Robben Ford Discussion

[burger.ie]

Hello Daved,
I need to buy a microphone for my amp. I`m not sure of the best model for the job. Can you suggest one or two.
The amp is a Fender Deville 4x10. Should I position the microphone in the centre, between all four speakers.
Forgive my ignorance, hope you can help.

By the way. Have you checked out new movie `Hot Fuzz`?
I reckon it`s right up your street.

[frank0936]

Hey Burger, how ya' been? While you're wiating for Daved to get back to you, take a look at the Rooben questions section. In the thread that says Robben letdown in Portland there is a picture of the Super Reverb and mike setup. The mike looks like a Shure SM57 and apperars to be just off center of the upper left speaker. That should give you a starting point. the SM57 is just about the industry standard for mikling guitar cabs. I also like the Sennheiser E609. It's made to rest flat again the cab and I hang mine from the amp strap. One of the benefits of this is that I don't have to have another mike stand!
Hope that helps,
Frank

[burger.ie]

Hi Frank,
Thanks a lot for your reply. Now I have something to work on. I`ll try your mike positioning as soon as I have it.
This forum is invaluable. It`s great to be able to pick the brains of so many learned musicians like yourself.
Thanks again.

[Daved]

[burger.ie]

Thanks to you both.
The Sennheiser it is then.
Cheers.

[Aeolian]

Daved, where do you put the Sennheiser? I really love mine and find that it's much less placement sensitive than a 57. But I usually don't get to check the FOH to see what I'm getting. The soundmen all claim to love it but I'm not sure if what's coming out is what I intended or what they like.
_________________
There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com

[Daved]

I pretty much leave that up to the sound persons.

They all have different gear, in different environments, colored by their own individual sonic preferences, and I am not an 'audio professional' and rarely hear what it sounds like out in front, so I let them do their job as they see fit.

I'm sure the physical makeup of the speaker itself will affect where the sound person prefers to place the mic. Paper dust covers and/or cones vs. metal combinations will affect brilliance factors thru the sonic spectrum, I'm sure, while the size of the cone along with its depth/angle are going to affect the volumes of air being moved, and so on.

I've seen some engineers who like the outer edge of the speaker (thicker, fatter, possibly muddier tones?) and others who seem to prefer the mic to be dead on center (higher, crisper, cleaner, possibly thinner tones?).

But the average setting that I usually see (and therefore the one I've chosen to adopt for my 'generic' setting when I must make the call) is pretty much slightly off-center (about 3" on a 12" speaker, maybe) from the middle of the cone.
And, since Robben always likes his Dumble 2-12 cab placed on end, I usually mic the top half of the upper speaker, keeping the mic away from the floor with a short hanging length from the middle of the top.

Any input from some of you "real sound professionals" out there?
I'm sure you could provide more valid, acurate, experienced and knowledgable information than I on this subject.
_________________
B C-ing U!
( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)

[johan]

Sennheiser E609 - you're using the new budget Silver version or the older Black ones? Black supoosed to be killer mics.

[Aeolian]

FWIW, I put the 609 so that the outside edge of it line up more or less with the edge of the surround, and the mic capsule gets the outside part of the cone. The Bogner cube I normally use these days has the speaker set pretty far back in relation to the front edge of the cab so I'm getting a more integrated sound. As if a 57 was pulled back 4 or 5 inches from the grile. Which as you say would get in Robben's way. I haven't tried it yet on the cab that resembles Robben's. On that cab I use to like an angled 57. One of the problems with shoving a mic up against the grile is that you don't get the sound of the cabinet, only a spot on the speaker cone. So that's why soundmen all have ways of trying to pick a spot that gives a similar tonal balance. That rear micing technique helps a lot.

I suspect that given the inch and a half lip between the cab edge and the grile, and the rear mounted speaker, I'd get a similar sound with the mic about an inch in from the surround. I'll have to try it. Maybe drag that cabinet out to next Friday's gig, when I can sort of get away with the open back.
_________________
There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com

[bluesman]

Well, I’ve searched for the best solution for 35 years and hope found it only 3 years ego after non stop experimentation in the studio and live.
Here it is
cabinet with TWO neodymium microphone capsules, permanently fixed in FRONT and far REAR (best sounded) spots of the speaker (sated in the studio).
TWO XLR mic outs with the toggle switch (you can send both mics to one XLR if required ).
On this pic speaker is 15’’ Eminence guitar speaker (I think it is LEGEND).
Here it is with the grill and the head, XLRs on the right side of the cab.

[frank0936]

When you mic front and rear is there any problem with phasing? BTW, Mine 609 is the silver model.
Frank

[bluesman]

No phasing problems, I wire them opposite to each other and test in the studio.
Here is the demo of this cab and head:
http://www.drika.biz/VC3.mp3
Also another cab 2X12 and two rock custom sig. head.
My friend Peter Wood plays the demo, SAMPLE 1.
http://www.woodys-guitar-world.co.uk/woodyworld/demo/tworock/trSig.htm