Best Amp Settings For Recording

[jb4674]

Hi fellas,

It's been a while since I've started a thread and I was thinking that perhaps this would be an interesting one....

So here are the questions:

Given your personal experiences in recording with the amps you own or have owned; In your opinion, what are the best amp settings that have worked for you in the past in terms of recording your amp's sound? What do you feel is the best mic that has worked with your amp and rig to get a nice recording tone? What is your personal preference(s) for mic positions for recording? When it comes to your instrument, what kind of guitar do you record with? do you record it with its volume at full blast or do you roll it back? What about the tone control? Do you keep it at full blast, at zero or something in between?

While I think this thread has the potential to be a lengthy one, know that there is no wrong answer here, as this will be sort of a reference guide for many amps and different decibel levels from a recording perspective. If you have any samples and/or pictures of your settings you'd like to post, feel free to post them. I think that people will benefit greatly from this thread, especially those who are trying to venture into buying a certain type of amp and want to experience what the amp will sound like when recorded.

Unfortunately for me, I don't have any settings of my own that I can post, as I don't own any mics as of yet and I only record my signal straight out of my GT-Pro into my Firestudio and can't really record my JSX's tone.

Jimmy

[ixelion]

I think getting the power tubes pushing hard is the most important thing, so I use a low wattage amp to achieve this easier and at tolerable volumes.

I like to set the mic closer to the edge of the speaker cone this gives me a softer sounding distortion that's still "in your face"

I also find that I need to crank the treble on my distortion, more than I would ever use for live performance.

Mic placement is very important, you can be surprised what good mic placement can do for cheap gear.

here is is a recording with my usual recording setup:
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6538678

[newbieguitarmaker]

I don't like the sound of the Gt-Pro direct in when I do it, I love how it sounds coming out of my cab though. So I got a mic and a mic interface and tried that and it sounds better but I need a little more level adjustment on my interface. I do have a preset I call Recording and it is mostly flat with a custom speaker cab and custom amp setting. I also added an OD, Reverb, EQ, Delay and turned on my loop for my BBE. It sounds better in recording than out my cab

[CalledToArms]

somewhat similar question. my other guitarist and I are about to start writing our 3rd album and we are living together in an apartment complex so we wont be able to really crank up the amps - which is fine for writing but doing demo recordings to keep track of the stuff I am thinking we might run into problems.

I have one crate combo amp that I am not a big fan of, and then we both have stacks after that. Ive been trying to figure out a way to get decent recordings since I dont think we will be able to turn up loud enough to push the tubes in the apt setting heh.

Would it be a better route to try and find a smaller head to buy or rent or something and still push one of our 4x12s? Or is there an easy way to run one of our heads through my 2x12 combo and push the tubes without getting as much volume because of 2 speakers instead of 4?

also am I correct in assuming that I can push the tubes in my 100W harder at a lower volume than he can push his in his 150W head?

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by CalledToArms

somewhat similar question. my other guitarist and I are about to start writing our 3rd album and we are living together in an apartment complex so we wont be able to really crank up the amps - which is fine for writing but doing demo recordings to keep track of the stuff I am thinking we might run into problems.
I have one crate combo amp that I am not a big fan of, and then we both have stacks after that. Ive been trying to figure out a way to get decent recordings since I dont think we will be able to turn up loud enough to push the tubes in the apt setting heh.
Would it be a better route to try and find a smaller head to buy or rent or something and still push one of our 4x12s? Or is there an easy way to run one of our heads through my 2x12 combo and push the tubes without getting as much volume because of 2 speakers instead of 4?
also am I correct in assuming that I can push the tubes in my 100W harder at a lower volume than he can push his in his 150W head?

It really won't make much difference. Even if you use something liek a hotplate or airbrake, you still won't get the speaker movement & break-up which is an important factor. Vintage Tung Sol 5881's instead of 6L6's will run hotter and sound louder (exercise caution though). The only real solution is to get an amp that sounds good at low volumes. Some do, some don't. My fave high-gain amp for recording at conversation-level volumes in the Engl Fireball.

Regarding the initial post, there are no rules or recommendable settings. It will depend entirely on how the guitar is to be mixed in the song. If it competing with vocals, you have to leave some space in the midrange. If it is solo work, you'll want it fuller sounding. You just have to do a lot of objective listening and decide what works for your situation. That's the only way.
I always start w/ an SM57 almost touching the grille, some kind of colorful mic preamp (usually tube) ran hot to accentuate the harmonic overtones and smooth out the treble, an LA-2A compressor with only about 2db compression to add a little "magic" (these are usually only found in pro studios), then straight to the A/D converters. Most of your EQing should be done by adjusting the amp EQ, by speaker selection (each one in your cab will sound slightly different) and the position of the mic. Mic positioning is EVERYTHING. Even 1/2" can make a huge difference in tone.

[MFB]

Right now for the demo I'm recording at my teachers house, I'm running my Jackson (soon to be my Ibanez) at both full volume and full tone as to ensure max quality from the instrument and adjusting things around that versus having a set knob position and pushing everything else up. As far as mic'ing goes, I can't speak on that since I'm running directly into a POD and all that fun stuff that I don't bother with...yet at least.

[OklaStar]

The best setting for your amp when recording is the best one you use when you are playing. The best mic to mic an amp with its an MD421 Senhieser. They sound great on guitar no matter what.
Good luck.

[ramonesFAN]

Originally Posted by OklaStar

The best setting for your amp when recording is the best one you use when you are playing. The best mic to mic an amp with its an MD421 Senhieser. They sound great on guitar no matter what.
Good luck.

What about Shure SM57? Is it good enough?

[bammbamm]

57's and 58's are standard almost everywhere.

[rty13ibz98]

Originally Posted by CalledToArms

somewhat similar question. my other guitarist and I are about to start writing our 3rd album and we are living together in an apartment complex so we wont be able to really crank up the amps - which is fine for writing but doing demo recordings to keep track of the stuff I am thinking we might run into problems.

I have one crate combo amp that I am not a big fan of, and then we both have stacks after that. Ive been trying to figure out a way to get decent recordings since I dont think we will be able to turn up loud enough to push the tubes in the apt setting heh.

Would it be a better route to try and find a smaller head to buy or rent or something and still push one of our 4x12s? Or is there an easy way to run one of our heads through my 2x12 combo and push the tubes without getting as much volume because of 2 speakers instead of 4?

also am I correct in assuming that I can push the tubes in my 100W harder at a lower volume than he can push his in his 150W head?

for apartment dwellers, plugins are the best way to go. i totally endorse amping(reamping...is way better), but volume will play a major part in you getting your tone in. if it's just for demos, then the plugs will be more than adequate. for an actual album, i suggest you hire a studio for a day after you have di'd your guitar tracks and take them to the studio to have them reamp them, they can mike them up and audition amps/mics/placement for optimal sound. since you'll already have the tracks, you won't spend time trying to track the part, it'll just be hunting for tone.

rich

[rty13ibz98]

Originally Posted by bammbamm

57's and 58's are standard almost everywhere.

true, but the new hot way of mic'ing guitars is either the sm57, audix i5, md421 and royer r121. any combination of the 2 blended. the 57 has a less hi fi sound and mixed with a r121 is supposed to be massive due to the warm bottom of the royer. the audix is a more hi fi sm57, better lows and clearer highs, mixed in with a darker mic like the royer is even more massive. the md421 is one of the best mics on the planet. i need to get at least one for guitar. something tells me that i will have an e906 before, tho. a nice dark u47 clone is supposed to work well in place of the r121, since i don't have an extra $1200 to drop, my adk hamburgs will take up the slack. massive chunky lows on that mic.

rich

[rty13ibz98]

don't forget, run your stuff through really good mic pres to get a wider frequency response and better transients. i record my guitars dry into my ssl alpha vhd and end up reamping with several mics to get a massive guitar sound. i can even reamp with different amp tones to get a bigger wall of sound. my mics end up going to my good mic pres as well. MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!

rich

[Drew]

Originally Posted by rty13ibz98

true, but the new hot way of mic'ing guitars is either the sm57, audix i5, md421 and royer r121. any combination of the 2 blended. the 57 has a less hi fi sound and mixed with a r121 is supposed to be massive due to the warm bottom of the royer. the audix is a more hi fi sm57, better lows and clearer highs, mixed in with a darker mic like the royer is even more massive. the md421 is one of the best mics on the planet. i need to get at least one for guitar. something tells me that i will have an e906 before, tho. a nice dark u47 clone is supposed to work well in place of the r121, since i don't have an extra $1200 to drop, my adk hamburgs will take up the slack. massive chunky lows on that mic.

rich

This is a HUGE question, lol.

On one hand, if you can't get a servicable tone out of a single SM57 up on or near the grille, then you're probably either positioning it wrong, dialing your amp in wrong, have issues with your guitar, or the problem is you the guitarist and you shouldn't be recording anyway. The number of classic recordings that's been done in this manner is simply huge.

On the other hand, that doesn't mean it's the ONLY way to go. If someone's looking for one mic to use, then a SM57 is the first thing I'd recommend, and certainly it's worth spending the time with one just to learn the basics of mic placement and whatnot.

Personally, after a year or two of going back and forth with a SM57 and an Audix i5 and mostly sticking with the SM57, I finally got around to trying out an el cheapo Nady RS-4 ribbon I'd picked up on sale from musicians' friend maybe a year ago. I'm suddenly way happier with my lead sound than I've ever been - it's not that the SM57 sucks or anything by comparison, because it doesn't. It's just for me, the ribbon seems to push my amp (a Rectoverb) in a direction I'm happier with.

For perspective, here's a recent demo I was working on, and the song I first tried out that ribbon on. Here it is with the original performance, with a SM57 for all guitar tracks:

http://www.drewpeterson.org/Reaper%20test.mp3

Then here it is again, re-recorded with just the ribbon on leads, and the ribbon plus a SM57 for rhythm tracks. The amp settings aren't 100% the same, I had a little less gain on the rhythm guitars, but the lead is pretty comparable, IIRC.

http://www.drewpeterson.org/Reaper%20ribbon2.mp3

It's not my best playing, I was pretty hung over when I re-recorded the guitars, and it shows a bit in my lead playing, which was just an improv performance anyway.

The funny thing is, I didn't need to do a thing to the lead tone to get it to sit in the mix, I had an 80hz high pass on the preamp when I was tracking, but when I went to mix it I tried some light compression and EQ, and ended up preferring it unprocessed, with just delay. The amp (a Mesa Rectoverb combo into a Recto 2x12) also wasn't up that loud, either - I had a Hot Plate in the loop set for -16db, but even then I still wasn't really at an inappropriate volume for an apartment. Pity, because the lead tone sings on this thing once I get the master over halfway, with the channel at 9 o'clock.


Oh, by the way, to the OP - "what are the best amp settings to record with" is sort of like "what's the best sexual position" or "how fast should I drive my car" - it depends WAY too much on what you're trying to do, what you're using, and what you like. The only rule of thumb I've ever come across is rhythm tracks tend to sound better double-tracked with less gain than you'd think, listening to one solo'd.

[newbieguitarmaker]

What mic preamp do you use?

[Drew]

Originally Posted by newbieguitarmaker

What mic preamp do you use?

Me? I have a Presonus Firepod, but when I've only got one or two channels going in at a time I usually run first through a Presonus BlueTube stereo pre, and then send an out from that to the Firepod's line in. It's really pretty budget gear, to be honest, but even budget gear is clean enough these days that the dude using it is going to have a WAY bigger impact on the finished product than the actual audio fidelity and quality of gear.

I figure I can start worrying about $2k mic preamps once I get good enough at tracking and mixing that they'd make a difference, but for the time being my own ineptitude is the biggest thing holding me back from a "pro" sounding mix.