Recording LOUD guitar in one room

AndrewB

That Darn Kid
Jul 21, 2011
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0
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Kalamazoo, Michigan
I've been trying to experiment with different mic positions, and the way I want to do it is to put on my headphones, and hear the microphone, but my amp is turned up so loud that if I put on my headphones, I can't really tell the difference between what's coming out of the amp live, and what I'm hearing in my headphones.

How else could I experiment?
 
You could do this:
Turn the amp low, turn the mic gain up, listen to the frequency response with phones.
or
Wear earbuds and check the sound with your ear, then place the mic there.
or
Use a friend to move the mic.

Check Ola's Video:
 
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A lot of amps don't sound vaugely like intended if they are turned down

I struggle with this problem too espcially with my Krankenstein
My Vox ac50 sounds deceptively good low but doesn't sound amazing once the song is all mixed, the guitars end up sounding flat and boring without being cranked when tracked

I just record a 10 second burst of guitars, listen, move the mic, record again and so on until I think I find a good spot. Then do a quick test doubling the guitar part, put down a short bass track add a superior 2.0 preset and see how it all sounds in the bigger picture.

I've been trying to get the tse 50 sim to sound as good as a real amp but I just can't get it out a sim. Still I'd take a Lecto or tse 50 over a quiet Krankenstein or ac50.
 
Put the mic where it sounds best at a low volume, then crank the amp. The mic position will in all likelihood be where the mic sounds best when the amp is cranked.
 
I have never in my life recorded guitars louder then bedroom level. No one complains about my tones either :shrug:

How do you make a Krankenstein sound good at bedroom levels? How do you get any bottom end or life into the tone?

I'm not trying to be rude, I really would like to know
 
Its all in the "mix" ....



My guitars are usually high passed pretty high. I let the bass guitar carry the low end. There are some mixes in the comments of the above video, you can also check out ...

www.constantinestudios.info for some of my other mixes. My clients and some guys here on the forum love my tones. The Sicocis "teaser" is a Krankenstein with a 5150.
 
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Thanks for the response, nice vid and good tones

I'm thinking it's the v30s and the fact your krank in a junior that makes useable tones possible at bedroom levels. My Krankenstien has no bottom end at all through my 300 marshall 1960a until it is painfully loud.
 
I track pretty loud. I have a guy with headphones (so he can hear what I am saying from the commanding bridge :) ), that sweeps the mic, or when I am working alone, I usually put the mic little off axis (from experience, for metal guitars anyway), and what usually follows is constant going between the live and control rooms back and forth, adjusting the mic position/s rinse and repeat.

What I am planning to get though is a set of those Vic Firth headphones, which reportedly have up to 24 db of attenuation, Bogren also uses them for auditioning of guitar tones in tracking. In the worst case scenario I will end up with a set of closed headphones usable for tracking, so it's cool.
 
Its all in the "mix" ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0E1_JxQGqY

My guitars are usually high passed pretty high. I let the bass guitar carry the low end. There are some mixes in the comments of the above video, you can also check out ...

www.constantinestudios.info for some of my other mixes. My clients and some guys here on the forum love my tones. The Sicocis "teaser" is a Krankenstein with a 5150.

DAMN, the clips you provide with each mic..... that's a fucking BEASTLY tone. way impressed!