Recording the Mesa Sound ...

[MesaDCLP]

... I've used an sm57 forever. Just got a beta57a and (bullet proof) love it, but what do you guys use. Recording is a world in itself. Any thoughts or choices on mic selection are welcome.

If a condenser, why?

 

[Troy]

I usually put an SM-57 right up to the speaker grill cloth and a large diaphram condensor a few feet back and just adjust to find the "sweet spot." I record them two two separate tracks and add the room mic in as needed.

 

[mosh potatoes]

^ just curious, im new to recording...but when would you not need the room mic?

 

[Troy]

The room mic is not necessary at all. Just an SM-57 or similar mic close to the cab should be fine for most recordings. If you want some fullness, like on clean guitar recording you could add some reverb later in the mix. The room mic just captures the natural sound of the room and adds a natural reverb.

 

[MetalMatt]

My brother has the SM57, good mic. The 57beta adds more bass and seems more responsive IMO. Im new to recording also, I could use a few pointers :wink:

--Matt--

 

[Valtyr]

I live in an apartment, so the ability to record direct is important. I have an F-30, but haven't tried the recording output yet.

I do keep an SM57 around for whenever I think I can get away with playing louder. 8)

 

[Troy]

I came across this and thought it was worth sharing:
"The Shure SM57 cardioid dynamic is the most common microphone used to record electric guitar. This started back when all the more expensive microphones had already been used in big tracking sessions. Engineers were left with the lowly Shure to handle those loud, cranky, noisy guitar amps. Fortunately, it turned out that the SM57 was perfect for the task; its frequency response, originally tailored for speaking, matches the mid-range "voice" qualities of the guitar. The SM57 also has a compression effect on loud sounds; it squashes nicely, facilitating the engineer's job of maintaining consistent recording levels.

You'll see engineers push a SM57 right into the grill cloth of an amp cabinet, taking advantage of the proximity effect, which boosts low frequencies when the mic is placed close to a sound source. The SM57 locks in a certain "size" for the electric guitar, maintaining its appropriate place in the mix without additional EQ or compression. "

 

[Platypus]

Have you tried just coming directly out of the Mesa into a computer instead of micing?

Just a thought

 

[jbird]

Yes, recording is another world unto itself! The same room can sound different on certain days as your ears can percieve differently, etc, etc! For that "Recto" sound, multitracking will definitely thicken things up! Try blending different mic placements, different guitars, different amp settings, and most importantly, instead of transporting a single performance to multiple tracks, adding different performances with slight nuances, will add depth! It's all about experimenting to find that elusive, something???

 

[diamondschwin]

the beta57 is actually the exact same mic as an sm57 except the diaphragms shure considers "A" grade or the best of the bunch. anyway besides that i find that blending a couple of different mics on the same cabinet is good, like push the 57 up towards the grill, put a 609 at a different location on a different speaker. double that, and set up a condenser, omni or cardioid (depending on your room dimensions and size) and mix that in (LIGHTLY!) to give it a natural sound. the multiple mics and placement on the same track will give you some stuff to work with as far as eq and panning go later on, and that room mic will bring in the sound YOU hear (if its a decent condenser) because your face isnt normally 2 inches off the front of the grill


anyway thats kind of a standard approach but i have had excellent results with a 421 a foot off the front of the cab.... or with a really high handling condenser a foot and a half to two feet off the front.

i would definetly check out the senheisser e609... its about 130 dollars and is similar to the 57 except with a "springier" sound, it seems to respond to SPL variances very well... it also has a much warm mid range and not as hissy on the high end... that and the 57s "tightness" work well together.

 

[chedgeco]

Jay Graydon has some excellent thoughts on recording guitar that should keep your interest for several days.

http://www.jaygraydon.com/guitatxt.htm#Recording

Chris... 8)

 

[diamondschwin]

his articles will help but he is not saying anything that you couldnt read anywhere in the world.... recording is not a book or set of rules.... what it is is guidelines and specifice concepts for specific situations... its problem solving cuz two sessions are never the same....


if the OP could ask more then "what do you think of the 57?" then we can adress his questions specific to his needs and ideas

 

[MesaMadness]

I came across this and thought it was worth sharing:
"The Shure SM57 cardioid dynamic is the most common microphone used to record electric guitar. This started back when all the more expensive microphones had already been used in big tracking sessions. Engineers were left with the lowly Shure to handle those loud, cranky, noisy guitar amps. Fortunately, it turned out that the SM57 was perfect for the task; its frequency response, originally tailored for speaking, matches the mid-range "voice" qualities of the guitar. The SM57 also has a compression effect on loud sounds; it squashes nicely, facilitating the engineer's job of maintaining consistent recording levels.

You'll see engineers push a SM57 right into the grill cloth of an amp cabinet, taking advantage of the proximity effect, which boosts low frequencies when the mic is placed close to a sound source. The SM57 locks in a certain "size" for the electric guitar, maintaining its appropriate place in the mix without additional EQ or compression. "

That's an interesting story, thanks for sharing.

 

[MesaDCLP]

I guess everone has a tone in their head that defines mesa.
some might record, and how you do it is what I'm looking at.

I have no experience with condensers, but looking in to it...

Is the tone improvement that dramatic? ..to add the air.

Guess i won't know till i try, but all opinions are welcome...

How do you record?

 

[Red Barchetta]

I use the Sennheiser e609 silver. To my ears, it whups the 57.



RB

 

[SFW]

Check out the Audix i5. IMHO, it smokes the SM57.

 

[fredster]

Guess i won't know till i try, but all opinions are welcome...

How do you record?

I get pretty good results running the DR's slave out to my computer, then running a software cabinet simulator like Guitar Rig. With a HotPlate as a speaker load, it's silent as well. Line6's Tone Port can do this also, and is also an interface to your PC, and cheap too.