Hey man if you wanna record through your amp buy yourself a cheap irig and 6.55mm to 1/4 cable and plug it into the headphone socket on your amp to the irig and boom its not great but it works
Hey Rick I was a sound tech on tour with a major pop star who had Nuno playing in the band(crazy, I know). We used a 421/57 combination which was pretty awesome, and didn’t have to worry about babying the ribbon mic. We bent a couple z-bars to sit together between the head and the cab, same place every show to eliminate the mic stand fuss(although the 421 clip is a little finicky). The 121/57 combo is what I learned in the studio where I did time and you really can’t match the warmth of the Royer... but I wouldn’t take one out of the studio. Thanks Rick for the awesome stuff- you rock!
I don't see what is natural in any electric guitar sound ;c) By the way using this particular speaker with this particular mics placed in that particular place and feeding them into that particular type of mic preamp and finally mixing those ... all this is actually a tone of processing !!! This processing as became classic because it's a combination that works really well, but it's by no mean natural nor unprocessed. Just my 2cts...
@@lolaa2200 It's less about the actual sound as it is about the recording being transparent. Most people want their recording to sound as close as possible to the way it did live in the room, which is very difficult since the diaphragms in mics have mass and the other electronics have their own properties which will color the sound. So when someone says "natural" they mean it sounds like an electric guitar and not a recording of an electric guitar.
@@jacobbarber3131 But that's presisely done the oposit way here !! Both SM57 and the R121 are known to be the non transparent kind of microphone. Large diaphragme condencer mics would have been much more suite to get a transparent recording. What about field recording mics or even measure mics ? But those chosen here are at the opposite of the transparency spectrum. Then you feed both into 1073 preamps, those are preamps famous for how nicely they COLOR the sound, not at all transparent. I'm pretty sure Rick have some nice SSL or focusrite preamp he might reach his hand down to if he wanted a transparent recording. But he choose neve clones for a reason. What is shown here is the classical rock studio recording chain, it's not about sounding exactly like how you would hear the amp would you be in the room ! Not at all, it's about getting a classic rock sound. And yes it sound pretty damn good, that's precisely why it became classic !!!!! And moreover this might not even be the best guitar sound if you want just a guitar solo. It's one that is made to sound killer in a mix with a whole rock band. Why does rick use a low frequency rollof on the pre's ? To leave room for the bass guitar and drum bass to breath in a typical rock band mix ! A real electric guitar amp does have some subharmonics under 80Hz, but you don't want them to ruin the rest of the band. And you could go further up the signal chain, the choice of guitars/pickups, the choice of amp, the choice of speaker, ... Every pieces of gear shown here are all famous for the special coloration they bring in, none for transparency. All the gear/processing shown here are nowhere near transparent and that's precisely the point ! Talking about transparent recording in this particular case is totally missing the point !
I cannot believe that this clip is a NEW thing. I was like 'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE". The 121 and SM57 are such a great combo The 121 takes to EQ beautifully!
One of the best guitar tones I ever tracked was with SM57 and a Beyerdynamic M160. Similar to the 121, 57 vibe, but without the figure 8 polar pattern of the 121 picking up the room.
my solution for the dual mic on one stand is to use a "8"/20cm Dual Speedlite Camera Mount Tripod Bracket Flash Extension Bar,8" Dual Tripod Bracket" I found on Amazon. Simply a flat 8" metal bar with oblong holes allowing for 1/4 or 3/8 mount screws for the mic holder and the center attaches to mic stand. The oblong holes allow sliding to adjust the distance of mics from each other. Usually used for cameras and flash, but works nicely for a two mic, one stand solution.
Gerard Geer it’s one of my favorite documentaries of all time. I’m just wondering if Rick has any stories or cool facts about that period. Or if he met anyone associated with it.
I went to the premier of the Muscle Shoals film. Both Rick Hall and Jimmy Johnson were there and took questions afterwards. I asked Rick if he compressed and eqed to tape. He talked about compressing the 2 track master mix. He knew the owner of the local radio station. When he would get done mixing a single, Rick would take the mix down to the radio station. His friend would play it over the air for him. Rick would sit in his car and listen to what the station compressor was doing to the mix and then go back and adjust the compression on the master accordingly.
Here's what I love about Rick, Rhett & Dave when doing these videos, i always learn something...Not worried too much about recording as the frequency is less compared to live gigs. Hate direct to board from amp as your missing the sound of the speaker(s). Btw, both played so clean, so well done...
Amazing video! Rick was so lucky to have learned from Dann Huff. Huff is an amazing producer, session guitarist, and of course guitarist of Giant. Watching this video also tells me where the Dann Huff's sound was coming from, and it is an amazing sound.
The capsule in the Royer is in the middle, along the flange, while in the 57, it's in the bottom of the cap, about 3/4" from the tip. As such, to avoid the slightest phase issue, they should line up, leaving the Shure sticking out ahead of the 121 a little bit. Or so I'm told.
@@RickBeato Rick, it was in a Shawn Tubbs video where he uses both mics to record an amp. It seems credible. Are you saying the capsule is at the top of the 57? You obviously didn't have any phase issues either way.
So for those of us without a fully-stocked mic closet, the takeaway would be to setup a mic with a punchy sound and a mic with a smooth sound, get them in-phase, and blend to taste?
Another handy mic clip is the Fredman clip. It holds two 57s one on axis and the other at a 55 degree off axis angle. You can blend to taste. Really great for metal guitars.
Dude, just hearing these raw tones with miked up amps sound awesome (as opposed to all the amp sims/plugins we now have) - it's just a refreshing sound and tone
I went to the premier of the Muscle Shoals film. Both Rick Hall and Jimmy Johnson were there and took questions afterwards. I asked Rick if he compressed and eqed to tape. He talked about compressing the 2 track master mix. He knew the owner of the local radio station. When he would get done mixing a single, Rick would take the mix down to the radio station. His friend would play it over the air for him. Rick would sit in his car and listen to what the station compressor was doing to the mix and then go back and adjust the compression on the master accordingly.
I totally dig the mic'ing lesson!!! One little nit, that's actually "polarity" rather than phase. Although it is commonly referred to as phase, when the signal waveform is completely inverted, that's polarity. Phase is more subtle, referring to waveform differences of less than 180-degrees, which introduce a lot of subtle changes, particularly in overtone peaks and valleys. The distances are a lot bigger than most people think. The wavelength of A-440 is 78cm, inversion happens at 39cm. (try it with a point source, sine generator and a dead room!) The fun of mic placement is because these interactions become amazingly complex from a math standpoint and the ear is the best judge of the characters.
I have been using a moving coil, Ribbon and LDC tube blend for years. The 121 is the best ribbon for guitar cab, but any ribbon will do in a pinch. I add an LDC tube all the way across the room to use as a real reverb to be available in the mix. Track 3 times. 9 tracks total. Come mix time, pick two takes and two mics each take. For those who cant afford a 121, lower cost alternative are the RM5 ($350) and TMC-ACM3($150) that are the same general design of a ribbon mic. I don't own a 121, so I pick from the ribbons I have. Tend to use 4038 unless those are tied up as drum overheads. In that case I use a Velo8t or RM5. The TMC mic's are not best, but they also don't cost much.
Before anyone rushes out and buys the royer (a great mic that is often sought in matched pairs) please read up on ribbon mics and safe handling as they are different and delicate in some ways.
Rick heard about this around 2009, which was back then already the default how they mic guitars. So this problem is maybe 20 years old. But now, engineers answered the problem with a high tech clip. Just wow ;)
So, like, Rick discusses guitar recording techniques, favoring the Shure SM57, Sennheiser 421, and Royer 121. He showcases the Royer 121 and SM57 combination, highlighting their complementary roles. The Royer 121 captures the guitar's midrange accuracy, while the SM57 adds top-end bite. Rick demonstrates their individual and combined recordings, emphasizing phase coherence. He introduces a new mic clip for simplified setup. This combination retains the guitar's essence while capturing its unique character and is widely favored in the industry for its practicality.
Just wanted to say how much I’m enjoying this channel! You’re doing a great job and providing a great service. I’m s late comer and found you just recently through 5 Watt World. I’m a handful of years older than you, Rick, and can really relate to all of your stories and memories of the music biz ! You’ve put me in nostalgia mode. I’ve had the wonderful experience to have worked with some amazing fellow Canadian producers and at some of this country’s best studios, back in the day - Jack Richardson, Bob Ezrin at Nimbus Nine, Thunder Sound, Morgan Earl, all near the “beginning” of things, and Alex Fraser and Ben Richardson (no relation) at Liquid Sound and even Garth Richardson (Jack’s son!) live at festivals, all near the “end” of things. I stopped recording for $ about three yrs after Pro Tools became ubiquitous. Loving your posts! And look forward to my bell ringing! Peace
I have a old stereo Electret Condesner mic by Realistic that is powered by 1 AA battery. It is a cool and unique sound and helps avoid the phase issues.
The best guitar cab mic combination that I have heard is the 121 with a 47. The 57 sounded awesome on the tele in the clip, but what it did to the Les Paul is add the muddy yet fizzy sound that I don't like.
Sounds great, and very practical. Option 2 (less practical, but also sounds great): put the amps in a soundproof room alone with strategically placed mics around at various distances - mix the mics then overdrive the amps naturally instead of using a drive channel..............sounds fantastic, but takes a lot of time and gear to setup. Fun if you like a raw, truly "overdriven" amp sound though.
I don't have a 121, but I've been doing this with an AEA R84 and 57 and get great results. A little trick that sounds good to me is AEA on the perimeter of speaker at a 45 degree angle back towards the cone and 57 right next to it straight the speaker. Blend levels instead of EQ.
For home use with bigger amps, I recommend a volume pedal. A good volume pedal will keep your tone the same, but at lower volumes. Now that I found out how much volume can be reduced with one, I am no longer scared of how loud a bigger tube amp will be in my house. I will use a 2x12 Cab which is all you need for only small and medium sized gigs and if you are on a mic at bigger shows than you will be able to get enough volume anyways plus if you are too loud to fit well in a live mix than a volume pedal can help you not sound too loud. As to 4x12s sounding fuller, in a band mix I don't want too much bass anyways.
Vid is effectively a display of the mic clip and a couple popular mic models but brings up a topic that needs a lot more Rick Beato type discussion. Phasing of micing. I know a lot of what made Queen's sound was micing specific to the distance of the mic placements from the cone as well as the in and out of phase pickup selections on May's unique guitar. Ive seen an article about the May guitar but really don't understand clearly what is going on. In this vid you play 2 different musicians on 2 different guitars and play the recordings through the computer interface and the best I can say is that they sound different, maybe U like one better than the other due to my taste. But to understand phasing is a rich topic that a much longer Beato vid could expound on that could totally elevate listeners and musicians' grasp on tone and the capacity of making the sound they want. Effects pedals, micing, a listeners placement in a venue, a group of musicians such as a marching band spread out on a field. Its a huge topic and can make the difference between something sounding magical or muddy.
Search my cannel for a video called PHASE. I've already done it for people that don't mind sliding a mouse a couple of inches. Can you at least do a simple search of the term PHASE on my channel before posting a comment like this???? here you go th-cam.com/video/Kn8rvcOtmVo/w-d-xo.html
I use Focusrite Control to route my first two outputs through my third output, which feeds into my reamp box. I use the output preset in Focusrite Control called System Playback. This way I'm able to channel my stems through my reamp box but the problem is that I have to solo the stem Channel in Reaper and mute the monitor in my miced channels, otherwise the entire mix comes out of the reamp box and out of my speakers.
As much as I agree with all this, I really like the Sennheiser 609 and a Rode MT-1a on guitar. I used to 57's and and Nuemann stuff. The 609 doesn't even need eq's.
I concur! I recently purchased the Sennheiser e906. Its flat shape makes it ideal for miking amp faces (like the 609) plus it has a 3 position switchable sound character: bright, normal, dark. Sorry, but I had to send the SM57 into retirement... 😉
SM57 is the standard, it's the place to start. But it doesn't have to be the place to stop. Although i would always recommend someone starting from the ground to start with a 57. First learn the rules then break the rules.
@@tisbonus If you are a guitar player, pick up your guitar and play a few quick strums of G, then D, and then the top notes of G, then a full G with the following notes moving around in the bass: C, B (on A string) and G (on the E string). You're playing "Stone In Love"! :)
I see what you mean sir. But for me, I think hearing the same riffs on the different examples would have helped a little more. But I can hear what you mean. Thank you for sharing this 🙏
That Mic Clip is Genius but so simple you have to ask yourself why hadn't it been done before. It is not as if a dual mic set up is unheard of. As a future idea for a topic just how under appreciated Shure Mics have been lately. Just the SM 57 and 58 alone are worth a mention for live work. Condensers are great but are also Feedback Machines in a lot of live set ups. I don't record sound but I do help out with the Sound at Church when they get over their head with things like Mixer Repair, New Cables and Connectors, Getting rid of 60 cycle hum etc. Love your videos they are Great, Keep Em Coming. Thanks a lot.
Hi, Rick thanks for the info.but as anyone ever says that you need to go out training sometimes it helps with everything, look better feel better think better, more energy and don't worry we all respect you the most, thanks again.
I thought this vid would be about the same 4 chord progression that virtually every song out of Nashville pretty much about 80% of the time the last few years. Added to the autotuned/vocaligned background vocals that are sounding like a blaring horn of semi human voices and you truly have a sound that I would describe as " s@#$ stew". On another note, Rhett, nice playing, real real nice. Also, the sound of Hiwatt is absolute greatness here. I sure regret selling mine.
I use an SM57 nearly touching the speaker, and an AT4047 backed off about 1 foot. I pan them full left and full right, then I double it and pan the 2nd track opposite. It gives a huge stereo feild to the guitars, but the 57 keeps the presence and clarity.
@@RickBeato sometimes, yes, if the sounds are identical, I get some cancellation that cause a horrible 80's 'guitar recorded in a tube' sound. It take a bit of work to get the phase to work right.
Great information Rick and Rhett...I have a Shure 57 for recording guitar..."live"...from the amp...the other mics are pretty spendy for a "weekend warrior"...great to see Dave get in there and get it done...I am old school...and so much enjoy learning things from yous guys...cheers!
Great thing about your videos is that there are terrific little and terrific major lessons to learn. I’ve been screwing mic holders onto the boom of the mic by twisting the mic holder around like a mental patient - for years. Until this video it never occurred to me to loosen the fricking boom and twist the boom into the mic holder that’s in my hand. Don’t know if that’s a credit to you or an insult to me. Maybe both? You’re a blues, Rick, you’re a blues!
Hey Dave rocking the Thin Lizzy T shirt. Yes I am old school rocker. Thanks for showing us the Nashville guitar sound. Pure genius on the two mic holder. 👍 Unlike some things you buy at the store, you wonder how the heck it ever made it into production.
@@TheChadPad I thought he meant it as in the sound of money (rich)... I would imagine Chet would be pretty damn wealthy with all his accolades and involvement in so many projects/productions
@@charliedavis8447 You're correct, that's exactly what Chet meant. He said various different versions of the same thing. In an interview he once said, "It was the sound of money" but I also heard him say one time that maybe he took "the polish" a little too far on those records.
03:11 By the time you get up to 15kHz, the wavelength is only about 2cm, so it makes sense to get the two mic's diaphragms (or however they work) to be placed within that distance tolerance from the source to keep their outputs reasonably in phase at the high end. I liked that zoom practically to sample level that showed how in-phase the two mics were. I know the theory, but I have only one crappy mic :-) It is interesting to hear how you can use the subtleties of where the mics are in relation to the speaker cone, but where does that leave the venue listener 20 feet (6m) from it, and hearing the phase mix from the other three of a quad box? The 4x 12" speakers are, at 1Khz, messy distances apart for a wavelength of 13.5" (34cm), particularly if the listener is off-axis. Ah, the richness of the live venue!
I bought one of the new Royer R-10s because it is half the price of the 121 yet gets pretty close to the 121 tone wise (in my opinion). I record all my electric guitars pretty much exactly like you demonstrated, though: R-10 and a 57 through a 1073 clone (Warm Audio WA-273). I sure hope Royer makes a similar clip for the R-10, because the two stand struggle is real!
More recent “Nashville Sound” album: Dan Auerbach’s “Waiting on a Song.” If you haven’t listened to yet, give it a chance. Thanks Rick...great video from a fellow New Yorker.
That was amazing to see and hear. I love the reproduction of the ribbon mikes. It would be interesting to see how little a difference in positioning between the mikes affects the phase difference. BTW, I bought the Beato book the other day, it's going to take me a long way, thanks Rick.
that's amazing, i didn't know about the tradition of these mics used together but the 57 and 121 are the exactly combination i've used in my amp simulator (Amplitube) for years now just because they sound very good, ...i guess that's a point to the software engineers though.
Well I got the 57 part of the process right - I mic'd up both speakers of my amp, a 57 on the bottom right speaker and a Beta 58a on the top left speaker and when I put them together it sounded like HOLY FIRE. Now I know I need a 121 for my next album, this sounds crazy good
actually the VR's are more voiced toward old RCA ribon mics, the SE X1R while lesser overall quality mic(thought not a bad one) is more closely voiced to the r121 so it would be a better choice if you only get it for guitar recording.
Hey there Rick I don't understand why you need a double mic holder Use 2 stands on 2. different speakers You have 4 to choose from Love your channel by the way You made everything fall in to place when you talked about Pro tools And why does modern music sound not like music anymore Thanks for your videos Rick
nice combination, i didnt have the oportunity to use a Royer but one combination i love is the sm57 with a akg 414 maybe a more aggressive setup but it cuts nice in the mix
Got the Combo and the Clip - tried it this morning - as you said: KILLER! Thx for this great content of yours 🔥👍🏻🤟 always a pleasure to watch and a lot to learn!
May secret to recording guitar is just the SM57 in a standard 10 gallon fish tank. The tank is placed on its side so that it stands tall from the ground. The top of the tank faces and is pushed up close to the amp. Then, on a short desktop mic stand, the 57 faces the bottom of the tank. The tilt angle for the mic has to be pointed to the sweet spot on the bottom glass of the tank. You’ll know where the sweet spot is by listening for it because when you find it, it is so sweet!
Thanks but my iPhone pressed against my solid state Marshall will have to do for now 😂
and it's not even against the the cab, I bet
@@tehultimateshreddar it's on the table near it
Hey man get it done!
Hey man if you wanna record through your amp buy yourself a cheap irig and 6.55mm to 1/4 cable and plug it into the headphone socket on your amp to the irig and boom its not great but it works
@@nathanadnitt whats an irig?
Hey Rick I was a sound tech on tour with a major pop star who had Nuno playing in the band(crazy, I know). We used a 421/57 combination which was pretty awesome, and didn’t have to worry about babying the ribbon mic. We bent a couple z-bars to sit together between the head and the cab, same place every show to eliminate the mic stand fuss(although the 421 clip is a little finicky). The 121/57 combo is what I learned in the studio where I did time and you really can’t match the warmth of the Royer... but I wouldn’t take one out of the studio. Thanks Rick for the awesome stuff- you rock!
A $99 mic and a $1300 mic walk into a bar...
Got stuck together?
The third one ducks
I LOVE these organic, unprocessed, natural and classic guitar tones.
anthony silva TH-cam puts compression on their vids regardless of the quality it’s uploaded in
Jacob Barber I know
I don't see what is natural in any electric guitar sound ;c)
By the way using this particular speaker with this particular mics placed in that particular place and feeding them into that particular type of mic preamp and finally mixing those ... all this is actually a tone of processing !!!
This processing as became classic because it's a combination that works really well, but it's by no mean natural nor unprocessed.
Just my 2cts...
@@lolaa2200 It's less about the actual sound as it is about the recording being transparent. Most people want their recording to sound as close as possible to the way it did live in the room, which is very difficult since the diaphragms in mics have mass and the other electronics have their own properties which will color the sound. So when someone says "natural" they mean it sounds like an electric guitar and not a recording of an electric guitar.
@@jacobbarber3131 But that's presisely done the oposit way here !! Both SM57 and the R121 are known to be the non transparent kind of microphone. Large diaphragme condencer mics would have been much more suite to get a transparent recording. What about field recording mics or even measure mics ? But those chosen here are at the opposite of the transparency spectrum. Then you feed both into 1073 preamps, those are preamps famous for how nicely they COLOR the sound, not at all transparent. I'm pretty sure Rick have some nice SSL or focusrite preamp he might reach his hand down to if he wanted a transparent recording. But he choose neve clones for a reason.
What is shown here is the classical rock studio recording chain, it's not about sounding exactly like how you would hear the amp would you be in the room ! Not at all, it's about getting a classic rock sound. And yes it sound pretty damn good, that's precisely why it became classic !!!!!
And moreover this might not even be the best guitar sound if you want just a guitar solo. It's one that is made to sound killer in a mix with a whole rock band. Why does rick use a low frequency rollof on the pre's ? To leave room for the bass guitar and drum bass to breath in a typical rock band mix ! A real electric guitar amp does have some subharmonics under 80Hz, but you don't want them to ruin the rest of the band.
And you could go further up the signal chain, the choice of guitars/pickups, the choice of amp, the choice of speaker, ... Every pieces of gear shown here are all famous for the special coloration they bring in, none for transparency.
All the gear/processing shown here are nowhere near transparent and that's precisely the point ! Talking about transparent recording in this particular case is totally missing the point !
Someone went up to Chet Atkins and said, "That guitar sounds really good!" Chet put the guitar in it's stand and said, "How does it sound now?"
Nuff said 😎
Like a mic drop. With a guitar. But not dropping it.
He was the man
Chet Atkins: "When I was a little boy, I told my dad: "When I grow up I want to be a musician." He replied: "You can't do both, son."
Mr. Guitar🔥
Hands down my favorite mic combo of all time.
I cannot believe that this clip is a NEW thing. I was like 'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE". The 121 and SM57 are such a great combo
The 121 takes to EQ beautifully!
Try a single TUL mic…change your life😮
One of the best guitar tones I ever tracked was with SM57 and a Beyerdynamic M160. Similar to the 121, 57 vibe, but without the figure 8 polar pattern of the 121 picking up the room.
my solution for the dual mic on one stand is to use a "8"/20cm Dual Speedlite Camera Mount Tripod Bracket Flash Extension Bar,8" Dual Tripod Bracket" I found on Amazon.
Simply a flat 8" metal bar with oblong holes allowing for 1/4 or 3/8 mount screws for the mic holder and the center attaches to mic stand. The oblong holes allow sliding to adjust the distance of mics from each other.
Usually used for cameras and flash, but works nicely for a two mic, one stand solution.
Would love to see a video about Rick Hall and the muscle shoals sound.
I would love to see that, too!
Amen to that............love to see one on the Bakersfield sound, too.
For anyone wondering this, there's a 10/10 documentary on it simply called "Muscle Shoals"
Gerard Geer it’s one of my favorite documentaries of all time. I’m just wondering if Rick has any stories or cool facts about that period. Or if he met anyone associated with it.
I went to the premier of the Muscle Shoals film. Both Rick Hall and Jimmy Johnson were there and took questions afterwards. I asked Rick if he compressed and eqed to tape. He talked about compressing the 2 track master mix. He knew the owner of the local radio station. When he would get done mixing a single, Rick would take the mix down to the radio station. His friend would play it over the air for him. Rick would sit in his car and listen to what the station compressor was doing to the mix and then go back and adjust the compression on the master accordingly.
Here's what I love about Rick, Rhett & Dave when doing these videos, i always learn something...Not worried too much about recording as the frequency is less compared to live gigs. Hate direct to board from amp as your missing the sound of the speaker(s). Btw, both played so clean, so well done...
I could never imagine that Luke Skywalker's lightsaber sounds that awesome in front of a Hiwatt speaker.
Amazing video! Rick was so lucky to have learned from Dann Huff. Huff is an amazing producer, session guitarist, and of course guitarist of Giant. Watching this video also tells me where the Dann Huff's sound was coming from, and it is an amazing sound.
Giant's first two albums, Last Of The Runaways and Time To Burn were phenomenal. I have never understood how that band didn't become HUGE.
I saw Dan Huff play with a band he was in called White Heart back in the 80's. The he really took of with his band Giant. Great player.
He was also the guitarist on a lot of Unguarded.
i dug giant way back when
The capsule in the Royer is in the middle, along the flange, while in the 57, it's in the bottom of the cap, about 3/4" from the tip. As such, to avoid the slightest phase issue, they should line up, leaving the Shure sticking out ahead of the 121 a little bit. Or so I'm told.
Who told you that? I guess they’ve never taken a mic apart.
@@RickBeato Rick, it was in a Shawn Tubbs video where he uses both mics to record an amp. It seems credible. Are you saying the capsule is at the top of the 57?
You obviously didn't have any phase issues either way.
So for those of us without a fully-stocked mic closet, the takeaway would be to setup a mic with a punchy sound and a mic with a smooth sound, get them in-phase, and blend to taste?
Yes :)
Another handy mic clip is the Fredman clip. It holds two 57s one on axis and the other at a 55 degree off axis angle. You can blend to taste. Really great for metal guitars.
I cant wait till you get a Million Subs. You Deserve It. Thanks Rick.
Dude, just hearing these raw tones with miked up amps sound awesome (as opposed to all the amp sims/plugins we now have) - it's just a refreshing sound and tone
I went to the premier of the Muscle Shoals film. Both Rick Hall and Jimmy Johnson were there and took questions afterwards. I asked Rick if he compressed and eqed to tape. He talked about compressing the 2 track master mix. He knew the owner of the local radio station. When he would get done mixing a single, Rick would take the mix down to the radio station. His friend would play it over the air for him. Rick would sit in his car and listen to what the station compressor was doing to the mix and then go back and adjust the compression on the master accordingly.
This one video should be mandatory viewing for recording guitarists. That is the true sound of electric guitar to me. Great overview!
"at the end of the day 57 always wins" - Gary Holt XD
I totally dig the mic'ing lesson!!! One little nit, that's actually "polarity" rather than phase. Although it is commonly referred to as phase, when the signal waveform is completely inverted, that's polarity. Phase is more subtle, referring to waveform differences of less than 180-degrees, which introduce a lot of subtle changes, particularly in overtone peaks and valleys. The distances are a lot bigger than most people think. The wavelength of A-440 is 78cm, inversion happens at 39cm. (try it with a point source, sine generator and a dead room!) The fun of mic placement is because these interactions become amazingly complex from a math standpoint and the ear is the best judge of the characters.
Rhett is such a killer guitar player. Love that dude.
Rick, you're amazing. You've covered so much in the music industry. Thank you and appreciated.
I have been using a moving coil, Ribbon and LDC tube blend for years. The 121 is the best ribbon for guitar cab, but any ribbon will do in a pinch. I add an LDC tube all the way across the room to use as a real reverb to be available in the mix. Track 3 times. 9 tracks total. Come mix time, pick two takes and two mics each take. For those who cant afford a 121, lower cost alternative are the RM5 ($350) and TMC-ACM3($150) that are the same general design of a ribbon mic. I don't own a 121, so I pick from the ribbons I have. Tend to use 4038 unless those are tied up as drum overheads. In that case I use a Velo8t or RM5. The TMC mic's are not best, but they also don't cost much.
Try the sE Electronics VR1, it works better for modern metal mixes than the Royer R121.
Dang this was a really in depth video. Thanks man, always love your content! So helpful
Hands down my favorite youtube musician combination. Add Tim Pierce for the heavenly trifecta!
Some nice Rush/Journey vibes on that riff Dave played with the Les Paul! Awesome video!
"When I record guitars I always go with the royer"... just like me, because everybody has 1500 euros to buy one... second hand T_T
If only I had that mic clip my guitar recording would finally be the BEST! I've learned so much thank you.
Before anyone rushes out and buys the royer (a great mic that is often sought in matched pairs) please read up on ribbon mics and safe handling as they are different and delicate in some ways.
Rick heard about this around 2009, which was back then already the default how they mic guitars. So this problem is maybe 20 years old. But now, engineers answered the problem with a high tech clip. Just wow ;)
So, like, Rick discusses guitar recording techniques, favoring the Shure SM57, Sennheiser 421, and Royer 121. He showcases the Royer 121 and SM57 combination, highlighting their complementary roles. The Royer 121 captures the guitar's midrange accuracy, while the SM57 adds top-end bite. Rick demonstrates their individual and combined recordings, emphasizing phase coherence. He introduces a new mic clip for simplified setup. This combination retains the guitar's essence while capturing its unique character and is widely favored in the industry for its practicality.
Just wanted to say how much I’m enjoying this channel! You’re doing a great job and providing a great service. I’m s late comer and found you just recently through 5 Watt World.
I’m a handful of years older than you, Rick, and can really relate to all of your stories and memories of the music biz ! You’ve put me in nostalgia mode. I’ve had the wonderful experience to have worked with some amazing fellow Canadian producers and at some of this country’s best studios, back in the day - Jack Richardson, Bob Ezrin at Nimbus Nine, Thunder Sound, Morgan Earl, all near the “beginning” of things, and Alex Fraser and Ben Richardson (no relation) at Liquid Sound and even Garth Richardson (Jack’s son!) live at festivals, all near the “end” of things.
I stopped recording for $ about three yrs after Pro Tools became ubiquitous.
Loving your posts! And look forward to my bell ringing!
Peace
I have a old stereo Electret Condesner mic by Realistic that is powered by 1 AA battery. It is a cool and unique sound and helps avoid the phase issues.
Just got my first 121. Couldn't wait to try it on my Deluxe with a 57 and it did not disappoint.
The best guitar cab mic combination that I have heard is the 121 with a 47.
The 57 sounded awesome on the tele in the clip, but what it did to the Les Paul is add the muddy yet fizzy sound that I don't like.
Instantly clicked on the thumbnail as soon as I've spotted it on a main page, thanks for the showcase!
Sounds great, and very practical. Option 2 (less practical, but also sounds great): put the amps in a soundproof room alone with strategically placed mics around at various distances - mix the mics then overdrive the amps naturally instead of using a drive channel..............sounds fantastic, but takes a lot of time and gear to setup. Fun if you like a raw, truly "overdriven" amp sound though.
You’re the man to go to for a video like this so when I did a search in your video came up in the results, this is the first video I watched.
I don't have a 121, but I've been doing this with an AEA R84 and 57 and get great results. A little trick that sounds good to me is AEA on the perimeter of speaker at a 45 degree angle back towards the cone and 57 right next to it straight the speaker. Blend levels instead of EQ.
This is THE SOUND! Thanks and all the best from Poland! Mike
For home use with bigger amps, I recommend a volume pedal. A good volume pedal will keep your tone the same, but at lower volumes. Now that I found out how much volume can be reduced with one, I am no longer scared of how loud a bigger tube amp will be in my house. I will use a 2x12 Cab which is all you need for only small and medium sized gigs and if you are on a mic at bigger shows than you will be able to get enough volume anyways plus if you are too loud to fit well in a live mix than a volume pedal can help you not sound too loud. As to 4x12s sounding fuller, in a band mix I don't want too much bass anyways.
Vid is effectively a display of the mic clip and a couple popular mic models but brings up a topic that needs a lot more Rick Beato type discussion.
Phasing of micing.
I know a lot of what made Queen's sound was micing specific to the distance of the mic placements from the cone as well as the in and out of phase pickup selections on May's unique guitar.
Ive seen an article about the May guitar but really don't understand clearly what is going on.
In this vid you play 2 different musicians on 2 different guitars and play the recordings through the computer interface and the best I can say is that they sound different, maybe U like one better than the other due to my taste.
But to understand phasing is a rich topic that a much longer Beato vid could expound on that could totally elevate listeners and musicians' grasp on tone and the capacity of making the sound they want.
Effects pedals, micing, a listeners placement in a venue, a group of musicians such as a marching band spread out on a field. Its a huge topic and can make the difference between something sounding magical or muddy.
Search my cannel for a video called PHASE. I've already done it for people that don't mind sliding a mouse a couple of inches. Can you at least do a simple search of the term PHASE on my channel before posting a comment like this???? here you go th-cam.com/video/Kn8rvcOtmVo/w-d-xo.html
Rick and Rhett, the dream team
I use Focusrite Control to route my first two outputs through my third output, which feeds into my reamp box. I use the output preset in Focusrite Control called System Playback. This way I'm able to channel my stems through my reamp box but the problem is that I have to solo the stem Channel in Reaper and mute the monitor in my miced channels, otherwise the entire mix comes out of the reamp box and out of my speakers.
As much as I agree with all this, I really like the Sennheiser 609 and a Rode MT-1a on guitar. I used to 57's and and Nuemann stuff. The 609 doesn't even need eq's.
I concur! I recently purchased the Sennheiser e906. Its flat shape makes it ideal for miking amp faces (like the 609) plus it has a 3 position switchable sound character: bright, normal, dark. Sorry, but I had to send the SM57 into retirement... 😉
SM57 is the standard, it's the place to start. But it doesn't have to be the place to stop. Although i would always recommend someone starting from the ground to start with a 57. First learn the rules then break the rules.
4:16 Playing some spirit of radio but we're too scared of copyright demonetization so just strum it out!
@@joejoesoft I love this channel so much
Sounded a lot like "Stone In Love" to me.
"Spirit of Radio" and Aerosmith's "Mama Kin" had a baby - and then the Eagles "Already Gone" showed up at the end.
@@tisbonus If you are a guitar player, pick up your guitar and play a few quick strums of G, then D, and then the top notes of G, then a full G with the following notes moving around in the bass: C, B (on A string) and G (on the E string). You're playing "Stone In Love"! :)
I don't think Rick is scared of demonetisation so much as frustrated.
I see what you mean sir. But for me, I think hearing the same riffs on the different examples would have helped a little more. But I can hear what you mean. Thank you for sharing this 🙏
That Mic Clip is Genius but so simple you have to ask yourself why hadn't it been done before. It is not as if a dual mic set up is unheard of. As a future idea for a topic just how under appreciated Shure Mics have been lately. Just the SM 57 and 58 alone are worth a mention for live work. Condensers are great but are also Feedback Machines in a lot of live set ups. I don't record sound but I do help out with the Sound at Church when they get over their head with things like Mixer Repair, New Cables and Connectors, Getting rid of 60 cycle hum etc. Love your videos they are Great, Keep Em Coming. Thanks a lot.
An interview with Dann Huff as a guitarist would be great!!!
Hi, Rick thanks for the info.but as anyone ever says that you need to go out training sometimes it helps with everything, look better feel better think better, more energy and don't worry we all respect you the most, thanks again.
I thought this vid would be about the same 4 chord progression that virtually every song out of Nashville pretty much about 80% of the time the last few years. Added to the autotuned/vocaligned background vocals that are sounding like a blaring horn of semi human voices and you truly have a sound that I would describe as " s@#$ stew". On another note, Rhett, nice playing, real real nice. Also, the sound of Hiwatt is absolute greatness here. I sure regret selling mine.
I use an SM57 nearly touching the speaker, and an AT4047 backed off about 1 foot. I pan them full left and full right, then I double it and pan the 2nd track opposite. It gives a huge stereo feild to the guitars, but the 57 keeps the presence and clarity.
An totally out of phase.
@@RickBeato sometimes, yes, if the sounds are identical, I get some cancellation that cause a horrible 80's 'guitar recorded in a tube' sound. It take a bit of work to get the phase to work right.
Awesome videos dude! Always look forward to a new one
Great information Rick and Rhett...I have a Shure 57 for recording guitar..."live"...from the amp...the other mics are pretty spendy for a "weekend warrior"...great to see Dave get in there and get it done...I am old school...and so much enjoy learning things from yous guys...cheers!
Great thing about your videos is that there are terrific little and terrific major lessons to learn. I’ve been screwing mic holders onto the boom of the mic by twisting the mic holder around like a mental patient - for years. Until this video it never occurred to me to loosen the fricking boom and twist the boom into the mic holder that’s in my hand. Don’t know if that’s a credit to you or an insult to me. Maybe both? You’re a blues, Rick, you’re a blues!
Hey Dave rocking the Thin Lizzy T shirt. Yes I am old school rocker. Thanks for showing us the Nashville guitar sound. Pure genius on the two mic holder. 👍 Unlike some things you buy at the store, you wonder how the heck it ever made it into production.
This is the Beato I like. No bs, no belaying, get right to it!
The Royer sounds lovely. The combo is great.
Next time you try it, you should try turning the 121 around. The backside of the 121 is a touch brighter and it works really well on electrics.
More videos on recording/production techniques please! Much appreciated!
(Starts checking reverb for 121s used) !!! Thanks love these kinds of videos too!
Chet Atkins shook the change in his pocket and said,"...that's the sound of Nashville..$$$."
Basically broke?
@@TheChadPad I thought he meant it as in the sound of money (rich)... I would imagine Chet would be pretty damn wealthy with all his accolades and involvement in so many projects/productions
@@charliedavis8447 You're correct, that's exactly what Chet meant. He said various different versions of the same thing. In an interview he once said, "It was the sound of money" but I also heard him say one time that maybe he took "the polish" a little too far on those records.
🤣
My band and I make music , it’s surf rock and other kinds of stuff check it out
03:11 By the time you get up to 15kHz, the wavelength is only about 2cm, so it makes sense to get the two mic's diaphragms (or however they work) to be placed within that distance tolerance from the source to keep their outputs reasonably in phase at the high end. I liked that zoom practically to sample level that showed how in-phase the two mics were.
I know the theory, but I have only one crappy mic :-)
It is interesting to hear how you can use the subtleties of where the mics are in relation to the speaker cone, but where does that leave the venue listener 20 feet (6m) from it, and hearing the phase mix from the other three of a quad box? The 4x 12" speakers are, at 1Khz, messy distances apart for a wavelength of 13.5" (34cm), particularly if the listener is off-axis.
Ah, the richness of the live venue!
I bought one of the new Royer R-10s because it is half the price of the 121 yet gets pretty close to the 121 tone wise (in my opinion). I record all my electric guitars pretty much exactly like you demonstrated, though: R-10 and a 57 through a 1073 clone (Warm Audio WA-273). I sure hope Royer makes a similar clip for the R-10, because the two stand struggle is real!
And thanks for soling the tracks, so we could hear what each mic was bringing.
More recent “Nashville Sound” album: Dan Auerbach’s “Waiting on a Song.” If you haven’t listened to yet, give it a chance.
Thanks Rick...great video from a fellow New Yorker.
And the musicians on that record..wow...
So far over my head… But as always, immensely enjoyable. Thank you!
Was hoping to see Dann Huff. Dude rocks
Same combo for that Black album snare🤘🤘
Hell yeah, Hiwatt
That was amazing to see and hear. I love the reproduction of the ribbon mikes. It would be interesting to see how little a difference in positioning between the mikes affects the phase difference.
BTW, I bought the Beato book the other day, it's going to take me a long way, thanks Rick.
Heck ya. The royer site has this video featured. Great job Rick!
Royer obviously sponsored this video
I will be ordering one of those clips and watching this vid again when it arrives, I'm sure. More like this, Rick, please!
that's amazing, i didn't know about the tradition of these mics used together but the 57 and 121 are the exactly combination i've used in my amp simulator (Amplitube) for years now just because they sound very good, ...i guess that's a point to the software engineers though.
Well I got the 57 part of the process right - I mic'd up both speakers of my amp, a 57 on the bottom right speaker and a Beta 58a on the top left speaker and when I put them together it sounded like HOLY FIRE. Now I know I need a 121 for my next album, this sounds crazy good
Sweet Info with examples! A Golden Nugget!
Yes guys , this combination are excellent and for me it's Beyer Dynamic M-160 + Shure 57
The Beyerdynamic M160 + pre-neodymium era Sennheiser MD421 used to be the British music industry standard.
@@TheNocturnalEvil It's very good to know.Thank you.
Loved the guitarist's playing, riff, and groove. I can tell he can rock!
More brilliance from the only Beato that matters. Thank you Sir!
Thank you Rick for the tips!
I genuinely love your channel, bro... even though it sometimes feels like I'm getting lesson from a mobster!
He will give you a lesson that you can't refuse
I thought this was gonna be about the Nashville tuning! Have you ever experimented with that Rick? Great video either way!
Same here. :)
I believe he did a video on that a couple weeks ago.
Same :)
Me too.
I can imagine how much studio musicians in Nashville have to modify and reject so many riffs to avoid sounding similar to something we already know.
Great to see a tracking/production video again! ... very informative ...thanks Rick!
I do the same thing with a 57 and a SE VR1. Sounds fantastic.
actually the VR's are more voiced toward old RCA ribon mics, the SE X1R while lesser overall quality mic(thought not a bad one) is more closely voiced to the r121 so it would be a better choice if you only get it for guitar recording.
The royer on the tele alone sounds so good
love ya Rick and great info as always... but your equipment is beyond anything I'll have in my living room.
Great video as always Rick ✌️
Hey there Rick
I don't understand why you need a double mic holder
Use 2 stands on 2. different speakers
You have 4 to choose from
Love your channel by the way
You made everything fall in to place when you talked about Pro tools
And why does modern music sound not like music anymore
Thanks for your videos
Rick
You're amazing, Rick!
Rick, you should try Telefunken M80 in place of the 57, with the 121...
57 is the standard, the standard is not supposed to be the best it's supposed to be good enought in any situation and that's what the 57 is all about.
I didn't realise it was an advertisement. I thought it was a tutorial.
nice combination, i didnt have the oportunity to use a Royer but one combination i love is the sm57 with a akg 414 maybe a more aggressive setup but it cuts nice in the mix
Got the Combo and the Clip - tried it this morning - as you said: KILLER! Thx for this great content of yours 🔥👍🏻🤟 always a pleasure to watch and a lot to learn!
I love learning from you guys!
For me, I use the plug-In Amplitube 4. Most happy with the results. Number one feature: It's clean.
May secret to recording guitar is just the SM57 in a standard 10 gallon fish tank. The tank is placed on its side so that it stands tall from the ground. The top of the tank faces and is pushed up close to the amp. Then, on a short desktop mic stand, the 57 faces the bottom of the tank. The tilt angle for the mic has to be pointed to the sweet spot on the bottom glass of the tank. You’ll know where the sweet spot is by listening for it because when you find it, it is so sweet!
Great Stuff Rick. More great vid’s like this please.