new to recording: amp volume for mic'ing, and general setup

[bulletproof_funk]

Hi all,

First post here at GAB so take it easy on me. I'm fairly new to recording in my home basement so I'll ask a couple basic questions to start.

1. How loud do you guys typically turn your amps up to when mic'ing speakers for either recording or to a PA?
2. Also, what is the best way to listen to the drum/bass tracks while recording my guitar amp in the same room without picking up ambient sounds? I want to record to prerecorded tracks, I'm not looking for an ISO cab right now, I just want to start relatively simple. Also, I don't have monitors at the moment. If you have any example home studio setups that would be very helpful.

Thanks!

[nightflameauto]

While you CAN record extremely quietly with a mic, there are a few technical problems you'll need to overcome if keeping the volume really low.

1. A lot of amps don't sound their best until there's some power flowing.
2. If you are close to the amp being mic'ed, you'll pick up string/pick noise.
3. The louder you are, the easier it is to get "apparent" isolation during recording. (Like the above mentioned string noise. Or the TV in the next room someone's watching. Or the dogs barking in the back yard.) The other possibility is sticking the speaker cab in the bathroom or closet and keeping the other noises away.

In my case, I found a nice compromise with a volume that is loud enough I can sit a few feet away and not pick up string noise, but you really don't hear much more than just general tones outside the house.

As for listening while tracking, headphones are good. With a seriously directional mic, you can just crank the bajeezus out of the monitors and only pick up a tiny bit of the drums in the recorded track. When I record something "for real" though, I always use the headphones just to keep the tracks as clean as possible.

[ajaxlepinski]

Welcome to the fold brother!

1) You can record at what ever volume level necessary to achieve the guitar and amp sound/feel that you want.
Sure SM57 mics are built to handle high volumes and have a fequency response suited for guitar and they're only US$99.00.
If you have an inexpensive mic or, a fragile mic, high sound pressure levels can cause the mic to distort in a bad way.

2) Point the amp away from the drums when recording. You can also throw a heavy blanket over the amp and mic to reduce bleed into the drum mics.
Ooops! Misread this one. +1 to nightflameauto's reply on #2

Micing an amp for a PA is a bit different because you're fighting feedback from the monitors (unless you have those in-the-ear monitors) and you have to balance your volume with the other instruments.
Every show I played, the sound man always asks me to turn down!

Have fun!!!

[bulletproof_funk]

Thanks for the quick and detailed replies guys, appreciate it!

I'm experimenting with the Zoom H4n's on-board stereo X-Y mic right now as I wanted to see what it can do before maybe going with a SM57. I've tried close mic'ing 1" away but to avoid clipping I had to turn the amp volume down to loud TV volumes where it wasn't sounding its best (don't get me wrong, the Colossus sounds great but even better when louder like typical tube amps). I also tried the H4n manual's recommended 30-50 cm distance and that let me record louder to drown out more of the ambient noise, which I guess is more what-you-hear vs. close placement, probably more what it was designed for. I have the H4n's input level set as low as it goes for close mic'ing.

Good point about PA and monitor feedback, ajax, that's something I may not have to deal with at home!

Can you go fairly loud with a SM57 before clipping it? Is it directional enough even at medium (loud TV level) volumes?

[nightflameauto]

Can you go fairly loud with a SM57 before clipping it? Is it directional enough even at medium (loud TV level) volumes?

SM57s do FAIRLY well at separation on a noisy stage. A TV being in the same room, so long as it's not on-axis, could be screaming at it and not be much more than a mild hum in the background of the amp it's pointed at.