Micing your amp is something that we all overlook. We spend countless hours and money finding our sound, so you want to make sure that it is authentically reproduced when you mic your amp. The go-to mic for most is the Shure SM57. It's fairly inexpensive as far as mics go and will always sound great. At the Journey Campus, we use Sennheiser E609's to mic our amps. They are around the same price as the 57 and are designed for guitar amps. Whatever you use, placement is key. If you put the mic in the center of the speaker, you'll get a very high-end, bright sound through the system. As you move to the outer edge of the speaker, you gain bass and lose treble. Most people will place the mic somewhere in the middle, right up against the grillcloth. You can also angle the mic, placing it towards the outer edge and aiming it to the middle. As with anything, just experment. Maybe stand out in front of the main house speakers and have someone move the mic around for you. Whatever you decide, mark it with tape on your grillcloth so you'll always know where to place the mic. Never just sit your mic in front of the amp. Even if you don't necessarily care about tone, that leaves the sound guy having to totally re-adjust your EQ in the house every week. You can also experiment with using a second mic farther away from the amp. This provides a sense of room ambience for your sound, better reproducing what your ears hear. Or, if you have an open-back amp, placing a mic in the back of the amp can get some cool tones too.
-Lance
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