Sound Recording - the WellMixed.com Blog

So you just spent a few hundred on the latest multi-input Analog-to-Digital interface and borrowed 8 nice microphones from all the other musicians you know and the church/temple you go to. You plan on close mic’ing everything so the drums sound super clean and cut through after the guitarist lays his 5 tracks of crunch fuzz on top.

So that’s 1-kick, 2-snare, 3-high hats, 4-ride, 5-6 toms, and 7-8 overhead cymbals, right?

Hey, I wouldn’t be writing this if it were the obvious choice!

The above arrangement might work, but it involves too much risk for my taste. I always save one input for a very important purpose: mic’ing the room! (more…)

Almost every project I work on these days has at least one electric guitar track. Often, the first question I am asked regarding the recording is: should I record with direct injection (DI) or mic up my amp? I almost always argue for mic’ing. Here’s why….

First Factor: Cost

If you don’t already have a DI box or a microphone then you are better off getting a mic for a little more than the cost of a DI. You will be able to use it to record other instruments aside from guitar later, but for now you can pick one that really compliments your guitar and amplifier.

Also, you will not get the return on your investment in other situations with the DI box, which will likely only be used for recording. If you play with a P.A. the sound engineer will almost always want to mic your amp, even if it is small. If you ask nicely, he will use your mic which will often make you sound even better.

Of course, most bands already have a mic in their arsenal: the singer’s mic. If you are strapped for cash, don’t buy, borrow. These mics should have a good frequency range (around 50-15,000 Hz) suitable for guitar and can usually handle the high sound pressure levels that your amp puts out just fine. Sometimes you won’t be putting out a lot of sound pressure, which brings me to the next point.

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