pre-amp, PC, stereo amp, stereo speakers and coming out unchanged :)

The SM57 didn't sound weak and feeble to me (compared to the fake) it was a little light on the bass and treble's but that could also have been my stereo, so I need to do some checking on that. Could that be your issue? What are you using for playback?

You'r right Rich. You can never expect to hear through a single miked recording what you are hearing with your ears in the room. Mic position can change everything. Remember, to add bass, move the mic towards the rim of the speaker (or angle it that way). To add treble, move towards the centre. Also experiment with distance of the mic away from the grill. Start right close up, almost touching, then do some takes, moving the mic away a couple of inches each time. You will hear differences.

AdamB · « **Reply #37 on:** May 10, 2008, 08:25:38 AM »

Are there any articles on other shure mic being fakes?

I want to check my 58A Beta

ailean · « **Reply #38 on:** May 10, 2008, 09:26:57 AM »

Cheers for that Alan, I shall be playing with it some more today I'm sure.

adammato:

If you look at one of my previous posts on this thread I've linked to an article about the fake SM57's. I'm pretty sure I came across references to the 58's as well when I was google'ing. Simple answer, buy new from a retailer, I used Dolphin in the end. Shure seem to retain their re-sale value on eBay and Amazon marketplace, so for the small saving you may as well buy new and know it's the real deal, and you get a warranty.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #39 on:** May 10, 2008, 10:56:20 AM »

There are tons of fake Shures around seemingly. One of my mates bought one for £37.00 and was pretty cheesed off to find his bargain was a dud.I don't know where he got it from yet though. I'd be inclined to buy from a reputable dealer. An SM57 should always give you a good recording source. As has been said, there are many newer designs that are probably better these days but they were and are still widely used and I have seen them used in many studios in my time.

AdamB · « **Reply #40 on:** May 10, 2008, 08:11:37 PM »

Cheers man, i had a quick look through google like.

Looked on the shure site, it says it should be 227 grams. I'll check that first of all

Scotty477 · « **Reply #41 on:** May 10, 2008, 08:36:58 PM »

Ok ... I haven't got a preamp yet but what I did today was to compare my TSL601 side by side with my Vox AD30VT.

You might think "what's the point in that?", and you may have a point but I did it to satisfy myself that the TSL601 was worth keeping and to see just how much of a difference there was tonally.

The result - in my opinion - was a straight win in every aspect for the Marshall, which you might expect but it was the margin of the difference that staggered me.

The TSL601 made the AD30VT sound like a toy amp - and you have to remember I bought the AD30VT because I thought it sounded alright at the time.

The point of my rambling is that I'm keeping the TSL and I'll persevere with trying to record it, once I get a preamp. I do however need advice on swapping out the speaker to make it more recording friendly.

The stock Celestion Wolverine speaker is almost universally panned by users and given my newbishness with tube amps, I'm not going to argue with that (although it sounds good to my ears, with my LP/Emerald combination :D )

So .... What speaker would you put in a TSL601, if you wanted a classic rock, with a bit of blues type tone? From the research I've done, possibly a Celestion G12H might do the trick, but I'm open to suggestions.

One last thing. Where would I source a new Marshall grill cloth for the amp? Marshall don't seem to stock any and it's just 2x12 or 4x12 cab cloths on ebay that I've seen.

Cheers

Fikealox · « **Reply #42 on:** May 10, 2008, 11:48:05 PM »

I'm not familiar with the TSL601, so take my advice for what it's worth... I do have a Laney Lionheart with a cab loaded with G12Hs, though, and they're definitely excellent speakers. How they'll mesh with your amp is another matter, but I would take the risk :D

Scotty477 · « **Reply #43 on:** May 11, 2008, 12:44:13 AM »

Yeah the G12H looks like a safe bet. Not a bad price either.

JJretroTONEGOD · « **Reply #44 on:** May 11, 2008, 03:16:25 AM »

If you do get the Art preamp or even behringer, replace the tube with a JJ Tesla one, and they sound amazing.