In the relentless pursuit of the ultimate electric guitar sound, recording engineers and producers have developed a vast array of techniques. At guitarplayers.net, we’ve delved into the preferred methods of over 40 top-tier professionals to bring you a comprehensive guide to Guitar Amp Mic techniques. Prepare to be amazed by the nuances and sonic possibilities that await.
The Foundation: Getting the Source Sound Right
Before even considering microphone placement, the consensus among audio experts is clear: focus on achieving the desired guitar sound directly from the amplifier. Tony Platt wisely states, “The stupidest thing that any musician can do is to just plug in and play and say ‘make that sound good’. It doesn’t work like that.” He emphasizes the importance of asking guitarists, “Is that sound coming out of your amplifier the sound you want to hear?” Adjusting the guitar, strings, and amplifier itself is paramount before introducing microphones.
Beyond the amp settings, the room’s acoustics play a crucial role. Roy Thomas Baker highlights experimenting with amp placement in different rooms to leverage varying sonic characteristics. Tony Visconti expands on this, stating, “It’s not so much that you’re miking a guitar — you’re miking a guitar in a room.” He recounts an experience with a cellist, where repositioning within the room dramatically improved the instrument’s resonance. The room becomes an integral part of the recorded sound.
Room acoustics influence sound through reflections, which can cause phase cancellation. Keith Olsen suggests tilting or lifting the amp to minimize these effects. He explains Leo Fender’s amp leg design served dual purposes: projection for orchestra settings and reducing floor reflections to combat phase issues. Elevating the speaker cabinet further reduces unwanted reflections, focusing the microphone on the amp’s direct sound.
Jay Graydon utilizes his studio’s drum riser to decouple the amp from the floor, specifically seeking a focused midrange tone. He explains, “The riser eliminates low-end coupling with the floor. I am looking for a sweet mid-range tone, so as to not take up too much room in the track, meaning that I do not want low-end information for solos.”
Expanding the Sound: Multi-Amp Techniques
For a truly expansive and dynamic guitar tone, many producers employ multi-amp setups. Joe Barresi is a strong advocate, utilizing splitter boxes like the Little Labs PCP Instrument Distro to route the guitar signal to multiple amps simultaneously. He advises considering speaker size, noting, “larger speakers give a more compact, tighter sound. A tiny amp turned all the way up will give a more blown-out sound.”
Mike Hedges elaborates on the creative mixing possibilities of multi-amping. By recording clean, medium-driven, and heavily distorted amp tracks, he can dynamically blend these sounds throughout a song. He explains, “As the song progresses, you might use the nice clean track during the verse, as you’re coming to the bridge you fade in the heavier guitar sound… It’s all done on one guitar track, so it doesn’t sound like you’ve done 10 guitar overdubs. It has a different quality, it sounds like a live performance, but you’ve got real dynamics in the sounds.”
Steve Churchyard offers practical advice for multi-amping: “You’ll want a good A/B box so that you can split the guitar feed to the two amps and obviously use the shortest [cable] run. Ideally have the amps in the control room and run the longer leads to the speakers.” This setup minimizes cable-related signal degradation.
Dynamic Mics: The Industry Standard for Guitar Amps
When it comes to microphone selection for electric guitar amps, dynamic mics reign supreme, particularly the Shure SM57. Jay Graydon states plainly, “I have tried so many dynamic mics over the years, and always come back to the Shure SM57.” This sentiment is echoed by countless engineers.
Shure SM57 dynamic microphone, an industry standard for recording guitar amps.
The SM57’s popularity stems from its tailored frequency response, perfectly suited for guitar amps. Its low-end roll-off below 200Hz reduces unwanted cabinet rumble that can clash with bass frequencies in a mix. This roll-off also compensates for proximity effect when miking close to the speaker. A slight dip in the 300-500Hz range minimizes muddiness, while a presence peak between 2-12kHz adds crucial bite and clarity, helping guitars cut through a mix.
Renowned producers like Chuck Ainlay, Mike Clink, and Bob Rock routinely rely on the SM57 as their sole guitar amp mic. Its versatility and reliability make it a go-to choice for capturing electric guitar tones.
The Sennheiser MD421 is another frequently cited dynamic mic, offering a wider frequency response and a more pronounced high-frequency boost compared to the SM57. While incredibly popular, the MD421 is often used in conjunction with other microphones to complement its sonic characteristics.
Electrovoice RE20 dynamic microphone, favored for its wide frequency response and high SPL handling in guitar amp recording.
The Electrovoice RE20 stands out with its exceptionally flat and wide frequency response and resistance to proximity effect. Glenn Kolotkin praises the RE20 for its “great quality” and ability to handle “really high levels,” making it ideal for capturing loud rock guitar amps.
Condenser and Ribbon Mics: Adding Detail and Warmth
While dynamic mics are workhorses, condenser and ribbon microphones offer unique sonic textures to guitar amp recording. Alan Parsons champions condenser mics, stating, “I always use condenser mics on a guitar amp, never dynamics — they’re too telephoney.” He argues condensers capture a fuller bottom end, though admits “telephoney” is “an unfair expression for a very good dynamic mic.”
Large-diaphragm condenser mics, particularly Neumann models like the U87, U67, and U47, are popular choices when paired with dynamic mics. AKG’s C414B-ULS is another frequently used large-diaphragm condenser. Producers favor these mics for their extended low-end response and a slightly softer, more spacious sound attributed to the larger diaphragm. They often exhibit a high-frequency boost, though this becomes less pronounced off-axis.
Popular condenser microphones for guitar amp recording: AKG C414 B-ULS, Neumann U87, and Neumann U47.
Small-diaphragm condensers, like the Neumann KM84 and Sennheiser MKH40, offer a more focused and precise sound due to their flatter frequency response and consistent off-axis behavior. Mike Hedges praises the Sennheiser MKH40 for its “very high gain and very low noise,” resulting in a “very clean sound” even at high volumes. Condenser mics often include a 10dB pad to handle the high sound pressure levels (SPL) of guitar amps.
Ribbon mics, despite their delicate reputation, are surprisingly common for guitar amps. Beyerdynamic, Coles, RCA, and Royer models are favored by producers like Eddie Kramer, who declares, “to me, the best guitar mic is the Beyer M160, which I’ve used for 30 years on Hendrix, on Zeppelin, on everybody.” Ribbon mics, with their figure-of-eight polar pattern, capture more room ambience and are known for their “smoother” sound compared to condensers, lacking the high-frequency resonances inherent in condenser designs.
Single Microphone Placement Techniques
Even with a single microphone, placement is crucial. Many professionals audition different speakers within a multi-speaker cabinet. Roy Thomas Baker notes, “if you’re using a 4×12 cabinet, each of these four speakers may sound different.”
While on-axis placement at the speaker cone’s center is a starting point, experimenting off-axis yields warmer tones. Mike Hedges explains, “Depending on where you have [the mic] — outer speaker or inner speaker — you get the difference in tone from the edge of the speaker and the centre of the cone.” Mike Clink fine-tunes on-axis placement, stating, “I’ll point [the SM57] exactly dead on, though I might move it an inch or two to get the right sound.”
Directional mics exhibit varying frequency responses off-axis, generally becoming duller. Chuck Ainlay starts with an SM57 “not straight on axis with the middle of the speaker; it’s usually off-centre, angled towards the middle of the speaker and generally just off the grille.” Jay Graydon uses a similar approach, positioning his mic “about one inch left of the edge of the speaker-cone centre, using a 22-degree angle, and about one inch back from the grille cloth.” Andy Johns prefers two SM57s, “one straight on, and one at 45 degrees. Put ’em together, and it always works.”
Mic distance from the speaker also dramatically affects the sound. Chuck Ainlay favors “just off the grille,” while Bill Price preferred six inches away, and Steve Albini starts around 10-12 inches. Alan Parsons advocates for greater distance, “literally a foot,” to capture the amplifier’s sound, not just the cabinet. For loud 4×12 cabinets, he might go “as much as four feet away.” Ben Hillier also favors distant placements (6-8 feet) for capturing “amp in a room” sounds.
Dual Microphone Techniques for Depth and Flexibility
Coincident dual-mic techniques, where two mics are positioned closely to minimize phase issues, are surprisingly popular. John Leckie emphasizes the flexibility: “There’s an amazing difference in the sound and colouration you get from adjusting the balance of each of the mics, and you can get radically different textures depending on your mix of the two.”
The SM57 is frequently paired with the Sennheiser MD421, a combination favored by Bob Rock and Joe Barresi. Pairing the SM57 with a large-diaphragm condenser like the Neumann U87 is also common, as used by Steve Churchyard and Tony Visconti.
John Leckie prefers an SM58/U67 combination, noting the SM58 is “that little bit brighter than the SM57,” and the U67 provides “warmth and a broader sound.” He explains the power of dual-miking: “If you brighten up the U67, it’s totally different to brightening up the SM58… between that combination, I find I can get pretty much everything I need.” He often uses the mics at unequal levels, sometimes with the U67 “10-15dB down,” to subtly alter the guitar tone.
Bill Price and John Fry pair the SM57 with a small-diaphragm KM84 condenser, emphasizing phase alignment. Price explains the critical nature of phase coherence: “What one had to do was balance those mics equally… and fractionally position one of the mics so that they were perfectly in phase at high frequencies.”
Jim Scott and Stephen Street advocate pairing a “cheap” or “bad” mic (like an SM57) with a “good” mic (like a U87) to capture both brightness and fullness. Steve Albini prefers blending “bright” and “dark” mics, such as a ribbon and a condenser. Eddie Kramer similarly uses a ribbon (Beyerdynamic M160) and a condenser (U67 or similar) combination.
Miking Multiple Speakers for a Wider Stereo Image
While single-speaker miking is common, some engineers blend sounds from multiple speakers within a cabinet. Steve Churchyard mics two speakers in a 4×12 cabinet with SM57s, mixing them in the control room for a composite sound.
Tony Platt, while recording AC/DC, used condensers on different speakers to create a wider stereo guitar sound. He explains, “I developed a technique for recording guitars with two microphones roughly pointing at different speakers, which can be spread out in the stereo mix so it’s not just a series of mono point sources. It makes for a more open-sounding guitar.”
Hugh Padgham employed a similar technique for Andy Summers of The Police, miking each of the two 12-inch speakers of a Roland JC120 with Sennheiser MD421s, panned left and right to capture the amp’s stereo chorus effect.
Different mic combinations on separate speakers are also used. Toby Wright uses an SM57 and MD421 on different speakers, while Don Smith uses an SM57 and AKG C451 for Keith Richards. Sylvia Massy Shivy, using the SM57/MD421 combination, stresses the importance of phase checking when miking multiple speakers.
Capturing Room Ambience with Ambient Mics
Alan Parsons expresses skepticism about ambient mics, stating, “I’ve always thought that most people mic amps too closely. They supposedly make up with an ambient mic, but I much prefer to find a mic position that works and process that, rather than mix in too much ambience.” Despite this, many engineers incorporate ambient mics to capture room sound.
Al Schmitt uses a close SM57 and a distant Neumann U67 or M50 as a room mic, placed “anywhere from 15 to 20 feet away.” He favors the omnidirectional M50 for capturing natural room ambience.
Tony Visconti also embraces room mics, particularly for heavy rock guitars. He describes his method: “I’ll go around the room and clap my hands and I say, ‘Put the mics there, that’s it.'” He sometimes directs room mics towards studio windows to capture reflections, and uses U87s or PZM mics for ambience.
Chris Tsangarides’ “Vortex” technique is a dramatic approach to ambient miking. He constructs 30-foot-long walls using studio screens in a flared shape around the guitar cabinet. Within this “vortex,” he positions a close condenser mic and additional condensers at distances like 15 and 30 feet. Panning distant mics opposite the close mic creates unique stereo effects, especially for solos.
For smaller studios, recreating the Vortex can be challenging. However, placing the amp in a room corner and using room boundaries as reflectors can simulate aspects of the technique. Visconti’s window reflection trick can also enhance the sense of distance for ambient mics in smaller spaces.
Combination Techniques and Phase EQ
Producers often combine close and ambient miking techniques to create tailored guitar sounds. Joe Barresi uses the SM57/MD421 combination as a foundation, adding mics like the AKG C414 for low-end or Neumann U87/ribbon mics for character.
Eddie Kramer uses a three-mic close setup (SM57, MD421, M160) to capture diverse tonal qualities, blended to taste, and adds a distant U67 for ambience.
Glenn Kolotkin used multiple mics on Carlos Santana’s amps, including RE20s, U47s, SM56s, and U87s, to manage a complex multi-amplifier setup and achieve the desired blend.
Jack Douglas pioneers “phase EQ,” using phase cancellation between multiple mics as a creative equalization tool. He uses a triangle of dynamic mics (SM57, MD421) close to the speaker and a condenser mic (with pad) about a foot away. By adjusting mic levels and flipping phase, he achieves extreme EQ-like effects without traditional processing. He explains, “For guitar overdubs, the best EQ in the world is the phase EQ, which you get by using multiple mics on a speaker.”
Trying this technique reveals a vast range of sonic possibilities. Inverting mic phase creates radical tonal shifts, offering powerful sound shaping at the mixing stage. Processing each mic signal independently, as John Leckie suggests, further expands the creative potential. Douglas emphasizes that phase EQ recordings sit well in mixes, with distinct character that avoids masking other instruments.
Conclusion: Experimentation is Key
Initially skeptical, experimenting with diverse guitar amp mic techniques reveals their profound impact. Moving beyond default SM57 close-miking unlocks better raw recordings and greater mixing flexibility. The key takeaway is to experiment, listen critically, and discover the techniques that best capture your desired guitar tone. Don’t be afraid to try different guitar amp mic combinations, placements, and even phase manipulation to achieve truly unique and compelling sounds.
Who’s Who: Selected Discography
[List of producers and discography remains the same as the original article]
