Tips for Recording Electric Guitar with Two Mics

[@NoudleSound]

Really like this video, it's cool to see how you physically mic'd up the guitars too!

[@dannyechevarria8090]

Glad you liked it!

[@proaudiofiles]

Let us know here with any questions or anything you'd like to see in the future.

[@debapriyobiswas8370]

That was informative. But what about you want to design the sound of a piece of performance by layering the different mics, maybe more than two, without it sounding too full/ in your face/ loud. Considering the rig set to loud ? Also, can you please make a in depth video on how to handle those loud guitars especially in the stage of mixing ?

[@dannyechevarria8090]

Hi! I don't think I understand the question - it sounds like you're talking about recording of a performance that involves more than just guitar, but I'm not entirely sure. If your only problem is layered mics getting too loud, the solution is simple: turn them all down! A video on mixing guitars is a great idea. I'll probably do one of those in the near future

[@heythere6983]

1 Cant you just shorten the clip and move it forward so there isnt an 8 millisecond delay and then flip the phrase IF you wanted to "fix" the phase and timing issue? 2 So with multiple guitar tracks, like the first two, along as the two mics for the individual takes are in phase its fine, but the other set of mics with the other guitar have no necessary phase relation to the first take? For some reason I figured it would matter on some level. 3Also, doesnt recording with a close up mic and then another with an omni figure 8 setting help with phase issues? 4If my guitars are out of phase can I simply just invert the phase and align them to fix the issue, problem solved? 5 If I wanted to record the size of the cab to get the dynamic bouncy sound along with the front, could that also be fixed in terms of phase issues along as its flipped? Thanks I have alot of songs im about to record so I just need to get these basic concepts down to make my life easier. I appreciate the help. I see why so many people dont play instruments and just pickup keyboards to emulate actual sounds lol.

[@dannyechevarria8090]

Hey there, Hey There: 1. Yes, you could! That sort of trick *can* work wonders in certain scenarios, but it can also create more problems. Which way it will go is pretty case by case. But the whole point of what I did in that section of this video is to create a wide, phasey sound. I'm not trying to "fix" anything there. If you want your guitar to sound like you recorded it with two, perfectly in-phase mics, the best bet is to set up two mics so they're perfectly in phase, not to set them up however and then "fix it" later. 2. It does matter! The whole point of these different examples is to illustrate to very different approaches to combining mics. If you want to achieve different sounds - wide, phased out guitar vs tight, powerful guitar - you will have to follow different steps to get there. This video is about how to use the qualities of a couple different mic setups to create different sounds, not a "one size fits all, this is the one way to make your guitars sound good" approach. 3. Omni and figure 8 are different polar patterns... there's no such thing as "omni figure 8." What happens between two mics used on one source depends on the placement, among other factors. I can't tell from this question if both mics would be used close or if one would be moved to a farther position. In my close mic'ed examples, I used a cardioid mic paired with an omni (635a) or figure 8 (fat head). If anything, two cardioid mics used close will invite the fewer phase problems than combining with an omni or figure 8 mic, as omni and figure 8 will inherently pick up more reflections from the room. Again, placement is key though, and from the context you're giving here I can't really tell what placement you had in mind. The simplest answer is: using two mics to record one sound source has the potential to cause phase issues. Resolving those issues will require you to use your ears to find the best placement while tracking and the best blend/planning while mixing. 4. Sometimes! Phase is not a binary issue though. Sometimes a 180-degree phase flip is just what the doctor ordered. But two mics can be anywhere from 1-180 degrees out of phase, and flipping phase is going to be a mixed bag for two mics that are, say 37-degrees out of phase. There are tools that let you do continuous phase alignment (Little Labs IBP, Soundradix Auto Align, to name a couple that I like) that may be more appropriate in many situations than a straight phase flip would be. 5. Maybe! Again, the point of this video is not to say "this is the one way to get this thing objectively right," it's more like: "here are some common ways to get different but cool results combining mics on electric guitar." That being said, I've never heard of anyone mic'ing the side of a guitar cab. That isn't to say it can't be done, but my guess is you're not going to get anything *useable* from the side that you wouldn't from the front. I'm not sure that I think of the side of a cab as being especially bouncy, but it really depends on the source material! Without knowing what style it is you're recording I can't guarantee any mic placement will work. I'd say give it a try, but real talk, don't get your hopes up too much. Hope that helps!

[@streetbl]

Yea I can't tell the difference between the comparisons especially that last phase swap. I'm on Sony MDR V6 headphones. when people talk about eq and mid, high mids, blah blah.. I can NEVER hear any of what they are talking about. It basically sounds the same. I think I may have a hearing disablity... wtf!