U87ai How far from guitar cab speaker?

[SUGARCULT666]

I'm about to record some vox ac30 type crunchy/clean guitar with my line 6 flextone... I'm gonna try micing it with my u87 just wondering how close can I put the mic to the speaker before bad things happen? Any help would be cool... I've got it miced up right now just dont wanna do anything stupid

Whats everyone else using on their vox combos???

[Blast9]

Those will take high SPLs, though you may have to pad the preamp.

Didn't have any luck with the U87 on gtr cabs... Each time it sounded odd and phasey. However we did have it up close with no problem. i think you'll need to put it back a bit to lessen proximity effect.

If you find it too bright or picks up too much detal I'm sure it would work well as a compressed room mic supplementing the "usual suspects". (if the room sounds nice!)

[Screws]

For my tastes, a U87Ai up close on an AC30 is like nails on a blackboard. A trebly amp with an upper mid peaky mic doesn't work for me, at least in an up-close scenario.

I prefer a 421 or other dynamic up close. An 87 or 414 does, however, sound remarkable anywhere from 3 to 10 feet back and squashed a bit. Just my experience.

[Surfkat]

Originally Posted by Screws

For my tastes, a U87Ai up close on an AC30 is like nails on a blackboard. A trebly amp with an upper mid peaky mic doesn't work for me, at least in an up-close scenario.

I prefer a 421 or other dynamic up close. An 87 or 414 does, however, sound remarkable anywhere from 3 to 10 feet back and squashed a bit. Just my experience.

This is my experience too. We have a vintage AC30 and it always sounds best with a dynamic up close and a LDC away from the amp. Although a ribbon up close can sound good too, especially with a Telecaster.

[PDC]

I would use four 87s. Yes 4.













































One under each corner of the amp.
Sorry. With mic technology what it is today, there is no reason for me to have an 87 any longer.

[Jim Williams]

I would put a U-87 far back away from the cabinet, far back, into the mic cabinet.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[not_so_new]

Too many people beat me to the joke so I will just say that the closest I would ever put an 87 on an electric guitar would be about 5 or 6 feet back and then work backwards, like into the mic closet or maybe Ebay (just kidding, I like the 87 for vocals). Not because of damage to the mic, it's my ears that can't take it.



Don't know what else you have for a recording chain and obviously I have no idea what the track sounds like but if the track calls for it and you have the chain to handle it I would stick a 57 or some other dynamic (take your pick or use what you have handy) and put that up close and personal on the cab. Use the 87 as a room mic but make sure you watch your phase between that and the close mic.

IMHO any dynamic will probably work better for electric guitar than an u87 so experiment and if you don't have one get go pick up a 57 for $60 some place. Don't let the GS crowd fool you, they are a great guitar mic and have been used for years as such on many great recordings....

[Blast9]

Brilliant replies!

[SUGARCULT666]

Cheers for the replys guys... I'm using it through a Aurora gtq2mkiii and/or api... I ended up putting it about 6 inches off the speaker and it sounded pretty nice, the reason I wanted to try the u87 is because I've read that Butch Walker sais his key guitar mic is a u87 and I like his guitar tones. I'm using a 57 through my api for my heavier crunchier tones on my randall rm100 (plexi module) through a 1960TV cab (about to add a 421 to that cab when it arrives). Everything is sounding shit at the moment anyway cause I blew a tweater in one of my bm6a's f**kin spewing!!!

[Blast9]

Nice one!

Is the mic pointed straigt at the speaker or off-axis?

What kind of tone did the mic capture? Bright & detailed? I imagine quite full-bodied but bright?

PS do you have the top-boost module for the RM100? Apparently atht's a great crunch/semi-clean module.

[Jan Folkson]

I use 87ai's on guitar amps all the time. I was over at Right Track a few months back and put one up on an old (1964) JMI Ac30 about 4 inches from the cab pointing at the mid point of the edge and center of the cone.

Sounded like a million $$.

Each speaker will sound different so give a good listen to both and use your ear to find the sweet spot.

[chandlersonic]

Originally Posted by Screws

For my tastes, a U87Ai up close on an AC30 is like nails on a blackboard. A trebly amp with an upper mid peaky mic doesn't work for me, at least in an up-close scenario.

I prefer a 421 or other dynamic up close. An 87 or 414 does, however, sound remarkable anywhere from 3 to 10 feet back and squashed a bit. Just my experience.

It's seems like you're in my head. I was going to say the exact same thing. word for word almost.

[Musiclab]

If you can lay your hands on a 414 TLII try that its great on an AC30

[SUGARCULT666]

I would have thought it was a classic mic for guitar since guitar rig has it as one of the options for the mics and there is only like 5 mics to choose from... Not that guitar rig is the be all and end all but I recken they would have done alot of research on it. Oh yeah and I also tried the AC30 in guitar rig and it actually sounded the best with the U87 off axis haha... That was the best sound out of all the other mics and it actually sounded pretty much the same as what my real amp sounded like with the u87 except a little less detailed, still very very close.... Guitar rig is definately cool if ur in a rush. I guarantee not many people (if any) could tell if it was guitar rig or real.

[SUGARCULT666]

Oh yeah if you wanna hear digital guitars go to my bands myspace link... I recorded that first demo song in my house all with a pod xt... Let me know if you think they sound real or not... I've been playin gtar 16yrs and sure as hell can't tell the difference. Sorry to get off subject anyway haha probly shouldnt be telling everyone its pod hah

[Slipperman]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

I would put a U-87 far back away from the cabinet, far back, into the mic cabinet.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

I must agree with Jim Williams here.

This is a dreadful moment for me.

Hell hath frozen over.

Up is down.

Left Right.

Scorched Earth. Mass Destruction.

Cats and dogs living together.

SM.

[SUGARCULT666]

Why do you agree?

[AllAboutTone]

Bset 2 mics ive ever used on any amp, combo or 4/12 cab, would be a GT44 or a u87ai
nothing both great tones, i use them everyday....

[s.d.finley]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

I would put a U-87 far back away from the cabinet, far back, into the mic cabinet.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

LOL

[seaneldon]

i've used u87s on guitar amps before, but not in the traditional "stick it up there" way. usually it'd be behind an open-back cabinet, or in the front facing the opposite direction while in cardioid. i could never really get them to sound too great with a regular-ass placement.

[DeepSpace]

Originally Posted by seaneldon

...but not in the traditional "stick it up there" way... ...i could never really get them to sound too great with a regular-ass placement.

Yeah, regular ass-placement is always too muffled.

[Blast9]

[SUGARCULT666]

I don't know what you guys think is a good guitar tone but it sure as hell sounded better than my 57... If I wanted a sharp aggressive attack I probly wouldnt use the u87 but get ur clean sound on ur amp sounding nice in the room and put the u87 about 6 inches off the speaker a little off axis (as Jan stated earlier) and I got a really nice clean detailed vox tone. I guess it depends on what sound ur after hence why Im not useing it for my dirty sounds tutt

[keano]

All of B in B AC/DC was U87 on a cabs.

[starfighter]

I use LDCs on guitar cabs all the time.... Quarter to half an inch from the grill; daed center of cone and tilted about 30 degrees... Sounds killer, but as always YMMV...

FWIW I believe Bob St.John uses U87s on Nuno Bettencourts amps...


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