Is micing the Dustcap Edge a myth (Mesa OS)?

GuitarHack

GuitarHack

Krank it UP!
Sep 3, 2006
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Victoria, Australia
I have had the Mesa Oversize for quite a few months now and for the life of me I cannot get a sound I am overly happy with it. When micing the dustcap or the "Holy Grail" area near the join of the dustcap and cone it just sounds so grainy and harsh. This is more of a problem with the 6505 than the Rev. When I had the Traditional cab I got a much smoother and balanced sound when micing in this area but overall the cab had a particularly annoying high end and too much honk in the mids especially with the 6505 that I didn't like.

I find I am micing just off the dustcap and getting a smoother result albeit a darker tone and mids which can be a bit off sometimes. If I remember correctly, poidaobi tends to mic his ENGL cab off the dustcap and made his Impulses as well as his legendary In Flames tone micing that area. I have tried all 4 speakers with various mic positions and angles and just can't seem to get a smooth tone near the dustcap. It just seems to be a lot more of a bitch to mic than the Traditional. Anybody else have this experience with the Oversize?

I know this is the so-called "industry-standard" cab so I am not blaming it, it's obviously my technique (and maybe some tubes in the 6505, any excuse :lol:) but I still wonder how any of you guys get it to sound smoother and if any of you are getting similar results micing near the join. Do you mic off the dustcap? I have heard some samples others have posted here with the mic on the dustcap and they exhibit a similar problem to mine. Yet when you listen to Andy's or Colin Richardson's tones made using this cab, the sound is fantastic. I know I am not Andy or Colin and that's a big part of the problem :lol: but I should be able to get something half decent after micing this frigging thing so many times. :erk:

I think ditching the Ruby Powertubes in the 6505 may help remove the harshness a little as well as some mids (they honk more with the Ruby's). I tried some JJ's in there and the mids were reduced and it was rounder sounding overall. Maybe a bias mod is needed on it. :err: Opinions?

Any tips? Similar experience?
 
Ed, I think the tone is nice overall (I have listened to that song many times by the way :headbang:) but it does seem to have the "grainy" type of sound I am trying to describe. Believe me it's not a personal criticism I think it's just a characteristic of the cab that is bugging me. What I am talking about can be heard on the riff at 15-22 seconds. "Grainy" is the best word I can describe it with.

Again please don't take it the wrong way, it's a characteristic of the cab. :)

What was used for the lead sounds (amp/software)? damn they are smooth.
 
Yeah, I know what you are saying its a sound of the cab - I tried to basically use it to its advantage in that clip.

I think the leads are also going through the 6505 and Mesa OS, although it could be a gearbox plugin......

Either way, the tone is really smooth because it came from a PRS played by a good player (the other guitarist haha). Those PRS's have such a smooth sound (playing it in person reminds me straight away of Soilwork and Opeth's lead tones).

EDIT: just checked and all the guitars were reamped through the 6505/Mesa OS.
 
I have been having a bit of a struggle with this cab as well. I don't know if my issue is the graininess of the amp, but just perfecting my tones. I'm glad you made this thread.

When you say micing the joint where they meet, do you mean the edge of the SM57 is barely touching the dustcap? Or, do you mean that the entire diaphragm is equally on the dustcap and cone? I do the first method.

I would recommend the bias mod though. I plan on doing this very soon as well. I love the sound of this cab, I'm just trying to find my best usable tones. I think I'm getting close.

-Joe
 
heres what i like to do sometimes when i cant seem to get anything else to work

find a tone on cd you like a lot that is soloed out only guitar, cut a clip around two seconds out of that, then pan it right

record a di of yourself playing the riff, then position it in a loop so your riff and the clip you cut out are playing back to back. make a track to record to and reamp your di track onto that, set the track to monitor and pan left

then put on your headphones and see how closely you can get them to sound by just moving the mic, i find this results in much less back and fourth between the computer monitors trying to see what it sounds like after each reamp and its easier to identify where the fizz is really bad
 
s34nsm411 said:
heres what i like to do sometimes when i cant seem to get anything else to work

find a tone on cd you like a lot that is soloed out only guitar, cut a clip around two seconds out of that, then pan it right

record a di of yourself playing the riff, then position it in a loop so your riff and the clip you cut out are playing back to back. make a track to record to and reamp your di track onto that, set the track to monitor and pan left

then put on your headphones and see how closely you can get them to sound by just moving the mic, i find this results in much less back and fourth between the computer monitors trying to see what it sounds like after each reamp and its easier to identify where the fizz is really bad
Click to expand...

HOLY SHIT - BRILLIANT!! Nice dude, thanks! :kickass:
 
Machinated said:
This clip was done with a 6505 and Mesa OS cab - also miced in the kind of dustcap meets the cone area. Not sure if its what you are looking for or not tonewise, but it wasn't too much hassle getting the mic in the right place.
Click to expand...

Damn dude that sounds pretty fucking good. I don't get it, I still can't get my mic'd tones to be as clean and clear as impulses are. What's the trick?
 
[UEAK]Clowd;7746140 said:
Damn dude that sounds pretty fucking good. I don't get it, I still can't get my mic'd tones to be as clean and clear as impulses are. What's the trick?
Click to expand...

Experience is the "trick".

~006
 
Yeah, I'll second that. By the way Mike, when are you gonna take a listen to my Tiny Terror clip and give me your expert opinion, buddeh? ;)
 
u just have to spend some time with it, im still trying to find the sweet spot. what sounds really kickass in the headphones when im sweeping, tends to sound a little muddy or i go the other way and too harsh, but the difference is within an 1.5" or so.
 
By sweeping you mean moving the mic slightly in different positions while hearing the result on headphones right?

I am guessing that its best to have an assistant engineer do the sweeping while you're in the control room on the phones, maybe in contact with the assistant to see what has been covered and where the mic happens to be?

Or is there a more practical way?

Btw, fucking awesome tone and song Machinated.
 
Just wear the headphones yourself and make sure the amp is low enough and the headphone volume high enough that the mic'ed signal is all you're hearing!
 
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