how to

How to Set up a Microphone with a Guitar Amplifier

Last Updated: January 9, 2026 By: Sean

Finding your tone on a guitar amp takes a while. That is why people refer to great tone on a guitar as “dialed in.” It takes fine adjustments on the amp, your pedals, and your instrument over several sessions to finally find that perfect sound. Once you’ve found that sound and you’re ready to record, the last thing you’ll want is a microphone or mixing setup that doesn’t communicate that sound your amp is making clearly. This guide should help you make some smart decisions about which mic to use, where to place it, and how to recreate that sound you’ve “dialed in” to your amp.

How to Set Up a Wireless Microphone System

Last Updated: February 22, 2026 By: Sean

Setting up a wireless microphone system can get complex if you want to do it correctly. With the recent FCC auction of the 600 MHz (Megahertz) band of frequencies, users of wireless microphones all across the country are being forced to reconfigure their wireless systems. The age of having the freedom to leave huge gaps between your wireless microphone frequencies is over as the amount of available frequencies has been drastically reduced. Because of this, it is important to purchase the right equipment and make the right choices when setting up your new system.

Microphone Recording Techniques for Popular Instruments

Last Updated: February 13, 2026 By: Sean

Recording music has become more accessible than ever. Whether you’re doing it yourself on garage band, setting up a home studio, or renting studio space, you’re going to need to have the same basic understanding of microphone placement techniques. No amount of quality acoustics or expensive microphones can compensate for poor microphone placement. This guide will help you maximize your resources and get the best sound out of whatever equipment you’re using. We’ll be covering in this guide electric guitars, acoustic guitars, electric basses, and some horns. For a more in-depth guide on how to microphone drums or how to microphone pianos, you can read those respective separate articles.

How to Microphone a Piano

Last Updated: July 20, 2025 By: Sean

As we continue our research and compile our tips and tricks guides on how to properly mic specific instruments, let’s take a look at one of the most beautiful sounding instruments in the world. Firstly, digital pianos or even MIDI keyboards with realistic-sounding VST instruments have come quite a long way, especially in the last ten years or so as technology continues to evolve. Now more than ever, a quality digital piano or emulated virtual instrument sounds and feels exceptionally close to the real thing. That being said, audiophiles and musicians alike can still immediately tell the difference between digital and acoustic pianos. Even in a controlled environment, pianos can be especially tricky to mic and EQ. Here are some tips to consider to try and attain the best audio quality when recording an acoustic piano.

How to Microphone a Drum Set

Last Updated: July 20, 2025 By: Sean

Although we typically provide guides to our readers on finding the best microphones out there, today we wanted to kick off our series of “How To’s” to help you actually use those nice mics you’ve purchased! Today, we understand miking a drumset can be tricky, and the setting in which you are miking the drums plays heavily into the proper mic setup. Whether you’re miking drums in a live setting, a garage, or a home studio, this guide should provide some useful tips for getting the best sound possible. There are hundreds of ways to mic drums, here are the ways I have found to get the optimal sound, organized by drum type. If you have any further questions, feel free to comment below, otherwise, happy drumming!