Need Help Hooking My 60's Fender amp Directly To My Mac

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:07 am

Ok so ive learned that its bad to plug anything but a speaker into a speaker out because there is more voltage. So, how can i properly mic this amp?

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:08 pm

What kind of sound are you after?

I have an Edirol US-25 and a Sure SM57 and I use this to DI and re-amp. The quality is on par with the talent. Smile

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:25 am

MTPAPA121 wrote:

....So, how can i properly mic this amp?

The closer the mic is to the center of the speaker the brighter (more high frequency content) the sound will have. The farther out to the edge the warmer (less high frequency content) the sound will have. I usually start somewhere in between the center and outer edge about an inch or two from the speaker. Move to taste. Small movements will cause fairly drastic changes. Have fun moving the mic around and listen to the differences. The further away from the speaker you place the mic, the less differences you'll hear in the scenario described.

It can also be fun to add a second mic in the room. You might start with the second mic where your head is. If you like the way it sounds where your head is you might like the way a mic sounds there. Try plugging one finger in your ear, the mic can't rationalize directional cues like you can with 2 ears.

Have fun. Come back and tell us what you think

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:28 am

NOW, we're having fun! Thumbs Up

And to continue, there ARE more safe(r) ways that you can take an amp speaker out, and take a recorded signal and run it back into an amp. Here's a few:

http://www.radialeng.com/re-jdx.htm

http://www.radialeng.com/di-xamp.htm

http://www.thdelectronics.com/product_page_hotplate.html

I've used a Hotplate on some smaller amps, and it's kind of cool. (I would NOT let my buddy connect my vintage Marshall to one!)

Use at your own risk, though they ARE designed for that...(I just don't trust them THAT much).

Kapt.Krunch

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:17 am

AudioGeezer wrote:

MTPAPA121 wrote:

....So, how can i properly mic this amp?

The closer the mic is to the center of the speaker the brighter (more high frequency content) the sound will have. The farther out to the edge the warmer (less high frequency content) the sound will have. I usually start somewhere in between the center and outer edge about an inch or two from the speaker. Move to taste. Small movements will cause fairly drastic changes. Have fun moving the mic around and listen to the differences. The further away from the speaker you place the mic, the less differences you'll hear in the scenario described.

It can also be fun to add a second mic in the room. You might start with the second mic where your head is. If you like the way it sounds where your head is you might like the way a mic sounds there. Try plugging one finger in your ear, the mic can't rationalize directional cues like you can with 2 ears.

Have fun. Come back and tell us what you think

Ok my dad had 4 mics laying around and i just tried one micing one of my stereo speakers to see what kind of sound i would get. but the only think im having trouble with is do i position the mic on its side with the body of the mic running parallel with the front of the speaker cabinet or straight out so its kinda coming out of the cone of the speaker?

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:19 am

Greener wrote:

What kind of sound are you after?

I have an Edirol US-25 and a Sure SM57 and I use this to DI and re-amp. The quality is on par with the talent. Smile

im not sure if im answering you correctly but i want the distorted sound of the amp

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:33 am

MTPAPA121 wrote:

Ok my dad had 4 mics laying around and i just tried one micing one of my stereo speakers to see what kind of sound i would get. but the only think im having trouble with is do i position the mic on its side with the body of the mic running parallel with the front of the speaker cabinet or straight out so its kinda coming out of the cone of the speaker?

A couple more links for you:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug07/articles/guitaramprecording.htm
(This guy's actually not far off, and can answer a couple of your questions):
http://mrj-studios.com/HowToMicAnAmp.htm

Doubtful you'd run it sideways. There is "direct" at it mostly, even though you might angle it a bit sideways. Remember that the more you angle a directional mic away (off-axis), the more chance there is for other sounds to come into it from the side, but it may be what you need. Anywhere in front of the cone is plausible...again depends on what you are after. The middle of the speaker is generally brighter.

What mics do you have? And, just wondering...what do you mean about mic'ing a stereo speaker? Experimenting? That's OK. Stick one mic in front of the amp. Record it. Move the mic a bit. Record again. Experiment. Move it close...move it farther back an inch, angle it a bit, move it to the edge, the center and anywhere else.

Try a different mic. Try all the mics. Try two at once. Only you will know when you hear what you would like to hear.

The main thing is...does it sound good, and does it fit into the rest of the music?

Have fun,

Kapt.Krunch

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:18 pm

MTPAPA121 wrote:

Greener wrote:

What kind of sound are you after?

I have an Edirol US-25 and a Sure SM57 and I use this to DI and re-amp. The quality is on par with the talent. Smile

im not sure if im answering you correctly but i want the distorted sound of the amp

I'll explain. I'm probably not on topic but that's nothing new.

Connect the guitar to the Edirol UA-25 (My mistake, it's not the US-25) record the clean signal from the guitar. Then play this back through the output connected to an amp, whilst having a mic connected and recording the amp. It's called re-amping.
You can also just use a DI box for recording the guitar. The Edirol is a DI box with instrument level inputs. However, it sounds like ass. Smile

I wouldn't connect an oldschool tube amp to a resistor. A speaker is a dynamic load, like looking at a spring.

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:31 pm

Greener wrote:

A speaker is a dynamic load, like looking at a spring.

?

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:09 pm

I'm imagining again. My multimeter isn't so good as to be able to tell.

But, let me imagine more broadly.
Let's say a speaker is at maximum excursion, now the rubber ring around the outside of the cone will have some form of elastic nature. This would cause a slight inductance, yes?
Also, I would venture to imagine that as a voice coil moves in and out, the distance betwixt it and the magnet would chance. Air gaps and reluctance. Dynamic? Yes.

Springs are dynamic too, as opposed to static.

Also I find the solitary "?" slightly annoying.

!

A speaker is not like the hot plate on your stove. It changes as you change it thus it acts like a spring. Aswel as looking like one.

Please, seeing as I'm imagine things, am non-professional and uneducated. Can someone tell me I'm wrong and specifically why?

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:15 pm

Kapt.Krunch wrote:

MTPAPA121 wrote:

Ok my dad had 4 mics laying around and i just tried one micing one of my stereo speakers to see what kind of sound i would get. but the only think im having trouble with is do i position the mic on its side with the body of the mic running parallel with the front of the speaker cabinet or straight out so its kinda coming out of the cone of the speaker?

A couple more links for you:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug07/articles/guitaramprecording.htm
(This guy's actually not far off, and can answer a couple of your questions):
http://mrj-studios.com/HowToMicAnAmp.htm

Doubtful you'd run it sideways. There is "direct" at it mostly, even though you might angle it a bit sideways. Remember that the more you angle a directional mic away (off-axis), the more chance there is for other sounds to come into it from the side, but it may be what you need. Anywhere in front of the cone is plausible...again depends on what you are after. The middle of the speaker is generally brighter.

What mics do you have? And, just wondering...what do you mean about mic'ing a stereo speaker? Experimenting? That's OK. Stick one mic in front of the amp. Record it. Move the mic a bit. Record again. Experiment. Move it close...move it farther back an inch, angle it a bit, move it to the edge, the center and anywhere else.

Try a different mic. Try all the mics. Try two at once. Only you will know when you hear what you would like to hear.

The main thing is...does it sound good, and does it fit into the rest of the music?

Have fun,

Kapt.Krunch

Well by micing my stereo speaker i was just experimenting before i tried it on an amp. cause i wanted to test the mic to see if it would even work. so i just pressed the record button on garageband and played Close to The Edge by Yes through my stereo and moved it around in different positions and stuff. But for mics i have.....
1. Optimus 500(omega symbol i think ohms maybe?) 33-3023 Dynamic
1. Realistic Highball 33-984C
2. Audio-Technica Omnidirectional Dynamic AT802
and the only one ive really tried is one of the audio technica's But its not the safest one to use cause it was making the grill cloth of the vibrolux spark and i got shocked cause i was holding the stings on my guitar while i moved it..........so im ganna try not to do thoes things again.

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:23 pm

Greener wrote:

.. reluctance...

?

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:25 pm

MTPAPA121 wrote:

I was just experimenting before i tried it on an amp.

experiment by puting the mic on the amp and wail away!

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:33 pm

AudioGeezer wrote:

MTPAPA121 wrote:

I was just experimenting before i tried it on an amp.

experiment by puting the mic on the amp and wail away!

I did a little while ago bit i got stuff to do now but tomorrow im ganna try alot of stuff.

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:43 pm

Greener wrote:

Also I find the solitary "?" slightly annoying.

Sorry. It just means I don't understand. Thanks to GeckoMusic I now know that "Magnetic reluctance or "magnetic resistance", is analogous to resistance in an electrical circuit (although it does not dissipate magnetic energy)"

Didn't know that. Never to old to learn. Now if I can just remember what I know.............

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