Why Am I So Sh!t At Recording Stuff???

[MrBump]

Anyone got any good sites/info about decent mic techniques?

I'm getting some really great tones from my setup, but am struggling to get what I hear from the front of my cab to my DAW... 

I COULD go the modelling route - but I've done that for years... it's always been easy to get a great recording sound from my GNX3, but it's somehow not quite "right", if you know what I mean...

Tips, anyone?

Mark.

[_tom_]

This is a good read, quite funny

http://www.badmuckingfastard.com/sound/slipperman.html

All I do is set up the sound how  I like it then play around with mic positioning. There are a few videos on youtube that show mic positioning. My favourite I've found so far is slightly to one side of the cone, pointed upwards a bit. I'm no expert though, having only bought a mic stand 2 weeks ago :lol:

[phlip]

What do you find is wrong with your recordings? What Software and Audio hardware are you using?

I could be a simple mic position issue or it could be settings in your sequencer or Sound card.

It's hard to do this on your own but set your sound card to direct monitor so you can here what your playing, slap on some headphones and play while you (Or a helper preferably) moves the mike around SLOWLY as soon as you get the sounds you want coming in the phones shout stop and tighten the mike up.

[MrBump]

What do you find is wrong with your recordings? What Software and Audio hardware are you using?

I could be a simple mic position issue or it could be settings in your sequencer or Sound card.

It's hard to do this on your own but set your sound card to direct monitor so you can here what your playing, slap on some headphones and play while you (Or a helper preferably) moves the mike around SLOWLY as soon as you get the sounds you want coming in the phones shout stop and tighten the mike up.

That's a good question.

Direct monitor seems to suggest that the sound I want isn't even getting to the soundcard, so I guess it's probably poor mic placement...  Sometimes it's great though, but luck rather than judgement, I guess...

[hamfist]

Mic placement isn't that tricky really, to get a reasonable sound.

Just start with the mic 1cm from the grill cloth, dead central on the speaker. Then (keeping the mic the same distance from the grill cloth) try it again 3cm further out from the speaker centre, then 3 cm further out again, etc. You'll soon find which one approximates best to the sound you're hearing.

Have fun, and good luck !!

[Oli]

If you haven't already, get your head down in front of the cab as you play, and listen to the sound coming out of the speakers- it sounds different to how you hear it in the room.. you'll probably have to make adjustments to the highs and the presence to get it to sound better down there. And as others have said, whack a pair of headphones on, turn them up so you can't hear any outside sound, and move the mic around as you play- with the mic closer to the centre, you'll get a brighter sound, further to the sides it'll be darker and bassier. If you've got an open backed cab, try placing the mic in the back of it, that can produce some nice results :)

It could be down to the speakers in your rig- my 1936 with GT12-75 speakers sounds horrible when mic'ed, but the open backed 2x12, with eminence speakers in sounds much better. If you've got a couple of cabs, try them out. Personally, I only like to use my Pod to record at night, and usually just to toy with some ideas; I much prefer to record stuff with the amp and mic- modelling just doesn't do it for me (apart from some clean stuff).

[MrBump]

I don't think that it's the cab - I used to have a Marshall 4x12 and I used to get a bad recorded sound from that; I'm now using a Framus 2x12.  Both were with Vintage 30s.

In terms of placing the mic, I've always done it just off centre, but with the mic just touching the cloth (which sounds like a euphemism i.e. "turtling"... sorry...) - maybe I need to pull the mic back a wee bit?  I guess it's either been with the mic touching, or "ambient" micing, with it somewhere else in the room...

I think I'll experiment tomorrow.  I can hear the moaning from my children already...

Mark.

[HTH AMPS]

some speakers just don't seem to record nicely either - I had a mid/late 70s Laney 4x12 cab with blackback G12H-30s that sounded great in the room, but I couldn't get a good recorded tone with it for love nor money.

otoh, a creamback G12M-25 that was reconed by Ron Ellis (anyone know where is he now?) was amazing in the room and recorded beutifully with little regard to mic placement.

that said, there are some general guidelines as noted already.  I generally mic around 1" from the centre of the cone with the mid pointing towards the centre of the cone at a 45 degree angle.  Oh, and I have the mic pressed up against the grillecloth to take advantage of the proximity effect for a chunkier bass.

[donovan.x]

Use a room mic as well, what you are hearing is a mix of the amp sound, natural reverb etc... the mic is only picking up the direct sound for the amp so its worth messing around with a couple of mics and see if this helps.

[rohlfo]

double track,double track,double track,double track,double track,double track....etc.
I always find amps sound fatter live then when recorded (which makes sense if you here a 2x12 yet only record one of them...). I like to double track, or maybe use for mics....dunno really, I'm quite nooby on all that meself...

[_tom_]

I had a mid/late 70s Laney 4x12 cab with blackback G12H-30s that sounded great in the room, but I couldn't get a good recorded tone with it for love nor money.

hmmm I always find it hard to get a good recorded tone, maybe its just the G12H30s that I use then? Whenever I record it always sounds ok but not really much better than ok. Or I'm just piss poor at recording :lol:

[hunter]

I think it's a combination of volume, the room, the cab, the mic, its position, the preamps and the A/D.

What mic and preamp are you using, do you have a decent quality mixer?

Also even on close up recording, the room makes a difference, if it's too boomy it can be problematic.

Finally, my experience is strangely that an SM57 sounds great on lower volumes. Maybe give it a try at very low volumes, it can sound great plus it's easier to test the mic positions, if you can hear the monitor sound. But this is just my experience, it's against common sense though as I think most people prefer recording cranked rigs.

But wait a minute, I have heard great clips from you haven't I?

[MrBump]

I've been playing around with the various comments and suggestions, and very useful they are too.

What I've found is that winding down the tone on my TS clone made a big difference, as did taking down the presence on my amp - I think that I had everything way too bright.

I've always avoided ambient mic-ing ("micing" doesn't look right - nor does "miking"...  or "mikeing"...), don't know why, but I guess it makes sense.

The mic is an SM57, that's going into a Tascam US122 and Sonar.

Thanks for the complements, Hunter - I guess I DO get some good tones sometimes, but it's really intermittent and haphazard.

Mark.