For more great info about mic placement for guitar, check out this article. This technique can be used for live and studio applications. Great deals on microphone for acoustic electric guitar pickups. In some short circuit conditions this might lead to lethal accidents. Here are 3 basic recording tips for recording an electric guitar with multiple mics.
All the questions of exactly how an instrument makes the sound it does are backburnered. On this site youll find instructions on how to mic various instruments, all excerpts from the microphone placement guide found at the back of the encyclopedia of home recording. Using more than one microphone will texture your mix nicely. If youre being paid to record in the studio on someone elses material, then the best guitar is the one that gives them what they want with the minimum of fuss. Im finding the guitar tone is a bit thin though, nothing like how i hear the amp. In my article about looking at electric guitar rigs as a kind of vocal or any other acoustic instrument, i got at the idea that sticking a microphone in the area where the noise comes out is a simple and effective choice. Popular microphone techniques for vocals, guitars and. Ive worn the studio dunce cap more often than i care to admit. As you can hear in the samples, even something as simple as angling the microphone at a 45degree angle can drastically change the sound of your guitar. When you set up a microphone for an electric bass, getting a good sound can be a real bear. Right now, im using a sm57 to close mic my guitar amp for recording.
You can learn the basics in a ridiculously short time, but still feel like a dunce after decades of practice. While its become a common practice to plug directly into a recording interface and play with plugin effects after the fact, theres nothing that beats the sound of an electric guitar playing. Mic placement when recording electric guitar can vary quite a bit, especially when you start getting creative with your micing techniques. Place a dynamic microphone an inch or two away from the speaker of the guitar. Why do i get electric shock from my guitar when i touch. The guitar amp chassis connects to the guitar cable. Recording an electric guitar with a condenser mic with a rode m3 microphone. I know this because i frequently see people using bizarre techniques. Especially if youre setting up last minute for a live show, you need to know how your choice of microphone and its position affect the sound. A microphone on your guitar cab or combos speaker captures the air movement produced by the drivers and introduces your rooms tone into the recordinghow much room depends on mic type and placement. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. As well, if you are someone who likes to experiment with new sounds, there are mini guitars to accommodate that as well. Microphone techniques for electric bass recording dummies.
If you have to use a microphone on an acoustic guitar live, there are three things you can do to get the best results with the lowest chance of feedback. And since those two names are perhaps the best examples of what an electric guitar is supposed to sound like the m160 might not be a bad way to get one step closer to that sound. First, stick with a lowsensitivity cardioid mic and aim it either at the bridge or at the neck joint. In an ideal situation, get someone else to strum the guitar and move the microphone around the roomguitar, whilst monitoring it on a set of headphones. This guide will help you understand the basic differences in electric guitars so you can make an informed decision. Because of the electric design of many vintage guitar amps, it is not uncommon for a small amount of current 120 vac to leak onto the amp chassis. How to mic a guitar amp like a professional youtube.
Assuming youre using a dynamic microphone such as a shure sm57, here are some general rules and guidelines to keep in. The science of electric guitars and guitar electronics. Using proper mic placement is one of the ways you can achieve that. The above guidelines can be used in just about any recording application and will help you deliver a sound that goes way beyond the normal cookiecutter this is where to put it mic placement. Place a dynamic microphone an inch or two away from the speaker of the guitar amplifier. This has taken over the large mix magazines bookshelf catalog of many music books. Shure sm58 dynamic vocal microphone american musical supply. Join bobby owsinski for an indepth discussion in this video, finding the right placement in the room for the guitar, part of audio recording techniques. My problem is that i would have to record just the guitar sound for acoustic songs but also i would have to record straight from the amp speaker for the electric guitar riffs. Best microphones for recording electric guitar discussion in. Guitar cab mic placement and general tones gearslutz. Here are some essential tips on using room mics when recording electric guitar. And remember, were here to help with friendly gear heads who can guide you to the electric guitar that best meets your needs.
Or you may want to use your recording to help improve your skills. Similar to acoustic guitar recording, an amp and di can each play a crucial role in the final result, and recording both if possible can provide some cool options. I have tried so many dynamic mics over the years, and always come back to the shure sm57. For now, though, im just going to keep this on a basic level. Music books plus the largest online music bookstore and music book database. Apr 24, 2012 while its become a common practice to plug directly into a recording interface and play with plugin effects after the fact, theres nothing that beats the sound of an electric guitar playing. The importance of mic placement for guitar amps with. Much better and much more natural than a piezo pickup. The m160 was his absolute favorite option on electric guitar. Recording an electric guitar with a condenser mic youtube. The sm57 is the most universal, cheapestbest bang for your buck, toughest microphone you can find anywhere. But what if you wanted to add a little depth and distance to that sound. With a bold sound and a lightweight design, no matter how you intend to play it, its ready. I decided to write this article and add sound clips that will let you hear just how big a difference mic placement can make.
Nov 16, 2010 if you read about guitar recording at all, or visit online recording forums where electric guitar is discussed, someone will surely say, mic placement is critical, moving a mic even a halfinch will make a huge difference. Some of these microphone placement suggestions can be used in live applications, as well as for studio recording. Example of a good two mic technique for electric guitar amp. A complete reference for the home recording studio to get started, select the instrument you want to record from the list below or select one of the instrument categories in the menu above. But that said, there are a few triedandtrue methods that will almost always yield good results. There are three basic types of electric guitar body styles, each with its own characteristics. Sep 20, 2012 lets get into some microphone placement techniques.
The 7 best microphones for recording electric guitar. Popular microphone techniques for vocals, guitars and drums. I saw acoustic sessionscover videos of artists on youtube that has some mic placement on their guitars. Im new into recording stuff and for now im trying to record an acoustic guitar, though i find it hard to find the best placement of the microphone on it. The shure sm57 dynamic instrument microphone features a uniform cardioid pickup pattern that isolates the main sound source and minimizes background noise. Where it works quite nicely, is that you get a lot of the room sound as well. As it turns out, there are just a handful of mics that are proven over and over to deliver incredible guitar tracks. Once youve mastered a few songs on the guitar, you may want to record what you can do so others can hear you shred a wicked solo. And if you need help selecting a mic for your guitar amp, check out our guitar cabinet mic shootout where you can hear audio clips of 21 different guitar mics. Under the bridge of the guitar there often is a grounding cable, which makes you part of the electric circuit when touching the strings. And it was the primary mic he used back in his days of recording zeppelin and hendrix. Although audio engineers have been recording electric guitars for many. Have fun and spend some time getting to know how mic placement can affect your tone and youll be one step closer to achieving killer guitar tracks. Recording electric guitars seems like a pretty easy feat of engineering.
Application and placement ideal for closeup vocals, the shure sm58 dynamic microphone can be held in the hand or mounted on a stand. Sennheiser e 609 silver dynamic supercardioid guitar microphone dynamic supercardioid guitar amplifier microphone building on the performance and popularity of the evolution. Theres a lot of info and some great books out there on the subject, so definitely do so some. Most remarkably, the shure sm57 dynamic instrument microphone does it all for a price thats well within reach of any musician. Since there are so many possibilities when choosing the mic placement for your amp, theres no reason to wait until the mix to make your guitar sound the way you want it to. When you think of miking up an electric guitar amp, placing one or two microphones directly on the cabinet first comes to mind. Usually the mic is placed directly in front of the speaker, but it can be higher. The top 5 best microphones for recording electric guitar. This position represents most of the elements of the guitar sound we want to capture low end as well as bite when the strings are picked or strummed. Guitar cab mic placement and general tones ive just spent about 30 minutes reading through all the related posts but i wanted to ask my own questions. One can also go to the electric guitar section for more amp miking advice.
The importance of mic placement for guitar amps with sound. There are two answers to this, depending on why not what youre recording. These placement tips can help you get started but there are multiple ways to mike any instrument, and the mics you select will affect the optimal placement for a given application. We tried and tested tips and techniques from the worlds most celebrated producers and engineers to show you how. What is a good microphone to record both my acoustic and electric guitars. The key is to listen critically to how mic placement is impacting the. Godin hits the big leagues with the stadium ht singlecut electric guitar. Why do i get electric shock from my guitar when i touch the floor. Sheesh, nothing like making a difficult task even more challenging. How to mic your electric guitar amp home recording. Finding the right placement in the room for the guitar.
I must wear sandals to play it or sit not touching the ground. Any advice on the best microphones for recording electric guitars. Recording a passable acoustic guitar sound is fairly easy, but how do you get a great sound. Eliminate micplacement guesswork with the shavering technique. The solid body electric guitar is the most common body type and is made from a solid slab of wood. Microphone for acoustic electric guitar pickups for sale. Your two adversaries are muddiness lack of definition and thinness a pronounced midrange tone. For instance, sometimes an electric guitar run through a 5 watt amp with an 8inch speaker can sound bigger than a 100 watt marshall stack. When it comes to recording electric guitar, jay graydons views on mic choice are. Then do the same with the acoustic guitar microphone with the side pointed towards the singers mouth. This is now my favorite guitar amplifier microphone. I am getting really good results with this microphone. Does anyone use a condenser mic to record guitar amps. Learn how to select the correct microphone and polar pattern for each instrument, with hundreds of revealing listening examples for drums, acoustic and electric guitar, piano, keyboards, and more.
The metal guitar strings are groundedconnected to the guitar cable. Thus, a shaped response microphone designed for voice works well. Electric guitar recording tips with bob horn and erik reichers. How to mic guitar amps and cabs in the studio the hub.
Theres nothing that beats the sound of an electric guitar playing through a miked amplifier. All you have to do is place a microphone in front of a speaker and call it. Lets get into some microphone placement techniques. In an ideal situation, get someone else to strum the guitar and move the microphone around the room guitar, whilst monitoring it on a set of headphones. These seem like almost polar opposite characteristics, but they can both exist at the same time. But ive been privileged to record with some of the worlds greatest producers and engineers, and to interview hundreds more. Pgs new recording column gives a quick and dirty guide to mic placement and selection. Guitar amp microphone placement zzounds music blog.
When using a condenser mic in a close placement, its advisable to check the spl sound pressure level rating of the mic to make sure that it can handle the volume that is coming out of the amp. Theres a lot of info and some great books out there on the subject, so definitely do so some research. Mic placement on your guitar amp is an art that has a huge influence on your tone. Vocals are probably the most varied source youll encounter in recording, so experimenting is crucial.
Best microphones for recording electric guitar the gear page. The importance of mic placement for guitar amps with sound samples. Microphone for acoustic electric guitar pickups for sale in. The sound im after has been best achieved via dual miking a guitar cabinet when having been and different studios, but now im trying to perfect this method myself. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. Best live sound mic placement techniques sweetwater. Some have expressed concerns over the thin cable attached to the microphone, and it is very thin, but i have not had any issues with it.
All these things start adding together into mic technique, stuff that you learn over. One of the least understood aspects of getting a great live guitar sound or great guitar recording is mic placement on a guitar amp. Choosing the top 5 best microphones for recording electric guitar is actually pretty easy. A complete reference for the home recording studio. Most of the time, i use my vocal booth or a bedroom in another part of the house to record guitars in and neither has a room sound that im interested in, so i almost always close mic the cab. Jun 12, 2012 recording an electric guitar with a condenser mic with a rode m3 microphone. Solid body guitars can range from a simple, single. Place a condenser mic at about a 45 degree angle from the front of the speaker cabinet, about 8 to 12 inches away. Books about gear, amps, recording techniques, effects, gear design, composition, music business, etc. When it comes to recording electric guitar, jay graydons views on mic choice are pretty clear. Just take a look at the traveler guitar escape mark iii acousticelectric guitar.
This was all easily verified by actually looking at the book for a few minutes. Outdoors or indoors, singing or speech, the shure sm58 dynamic vocal microphone is the overwhelming choice of professionals worldwide. Microphone positioning the spot between the fret board and the sound hole is a good starting position to mount a microphone. Eliminate micplacement guesswork with the shavering.
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