Microphone placement ?

[Richard Tipple]

I record here at home using a SM57 on the NV400.
Is there a difference where the mic is positioned .
I cant hear any difference unless it is positioned
directly in front of the cone & then its just more
highs.
On stage the sound man places the 57s to the outside edge about an inch in off the edge. So should it be the same when recording ?

[Alan Kirk]

Richard,

Mic placement is the basis of the "art" of recording. There is no one-size-fits-all placement or any magic formula. Experimenting with placement is the only way to learn what works for your ears. Try aiming the mic straight on, at an angle, close, farther away, etc., until you find something that sounds right to you.

[Papa Joe Pollick]

I like to use two SM57s.Move 'em around till I'm happy.Often I'll place one behind the amp.Sometimes one centered close up,another at the edge of the speaker at an angle.Another thing I do sometimes is place a SM59 way out in front for over all coverage.Each mic. goes to a different track,then mixed. PJ

[Bob Martin]

Richard if you don't hear any subtle differences other than when you put the mic straight on the center of the speaker then it really doesn't matter where you put the mic but and this is a big BUT I'll bet you if move the mic drastically from point a say the center right on the speaker to point b say on the outer edge of the speaker about 4 inches away from the speaker and put on headphones you'll start to hear some big differences.

Moving it an inch either way and not knowing what to list for there is a big chance that you will not hear the difference right now but sooner or later if you keep listening and moving the mic and checking with headphones verses speaker you'll start hearing the subtle differences. Good luck

Bob

[Richard Tipple]

Thanks fellas, I will try out all of your ideas

[Brad Sarno]

In a recording situation, try backing off the speaker a bit. The closer in you are, then you only "see" a tiny part of the cone. When you back off, you get a more realistic grab of the overall speaker sound. You also reduce that bassy "proximity" effect as you back away which will make the steel easier and more natural to mix with other instruments. Sometimes backing off 8" to 15" or so can work wonders.


Brad

[Greg Cutshaw]

There are so many variables. I started recording with the Yamaha AW-1600 and a Shure SM-57, put the mike on axis with the center of the cone and about 5" away from the grill cloth. Great sound and what is so complicated about that?

Then I upgraded to the Yamaha AW-2400, with "better" preamps, more channels etc. Now my sound is totally different and the old mic placement sounds way to trebly. So I moved the mic off axis but point it at the edge of the cone and almost get the same sound.

A few recordings, I put my amp (FSK) on the floor. Got a really boxy sound out of it and had to EQ it to get a clear tone. So now I am back to putting the amp a few feet in the air and I get a clear tone with tightly controlled bass.

Of course what I consider good tone, you might not. So you have to find what works for you. I have had people email me saying how they love my tone, and how do I get it? Others have emailed me regarding the same recording saying my tone is clear but way too thin! Our ears and brains are different, our monitors are different, converting the recordings to .wma files affects things a little etc etc etc.

I play my music in one of three places, on my PC, my car audio system or on my AW-2400. I never actually use my home stereo anymore. All 3 of these sound different so right away, you can't optimize one mix for all three or for all the systmes people might be using to listen to your music on.

I will say though, that with an hour of work, anyone can take a Shure SM-57 and find a couple of amp/mic placements that will sound good with any recording setup. It's not that hard to do, and the SM-57 is a great mic for instrument recording.

Greg

[Richard Tipple]

Thanks Greg, & all, this really gives me, more to try with placement of the mic