Steve Albini delves into the nuances of microphone placement to enhance the sound quality of speaker cabinets. By leveraging the proximity effect, he explains how closer microphone distances can boost low frequencies, particularly useful for thin or weak-sounding amplifiers.
Albini highlights that figure-eight and ribbon microphones exhibit stronger proximity effects compared to omnidirectional ones. He notes that large housing microphones, like those in ribbon designs, create a greater acoustic shadow, further exaggerating this effect.
For dramatic low-end enhancement, he suggests positioning a ribbon mic with a large magnetic armature close to the speaker. This approach can make an amplifier sound bigger and heavier. Albini's hands-on demonstration offers invaluable insights for achieving optimal amp recordings in the studio.