JMP1 G12M20 1936V ribbon mic

[FullBend]

How's that for a cryptic title?

Got a Royer R121 ribbon mic and was noodling around with recording. Thought some of you might like to hear it. Nothing fancy, but it's the closest I've been able to come to capturing the true tone of these amps. This was my first go-round with this mic; I just found the sweet spot and hit Record. And this is only with a Firewire 1814 interface--decent, but not like a high-end preamp. Will probably be getting one, one of these days.

Volume on 6, Bass and Treble both on 9, Les Paul. Single speaker in a 2x12 cab. This is with no post-processing or effects of any kind, so it's a bit on the dry side (well, extremely on the dry side). To make up for this, I added some righteous reverb near the end, so stick around to hear that.

JMP1 G12M20 ribbon mic.mp3

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[Alpeggio]

That's interesting FullBend, A top flight ribbon mic. They sound rounder and fuller and I think tend to flatter a guitar amp because of the top end being less responsive.
I loved the tone with the reverb at the end, I wish you had added a little to the rest of the track, you know I do this to all mine although you could argue I'm not showing the sound of the amp which is dry. I just don't like a dry guitar sound.
Al

[FullBend]

Alpeggio, here's the same thing with some reverb and delay on the earlier parts. Not as good as the last thing (that turned out to be magic), but less painful to listen to than the original. I agree that straight amp sound is not altogether pleasing, but I figured it's the most honest representation of the tone, even though just about everything ever recorded is processed. Part of this could be the ribbon mic, which really does capture the exact sound without coloring it. I put the mic right in the center of the speaker, too. Just getting started with it, so off-axis will probably work better. This is all fun experimentation.

JMP1 G12M20 ribbon mic post-process.mp3

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[Alpeggio]

That sounds so much better FullBend, Great detail to the recording, but then if you had the mic on the dust cap, that's why. Its just that if I did that with my condenser mic it would be Too bright. I like Ribbon mic's and your's is a beaut.
Yes, keep moving it across the cone and record each position to compare. On my 1936 cab I have my mic 3 inch from the inside edge of the cab, but higher than centre. Your sweet spot will be different. Keep us posted.
Al

[Metalfreak]

It sounds great FullBend, even the dry part. Thanks for posting!

I'm still trying to decide which speaker to get for my JMP1. So many choices, G12m, G12m greenback, G12h (55 and anniversary)... Argh!

[FullBend]

Thanks, Metalfreak! I know what you mean about speaker choices--maddening! For the JMP1, I think the most authentic tone is with the somewhat pricey G12M Heritage 20 watt (which is what you are hearing in the demo).

Alpeggio, I placed the ribbon in the center because I had read it rolls off the highs, so I started off in the brightest location I could. Wrong, wrong. There are plenty of highs, just not artificially enhanced. I also was worried about sensitivity. Wrong again. The gain setting on my DAW was about the same as I use on my SM57, maybe even a bit less. I was after something that would accurately reproduce the tone, and I do believe I've found it (for a price....).

[ac/dcfan87]

Hey man, just heard your clips. Nice man. Although I do think that adding the reverb post process covers up some of the pitfalls, and I would rather hear the dry tone so you can hear what your playing and your amp really produce.. For me personally.. Also I liked the little solo at the end, nice vibrato on that high bend I like that! Rock on brotha!

Btw how you like that G12M bass cone, is it worth it?

[FullBend]

Btw how you like that G12M bass cone, is it worth it?

I wouldn't call the G12M20 a bass cone (although it can churn out plenty of bass, so you aren't far off). Maybe you are thinking of the G12H 55 Hz? In any case, for the JMP, playing classic pre-1975 rock, it's my go-to speaker. For the JTM with single coils, it's great as well. It will work with all the amps, but I prefer the V30 and G12H30 Anniversary for the JCM and DSL. The more I play these, the more I'm convinced you can get good tone from most speakers if you take the time to adjust your guitar and amp settings.