When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

hydro

hydro

Prayin' to Cheeses
What's the conventional wisdom when studio recording a combo or small cab (1x12)? Set it on the floor and close mic, or put it on a stand or platform of some kind?

4x12s give you a lot of elevation but I just wonder how to account for floor reflection, etc.

For the sake of the discussion, assume open back 1x10 or 1x12/2x12 cabs or combos.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

In recording the rule is generally 'there are no rules, do whatever sounds good'. When recording an amp like that, I prefer to place it on a stand unless I'm trying to pick up floor reflections in the mic'd track.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

I agree, try it a couple ways and see what sounds best to you. There is no wrong way to acquire toanz.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

If I split hairs on that level it would take me 8 months to get a song done.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

DankStar said:
If I split hairs on that level it would take me 8 months to get a song done.
Click to expand...

hahaha I hear you on that! We have a hard enough time getting anything done as it is...

There are all these stories out there about how in the old days, Jimmy Page would use unorthodox mic positions and get a lot of room reverb and stuff. I always thought that was kind of cool. I also heard people say that a lot of the old time guys recorded through smaller combo amps, etc. Which makes a lot of sense, actually, as they may be easier to isolate and also could be cranked way up to get good tone without knocking out ceiling tiles.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

Yeah, it'd be fun to really utilize a nice space for reverb. Still blows me away that warren dimartini used a small fender for leads on some early recordings - I hear a huge stack.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

hydro said:
hahaha I hear you on that! We have a hard enough time getting anything done as it is...

There are all these stories out there about how in the old days, Jimmy Page would use unorthodox mic positions and get a lot of room reverb and stuff. I always thought that was kind of cool. I also heard people say that a lot of the old time guys recorded through smaller combo amps, etc. Which makes a lot of sense, actually, as they may be easier to isolate and also could be cranked way up to get good tone without knocking out ceiling tiles.
Click to expand...

The big potential problem with that approach is that you can't remove the room sound. In a rather sparse mix it isn't necessarily a problem as you have fewer tracks fighting for space. But in a more modern mix with 20+ tracks I'd imagine it being a real headache at mixdown.

DankStar said:
Yeah, it'd be fun to really utilize a nice space for reverb. Still blows me away that warren dimartini used a small fender for leads on some early recordings - I hear a huge stack.
Click to expand...

I'm not hugely surprised as you can change midrange response by placing the mic off-axis and likewise increase bass response via proximity effect. That said, understanding roughly how and being able to actually do it are very different things. I can't say I'm enough of a studio ninja to actually pull it off.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

For me, usually no casters on a 4x12 FWIW. Experiment. I've heard all the stories of recording with small combos too (hell even Jerry Cantrell does a lot... I think leads with a small amp?) but then I just remember every AC/DC recording ever (100w, 4x12s, cranked) and forget all that silly small amp foolishness for loud Rock n Roll!
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

What's the conventional wisdom when studio recording a combo or small cab (1x12)? Set it on the floor and close mic, or put it on a stand or platform of some kind?
Click to expand...
For me it's too easy to EQ one or the other if there is a difference in tone, depending on the room and engineer.

Really just depends on what sound you want

If you want a certain classic sound, put a mic at the end of the room for the overall room verb. It sounds amazing
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

for band practice:

well a full stack is perfect! ear level and very loud, thats what I use for my bass rig.

I use a custom angle amp stand for my bass-amp combo and my guitar rig with my guitar 212 cab, its perfect so I can hear and the other musicians dont have to tell me to turn down.

for recording,

its all about isolating the sound to me, and mic positioning and room acoustics. but there are no rules, remember that!!!
 
Last edited:
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

Surely this would only make a difference if the mic was fixed in the one place.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

It depends on the sound I'm after.

So, consequently: cab on floor, top speaker line, 2 different types of microphones (1 on and 1 off axis) on the same speaker then I move the mics until the sweet spot. The distance varies between almost surface contact and 1 inch. I end up doing that 90% of the time when I record guitars.
 
Last edited:
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

I thought you were supposed to use a persian rug...? :) so I guess my vote is on the floor, but use a rug.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

NecroPolo said:
It depends on the sound I'm after.

So, consequently: cab on floor, top speaker line, 2 different type of microphones (1 on and 1 off axis) on the same speaker then I move the mics until the sweet spot. The distance varies between almost surface contact and 1 inch. I end up doing that 90% of the time when I record guitars.
Click to expand...

This sounds like what our engineer/bass player usually does.

We normally use close back 4x12s but may try smaller cabs for some stuff, plus i may run two amps in stereo.
 
Re: When recording - cabs on floor, casters, or stands?

It's a result of a long array of trials / errors. I think this setup produces the most problem-free guitar tracks that's why I usually end up going that way. I did a lot of experimenting and tried a lot of positions and methods that usually were rewarded during mixdown as endless problem solving, to be honest.

Tomorrow I will record an ancient Laney cab with Greenbacks + a 1981 50W JCM800 on top. I have already recorded some killer stuff for the actual band in 2011 with the same gear. I can't wait to hear the difference.

Aw... Wait. I really don't want to actually hear any difference. I hope the tone will just crush, kill and destroy exactly like 4 years ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Attempting First Recording this week - Questions on amp and mics
Replies
5
Views
576
chillytouch
C
Red_Label
Opinions needed on large cab recording box...
Replies
4
Views
833
these_go211
T
Back
Top