Mic Placement on Orange PPC212 CB?

[zaidrockso]

Hey guys, need some help, So i've been trying to record, i can't seem to get the mic placement right, Can anyone tell me exactly where you place the mic to get the best sound ? Like tell me how many " or cm away from the Orange writing, or orange logo. I have been trying.. just can't seem to get a nice miced sound

P.s - I'm using an SM57 , and playing rock and heavymetal.

[Thinline_slim]

1. Are you only using one SM57? Do you have access to other mics, like a condenser? If not that's ok.
2. Are you on axis or off axis?
3. What have you tried so far in terms of the SM57 in relation to the speaker dust cap? Just off center? Straight center?

I don't think any relationship to the Orange logos on the cab is going to help. Stay away from those and focus on one speaker with one mic and get up close with a 57. Anywhere from a couple centimeters off the grill cloth to darn near touching it.

[zaidrockso]

I have an SM 57 and a MXL Ribbon mic , i'm not sure what on axis and off axis is , and reason i'm asking logs and writing instead of in relation to the speaker is i can't pinpoint where the center of the speaker on my cab is, it's a closed back, and the grill is wound up too well i can't see through, Tried looking for pictures of people using orange 212's couldn't really find mic placements

[Thinline_slim]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebbPPxoPv7Q

That will help explain axis and off axis.

You can't exactly write out what makes the best miking situation for a cab because it can be a matter of centimeters between "that sounds like crap" and "Sweet!" and varies greatly with what amp you're using, eq, guitar, etc.

As for the center of the speaker you can find the edge of the soundboard for the speaker by feel, measure across to the other side to get roughly 12" and find the center. Start there. The further you get away from the center I think you'll pick up less highs and more bass.

My last recording session I was really happy with a SM57 off axis about 30 deg and pointed about 3cm off the center and right up to the grill cloth. Then with a condenser about 30 deg off axis about 30 deg and pointed about 5-6cm off the center and about 5cm off the grill cloth. BUT I was recording clean or mid OD parts. Pretty far from rock/metal.

[Boy_Narf]

My best results:

No angle, an inch or so from the speaker cone. The PPC112 was really easy when I had it. The mic sounded perfect sitting in the top right groove of the logo.

If you are having trouble seeing the speakers, turn off the light, and shine a flashlight through the grill.

Another option is to get a friend to move the mic while you listen through headphones.

[sidvicious]

initial caveat: RECORDED sound and LIVE sound are different species.

most of the time,

a recorded sound is much different than "live" regardless where you put the mic.

knowing how to use your daw is an absolute must. the key is not so much how the raw recording sounds, but rather, is all the necessary information [frequencies] in the recorded file. truly understanding this will get you a looong way to shortening production frustrations.

most people, and this is HIGHLY subjective, place the mic just off center. on center is fine though, at least for manipulating in the daw.

regardless where you put the mic you WILL have to eq the track. many new-comers [i assume you're new] consider this to be cheating. it is NOT. this is largely because it is virtually impossible to capture the actual room-to-ear sound in a recording. zillions of factors make this so. the most prominent are room size and composition, and how the ear perceives sound, and how the recorder [computer] receives sound.

chances are you think your sound is thin. this is common and most guitar recordings sound very thin prior to production.

it is a common mistake to think you can eq the thin out on the front end via the amp. you can SOME, but you'll end up with flubby low ends, most likely. basically what you want coming in is as flat a sound as possible.

basically, when you adjust your amp, the computer hears sounds far differently than that of your ear. the irony is that you'll hear some of those on the recording that you don't hear live.

here's what you do.

1. get the raw live sound you like. mark your eq and settings on the amp.
2. record into the daw and activate an eq. adjust your amp to see if you can get the eq to balance out to a flat pattern. it won't be actually flat, but it will be a consistent arch curve, hopefully. [do this by smoothly strumming all strings openly].
3. record with the daw with the amp on adjusted settings.

monkey with the file. you should be able to eq it fairly easily with the daw eq. use high and low pass filters. many daws have eq presets that are great. try them all.

also, note that the farther you back from your cab, the more room effect you'll get.

chances are you're likely on the verge to double tracking. this is where you'll get the full sound that i'm betting you're looking for.

there's a LOT to recording, and it is an eye opener for most guitar players. first time recordings are great demoralizers for the ego-centric.

good luck.

sv-

[Boy_Narf]

Good point.

By the time I'm finished with most of my guitar tracks (in the DAW), they sound nothing like the original recordings.

[zaidrockso]

Hey guys thanks for all the advice you've given me, i'm getting closer and closer to the sound i want!

[thelatrobe33]

Another thing to consider is creating some kind of isolation box for the cab. We play heavy rock/metal and have had the best success recording guitars by putting the amps in a plywood iso booth just big enough to fit a 4x12 inside. It keeps your sound from dispersing so much and the guitar tone seems a little punchier. We pack the boxes with some foam and the front face of the box is hinged to allow you access to the inside.

We use SM57s almost exclusively with great success. Sometimes we'll add a Sennheiser e609. Lots of great points already covered in here.