I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

[GuitarStv]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

No live band. Either my solo guitar or my 1 man band stuff where I only mic guitar and vocals. Then do bass and electric drums direct.

This might be why you don't like the SM57. It's a great mic because it limits the frequencies you get from an amp and guitar to a particular slice of the mid range that works well with most bands. If you aren't fighting the bass, kick drum, hi-hats, and a second guitarist for sonic space you will probably like something that captures a broader sweep.

[Clint 55]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Most amp's I've played don't sound anywhere near their best dimed..so why would I want to record them that way? But yeah..for best results I think there should be a bit of air being moved

I'm happy for you that you think a guitar rig at its best and a recording setup at its worst is always the best policy for everyone.

[Clint 55]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

No live band. Either my solo guitar or my 1 man band stuff where I only mic guitar and vocals. Then do bass and electric drums direct.

[GuitarStv]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Are you recording mostly solo guitar, or with a band? Because what sounds great for one is not the same for the other.

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Most amp's I've played don't sound anywhere near their best dimed..so why would I want to record them that way? But yeah..for best results I think there should be a bit of air being moved

[Clint 55]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

I'm happy for you that you think an sm57 does an ok job when the amp is turned up all the way.

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Eh, I don't know ..all my fave albums were probably recorded with SM57's in front of an ordinary 4x12 & they sound great to me.

Having said that I personally find nothing exciting about clean guitar tones (never have & most prob's never will) ..so maybe uber-expensive condenser's are the only the way to go to get your jolly's if that's your kinda stuff ..I would'nt know

For rocking out nice & loud (and having that energy translate to your recording)..nothing beats an SM57/decent dynamic. There's a reason why they're still around & are nearly everyone's 'go to' mic

[Clint 55]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Sounds like your amp is set relatively quiet, so the neumann can work well for that application. It's better or capturing quieter sounds, like acoustic guitar, or the sound of the room, for applications like drums. I would be careful, however, not to throw too many spls at it. Condensor microphones typically aren't designed to handle tons of sound pressure, so you'll want to move it further away than 4 inches if you record your amp with any significant amount of volume. Also, I disagree completely that an sm57 sounds like crap. There's a learning curve to it, and placement is a huge part of that, but it's honestly my favorite mic for milking a cab.

You can get a lot of traction out of an upper-mid level interface, and though it is true that the whole signal chain matters, in my experience, you can achieve respectable quality without breaking the bank. It doesn't matter how transparent your mic pres are if you haven't learned what to listen for while mixing, and I imagine investing thousands up front thinking you'll automatically achieve pro quality as a result would be an expensive exercise in frustration. What type of DAW are you using? You're on the right track with watching instructional videos, but I recommend searching out ones that more closely mirror your setup and the tools available to you.

Yep. The quiet amp with correct tone and recording rig that records accurately is working much better for me than a pos dynamic "put in the right place". The sm57 can suck my balls. Learning techniques only with budget gear is a false dichotomy. You can get good gear then learn how to use it. I am watching videos that pertain to my setup. The 1st one is how to mix with a daw (or analogue). The 2nd one is how to master using plugins in reaper. The 3rd vid is a producer that I know the most about since he produced In Utero and I'm interested in analogue technology.

[Gtrjunior]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Sounds like your amp is set relatively quiet, so the neumann can work well for that application. It's better or capturing quieter sounds, like acoustic guitar, or the sound of the room, for applications like drums. I would be careful, however, not to throw too many spls at it. Condensor microphones typically aren't designed to handle tons of sound pressure, so you'll want to move it further away than 4 inches if you record your amp with any significant amount of volume. Also, I disagree completely that an sm57 sounds like crap. There's a learning curve to it, and placement is a huge part of that, but it's honestly my favorite mic for milking a cab.

You can get a lot of traction out of an upper-mid level interface, and though it is true that the whole signal chain matters, in my experience, you can achieve respectable quality without breaking the bank. It doesn't matter how transparent your mic pres are if you haven't learned what to listen for while mixing, and I imagine investing thousands up front thinking you'll automatically achieve pro quality as a result would be an expensive exercise in frustration. What type of DAW are you using? You're on the right track with watching instructional videos, but I recommend searching out ones that more closely mirror your setup and the tools available to you.

A close sm57 and a condenser capturing the room is a great approach.
Good advise

[uOpt]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

My gearslutting shifted a bit, I now own a variety of microphones, AD/DA interfaces, mic preamps and the like.

Differences are huge. Also started modding mics a bit.

Plus that kind of gearslutting takes up a lot less space in the home. Unless of course you start acoustically treating your room

[AmirH]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Sounds like your amp is set relatively quiet, so the neumann can work well for that application. It's better or capturing quieter sounds, like acoustic guitar, or the sound of the room, for applications like drums. I would be careful, however, not to throw too many spls at it. Condensor microphones typically aren't designed to handle tons of sound pressure, so you'll want to move it further away than 4 inches if you record your amp with any significant amount of volume. Also, I disagree completely that an sm57 sounds like crap. There's a learning curve to it, and placement is a huge part of that, but it's honestly my favorite mic for milking a cab.

You can get a lot of traction out of an upper-mid level interface, and though it is true that the whole signal chain matters, in my experience, you can achieve respectable quality without breaking the bank. It doesn't matter how transparent your mic pres are if you haven't learned what to listen for while mixing, and I imagine investing thousands up front thinking you'll automatically achieve pro quality as a result would be an expensive exercise in frustration. What type of DAW are you using? You're on the right track with watching instructional videos, but I recommend searching out ones that more closely mirror your setup and the tools available to you.

[El Dunco]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Those are the pieces of magic you want to keep on your recordings! Lol

Agreed. I want to hear a whole album about and featuring that dog.

[Clint 55]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

I got some good over ear phones.

[devastone]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

Can't really listen until I get home, but I do have to ask, what are you listening to when doing your mixes? You mentioned earbuds in another thread and I would say that is the worst, down with laptop speakers. Did you get some decent reference headphones or better, some decent monitors?

BTW, I just picked up a set of Kali LP-6 monitors, they are amazing for the price ($149 each). Front ported, and lots of easy to use adjustments for the environment they are used in. Much clearer than the old BX8a set I've had forever, especially in the small room with terrible acoustics I have.

FWIW, back to your OP, monitors are some of the most expensive pieces of equipment in pro studios with some setups north of $100k, the LP-6s are really good for $300.

[Clint 55]

Re: I've come to the conclusion that the pros have more than a 1 grand mic/interface

I think I upped my tone.

https://soundcloud.com/clint-jones-278219447/fralin-hhh-demo

Good laptop, good interface, good consenser, good amp, new Fralins. Also moved the amp out from under my desk which was making it muddy and put it in the middle of the room. From contemplating the recorded sounds I like, I realized they sound full but that you can still hear the room a little. So I ended up with the mic 4 inches away from the amp which gave me a good balance of full tone and some room detail. I also realized the eq you hear when you're playing just in your room has nothing to do with the sound of the recorded tone so I eqd the amp while running the setup through my headphones. Took about 7 takes of tweaking to find a sweet spot. 2 things you guys have been telling me. Get your mic/amp placement and eq right. U still gotta have good gear tho.