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Posted by: tonyk Jan 26 2014, 09:40 AM

Hey.Am thinking of micing my amp for recording.I have M-Audio Fast Track (48v phantom power) USB into Macbook > Reaper.Looking at Shure SM57.Is this good choice.Do I need Sennheiser E609 as well.Will I need mic pre-amp?.thanks

Posted by: Darius Wave Jan 26 2014, 12:14 PM

After a lot of tests I really have to admit that shure SM57 is a reference mic. It's good to have a few different if You make many recordings but being in Your situation I would go for that SM57. Lately DeGroot bought one too...and it was a huge improvement in his recording tone.

Posted by: tonyk Jan 26 2014, 02:13 PM

Thanks Darius.Do you think it would be an improvement on built cab sim my amp has?. Do I need mic pre-amp?

Posted by: Darius Wave Jan 26 2014, 04:50 PM

Not necessary Your audio interface has a preamp already You will need some time to find the tone with You mic but it gives much more options - tone changes dramatically while changing the distance, position and angle. Best is to start with 12 o'clock position on all EQ on Your amp and search for the sweat spot with headphones on.

Posted by: klasaine Jan 26 2014, 05:06 PM

Check out the mic position on the smaller cabinet (this is actually an SM58 - vocal version of a 57).
It's about 1/2 way between the edge of the speaker and the dust cap (center) and angled in a bit.

I was going for a fairly heavy rock sound.
You'll need to experiment with placement depending on the tone you're looking for.
In general it'll be brighter near the center and darker towards the edge.

*Something very cool and pretty standard would be to double whatever part you play.
1) with mic'd cab
2) direct with built in cab simulator

Posted by: Todd Simpson Jan 26 2014, 08:41 PM

Hard to go wrong with a 57 It's just a great all around mic. Also, use a DIRECT BOX when recording so you can record a pure clean tone. That way you can 're-amp" in software using AMPLITUDE or OVERLOUD or whatever and mix that in with the original signal. Great way to thicken up a home recording


Todd

Posted by: tonyk Jan 27 2014, 10:53 AM

Thanks for all advice.So many things to consider, just playing the guitar is hard enough.Will research 'direct box' Todd.currently have no idea what it is.hey Ken,since you gave me the rock position,you might as well go all the way and give jazz and blues.thanks again all

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 27 2014, 11:06 AM

Here I am giving another vote to SM 57! It's my favorite as the main mic for guitars, and the good thing is that it works for many other instruments and even vocals. Adding a good quality pre amp can be good to improve your signal quality, levels, but it's not a must. It can be an upgrade in the future. M-audio Fast Track has mic preamps.

Posted by: tonymiro Jan 27 2014, 12:11 PM

The SM 57 is fine as an all purpose dynamic mic and you can get good recordings with one. The main caveat tends to be that it can sound poor if its pushed hard on the preamp gain. So if your M-Audio interface doesn't have a lot of gain then it may be worth getting a separate pre that does.

Posted by: jstcrsn Jan 27 2014, 12:26 PM

this is a better mic for recording I think. http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-E835-Dynamic-Cardioid-Microphone/dp/B00006I5R7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390821590&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+e835+microphone

that being said, If you will use it for giging , buy the sure 57,why,it is one of the best and standard mic and the likely hood of a sound man having the same mic is high. Keeping all the mics the same is a lot easier for eqing, finding and removing unwanted noises in a live show- it is a great mic and when people record with it they are usually happy

Posted by: Darius Wave Jan 27 2014, 02:45 PM

I would go for sm57 first because it's a good reference point to compare other mics. There is a lot of good guitar mics for sure but remember how subjective is "good" in case of tone preferences

Posted by: klasaine Jan 27 2014, 05:19 PM

With a 57 for blues I'd (me) would start in the same place.
For jazz ... that gets trickier. 'Most' jazz guitar tones are done with condensor mics. If you only have dynamic (the 57) then place it or angle slightly towards the rim and pull it back from the speaker maybe 2 or 3 inches (5 to 8 cm).
*This is all just my experience/method. You gotta experiment.

Posted by: tonyk Jan 28 2014, 12:33 AM

thanks ken.
The guitar gain on M-Audio can affect tone?

Posted by: Aaron A Jan 28 2014, 01:46 AM

I have used an sm57 for years and it sounds killer. Simply moving it slightly to one side or off axis can drastically change the sound you get so it can be pretty versatile if you know how to use it.

Also for me, this was a really helpful article about mic positioning:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/tonefiend/recording/how-to-mic-an-amppart-1-the-basics/

I think what was being referring to before was the gain on the preamp you have the mic plugged in to. If the head room isn't there then you can get some harsh sounds. With more gain you can turn the input level up but still have the headroom to avoid clipping and other harsh sounds.

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jan 28 2014, 09:37 AM

Great advices here - we also used the SM57 when recording Days of Confusion material, so I guess it's a wrap - great mic choice that comes with a lot of options in respect to where you place it when recording