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Chapter 1 Amps and pedals 26
Amp Designer microphone parameters
Amp Designer provides seven virtual microphone types. As with other components in the tone
chain, dierent selections can yield very dierent results. After choosing a cabinet, you can set
the type of microphone to emulate and can place the microphone, relative to the cabinet.
The Mic pop-up menu is near the right end of the black bar. The speaker-adjustment graphic
appears when you move your pointer in the area above the Mic pop-up menu.
Note: The parameters described in this section are accessible only in the full Amp Designer
interface. If you are in the small interface, click the disclosure triangle to the right of the Output
eld to switch to the full interface.
Move your mouse above the
Mic pop-up menu to display the
speaker-adjustment graphic.
Microphone parameters
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Cabinet and speaker-adjustment graphic: By default, the microphone is placed in the center of
the speaker cone (on-axis). This placement produces a fuller, more powerful sound, suitable for
blues or jazz guitar tones. If you place the microphone on the rim of the speaker (o-axis), you
obtain a brighter, thinner tone, making it suitable for cutting rock or R & B guitar parts. Moving
the microphone closer to the speaker emphasizes bass response.
The microphone position is shown on the cabinet and is indicated by the white dot in the
speaker-adjustment graphic. Drag the white dot to change the microphone position and
distance, relative to the cabinet. Placement is limited to near-eld positioning.
•
Mic pop-up menu: Choose a microphone model:
•
Condenser models: Emulates the sound of high-end studio condenser microphones. The
sound of condenser microphones is ne, transparent, and well-balanced. Choose from:
Condenser 87 and Condenser 414.
•
Dynamic models: Emulates the sound of popular dynamic cardioid microphones. Dynamic
microphones sound brighter and more cutting than Condenser models. The mid-range is
boosted, with softer lower-mid frequencies, making dynamic microphones a good choice
for rock guitar tones; useful if you want guitars to cut through other tracks in a mix. Choose
from: Dynamic 20, Dynamic 57, Dynamic 421, and Dynamic 609.
•
Ribbon 121: Emulates the sound of a ribbon microphone. A ribbon microphone is a type
of dynamic microphone that captures a sound often described as bright or brittle, yet still
warm. It is useful for rock, crunch, and clean tones.
Tip: Combining multiple microphone types can produce an interesting sound. Duplicate the
guitar track, and insert Amp Designer on both tracks. Select dierent microphones in each
Amp Designer instance while retaining identical settings for all other parameters, then set
track signal levels.