HELP! Looking for advice and article on recording electric guitar amps

[dturner]

Greetings! I am getting ready to add a blues guitar lead to a backing track I created, and would like to get some advice on micing my amp. My setup will include a strat thru a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, and will be recorded into a DIGI 001 running on a Mac. I have tried close micing with an SM75, AT4050 and Rode NT1, but the recordings just don't inspire me. Sometime over the last year or so, I read a great article in one of the major music mags about using a flat panel [plywood maybe] to reflect the sound from an amp toward a mic, rather than going the usual close micing route. As I recall, the article also included a very interesting discussion of how and why this approach was useful. Can anyone help me figure out where and when this article appeared. Also, any advice beyond "stick a 57 in front of it" will be welcomed. Thanks so much. Dennis Cedarville, OH

[FoxTick]

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[dturner]

Sactog, A great link.. .thanks for the tip. I am still looking for the article which included info regarding micing reflected sound. Any ideas on this? Dennis

[Franknputer]

I read that article - IIRC, you would angle a piece of wood in front of the amp, within a few feet, and point the mic at the wood, either 90 degrees from the surface (for maximum reflection) or 180 degrees from the amp (for maximum rejection of the amp). Seriously, though - inspirational? I dunno. Do you like the way the amp sounds in the first place? If you do, then maybe try to get it cleanly on tape rather than close-mic'ing the amp (garbage in, garbage out). Room mics can be great! Also - if it's bluesy, don't underestimate the value of a "trashy" sound, rather than going for gobs o' fuzz (if you're going that way...) Just a little grit can sound much "dirtier" than full clipping. :thu:

[KenElevenShadows]

I like to record the amp in a fairly large room with wood floors, if possible. I find that with the wood floors, I don't really have to worry about setting up anything else. I just position the amp about three feet from the wall, stick a mic in front, and go. It doesn't seem to really matter which mic, although really bright mics don't seem flattering to me. Good results with this through modified AT4051s, modified AT4060, SM 57, and 421. Of these, I prefer the AT4060, especially for either big chunky distorted sounds or clean sounds, and the 421 primarily for distorted sounds. The AT4051s sound really great as well, since they're not stock and have a lot more bottom end. Another really great combination is to stick the AT4060 relatively close -- maybe a foot directly in front of the cone itself -- and then stick a small diaphragm condenser like the AT4051 several feet away to pick up the room. Getting room sounds is always a great way to liven up the track a little. If you can get a really great sound out of the amp -- loud but not ridiculously so -- then you are pretty much there if you have a relatively large room.