“In the Room” video series: New amp added - Freaking filthy Fireball 100

nightlight

nightlight

Well-known member
I started this series, “In the Room”, because one of the questions I always hear about gear is “What does it sound like the room”?

I use a Townsend Labs Sphere L22 mic in room mode to capture the sound of an amp in the room in these videos.

This is my latest - a VHT GP3 into a Mesa Boogie Rectifier Stereo 2:100 and then into an Emperor 4x12 with Eminence Governors and Tonkers. Guitar is an Aristides 060 in Drop D tuning.



I really love this power amp, and it pairs really well with the GP3, I think.

If you’re interested in other episodes in the series, here they are (I’ve posted them elsewhere on these forums before):

VHT Sig:X into Orange 2x12 with Celestion V30s



Mesa Boogie Quad into Rectifier Stereo 2:100 into Orange 2x12 with Celestion V30s



As I shoot more videos, I’ll post them in this thread.
 
How much did you experiment with mic placement? It can make huge difference…and changes depending on the mic pickup pattern.

It sounds pretty realistic but just seems a little too much low end.
 
Nice idea for a series, but unfortunately no single mic can capture what an amp sounds like "in the room," because humans don't usually have a single ear located in the center of their faces, which is how a mic hears things.

If you want the most accurate recording of what an amp sounds like in the room from a video, you'll honestly probably need one of those human head shaped stereo mic setups with the mics placed inside the head's ears. And you'll need to move the head around the room while you play because an amp's "in the room" sound is never just one specific sound. "In the room" tone is shorthand for "the entire spectrum of what an amp and guitar cabinet can like, depending on where a person's head is within the a room."

Good luck!

edit: true representation of room tone or not, that Quad sounds killer, wow.
 
TheGreatGreen said:
Nice idea for a series, but unfortunately no single mic can capture what an amp sounds like "in the room," because humans don't usually have a single ear located in the center of their faces, which is how a mic hears things.

If you want the most accurate recording of what an amp sounds like in the room from a video, you'll honestly probably need one of those human head shaped stereo mic setups with the mics placed inside the head's ears. And you'll need to move the head around the room while you play because an amp's "in the room" sound is never just one specific sound. "In the room" tone is shorthand for "the entire spectrum of what an amp and guitar cabinet can like, depending on where a person's head is within the a room."

Good luck!

edit: true representation of room tone or not, that Quad sounds killer, wow.
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It's not a conventional microphone, it's a stereo microphone.

I'm using it in 180 degrees mode, which means there is a left side and a right side. Granted, the mic isn't as big as a human head, but I think it does a good approximation of human ears.

I didn't move it around the room for practical reasons. One, I'm assuming an audience that is in one spot. Two, if I move the mic around, I'm going to get volume drops and the tone will change dramatically, which would not make sense if I'm trying to capture the amp, and not the room, if that makes sense.

I really can't think of a better way to convey "in the room" sound, as I don't think the technology exists! But if you listen on headphones, or even better on studio monitors, it really does capture a lot of that room sound. Which in this case also includes the ugly character of my room, since it isn't a professional space.

Thanks for the compliment on the Quad. Yeah, it's a keeper!

SpiderWars said:
How much did you experiment with mic placement? It can make huge difference…and changes depending on the mic pickup pattern.

It sounds pretty realistic but just seems a little too much low end.
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So the great thing about the Townsend is that you can change the mic pattern, the microphone and other aspects of the captured audio. It's essentially a linear microphone, but when you route it through the UAD software, you get all kinds of ordinary mics like SM57s and SM7s, but also really high end and exotic microphones like Neumann U47s and Telefunken ELA M 251s.

You can also do a lot of other stuff, like change proximity, reduce room sound, etc.

I had experimented with position when I did the original video, and so I have tried to maintain it for all subsequent videos.

On the low end: I'm assuming you're referring to the GP3. You would be surprised by that amp, man. Perhaps I should have cut some 100hz on the slider, but it sounded really good in the room.

Not to toot my own horn, but the recording is accurate to what I heard in the room, which was very chuggy and thumping low end. It's also Drop D tuning, so that might have contributed to the thud on each palm mute.

Perhaps I could have dialled it better, thanks for the feedback!
 
Btw fireballs are so underrated . Powerball too . Like after you record any other amp then record the fireball and place it jut underneath the main tone . It’s add a 3D Touch to the harmonic richness . A secret weapon for even rock not just metal
 
Techdeth said:
Good job bro . This takes time .
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Thanks, bud. It's just fun to dial the amp in, hit record and then just jam a bit.

My honest hope is that some kind some day is going to be researching high gain amps and comes across some of these videos. They're unlike most of the processed stuff on Youtube. The only editing I'm doing is adding a limiter in the mastering chain to ensure that the audio doesn't clip.


Techdeth said:
Btw fireballs are so underrated . Powerball too . Like after you record any other amp then record the fireball and place it jut underneath the main tone . It’s add a 3D Touch to the harmonic richness . A secret weapon for even rock not just metal
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I really dig this amp. The only other Engl amp I've tried (and own) is my Savage 120.

I know they're often described as sterile sounding, but I prefer the term "clinical". Sometimes that's what you need for a guitar tone.


WizardAmpIphoneClip said:
Fireball needs that presence up like in the vid. A little sizzle to go with how beefy they are. I liked mine boosted. Took like 2 minutes out of the box and set up to get a good sound 👍
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Yup, I messed around with my settings before shooting the video, and the high presence made the cleans really sparkle and the high gain channel purr.
 
nightlight said:


Time stamps are

Clean - 0.35
Crunch - 2.15
OD1 - 4.23
OD2 - 6.57

Audio is really low, not sure why Youtube does that even though I master to acceptable levels. Use headphones or raise your monitor volume.
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On OD1/Orange - Push your Bass, Mids and Gain a tad more. And Dial up that Resonance as well.
 
thegame said:
Since this is RT, I'd suggest renaming your segment "In the Padded Room"
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Is that why everything sounds like cardboard?

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