Post by skinvoyager on Jan 18, 2013 7:47:01 GMT -7
Over the past few months I've been seriously experimenting with mics. This is another area I've nearly ignored over the past 20 years. We spend all this time working on our perfect tone, then we leave it in the hands of the soundman, usually with less than ideal results in my experience. It's been frustrating.
I think I found the answer with the Radial JDX Reactor. I'm not associated with JDX in any way, but I love this thing. It's an active direct box that goes in line between your amp output and speaker, and gives speaker emulation that in my opinion sounds better than a mic (at least my 57, Beta 57 and e609).
I had tried the Red Box in the past, but it didn't do it for me. It sounded too exaggerated. I had the M12 in a separate room, and I monitored my tone through a powered PA cabinet using three different mics and the JDX. In a blind test, I picked the JDX hands down. Because there's no bleed, it sounds like a studio recording, and mic placement and movement is a non-issue.
I think it's a really great match for the M12 due to it's low wattage. I like it so much I "modded" my amp. I took the lower back panel off the amp and made a replacement panel out of pine. I strapped the JDX on to it with zip ties, and installed an XLR jack into the panel (which in turn feeds the JDX). Inside the amp I mounted a power strip using Velcro, and the AC adapter for the JDX sits in there (and that's where I plug the M12 into as well). At showtime, I simply plug the power strip AC cord into an outlet and put a mic cable directly into the panel on the amp and I'm done. It sounds amazing.
This also keeps me from obsessing over speakers, and questioning if I need to try something new, because the speaker isn't mic'ed. It's really just there to make sound on stage, and the stock Greenback sounds just fine.
I know this is not a traditional approach, but I've been traditional for decades and I was never satisfied. Of course, you can still mic the amp and combine it with the JDX signal. I may try that this weekend.
I think I found the answer with the Radial JDX Reactor. I'm not associated with JDX in any way, but I love this thing. It's an active direct box that goes in line between your amp output and speaker, and gives speaker emulation that in my opinion sounds better than a mic (at least my 57, Beta 57 and e609).
I had tried the Red Box in the past, but it didn't do it for me. It sounded too exaggerated. I had the M12 in a separate room, and I monitored my tone through a powered PA cabinet using three different mics and the JDX. In a blind test, I picked the JDX hands down. Because there's no bleed, it sounds like a studio recording, and mic placement and movement is a non-issue.
I think it's a really great match for the M12 due to it's low wattage. I like it so much I "modded" my amp. I took the lower back panel off the amp and made a replacement panel out of pine. I strapped the JDX on to it with zip ties, and installed an XLR jack into the panel (which in turn feeds the JDX). Inside the amp I mounted a power strip using Velcro, and the AC adapter for the JDX sits in there (and that's where I plug the M12 into as well). At showtime, I simply plug the power strip AC cord into an outlet and put a mic cable directly into the panel on the amp and I'm done. It sounds amazing.
This also keeps me from obsessing over speakers, and questioning if I need to try something new, because the speaker isn't mic'ed. It's really just there to make sound on stage, and the stock Greenback sounds just fine.
I know this is not a traditional approach, but I've been traditional for decades and I was never satisfied. Of course, you can still mic the amp and combine it with the JDX signal. I may try that this weekend.