How would I do that? I've heard many times that it's bad to run a head through speakers with a combined wattage less than that of the head itself. With a 100w head I'm not so sure that I can start disconnecting too many speakers without running into other problems.

The only issues are with blowing the speaker and possibly impedance. The only reason a guitar speaker will be blown when running it normally is if the lows are up way too high. I run a 100 watt head into a 25 watt speaker when recording and I don't even come close to blowing it with the lows at 3-4. Most heads these days allow you to select the ohms so you aren't locked in to only using a 4x12 or something like that.

I usually keep my lows at around 5-7 though because my cab has 10 inch drivers not 12, so I need to use the onboard EQ to get that low end to come out. How would I go about disconnecting speakers in the first place? Do I have to open it up and unclip them or something? Do I unclip it at the driver itself or where the drivers plug into the transformer at the cab's input?

I would leave the speakers as they are. If its a multispeaker cabinet then a packing blanket over part or all of it will do a lot to tame the room interferance. Gobos around the amp will do this also.

Its about control in the area you are doing the capture in.

How would I go about disconnecting speakers in the first place? Do I have to open it up and unclip them or something? Do I unclip it at the driver itself or where the drivers plug into the transformer at the cab's input?

You need to unscrew the back of the cabinet (usually), and then you just disconnect the wires. It's as easy as pie, really it is. There are red and black wires that go on the speakers and you just take them off, no clipping or surgery necessary.

If this is a tube amp, removing speakers is a bad idea. Actually removing speakers from any amp cabinet is a bad idea. It might make things easier to record....while the amp is still working. Remember that you are going to affect the impedance. and your 8 ohm cabinet all of a sudden becomes a 16 ohm cab. May not be such a good idea.

Remember that you are going to affect the impedance. and your 8 ohm cabinet all of a sudden becomes a 16 ohm cab. May not be such a good idea.

Yeah, I did mention that:

The only issues are with blowing the speaker and possibly impedance[...] Most heads these days allow you to select the ohms so you aren't locked in to only using a 4x12 or something like that.

Most decent tube heads allow you to change the impedance.

Most 50 and 100watt tube amps have a choice of 8 or 4 ohms.

If I could add a little something...

My experience/skill seems to be somewhat between GF and the other posters, and I've dealt w/ many of these issues in recent past.

1. Use your EARS.
2. The past few days I've been doing acoustic guitar and vocal tracks for a project. I did the acoustic/electric (boo) w/ a left and right SDC, a DI, and a room mic. Vocals were done close w/ a dynamic and room w/ an LDC.
3. Tried the 3:1 rule. Didn't really work. Has worked in the past.
4. Moved both room mics around until I got a sound I liked.
5. Solo the close mic. Then the room mic. Sound good? Now combine them and raise/lower the level of the room mic. Hear the loss/wonkiness of the close mic? Phasing.
6. I acted on S 3 & 4 based on #5.
7. When monitoring the close/room mics combined, find a placement that provides minimal alteration to the sound of the close mic.
8. Flipping polarity can help w/ things like micing a snare top and bottom. Doesn't always do the trick, but try it on anything that's double mic'd - sometimes good things happen.
9. Like has been said, every mic applies differently to every situation. Different speakers, different placements, different mics. Different results. I try and find "known" starting points to begin, and experiment if time and the band allow.
10. Use your ears.

Most 50 and 100watt tube amps have a choice of 8 or 4 ohms.

The question is, does Guitarfreak's head have different ohm options? Even if you don't want to take speakers out, you could always buy a 1x12 cabinet and put a speaker with a low power rating in there. Or, you could go and buy an isolation cabinet.

True another cab could help. GF did not mention whether or not he has been using any sort of isolation. I use gobos or a heavy blanket as a standard. Mind you I don't often use more than one mic on a cab.

I am not using any sort of isolation. My amp doesn't even have a switchable impedance. One thing to keep in mind is that it isn't a true tube head. It is mostly solid state and only has a single preamp 12ax7. Sounds nice though :)

This is just my personal point of view. For the style of music you are doing, you want as little possible room sound. Close micing is what you're after. That being said you want to eliminate as much of the room as possible.

I would personally build a four small gobos or a small iso box for your amp. An iso box is simpler but gobos will come in handy in other situations. The amp doesn't have to be completely isolated, you just want to dampen the reflections from the walls.

The next thing I would do is try to get the best possible sound out of one mic. IMHO you only need one mic unless you are trying to get a specific sound. IE: micing the back of the cab or using a distant mic. It just seems ridiculous TO ME, to mic one speaker with two mics. Sure I suppose, you could get some sort of different tone out of it but I would bet you could get just as good a tone with a single mic in the right position.

This is just my opinion. Take it with a crate of salt.

I tend to agree with most everything that's been said from DD to husseph...

Including the gobo's...

hueseph wrote: The next thing I would do is try to get the best possible sound out of one mic. IMHO you only need one mic unless you are trying to get a specific sound. IE: micing the back of the cab or using a distant mic. It just seems ridiculous TO ME, to mic one speaker with two mics. Sure I suppose, you could get some sort of different tone out of it but I would bet you could get just as good a tone with a single mic in the right position.

This is just my opinion. Take it with a crate of salt.

There's something to be said for using two mic's on the same cab. Done it with a good deal of interesting results. But now we're going back to the original post of the two similar mics issue.

Using two very dissimilar or identical mic's is more along the lines of what I'm used to.

With dissimilar, you can get a bit of a nice fatter, richer sound. e.g. say, a 57 and a R84.

I've stuck the 57 on the grill (after hunting down that tone) and put the R84 back away from the grill about 5mS, give or take a little. (and hunting down that tone as well)

Lop the ass end off the 57, chop the top off the R84, and try reversing it for giggles.

Fun stuff!

Hueseph, I certainly can use only one mic. I don't have any problems with the sound that I get out of my SM57 close mic'd but I am throwing a second in there for a few reasons.

1. I want to learn how to do this properly
2. I want a bigger more open sound
3. My recording career doesn't really consist of much other than a guitar at this point. I mean I can midi-fy the other instruments, but that sounds like crap. I really want to get the best tone possible because the guitar is the only thing I record regularly, so I have to do it right 8-)

MadMax - I wish I could use a dissimilar mic, that's why I was asking about the AT 2035 a few threads back, it was for this specific purpose. I was steered away from it though, towards the Cascade Fathead II. Of course that IS a better mic, but that also means that I now have to wait a good while until I can make that purchase because of the price difference.

I tried that white noise technique today, and well that didn't really work, I am still trying to figure out what the problem is over at logicprohelp.com I don't think they know what is going on just yet. Anywho, I had my SM57 set up in front of the amp and it was sounding just fine. So I decided to plug my guitar in and rip a chord and see where the two mics cancel each other, but even with the headphones cranked I couldn't hear it above the amp. I was waving that i5 around like I was directing a 747 in for landing, but if I can't hear the headphones I can't make a judgment call on where to put it :

Do you think it is time I invest in some isolation headphones? I always had my eyes set on AKG K240's how well do they isolate? Or would you recommend something different for my case? Or do you have a different solution totally? This is getting entirely frustrating...

Do you think it is time I invest in some isolation headphones? I always had my eyes set on AKG K240's how well do they isolate? Or would you recommend something different for my case? Or do you have a different solution totally? This is getting entirely frustrating...

short video The isolation cabinet would be your best bet (imho), but you can always get a cheap 1x12 cabinet and put in the speaker of your choice. Isolation headphones won't help that much.

I really like my k240s...
There are other, more isolating headphones out there.
They will ameliorate, but not solve your problem, though.
You're just too damn close to a really loud sound source.

An iso cab would help, for sure.
I built 4 gobos out of 4x4 plywood, 2x6 boards for feet, carpet padding, and frizzy carpet. Throw a heavy blanket or rug over top and they work pretty well. Plenty of room to play w/mic placements.
Pretty cheap if you can build them and they have other uses as well.

I also suggest you save up for the FH. It will be a welcome addition to your mic cab that you turn to for a long time.

If you're half-assed decent @ DIY, you can build the same style gobo's I'll be making. Not that there's anything really wrong w/soap's idea, it's just that I like a bit more mass from a gobo;
1" Fabric wrapped OC703
5/8" Gypsum
3/4" OSB
1/2" 3x5 Hardiebacker Concrete panel
3/4" OSB
5/8" Gypsum
Wrap in a 1x6 or 5/4"x6 frame.
Add cross braced legs and add heavy duty swivel casters.

The Hardiebacker really beefs up the mass, and a 3x5 (5 ft tall) is a convenient size for a small studio.

Drop a coupla' packing blankets on top... You'll get plenty of isolation.

The differences in mic placement in this are going to be very subtle. When sweeping mics for this the usual method is an assistant will move the mic while the engineer stays in the control room. I doubt any type of headphone will have sufficient isolation for this and the AKG K240 are semi closed back (unless there is different model I could not find.)
I know you are a good deal younger than me but if I was to stick my head in front of an amp at even a midrange volume my hearing would be shot for listening for the subtle tone differences for at least an hour or so, maybe longer, even with headphones on.
Can you get a friend to sweep the mic while you are outside the room listening on phones?

I could maybe get a friend to place the mic once in a while, but I can't rely on a friend every time I feel like recording. Reasonably so. I guess I should just let this second mic thing rest. My situation doesn't really allow it at this point and I'm not so sure that I want to be building wooden or cement boxes in my already crowded room @_@ Thanks anyway for the building directions though, bookmarked in case I ever need to.

I have the recording that I speak of and I am in the process of putting a midi drum set to it. The guitar sound isn't bad at all.

One extended session should be sufficient, as long as you are recording with the same amp the placement shouldn't need to change. In other words once you have found the sweet spots you should be able to recreate it over and over with this amp.

Hence the marking with the gaffers tape on the grill.

Agrease pencil will also work.