Scott Henderson Discussion

[dizzy]

Hey Scott

I am working on my live sound by running my amp into the Suhr reactive load and using wall of sound with a speaker like mine.
If you wanted to record your sound as close to what a listener would hear in a room what kind of mic(s) would you use? Also, where would you place them?
Thanks!

[Scott Henderson]

I'm a long time 57 fan - it's the only mic I use. I don't even bother listening to IR's of other mics - I think they sound terrible. In some of the Ownhammer collections, you don't get a choice of mic positions, but usually he numbers them - 00 being right in the middle of the cone, to 10 being out somewhere in the paper. I asked him if he had a measurement system for that but he said he just does it by eye with small moves. Most of the time I like 01 or 02, since that's just off center of the cone and that's where I mic my cabinet. In comparing, those IR's also sound the closest to my cab. He doesn't give you a choice of distance from the grille cloth, but Two Notes does if you're using one of their IR's in Wall Of Sound. I move the mic about 20 degrees off the cone and as close to the cab as possible. When I mic my real cab, the mic is one inch from the grille cloth unless I want a different kind of sound for layering - then the mic is moved all over the place.

[dizzy]

Thanks Scott

So this position applies to working on your tone for unmic'd gigs too?
Obviously the best way is to sit in the room with your amp but if you want to work on your live sound through your studio monitors is this how you mic it as well? Or wouldn't a full frequency room mic be better to capture how your amp will sound to the audience in a club? I trust your opinion,I am just trying to get clear for myself.

Thanks

[Scott Henderson]

My amp settings are a little different live vs. in the studio, because the mic doesn't hear what I do when standing in front of the cabinet. When close micing, it only hears a particular part of the speaker. I can tweak my amp at the house, but my settings change nightly with the venue - every room is different. I don't mean drastic changes, but a little more or less bass & treble, because some rooms are really bright or boomy. In big rooms, the audience is hearing the mic, not my cabinet, so I make sure to loop my guitar at sound check and go listen at the board, and tweak it if I need to.

[dizzy]

Thanks Scott

[countandduke]

I TOALLY get mic placement and the changes in tone that speakers, cabinets, etc, etc... but if you listened at the mixing board and your tone needed more bass, why not just turn up the bass knob on that channel? My guess is that it's because those eq channels have "fixed" bass response. Most boards have mods that can be adjusted but bass is usually in the 100Hz area. Can you elaborate a little Scott??? I think I know the answer but I'd love for you to clarify... is this also something you cover in your masterclass vids?

All the best,
Chris

[peter_heijnen]

A quality desk has one or more parametric mid eq's, those should be able to do the job if you want to tune in at any specific -low- region. However, if you can get it right without eq'ing, it's better because it is natural.

[Scott Henderson]

I never need to add bass - I use a 4x12 sitting on the floor. If I have to play a boomy venue I can turn the bass down from 2 to 1, or off. I never use much bass on my amp. If I need treble, I can add some from the amp, but I can't turn it down because the amp will loose it's clarity, so that's when I need to cut highs at the board - somewhere between 5 and 10k.