Joe Threlfall wrote
Subject: how to mic a vox ac30
Date: 12 October 2015 21:56:24 BST
dear pete(pete malendrone), i was just wondering in terms of when brian is recording in the studio why do you mic the back of the vox ac30 as well as the front? what difference does it make to the sound. i have used your technique that you use for micing brian’s amps live and in the studio. i use my red special replica, treble booster and a voxvt80 plus amp on the ac15 setting. also random question here but do you wear earplugs when being in the same room as brian when he is recording full pelt?? thanks for your time in reading this email.
p.s i saw you in gig mode in manchester at the queen an adam lambert concert an i noticed brian changed guitars during the guitar solo(brighton rock/last horizon) what was the reason he changed guitars to the greg fryer model?
p.s(again) brian was on form an you were on it with all the guitar tech stuff 🙂
Pete Malandrone replied:
Answers in order.
The SM57 on the back of the amp just gives a different slightly, more ambient sound which the engineers are able to blend (or not) with the front mic.
Sometimes it’s used, sometimes it isn’t, depending on what sound Brian has in mind on that track.
Do I wear earplugs ? Pardon………..
No I don’t. I’m used to dodging loud noises now. I wear ear defenders at rehearsal sometimes, otherwise I get a headache listening to that racket for 5 hours.
Either a broken string or when the pick up fell off mid solo, but I thought that was Sheffield? maybe not. Broken string then probably.Dunno.
Thanks. I might look like I’m all over it but underneath I am crapping myself.
Pete Malandrone
Queen Productions