Black Sabbath Engineer Shows How To Record Great Sounding Guitars With Two Microphones

[@TheChadPad]

His name is Mike....and he's a studio engineer.....that's awesome

[@aileaiho768]

He should use Rophone for his last name.

[@mikesanchez7386]

My name is Mike and I'm a studio engineer watching a studio engineer named Mike engineer in a studio

[@ramencurry6672]

He should work with a piano player named Keys.

[@DMSProduktions]

And DOES he ride a bike?

[@cometodolly]

Wow didn't expect them to sound SO different! Good to know

[@PressuredSpeechBand]

Yeah I was blown away by how clear the best sounding speaker was. Now I'm running around my studio trying all the different cabs going crazy.

[@modernmusicstudio303]

So awesome to see and audio engineer that has works with such a legendary band give tips and tricks on recording guitars! Thank you for the opportunity to learn from Mike Exeter!

[@thedakotahurley]

That's incredible how much different each of the speakers sounded!

[@interstellaraxeman4468]

That was amazing. Mr. Exeter explained that in a swift, concise, and comprehensible way.... Having been told many times that any given unit sounds different,...actually hearing it with a demonstrated explanation was very helpful. Thank You James and Mike,....

[@notthatguy2753]

I'm shocked how different the same drivers on the same amp can sound

[@JoseyStranded]

Me too. Shocked.

[@JoseyStranded]

Plus, I thought I had somewhat professional approach to recording guitar. It's also nice to hear a guy like him to speak out my thoughts of microphones. You sure don't need a 10K vintage mic to record a great guitar sound.

[@LittleZdy]

Night and day

[@notthatguy2753]

And people call me crazy for saying mid priced xlr cables sound better than cheapo ones. Here's proof that audio is fucked

[@Sool101]

@@notthatguy2753 speaking of which, price. I found cables, from the same factory, same color, same everything except the name, in a cheap store and was a bit shocked. The branded cables cost three times more.

[@brycedadevil2146]

Guys guys buy you a Fredman SM57 Clip from Wilkinson Audio, $20 holds 2 Sm57’s... one ON axis one OFF axis @ a 45 degree, and you could record 2 separate mono’s and blend the 2 together, and they then act as a natural EQ, I love it, and use a C214 for the Room capture, blended under the SM57’s it is Gnarly🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼‼️

[@brettboden3571]

It's actually a 55° angle

[@thanksmomstudio]

Awesome. Great info here. If you’re looking to add anything to guitar videos I’d say get a straight on view of the mics on the speakers after they are all set. Behind and above would be helpful

[@jumpingman8160]

That's how I like my porn

[@cowbellsuperstar1948]

I absolutely love that video....... I love the idea of committing two sounds on to one track. It's nice because you don't have to think about it later. I try to today got a great sound. Thank you for the video!

[@denisblack9897]

this video made me finally buy a recording mic

[@jjrusy7438]

wow, the 4 speaker compare was an eye opener. 1st speaker was strong and open, 2nd sounded like it had melted coils or something and the 3rd was also dead sounding. 4th was kind of OK and I would guess it was 2nd choice.

[@quintas66]

Yup, this is my list as well.

[@shamicentertainment1262]

It's probably to add more depth to the sound. By themselves they aren't good, but with all 4 they sound better. Idk just my guess

[@Banksyyt]

Thanks. Would have been nice to hear the WA14 in solo as well as mixed with 57. Cheers

[@reamasaurusrex7236]

I was surprised how hard it was to hear the guys talking to each other - probably 'cause I'm old and deaf. Good stuff, thanks for sharing!

[@jesse_cole]

Wish we could have gotten to hear the WA-14 in solo as well.

[@TheConvectuoso]

Jesse Cole yeah an a b between the 57 and the wa14 was what I was expecting

[@ramencurry6672]

It probably sounds like an SM57 but with less high end and a little more bass

[@michaelyolch79]

​@@ramencurry6672 True...but it would have been great to hear the spread it was capturing from the edge of the cone on out.

[@ramencurry6672]

@@michaelyolch79 You’re right

[@johannjohann6523]

I like his method. it actually makes sense. cool video. Thanks for making it.

[@michaelyolch79]

FANTASTIC! I found this video just in the nick of time! Very helpful! :)

[@hethaerto1]

Excellent demo. Myself, I prefer to remove the capsule cover from my 57 and place it as close as possible to the cone material (not the dust cover), but not so close that the cone will vibrate against the exposed diaphragm. Less than 1/16 of an inch. One mic thus no phase issues. I use tight-fitting Sennheiser headphones to monitor the sound while the guitarist plays and adjust the 57 for the most brutal tone I can get and then record. I love the sounds I get with my technique.

[@lordgraga]

Do you have samples?

[@neoaureus]

Best video on micing a guitar amp ever !

[@thef8ofman984]

Thanks for all the great music Mike!!

[@extremelynormalperson]

This was EXTREMELY HELPFUL thank you!!

[@GRequinBlanc]

I like my 57 with a Ribbon mic (Royer)

[@CraigFlowersMusic]

Whoa! James! What the heck! I see you with Paul ALL the time, and never once have I heard a peep about another channel. You may think it makes you look silly or something to promote your other channel on his, but from my perspective I feel a bit left in the dark. Anyway now that I've paused it at the 8-second mark and said that, I can start the video!

[@sevynn3970]

This was a great video!

[@vextract4662]

Guitar recording micing techniques at Woodworm=instant like!

[@TheDustmeister88]

Why did I like the bottom right the most?

[@RanDieBam]

Because of personal taste

[@jeanlejeune2288]

Yeah I heard that one and immediately thought thats it! When they both liked the 1st one I thought, Okay well damn:)

[@tasteapiana]

I had no idea Eric Idle did these kinds of interviews.

[@bassstellar]

Good video. Needed to be twice as long though -- to cover the adjustment, placement, and phase/buss of the two mics/signals.

[@theAxehound]

I shouldn't say this, but f it here goes, someone should put a laser pointer on their mic!! So you can see exactly where its pointed (for consistency). Because as much as those speakers sounded differently, most of that was mic placement as millimeters make a miles of difference.

[@tomnaumann2104]

The Aston Starlight mic has a laser on it. I haven’t used one but it’s a great idea if you ask me.

[@theAxehound]

@@tomnaumann2104, that looks really cool. I'm going to watch some videos on it! Thanks I have a 4/12 cab with different speakers in the studio and I mark on the cloth with a white crayon.

[@endoffate5475]

2 sm57 works great too.

[@hansgrueber8169]

also an e609/ sm57 combo works well.

[@johnathanvane]

perhaps I missed it, but I'm curious how those four speakers are wired in that cabinet. parallel? in series?

[@SuperJiggawhat]

amazing stuff, thank you.

[@jorge1988]

I liked the bottom right sound

[@martywhite1084]

Do you use amp sims typically?

[@5amJones]

Interesting. Thanks!

[@jamesnortonofficial1566]

Cool tips 👏👏👏👍🤘

[@boxculture]

7:43 ooooooh gold

[@miguelpessanha]

The different of each cone is so eye opening, with all the same variables. The top left and right are night and day. The top right speaker was most probably super worn out and damaged. You can also hear the bass boost in the bottom speakers, due the proximity effect from the floor. Just nasty resonance rumble.

[@justinbouchard]

This was great.

[@rickblackers88]

Great!!!I love it!!

[@2500BC]

Could some of the sound difference be frequencies in cabinet? Sounds to me that if 2 sides of the cab’s ring were treated, what i think i hear as internal frequency activity going on would be reduced.

[@44numskull]

This is great!!

[@EvanJr]

Great!

[@kosycat1]

I got e906 and fathead 2 on each of my cabs atm. i have and extra 421 i might mess with on there

[@BenA718]

I use that same combo. Love the Fathead II!

[@padraig88]

e906 and 57 combo!

[@gitarman666]

Into which pre? What did sabbath use?

[@TIGERGUTS]

Top of the forehead frequency! SO random but i know it exactly! hahaha ! WOW!

[@Phillysawdust]

What a pity we didn't get to hear the LDC on its own - missed opportunity there??!!

[@jesse_cole]

Agree. I've been curious about the WA-14 for a little while and wondered how it would sound in this application.

[@FVDaudio]

Excelente.

[@gastonjabaly]

I wonder what speaker is that

[@andymarsal]

the tech is so likeable...also reminds me Ricky Gervais

[@BurnAre]

Great video. How do you «pop The mic out of phase»?

[@bassstellar]

Either the mixing console/desk or your DAW will have a phase button. Search "mixing console phase" and it'll all come up 👍

[@bjrnarestamnes6279]

@@bassstellar Thanks. Im using Logic

[@notfbi673]

What’s the name of the song he plays at the end? It’s a cool riff

[@thef8ofman984]

Into the Void

[@PickledDill907]

It's an original piece we wrote for these videos. (I'm the guitarist in this video btw)

[@PickledDill907]

Nope. It's actually an original piece we wrote for these videos. (I'm the guitarist in this video btw)

[@notfbi673]

Jacobs Realm awesome man I really like it!!! Great riff I’d love to hear more

[@steenbreker60]

Strange. Someone bought this cabinet on the base of the four speakers sounding together. Three of the four speakers are missing top end. The result now is the chosen speaker to record is the one that sounds most different than the entire cabinet. Someone bought the wrong cab or....

[@vvessel_]

Well, strange if you buy the cabinet strictly for recording! I, and probably most musicians, buy a cabinet because it simply sounds good. When you buy a cabinet you listen to the 4 speakers combined. Some audio-engineers might record the four speakers but that will maybe make the sound less direct. Also, when I record a cabinet I want the speaker with the most high end because that will give me the option to make it poke through the mix a bit more. At least that's how I look at it! xx

[@jarcidiacono1]

@productionexpert could someone explain what exactly he’s talking about @ 7:45? It’s hard to understand with the British accent. He pops one of the mics out of phase, I got that, but then he tweaks the faders to do what? “Get the spikiest sounding out of phase tone possible” - could you just explain that? doesn’t sound like he tweaks the EQ at all before flipping phase back?

[@CandorBand]

Essentially he is checking for out of phase issues by listening not to the in phase signal, but rather to the out of phase signal. He plays with the faders until the sound is most out of phase. Then he pops the mics back into phase. Then he is certain he minimized cancellation issues. Does that make sense?

[@jarcidiacono1]

@@CandorBand ya! Thank you

[@geoffreycheuvart9228]

@@CandorBand Hi Jason, thanks for the precision. I still have a question, maybe you could help as well :-) : does he put one mic signal to the left and the other the the right (on his daw) when he is checking the phase of each signal ? and then, once done, does he assemble the 2 tracks into one after popping back the 2 signals into phase ? well, I don't understand the process for " checking the faders and the phases of the 2 mic signals" ^^

[@CandorBand]

Hi Geoffrey, no. The way I understand it is the signals are mono. If you pan either, then you will not hear the phase issues as much. Essentially, tinker with the faders and phase switch until it sounds as thin and hollow as possible. Then just flip the phase of one signal and it should be in phase.

[@geoffreycheuvart9228]

@@CandorBand thanks for your feedback, much appreciated ! I will do a test in my studio 🙂

[@louski331]

How did Tony iommi record the double track effect

[@jonniefast]

by playing two takes

[@StandbyCymbalist]

Legit

[@glennnmurphy]

Now I’m kicking myself that I sold all my 4 x 12 cabs

[@luisangelEXALTA]

i went opposite. just purchased a 4×12 Laney cab. sounds amazing. its a buyers market with all the combo amp and amp-less trends.

[@graysonhoward1562]

So is he recording the two microphones in stereo?

[@chinmeysway]

No.. he said he sums them both to one track / mono

[@noodletribunal9793]

what did he mean by "spikiest" sound when out of phase?

[@trevorjalla]

thinnest, most bass/mid cancelled

[@noodletribunal9793]

@@trevorjalla thank you!

[@ImYourOverlord]

Well, shoot! This didn't give me anything I didn't already have in my toolbox. Good presentation, anyway 🙂

[@jeremybradley559]

I’m joined by the one and only Bill Oddie.

[@mikeexeter]

Hahahahahah. Sadly you’re bot the first to say that

[@The_Absurdistt]

How the pros do it....

[@petervitusaudio]

What stomp box is that?

[@johnrobinson6945]

The yellow one is a Radial SGI studio interface.

[@Rocknroller795]

If you're referring to the one on top of the amp, that is the Laney TI Boost.

[@mikewest712]

I have been in 3 car crashes while listening to Sabbath. Coincidence? I think not

[@neoaureus]

“They are ageing …”. Hahah. ….Recording engineers health concerns…on the Mic.

[@kevinmundarain7572]

He really know how to "Mike" an amp lol

[@GrantCometa]

Engineer: We stick a big piece of tape around [the mic stands] and won’t let anyone past it. Also Engineer: **leaves wheels on cab**

[@jonniefast]

those are tonewheels 😈

[@manfrombritain6816]

i feel better about my guitar playing now

[@bobyk87]

nice toys guys

[@cardiffsound]

"We have decided by a process of discrimination"?! 3:34

[@in.der.welt.sein.]

He just means making distinctions or differentiating between things.

[@cardiffsound]

@@in.der.welt.sein. I think the term he's looking for is 'process of elimination' - a 'process of discrimination' would be where he's already decided which speaker cones he dislikes before he's even heard them.

[@mhgbu]

I'm sure he knew what he was saying. Just a play on words.

[@yallevereatenbeans2723]

@Marko Fahrenheit you really had to bring politics into it didn't you?

[@cardiffsound]

@Marko Fahrenheit Prejudice and discrimination are synonyms, 2 words that mean the same thing. Like fool and idiot.

[@christopherdunn317]

It was pretty obvious ! that the first left speaker sounded the best LOL the rest sound broken ! What if the left one sounded just the same ? can't use shit !

[@BeatMaster2000]

Elimination*… he meant process of elimination

[@Melvin7727]

3 minutes describing how they're going to A/B each speaker

[@juap]

They are just having fun, we too... maybe this is not for you

[@honestnewsnet]

Sounds like noise.

[@qmaldonado8171]

this is not gigging material like Bobbi

[@Taylor___]

A lost art, nowadays, just plug in the fractal

[@mattwilson2249]

Process of discrimination lol

[@AcydDrop]

What exactly would anyone that engineered a Sabbath album know about good sound?

[@SocialGore]

Apparently not much. I would never use the guitar sound that they ended up with. No amount of EQ could shape that into a usable tone.

[@Les537]

@@SocialGore Are you for real? The sound of the first 2 sabbath albums inspired a million clone bands. Listen to paranoid or war pigs and try to convince anyone that it's not the most epic sounding guitar in the last 50 years.

[@SocialGore]

@@Les537They are great albums, but recording quality has improved over the years. There is a reason that very few sabbath inspired bands are going for the EXACT same guitar tone.

[@beerman7079]

😜😍

[@oneandonlyescaton9927]

@@Les537 black sabbath and paranoid have guitar tones that stand up to modern recordings.

[@chrischoir3594]

not bad - not great

[@brianjauch9958]

Buy that man a vintage Gibson, ditch the Epi.

[@saheltaja]

It's a Tony Iommi signature, like the amp. Methinks there's a choice involved in there, somewhere...

[@PickledDill907]

You can buy me a vintage Gibson if you want! The guitar is one of the Tony Signatures which has proper custom Gibson pickups in it. The amp we actually borrowed from Tony Iommis amp stock. They used that amp in the studio and on a few of the latest tours!

[@brianjauch9958]

@@PickledDill907 Oh, I will now shut up. You rock.

[@PickledDill907]

@@brianjauch9958 honestly not usually a fan of Epis, I've owned a few and they've always been quite average. This model on the other hand is just fantastic once I set it up. Sounds great, play exceedingly well, built properly. Just wish it was mine!

[@TheseEndlessNights]

Why would anyone ever want their recordings to sound like Black Sabbath?

[@johnnypunx8682]

They all sound awful

[@trentkraemer7109]

Haha I think it’s too much gain