Guitar Amp Mic'ing

The most common way to mic a guitar amp is to place a cardioid four to six inches in front of the speaker. If it sounds as if the microphone or preamp are overloading, try engaging the pad switch on the condenser — typically providing a 10 to 15dB reduction in gain.

Proximity effect applies here, so closer positions yield more low mids. Experiment with moving the mic from the center to the outer edge of the speaker. The center typically has a more edgy quality, while the outer portions are mellower. One time-honored trick is to wear headphones and move the mic until the hiss sounds minimal— and you’ll probably like the sound at that spot.

As with most mic’ing situations, moving the mic further away brings in more of the room sound. Consider mic’ing the cabinet in stereo at various distances. One popular technique is to use a dynamic mic tight on the speaker and a condenser mic further back, panning the two in stereo.