got you covered

Bane,
I am not familiar with the Tascam US-122, so I do not know how many tracks you have to work with. If you can only mic in mono, use the SM57 it pushes the right frequencies for the guitar cab. If you have lots of tracks available or are just curious, read below it makes a really good sound.

First, I would use your couch cousions to baffel the sound some and hang blankets around the amp to reduce the volume the neighbors will hear. Then I would turn it up to get the drive that is better when an amp is pushed a little harder and reduce the work on the mic pres (less color this way). If you get noise from turning the guitar amp up, use a noise suppressor between the guitar and amp. Last, I would use both a condencer ( I like lipstick on guitar cabs better) and a dynamic. Always mic in stereo and them hard pan L and R to get that aural sound. Position one mic 12 inches from one side and the other 20 inches from the other side. This measurement will reduce phase cancelation (week sound when two mics are used wrong). Even when you have two guitars, mic in stereo. Just mix the rhythm guit louder on the channel with its pot to the left and lead guitar mix louder on its channel with the pot to the right.

If you can, have the lead guitar player play the rhythm during the solo to keep the stereo image intact and then mic the actual solos in mono and on its own track with the pan pot in the center. This is the strongest and most aural method.

I hope you try this idea and tell me if it helps,
dick

My neighbor hates the sound of the trash men picking up the garbage at 3 in the morning... so should I get a sedan or a pickup truck?

You're talking about unrelated events. Getting a sound is getting a sound... not bothering the neighbors is not bothering the neighbors... confusing the two will only give you an unsolvable headache.

If your amp sounds good... then take the output of it direct [bypassing the speakers] and taking all the misery of having to see a pissed off neighbor in the stairwell from your day. Whatever you use will have to have a "load" so you don't pop the amp's output transformer. There are several devices that do this admirably... the one I use is a Palmer PGA-04. I have cut some of the biggest, loudest, meanest sounding tracks during the workday in a room full of people talking. Their talking didn't end up on my tracks, and the very loud guitar playing didn't interfere with their ability to converse.

Best of luck with your search.

Fletcher wrote: My neighbor hates the sound of the trash men picking up the garbage at 3 in the morning... so should I get a sedan or a pickup truck?

:lol: :P

i too hope my "future" problem be solved! i've bought a house and i'll be moving my home studio there... it's a 3 floor building and i live in the 2nd and my 1st floor neighbor has 3 dogs that are barking every 5 minutes... i've already said that if when i move there they continue i'll have to talk to the lady...

I have to second Fletcher. I have the Palmer and it is Awesome. I highly recommend it.

Moving to a place where you can hear dogs barking, forget about the SP B1. It will easily pick up sounds like these. The dynamic SM57 is a better option then, allthough I don't really like its sound on guitaramps. I seem to be one of the few......

I used to have a studio once where the neigbors dogs barked all the time. That sounds gets into everything, even when you don't think its tracking guess what, you will hear it later on your tracks... good luck with that (and don't shoot the dogs, its not their fault!)