The biggest problem with many amateur guitarists is poor tone, and that's the first thing you might want to correct before you start placing a microphone for recording. Get down and listen to your amp and guitar combination on microphone level - that is where the microphone would be placed when recording. Adjust your tone so that you're happy with it, but remember one thing: the low-end will be increased with a microphone placed close to the source, which is known as proximity effect.

Like any other piece of kit, the same microphone can give tremendously different results depending on how it is used. To get the sound you are looking for takes a bit of expertise and a lot of experimenting. Even the best microphones available can sound “boomy” and unusable if not used correctly.

So, is it an art or a science? A little of both, but often just a matter of experimenting until you hear something you like.

• To begin with, get a flashlight and press it against the cloth on your amplifier. This is to locate the centre of your speaker cone, once you’ve located the centre, mark it with a pen or some chalk. Next mark the edge of the speaker.

• Take your microphone and stand it perpendicular to your amplifier at a 90-degree angle and point it at the centre mark you made earlier, this is known as on axis. Do some recording and listen to the sound files. You’ll find that the sound is aggressive, tremble filled, and maybe a little harsh.

• Now move the microphone to the second, outer mark you made. Again, record some tracks and listen to the results. You’ll notice that the sound is a lot mellower than the first with less high end, however can sound a little dull or muddy.

• The next step is to do a third recording with the microphone boom moved in on an angle between the points you made, this is known as off axis. This sound is a mixture of the two, not as aggressive as the first however not as dull as the second. Re-listen to the recordings and see what you like.

From here it is really all about experimenting until something grabs you, use on and off axis positions, use different parts of the speaker. It’s important to get the initial sound as you like, as it’s something less to worry about later with an eq, as sometimes you may not be able to fix it. You might also try using two microphones on your amp - one close up and one farther back and mix and match the two. You also need to remember, when running your amp in a recording situation, recording it at the highest volume possible while still achieving your desired tone is really recommended.

But, how can you really blast your amp without annoying the neighbours? Well, let’s take a look at something called an isolation box.

Most guitarists know that to hit the “sweet” spot of your amplifier it has to be a fairly high volume, but the question is; how do you achieve those high studio volumes when you’re living in a house with other people or in an apartment block?

Well, there are a few different ways. One is to create some sort of isolation box and place your amp inside it. The other method is to move your amplifier to another room, or closet and deaden the sound with blankets. Personally, I like to have the best of both worlds and place my amplifier in an isolation box, in another room.

Below is a basic illustration of an isolation box. It’s a simple 4-sided box with all walls coated with acoustic foam, a hinged lid and small hole for cables. If you find the type of flooring you have (carpeted, tiled etc) is adding or taking away from the sound you can always stand the amp on a blanket or some more foam.

Construction Tips

Use 1.5" thick particleboard (as thick and as many layers of wood as you can afford). Some stores do not have 1.5" particleboard or MDF. However you should be able to 1" particleboard at a common store, call around to your local hardware store or wood yard - you’ll find many will cut the wood to your desired dimensions.

Make it around 6ft long, 3.75' tall, 3' deep - check what size is required for a 4x12 cabinet. Bigger is generally better as it allows you to use different or more than one amp, and also allows a lot of space your micing should you choose to use more than one microphone.

With any amplifier or cabinet you put in the isolation box you’re going to want to mount it off the ground. The reason for this is, some frequencies can be amplified through the ground causing the microphone to pick up the sound again. If you lift it off the ground a little you’ll hear a truer representation of what your amplifier is doing.

Both www.musicansfriend.com and www.markertek.com have a great selection of acoustic foams. The brand Auralex have some great offer’s offer at Musicians Friend.

Remember to drill a hole big enough to fit your cables through. As an added layer of soundproofing you may want to place a thick blanket over the entire box or place the isolation box inside a closet.