Who still mics their cab?

i'm only using the mixes: good enought for great sound
and still limited with my fingers !!
 
I KNOW I can get better sound into FOH with an IR than miking my cab. No question of that, I tested extensively. For that reason I used to use IRs, mostly OH, when I was gigging really actively.

However, I found I needed to limit my variety of IRs and use ones that resemble the sound of my cab, otherwise I couldn't get the preset just right for both cab and FOH. Finding good IRs is a whole other rabbit hole. Shooting my own IR of my own cab is one way to eliminate the rabbit hole, but it didn't sound any better than live-mic, and didn't sound as good as the pro IRs. So the only real benefit to my own IRs was not having to set up a real mic\stand on my cab.

When my corp band started winding down and later ended outright, I've found myself more often in jam rooms than on stages. With gigs few and far between right now, and with new FWs and new UR IRs, etc, I've dropped the cab IRs outright from my (so-called) gig presets. Now when I'm dialing in live jamming\gigging tones, I just use my real cab and eliminate the whole IR variable. It's SO much simpler and easier, and if I score a gig here or there as a sit-in or whatever, I can always mic my cab same as I've done forever.

If I ever get into a steady-gigging band again I'd consider IR direct again because it would be more worth the bother.
 
Sharka said:
Yes. (For me) it's just easier.
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Now this I don't understand. How is worrying about mic placement, which introduces yet another variable into the equation, any easier than just unplugging the mic and plugging the cable directly into the Axe-Fx's Output 1?

^^^ well that makes sense.
 
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GreatGreen said:
Now this I don't understand. How is worrying about mic placement, which introduces yet another variable into the equation, any easier than just unplugging the mic and plugging the cable directly into the Axe-Fx's Output 1?
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Well.. I wrote two paragraphs why it's easier :)

I never worried about mic placement onstage, I just stuck the same 57 in the same spot on the same cone every gig. For a long time I used a combo amp with a threaded mic flange screwed right into the front baffle. Stick a mic clip and 57 on there in 10 seconds, ready to rock :)
 
I mic up cabs, I like having the comfort of knowing when I show up to a venue that I don't have to worry about explaining a FRFR situation to a sound guy. And often I play gigs where my stage volume is the house volume and I like having a couple 4x12s in those situations. It's just a work flow I know really well and is pretty safe.
 
Mainly I want what I hear through my real cabs to sound same FOH. Yes I know I could tone match cab. But don't have gear to do so. Miking is easy
 
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I did, religiously, until a month ago, when I got my CLR. No need now. What comes out of it is what comes out of the wire. 1:1, 5X5...
 
i run my Axe Fx through a Matrix GT1000fx and into 2 4x12 cabs just like i would if i was using a tradition amp head. i guess its mostly because I'm used to it.
 
Tremonti said:
Mainly I want what I hear through my real cabs to sound same FOH. Yes I know I could tone match cab. But don't have gear to do so. Miking is easy
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Nothing wrong with micing your cabs for whatever reason.

But using typical guitar cab close micing will not reproduce the sound that you are hearing on stage from the cab.

This is neither bad nor good. Just sayin' the close miced tone is not the same as the tone the player hears while playing.
 
barhrecords said:
Nothing wrong with micing your cabs for whatever reason.

But using typical guitar cab close micing will not reproduce the sound that you are hearing on stage from the cab.

This is neither bad nor good. Just sayin' the close miced tone is not the same as the tone the player hears while playing.
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Hell of a lot closer than any cabinet sim I've heard thus far.
 
Tremonti said:
Hell of a lot closer than any cabinet sim I've heard thus far.
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In my project studio, when I listen from my mix room to my amp mic'ed in my live room (aka garage but treated for sound:) ), the pro IR's I have sound better than my gear mic'ing up the amp.

My signal chain:

SM57 -> Avalon 737 Mic Pre -> Pro Tools

So I really can't get as good a quality mic'ed up with my setup than some of the IR's from FAS, TAF and Ownhammer.

For FOH, I really can't say because standing on stage and hearing the FOH, monitor rig and backline is not isolated enough for me to pick out exactly what the FOH signal all by itself really sounds like.

When I first went the IR route though, it does seem like a lot less low mids or balls vs. a pushed cab. But I've come to appreciate that some of the IR's are a very professional tone and don't need much from the desk in regards to EQ etc.
 
rsf1977_again said:
I mic up cabs, I like having the comfort of knowing when I show up to a venue that I don't have to worry about explaining a FRFR situation to a sound guy. And often I play gigs where my stage volume is the house volume and I like having a couple 4x12s in those situations. It's just a work flow I know really well and is pretty safe.
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In this day and age, no matter if one thinks it is "better" or not, its hard to image there are sound guys who aren't familiar with the concept of running direct to FOH. Maybe they don't understand the tech behind an IR and how it works exactly, but we've had modeling for well over a decade, and keyboards, synths etc for a lot longer than that.

If a sound guy can't grasp those concepts I don't think I'd want to run my mic'd cab through a board he's sitting at regardless. Probably a bit confused what all those little knobs and faders do.... lol
 
I also mic up my cab, used to use output 1 but our regular sound guy had some issues with levels between my patches. So to make things easier I use a mic (actually two, for stereo) and it was much easier. I do want to go back to direct though, more consistent and no bleed.
 
I used to mic up my 4x12 L&R with SM57s but i got frustrated that in venues where i was forced to play at low volume, the sound going to the desk was suffering. So I shot an IR of my cab, and now i send outputs 1 L/R to the desk and outputs 2 L/R to my power amp and cab. Perfect. It means you control what is sent to the desk and can set your stage amp volume to suit yourself.
 
craiguitar said:
I used to mic up my 4x12 L&R with SM57s but i got frustrated that in venues where i was forced to play at low volume, the sound going to the desk was suffering. So I shot an IR of my cab, and now i send outputs 1 L/R to the desk and outputs 2 L/R to my power amp and cab. Perfect. It means you control what is sent to the desk and can set your stage amp volume to suit yourself.
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This is the only reason I would revert back to IR's instead of miking
 
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