Coping with small-sized solid-state amps...help?

[Soundlurker]

Well...I'm new to mic recording. I've read about it on several forums and sites but what I got as a result of my efforts in recording a decent-sounding guitar is kinda ...

You'll probably advise me to abandon the idea of recording, and rather use my equipment as furniture, after you read what I have in disposal. Nevertheless, I hope some of you would share some tricks and knowledge. Here goes: it's a Behringer (yeah, I know you love those ) Gm110 ( 30 watts, 10 inch Jensen speaker) with a custom modification - its preamp is replaced with a copy of the AMT SansAmp. The michrophone preamp is also custom made. My room has no acoustic treatment, unfortunetely. At least the mic is a Sm57...the problem is that whatever mic placement I try the result is unsatisfying.

It's about an inch from the grill and facing 45 degrees downward on this sample:

http://www.freewebs.com/sw1tch/dryguit.html (200kb)

 

[KeithRT99]

i think you're on the right track with the tone, but the clip sounds very muffled and muddy. if you could get a crisper, cleaner recording it would sound good.

 

[Soundlurker]

Well, yes, I agree. But I can't seem to figure out HOW to do that. And to be honest I think that not only does the sample have a lot of things you wouldn't want it to have but it also lacks thickness, power, etc..

I've downloaded samples of guitars without any processing that have been posted on this forum and they sounded like...wow! uh..it can't be just because they were samples of kranks and peaveys...I must be doing something wrong.

 

[TheStoryteller]

uh..it can't be just because they were samples of kranks and peaveys...I must be doing something wrong.

Well, actually... it's the amp.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

This is a lost fight... Trying to get Andy's 5150 or Krank tone with a Behringer amp, it's just not gonna happen, sorry... You're not responsible for this (I mean, there's nothing you can do), it's your gear, really...

 

[Piecemaker]

Yep. I too had a hard time getting a good guitar tone. Then I recorded a friend's Peavy 5150II through a Rectifier cab and it rocked right from the start. Up until then I simply didn't believe that an amp could sound this good all by itself.

 

[Kazrog]

If the amp/guitar sounds like shit in real life, it will sound like shit recorded. Mics, preamps, mic position, EQ, etc. are all secondary.

 

[Nebulous]

Though, it is pretty decent for what it is.........id be happy with that for the time being dude- hell, you can't compare a SS Behringer to awsome tube amps with top of the line cabs/speakers and expect better results than that.

 

[Kazrog]

Though, it is pretty decent for what it is.........id be happy with that for the time being dude- hell, you can't compare a SS Behringer to awsome tube amps with top of the line cabs/speakers and expect better results than that.

True, it could be much worse. I think this could speak in a mix if you pull up the mids and highs a bit. Articulation is decent.

 

[guitarguru777]

I think ive gotten decent SS tones from my Behringer GMX 212

Check this out

http://music.vegasgothic.com/cradle3.mp3

 

[cobhc]

No offence guru, but that sounds like a keyboard simulation of a guitar or something lol, lacks dynamics, but i guess that's just SS for ya!

 

[STINNETT]

Shadow Walker, I don't think it's too bad for what you're working with. Like the others have said, it sounds kinda muffled. How do you have the tone controls set on the amp?

 

[cobhc]

however i like shadows recording, needs some more presence, and a little cleaning up, but it's pretty tight sounding

 

[Soundlurker]

Wow, thanks guys, I thought you'll be laughing at it rather than liking it. Anyway, here's another try with different tone setting and eq...well lots of eq

http://www.freewebs.com/sw1tch/Guitar BH2.mp3

or click on "second try" here: http://www.freewebs.com/sw1tch/dryguit.html
(I think freewebs doesn't allow direct linking)
Any piece of advise is welcome. By the way, if any of you are willing to post links to their guitar recordings (esp. processed ones) I'd be very happy to listen to them. I already downloaded Andy's Krank and someone's 5150 (don't remember if it was Kazrog)..cool stuff.

 

[cobhc]

I like the 2nd try man, sounds fuckin nice! That would rock in a mix