I plan on miking my amp (fender deville 4x10) with two mics. The only mics I have at my disposable are a Rode nt1a and a Rode m3.
I will probably go ahead and place the m3 (directional) close up and off axis on the cone about 1 inch away. As for the nt1a I want to use this positioned further back from the amp to try and create a more dynamic and roomy sound.
This will obviously create some phasing issues. How can I nudge back the nt1a track in cubase to compensate for the milliseconds of delay? Drag and dropping is way too heavy handed and I’ll struggle to get the precision needed. How can I move entire tracks by tiny increments? Or, are there any other workarounds for this?
Not at my DAW to give specific details. But in the Track Inspector there is a control to move the playback earlier or later (I think its icon might look like a clock).
However if you take care with your mic placement you probably won’t need to compensate by shifting the audio. Put headphones on and listen to the 2 mics mixed as you try different positions. Easiest if you have someone else who can play the guitar while you listen, preferably away from the amp. You can do it alone too but it will be more cumbersome.
Also as long as you are using 2 mics you will have some phase cancellation, which is not necessarily bad - our ears use phase info in the real world to locate sounds. Even if you compensate for it, that is just moving the frequency effected by it. So it’s really a matter of finding what sounds best.
You might want to try dynamic microphones instead, a ribbon and a sm57 are usually my first choice. Place them while using headphones and use track delay to fine tune, that has always worked for me.
I don’t have a dynamic to use at present, although a 57 is definitely on my christmas list! the m3 is a small diaphragm condenser and has a pad of up to -20db. I’m guessing i should be able to get a fairly articulated and full sound with this alone. What y’all reckon?
While the specific mic(s) you use will have a big impact on the sound you get, mic placement will have a much bigger impact. Take the time to explore different placements (especially when starting out), maybe even record a variety of different placements. Then listen the next day with fresh ears.
If I wanted the guitar in the center I’d probably start with them at 10:00 & 2:00 and adjust from there (let your ears be your guide). Also when you are mixing it might turn out that using only one of the tracks is what sounds best. More is not always better.
