how to choose cab size

  • Thread starter Thread starter bigchungusstuckinmymouth
  • Start date Start date
bigchungusstuckinmymouth

bigchungusstuckinmymouth

Member
im recording music in my bedroom. 1x12, 2x12 or 4x12
 
I've heard some insane recordings with a Peavey Bandit :lol:

Not sure whats best but I suggest to get the speakers moving in any case.
 
guitar --> audio interface ---> software plugins ---> DAW.

If he has to be quiet, this is absolutely a viable choice

But if he can be loud? It would be very beneficial for him to learn how to mic up a speaker like a big kid.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rsm
You can get great results with each of these sizes. I've used all 3 in different stages of life...iso 112 and a 112 in an apartment with the cab just in the living room, 212 when we moved to another apartment and I had a closet to keep a 212 in, kept using the 212 for a few years after we bought our house, and eventually started using 412s as my kid got older because noise restraints became fewer and fewer. Now I don't bother with any other cabs, just the 412s. But I still think back to some of my 212 experiences and those were always great. 212 is easy to stash in a closet if you need to reduce noise.
 
If he has to be quiet, this is absolutely a viable choice

But if he can be loud? It would be very beneficial for him to learn how to mic up a speaker like a big kid.

true if he wants to spend time learning how to mic an amp vs actually recording. (assuming he doesn't already know how to mic an amp).

getting good mic'd amp recorded guitar tone is an art itself, especially if you want to capture the live performance feel and nuances accurately.

also going to get different sounds from different cab sizes and speaker types so it really depends on what sounds he wants / what sounds good to him.

For example, I get sounds I like from my DSL40CR 1x12, and my 1959SLP full stack, but they're very different sounds, and how you mic each is going to be very different. Learning how to mic them to get sounds I like would take time, and we haven't even discussed different types of mics, and mic placement, etc.... it's much more work and effort vs "do it all in the box", and it's going to get polished during mixing and mastering, getting even further away from the sound in the room of a mic'd cab.

either way, I'd recommend recording a dry guitar track too; that can be re-amped / recorded many ways, and for multiple tracks, too.
 
true if he wants to spend time learning how to mic an amp vs actually recording. (assuming he doesn't already know how to mic an amp).

getting good mic'd amp recorded guitar tone is an art itself, especially if you want to capture the live performance feel and nuances accurately.

also going to get different sounds from different cab sizes and speaker types so it really depends on what sounds he wants / what sounds good to him.

For example, I get sounds I like from my DSL40CR 1x12, and my 1959SLP full stack, but they're very different sounds, and how you mic each is going to be very different. Learning how to mic them to get sounds I like would take time, and we haven't even discussed different types of mics, and mic placement, etc.... it's much more work and effort vs "do it all in the box", and it's going to get polished during mixing and mastering, getting even further away from the sound in the room of a mic'd cab.

either way, I'd recommend recording a dry guitar track too; that can be re-amped / recorded many ways, and for multiple tracks, too.

I assume he wouldn't even ask so general of a question if he already had knowledge of micing, but who knows?
 
Putting four different speakers in a 4x12 is the best thing I did for recording, speakers affect tone more than anything and the variety is wonderful
 
true if he wants to spend time learning how to mic an amp vs actually recording. (assuming he doesn't already know how to mic an amp).

getting good mic'd amp recorded guitar tone is an art itself, especially if you want to capture the live performance feel and nuances accurately.

also going to get different sounds from different cab sizes and speaker types so it really depends on what sounds he wants / what sounds good to him.

For example, I get sounds I like from my DSL40CR 1x12, and my 1959SLP full stack, but they're very different sounds, and how you mic each is going to be very different. Learning how to mic them to get sounds I like would take time, and we haven't even discussed different types of mics, and mic placement, etc.... it's much more work and effort vs "do it all in the box", and it's going to get polished during mixing and mastering, getting even further away from the sound in the room of a mic'd cab.

either way, I'd recommend recording a dry guitar track too; that can be re-amped / recorded many ways, and for multiple tracks, too.
I assume he wouldn't even ask so general of a question if he already had knowledge of micing, but who knows?
i wanna do it the old fashioned way, no amp sims lads. already got a sm57 and r121
 
true if he wants to spend time learning how to mic an amp vs actually recording. (assuming he doesn't already know how to mic an amp).

getting good mic'd amp recorded guitar tone is an art itself, especially if you want to capture the live performance feel and nuances accurately.

also going to get different sounds from different cab sizes and speaker types so it really depends on what sounds he wants / what sounds good to him.

For example, I get sounds I like from my DSL40CR 1x12, and my 1959SLP full stack, but they're very different sounds, and how you mic each is going to be very different. Learning how to mic them to get sounds I like would take time, and we haven't even discussed different types of mics, and mic placement, etc.... it's much more work and effort vs "do it all in the box", and it's going to get polished during mixing and mastering, getting even further away from the sound in the room of a mic'd cab.

either way, I'd recommend recording a dry guitar track too; that can be re-amped / recorded many ways, and for multiple tracks, too.
Not enough information - Depends what kind of music and how loud you can be
im currently using a peavy express 112 amp and when i use distortion it sounds especially horrible. this was recorded with an sm57 and r121.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rsm
im currently using a peavy express 112 amp and when i use distortion it sounds especially horrible. this was recorded with an sm57 and r121.


I would suggest that the issue is most likely the speaker more than the amp itself, if you wanna save cash you could swap the speaker out.

Still, a bandit is a very specific tone for a very specific thing - people love them for death metal, but from the sounds of your clip youre going to have to massage things quite a bit.

I would start out with a different speaker first - either swap the one in your combo (if you think the tone is close) or get an entirely different cabinet, especially if you want to replace the amp
 
  • Like
Reactions: rsm
I would suggest that the issue is most likely the speaker more than the amp itself, if you wanna save cash you could swap the speaker out.

Still, a bandit is a very specific tone for a very specific thing - people love them for death metal, but from the sounds of your clip youre going to have to massage things quite a bit.

I would start out with a different speaker first - either swap the one in your combo (if you think the tone is close) or get an entirely different cabinet, especially if you want to replace the amp
im planning on buying a jmc800 studio version. just unsure of cab size
 
  • Love
Reactions: rsm
Okay, if you're planning on getting another amp, 100% I would get a 4x12 - even with the smaller form factor of the studio head.

More low end in the room, more options when micing

The real question is which 4x12
was just gonna go for marshall 1960b. thoughts
 
Back
Top