I am quite happy recording through my Superblock with the cab sim into Logic X (I have an Apogee Duet intetface). The sound is hardly distinguishable from miking an amp.

Miking an amp is a skill in itself that takes a lot of experimenting. If this is the sound you like, keep moving the mic until you get what you want. It can be a long, frustrating process.

Good luck,
Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

revmike wrote:

I am quite happy recording through my Superblock with the cab sim into Logic X (I have an Apogee Duet intetface). The sound is hardly distinguishable from miking an amp.

Miking an amp is a skill in itself that takes a lot of experimenting. If this is the sound you like, keep moving the mic until you get what you want. It can be a long, frustrating process.

Good luck,
Rev

Yes, I have pretty similar thoughts. Maybe direct recording is an easy way to record some decent demos without spending a lot of time on proper micing.

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

I’m using the Superblock not just for demos, but for some final recordings as well. It sounds that good to me. Extremely happy with the product.

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

Speaking as a Quilter player and home recording enthusiast, it sounds like the microphone is the issue. I’m guessing your cheap condenser sounds kind of unfocused and harsh. Get an SM57 and try different positions.

Recently a band I play with went to a studio. The other guitar player brought a pile of guitars, two Fender amps and a couple nice mics from home. He’s really into gear. Between his mics and the ones the engineer chose from the studios collection he had four mics on his amps. I deferred to the engineer who simply placed an SM57 slightly off center of my Blockdock 112 cab loaded with Eminence EM12N. I’m more of a minimalist so it was cool with me. My tracks kicked ass and so can yours. You don’t have to be loud either. At home I capture wonderful tones at low to moderate volume.

It’s interesting to hear how many of you are into direct sounds. I’m not opposed to it but it never quite works for me on surf-y stuff. My Quilter is not one with with cab simulator. Maybe I’m missing out.

The Vicissitones
Diesel Marine
The Rasputones

ElectricLimnology wrote:

Speaking as a Quilter player and home recording enthusiast, it sounds like the microphone is the issue. I’m guessing your cheap condenser sounds kind of unfocused and harsh. Get an SM57 and try different positions.

Recently a band I play with went to a studio. The other guitar player brought a pile of guitars, two Fender amps and a couple nice mics from home. He’s really into gear. Between his mics and the ones the engineer chose from the studios collection he had four mics on his amps. I deferred to the engineer who simply placed an SM57 slightly off center of my Blockdock 112 cab loaded with Eminence EM12N. I’m more of a minimalist so it was cool with me. My tracks kicked ass and so can yours. You don’t have to be loud either. At home I capture wonderful tones at low to moderate volume.

It’s interesting to hear how many of you are into direct sounds. I’m not opposed to it but it never quite works for me on surf-y stuff. My Quilter is not one with with cab simulator. Maybe I’m missing out.

I surely will try it sometime, thanks! Now not really ok with spending money on experiments…
Cab sim really works ok, I was surprised. I’ve got Superblock becasue of three Fender voicings and never cared about XLR and cab sims, but now it’s the most used feature.

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

edwardsand wrote:

Like several people have pointed out, if you want to record the amp with a microphone at the speaker, the microphone itself will make a big difference. A condenser mic could work (especially the high end ones), but they are best suited to softer sounds like vocals and acoustic guitar. Dynamic microphones are better suited, and the Shure SM57 is the tried and true go-to mic for recording guitar amps. But if you have any decent quality dynamic mic handy, give that a try - it may be just what you need.

Thanks! Unfortunately no, the only mic I have is the Focusrite that was with the bundle. So I guess I will try to make the best with the one I have)

https://www.thomann.de/gb/focusrite_scarlett_solo_studio_3rd_gen.htm

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Last edited: Jan 30, 2023 08:54:01

I had much the same problem in the past getting good sound from mic'd cabs. I had plenty of good cabs and mics to choose from but no matter how many mic positions, combinations, cab choices or volume levels I used, it would never sound the same on the recording. Running my Quilters straight into the board via the Stereomaker changed everything. I did have to change my Quilter setting quite a bit from my live sound to get the sound I wanted but it's working!

The Kahuna Kings

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447

https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases

Just the basic question of recording.
what you hear in the room is not what the mic hears...
so you can try different mics (SM57 or Robbin)
different cab simulations ( Suhr reactive load plus IR or OX Box)
to recreate that..

a lot of speaker sims do a pretty good job and work better in small studios than miking...

Although at the moment you only have the focus rite mic, you might find this useful for when you do get a more suitable mic.
It doesn't really matter if it's a condenser, ribbon, or dynamic, the thing to be aware of is the particular microphones frequency response. When you buy a mic, there's always a frequency response chart in the paperwork. This tells you everything you need to know to effectively use that mic for the right application. For example here's the chart for an sm57

You'll notice it has a bump between 6k and 7k
Which makes it suited for most guitars, and it rolls off at 200hz which keeps it out of the way of the bass guitar.
That's why most people recommend the 57 for guitars, although I would recommend a shure unidyne 545 instead which is almost identical to the 57 but has a slightly extended high end and sounds less nasal than the 57

Another example, I really like using an akg d12 on bass drums

The d12 has a bump in the 50hz - 100 hz range which makes it ideal for low end instruments.
That's not all there is to it, there are lots of variables such as proximity effect, mic condition etc... but as a general guide this info really helps.

Most cheaper Chinese mics tend to be hyped in the low and high end in order to make them sound more impressive, so the charts aren't always accurate in that case.
Hope this helps your tone quest!

https://www.facebook.com/coffindagger
http://coffindaggers.com/
http://thecoffindaggers.bandcamp.com

Last edited: Jan 31, 2023 09:45:58

psychonaut wrote:

Although at the moment you only have the focus rite mic, you might find this useful for when you do get a more suitable mic.
It doesn't really matter if it's a condenser, ribbon, or dynamic, the thing to be aware of is the particular microphones frequency response. When you buy a mic, there's always a frequency response chart in the paperwork. This tells you everything you need to know to effectively use that mic for the right application. For example here's the chart for an sm57

You'll notice it has a bump between 6k and 7k
Which makes it suited for most guitars, and it rolls off at 200hz which keeps it out of the way of the bass guitar.
That's why most people recommend the 57 for guitars, although I would recommend a shure unidyne 545 instead which is almost identical to the 57 but has a slightly extended high end and sounds less nasal than the 57

Another example, I really like using an akg d12 on bass drums

The d12 has a bump in the 50hz - 100 hz range which makes it ideal for low end instruments.
That's not all there is to it, there are lots of variables such as proximity effect, mic condition etc... but as a general guide this info really helps.

Most cheaper Chinese mics tend to be hyped in the low and high end in order to make them sound more impressive, so the charts aren't always accurate in that case.
Hope this helps your tone quest!

Thanks, that’s really interesting!

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin