Guitar Cab Recording Help

[Mattr4president]

Hey guys. Ok So I have the Audix I5 and it sounds very good. I really like the sounds I'm getting out of it so far. I'm running it right into my Tascam 8 track, but i want a "bigger" sound. I believe the best way to achive this would be to use anothing mic in conjuction with the I5. Should i pick up a SM57 and mic it in a similar fashion or should i go another route?

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

Can never go wrong with an SM57, and the Sennheiser 906 (or 609 as well) will sound nice. I'm very partial to using condensers when they're available though...the sound is glorious! If you can try one out, do so.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

Hey guys. Ok So I have the Audix I5 and it sounds very good. I really like the sounds I'm getting out of it so far. I'm running it right into my Tascam 8 track, but i want a "bigger" sound. I believe the best way to achive this would be to use anothing mic in conjuction with the I5. Should i pick up a SM57 and mic it in a similar fashion or should i go another route?

You're going to be limited with 8 tracks but if you have another amp or guitar and the same amp you can double track your parts, you can also try and use a room mic as well as one on the cabinet. You can probably Google some mic techniques for guitar and get some more ideas.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

^ Agree.

There are only two ways you will get a bigger guitar sound:

1. Record in a bigger space and use a room mic
2. Double track

Try to avoid normalising or compressing the guitar track to make it seem bigger.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

SM57 for sure. Keep in mind these things have constant value and are indestructible. Whatever you spend now you'll get back if you change your mind.

Positioning is critical. Take your time.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

what amp are you using? do you have more than 1 amp? (sometimes 2 amps/heads that compliment one another can fill some space better than 2 gits of the exact same amp - one that's kinda bassy with one that's kinda midrangey).

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

A 57 is a great mic for guitars, but the i5 and 57 are very similar sounding. A common technique is a condenser for detail used with a 57/i5 for grit and guts.

You can close mic with both at the same time, just keep the distances between the mics and the speaker cone at the same distance (avoid phase problems), and angle to taste for mid range/high end voice.

That would be two mics for a single track...then double track. That eats four tracks until you bounce, but it will sound bigger.

I have found room mics, kind of hit or miss depending on the tones, room, context, etc. Dual mics and double tracking has always worked well.

 

[ginormous]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

+1 for avoiding compression, especially if you're going to use a room mic. Compressing ambient sound (room tone) in a larger-sized room gives everything a very washed-out quality. IMO, it's better to carefully position mics and set record levels accordingly, to get a good balance between amp and room. I use a limiter when tracking to control peaks, otherwise I leave the dynamics alone.

I've heard doubling work, and I've heard it fail. As many have said, the best way to insure good tone is to get a good guitarist.

 

[Mattr4president]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

Yeah I assumed i would be doubling guitar parts, it's the only way tp get the parts in stereo the way i want them.I've seen cabs mic'd with 2 different mics before though and wondered what technique they were using. I thought one was a condensor and the other were somthing like a dynamic mic... What makes for a good room mic. I only have 1 amp. and it sounds good, i just want some advice to make sure i'm getting the most out of my recordings and equipment.

 

[Mattr4president]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

also i'm not so worried about eating up track space because eventually all tracks just get imported onto my computer for the final mixing. Up until now all of my experience has been with direct recording.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

What makes for a good room mic.

A decent condenser mic and a good room. You will end up blending some of this signal in to get that large sound you're after. As far as two or more mics on the cabinet again it's about blending the signals to get a sound you like. You said bigger in your 1st post, I think that's been covered pretty well by the posts so far.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

If you do multiple microphone recordings of a guitar cab, be absolutely sure to keep them on separate tracks until you mix them together with all instruments. Don't mix them when recording. The microphone further into the room add some body that sounds nice when listening to the guitar alone but might not be desirable in the complete mix. A bunch of instruments sounding "dry" in isolation can make a great mix. Everything with too much makeup can make mud.

 

[Mattr4president]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

What brand/kind of room MIC works well on in conjuction with the i5. Just need an idea where to start with it.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

Budget condensers that I think are pretty good are Audio Technica, Blue, CAD, Shure, Studio Projects. Any of them will work for a room mic. You might want one with an omni position but you don't have to have it, if it doesn't have omni then you'll have to point it at the cab.

Good value: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT2035/

 

[surface54]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

i have the condenser AT5035, and its very clear and open. then you can post eq to fix stuff and it works as well as a high end mics..to my experience which isnt much.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Guitar Cab Recording Help

Audiotechnica and Studio Projects are solid choices.

I really like R0DE mics also, you can get a NT1000 for about $300...it is well worth the few extra bucks compared to most cost friendly LDCs, even the two mentioned above.