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hi everyone. i'm new to this forum.

i write and record music in my parents house in a small room. not exactly sure how big it is, or the dimensions, but it's small. let me give you a run down of my cheap recording set up:

an old 8 channel, no name mixer
a Nady cardiod condenser mic
a Roadie condenser mic
several samson and Carvin dynamic omnidirectional mics
Cool Edit Pro
Toshiba Laptop
Rickenbacker Solid State Amplifier 4x12
Fender Toronado (not Tornado :) )

i'm trying to figure out the best way to mic out my guitar tracks. the way i'm currently doing this is by running my Nady condenser through my mixer, running a cable with a stereo-to-quarter inch jack into my laptop's soundcard, and recording it using Cool Edit Pro. i usually don't have a problem recording my acoustic guitars, or even my drum tracks, as i am usually able to EQ those fairly well. but for some reason, my guitar track, especially when distorted, comes out sounding tinny and very low level. does anyone have any advice as far as mic placement, or any other aspect is concerned? i'd greatly appreciate any assistance or advice. thank you!

Comments

anonymous Tue, 02/15/2005 - 15:28

ouch. no offense dude but I'm not going to touch this one with a 49 1/2 foot pole.

seems like someone has a 49 1/2 foot pole up there :!:

does anyone have any advice as far as mic placement, or any other aspect is concerned?

To start I would try all of your mics pointed directly at the cone and sitting on the grill. Now little by little move them away from the cone and grill until you get the sound you want. You might even try putting 2 mics on the cab. It also seems that your mic pre could come up some....Steven

KurtFoster Tue, 02/15/2005 - 15:42

Try the Carvin dynamic ... these are knock off of the SM57 / 58 and as such should do well ...

Place the mic close to the grill cloth. I like it mashed right up against it but you may like it better with an inch or two of space.. and aimed at the point half way between the edge of the speaker and the center ... Put on some phones and listen while you move the mic around in very small moves ... You will find a place that sounds best to you ... Hit record.

anonymous Tue, 02/15/2005 - 19:18

You know, I really thought I posted a reply to this like yesterday.

Kurt is right-- as always-- but I'd ad record a few seconds as you try out various mic positions and angles.

This may sound obvious but make sure you are not like blowig out the preamps or the mic your using. If you are having success recording the drums and the acoustic guitar I'd say you should be able to go a good job with the the electric.

anonymous Sun, 03/06/2005 - 06:32

a Nady cardiod condenser mic

You NEEEEEEED a SM57, you can use it for everything, and for guitar, distorted or clear it is fantastic

We record with just one slighty off center right up to the screen and get GREAT results, with either our Peavey Practice amp or our Marshall half stack

bottom line

GET A 57 NOW

you can find them pretty cheap, under $100

anonymous Thu, 03/17/2005 - 20:06

The better the Mic (and pre A/D converter etc) the better the sound.

Milking amps is hard. It will ultimately (if you have the skill and the kit) give you the best sound.

Or you can cut to the chase, realize your immediate limitations and buy a Pod V2. Cost you 100 bucks on eBay.

Is it as good as the guitar sounds that come out of Abby Road (or similar) Studio A? Well, no what do you expect for 100 bucks. Dose it sound better than a "better than average" guitarist with a cheap mic, a doggy sound card with a built in pre in a bedroom bedroom ?

Yes !

http://www.ebay.com. You will thank me in 6 months !

anonymous Tue, 03/29/2005 - 15:59

screw line6..

check your nearest guitar centers, see if they have any sans amp pedals (classic or gt2) and try them out, or any local guitar store. i played on a POD, it has some decent sounds, but the pedal is a lot of fluff and little workable. unless you NEED like 40 effects in your pedal (better to use IN your editing app for the cheap way out, more flexibility), just try and stick with the distortion.

PODs sound decent, but check sansamp out before buying a half-ass distortion processor.

and tell me if sansamp really is the shizzit as everyone says.

KurtFoster Tue, 03/29/2005 - 16:22

I've used PODS ... I've used Sans Amps ... the one thing I like about them both is the noise they make when they hit the dumpster.

A new twist is the KEL Audio HM-1 mic. A side address condenser mic with a 1" diaphragm that is very smooth sounding.

I used it on an Ampeg Jet amp and it's the first time I have ever been able to get rid of all the crackle distortions so common to close micing guitar cabs.

The HM-1 sells for $99 including shipping and if you really hate it you can return it for a full refund as long as you do it within 21 days... Hard to beat that!

http://www.kelaudio.com

anonymous Sat, 04/30/2005 - 10:16

I have a SansAmp GT2 and, although I don't get the quality of tone I get from micing my valve combo with my SM57, it does allow me to record guitar tracks straight away at any time of the day or night without the need to wake the neighbours etc.

It sounds like you'd benefit from the convenience, and you'll get good results with a SanSamp if you take a little time to play with it.