Mic Placement On Speaker Cab

[Nigel451964]

Hi,

I have a Blackstar HT-5 and a Marshall Haze 1X12 cab and was experimenting with different placements and nothing was giving me what I wanted until I pointed the mic at the bottom edge of the cab which gave me a dark yet smooth sound which was most pleasing.

I had to adjust the treble on the amp to avoid the sound being too dull but the results are good with none of the fizz I tend to get with mic placements on or around the centre of the cone.

Has anyone tried placing a mic at the bottom edge of a speaker?

Cheers
Nigel

[newkid]

Originally Posted by Nigel451964

Hi,

I have a Blackstar HT-5 and a Marshall Haze 1X12 cab and was experimenting with different placements and nothing was giving me what I wanted until I pointed the mic at the bottom edge of the cab which gave me a dark yet smooth sound which was most pleasing.

I had to adjust the treble on the amp to avoid the sound being too dull but the results are good with none of the fizz I tend to get with mic placements on or around the centre of the cone.

Has anyone tried placing a mic at the bottom edge of a speaker?

Cheers
Nigel

sure

lots of people have put mikes in lots of places
if you foudn a spot that you like then stick with it

one size fits nobody
ditto mike placement

[paul999]

I almost always start half way between the center and the outer edge. If I need more bass I move out. For less I move in. I've ended up in some odd places.

[brandondrury]

You did it right. I always start on the edge of the cone and I always abandon it after mega tweaking on the amp fails.

I've used more idiotic micing methods than I can remember. I've learned not to remember any particular placement as a "method" and instead just look at is an adventure where I'm not sure where I'll end up.

Brandon

[Nigel451964]

I've always read things where the engineer just sticks the mic in front of the speaker cone and that's supposed to be it but I've never found this to be the case.

The reason I ended up micing the bottom of the cab was out of desperation at never getting the sound I wanted but not being able to figure out what to do. I tried all the methods I read about but the sound never worked out.

I should point out my amps are in an isolation booth and I've been trying to get a rich, dark and smooth tone but the sound was always scratchy and hollow due the effects of micing in a small room. For instance I've been reading for years about the SM57 being a great mic for guitar amps but whenever I've tried micing in the usual ways the sound has been horrible and hollow until I tried micing the bottom edge of the cone and the hollowness has gone or at least been greatly reduced to the point where I can now work with the sound.

Clearly the hollowness is due to the effect of a small room but I don't know exactly why micing at the bottom of the cab has worked but I'm glad it has. I can stop tearing my hair out now!

Cheers
Nigel

[garageband]

Don't forget that these mics are directional and angle is an important parameter, as well.

[Nigel451964]

Yes I know but when I placed the SM57 in line with the centre of the speaker but at a 45 degree angle towards the edge of the cone the hollow sound was at its worst.

[venuestudio]

Nigel, it looks for the post (and correct me if I am wrong) that you are pointing the mic not at the speaker but the bottom edge of the actual cabinet. I that correct?

There really should be no hard and fast rules when it comes to miking instruments. There are spots we all tend to start at but that doesn't mean that in a specific room with a specific amp on a rainy Wednesday that it is going to sound right. You are obviously using your ears to judge placement and that is the right way to go about it. If I am correct in the above assumption, I don't think I would have ever tried that position but I would think that the proximity to the floor is going to pick up some low end resonance (apparently in a good way) so adding the high end would make perfect sense.

the SM57 is not the end all and be all of guitar mics but a reliable, repeatable sound that people have gotten use to. If you have a chance try to get ahold of a Heil PR30 or PR40. Very nice guitar mics, the PR40 has a slightly lower range. Neither have as much of the hollow sound that you are getting with the SM57.

[paul999]

Originally Posted by venuestudio

the SM57 is not the end all and be all of guitar mics but a reliable, repeatable sound that people have gotten use to. If you have a chance try to get ahold of a Heil PR30 or PR40. Very nice guitar mics, the PR40 has a slightly lower range. Neither have as much of the hollow sound that you are getting with the SM57.

My pr-40 has fallen out of favor as of late with me. Live I find it awesome for ease of use. You put it in front of the amp and you get back what it is in front of. In the studio I keep trying to use it. It always sounds good but it is never striking me as spectacular. It used to be my go to mic for recording guitars though. Maybe one day we will kiss and make up.

My 2 cents

[venuestudio]

I wonder how much difference there is in the voicing of the 40 vice the 30. I have the 30 and really like it. It is not a 121 but for a dynamic I like it alot. I have not used it live since I bought it but it is nice to know it works well in that capacity. As you well know, live you get about one chance to set up the mics. Bands do not dig me coming up on stage to adjust mics. I actually lost a gig once by doing that when I first started in live sound. Guitar player did not see me by his amp as he came across the stage at 400 MPH. No one was hurt but I asked not to return
The fact you did like it and then lost the love I guess is just one of those things that happens. What are you using now that you prefer to the 40?