Micing the strings of an electric guitar...

[snuffinthepunk]

do you guys, if you ever do this, mic them up while recording the amp, or do you have the guitar player sit down and play unamped after the fact? I've never done it, but it's one of the first things I want to try as soon as I get a chance. For strumming, that is...ala Incubus - A Certain Shade of Green. I imagine micing it up after the amped recording would probably be easier 'eh? Anyhoot, what have yall done like this? Thanks!

J

[Electro-Voice 664]

I've just put a mic up to the strings during the main take, this adds a cool string/room sound and keeps the strumming lined up with the amp's sound. Sometimes there is just a cool sound when the 2 are combined.

[mpedrummer]

I'd imagine that you'd need to mic it up while the initial track is being played, because otherwise it won't sync up.

Although, that would be a neat effect, so maybe you DO want to record it seperately.

MPEDrummer

[Kyle Motor]

I did that to great effect once on a chimey electric 12-string part. I also compressed the string mic a bit to get the picking to sound more percussive.

[mingus2112]

Tom Lubin did this in that old "Shaping Your Sound with. . ." VHS series. I kind of laughed it off because the track that he used as an example sounded horrible. I guess for a rythem type part this might actually be kind of cool and percussive. the example he had was a guitar solo. Worthwhile to watch, though, because Tom wears funny socks and sweaters.

-James

[cgarges]

I often have a room mic up on the guitar amp and I'll position the player so that a bit of the string sound winds up in that mic, or sometimes the strings will turn up in a vocal mic if the guy is singing and playing at the same time. It adds an extra bit of realism that I like. Sometimes I'll actually go for trying to get the string sound on it's own or I'll make a more concious effort to try to get the string sound louder in the room mic. The band I was working with last night actually suggested this on a song, although the results weren't necessarily cool for the part we were working on at the time.

To me, it never sounds as convincing if you try to do it after the fact.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[phantom power]

I know this doesn't exactly answer your question but it can be fun as a seperate thing too. Like just the mic'd strings/ no amp. Kinda mandolin'y.

JM2C (just my 2 cents; just made that up, I kinda like it... I'm kinda a dork)

-AE

[drumsound]

I did this on a solo a year or so ago and it was really cool. The player was using a hollow body and sitting about 5 feet from the amp which wasn't up too loud.

I only miced the guitar so the amp sound is totally just bleed.

Other times I've miced the amp and the electric guitar and it can add a nioce percussive effect to the guitar.

[janusmusic]

we just did it on bass..a 635a on the strings and no mic on the amp the 635 just picked up the amp in the room..kept the amp at a low volume. Sounds like an old slinky old time bass..

[madtho]

"Rise" by the Frames (from The Roads Outgrown) has great string noise. That track is Albini-recorded if that gives any clues to its production (oops, I mean engineering).

I've gotten great sounds from earbud headphones used as contact mics (funtak). Not realistic string noise, but great sounds.

-mad

[I'm Painting Again]

I will totally mic the strings on electrics for certain stuff..'specially with a hollowbody..I keep em seperate as to pick and choose levels and existance in the mix..

[timbertrout]

Check out the beginning of "If it Makes You Happy" by Sheryl Crow. It sounds like a typical electric guitar with a miked amp - with its strings close-miked as well, providing an acoustic strummy sound. The strumming pattern of the two sounds seem perfectly identical, so it doesn't seem to be an overdubbed acoustic (or unplugged electric).

Knowing that Tchad Blake had a major hand in the production of that record, I'd bet there was some sansamp involved too.

[JGriffin]

I did this on a solo a year or so ago and it was really cool. The player was using a hollow body and sitting about 5 feet from the amp which wasn't up too loud.

I only miced the guitar so the amp sound is totally just bleed.

Gonna have to try that.

[ChrisCo]

How funny!! I totally wanted to do that when I heard that album (ohhh so long ago). Memories!!

Somehow, I don't think that's 2 mics... I think the distortion is just a hair above a cracking point, run through a stompbox, and Mike was probably standing very close to the amp.

Either way, I wouldn't record two takes to get this sound. I don't think it would sound convincing if you're trying to make it sound like it's a part of the strum. The accents/dynamics/rhythmic variations and everything would be incongruent if there were separate takes.

My friend hates the production of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Although it's quintessentially the beginning of "NuMetal" sounds, I still really dig the production and the fact that it sounds so LIVE.

As opposed to now that I want to fall asleep to most of their songs now.

[snuffinthepunk]

My friend hates the production of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Although it's quintessentially the beginning of "NuMetal" sounds, I still really dig the production and the fact that it sounds so LIVE.

As opposed to now that I want to fall asleep to most of their songs now.

strange, I think the sound/feeling of the album is absolutely wonderful, in fact it is my favorite as far as production/engineering/mixing goes. to each his own, I'm glad you like it as well. I don't know if they recorded the strings on "a certain shade of green" probably not, the sound is probably coming from the hat bein hit with the strumming...but that's the general idea of the sound I'd like to get from it ya know?