I am working on some overdubs and such for a project and I have been adding in some guitar feedback. Are there any considerations y'all take when recording feedback? Anything during mixing that is good for taming feedback? I am always curious how great use of feedback is done so it's not so piercing, but remains effective.

If it’s an open back cab then stick a mic at the back as well. Then blend the mics to taste at mix down. If both mics are equidistant from the speaker, then you will need to flip the polarity of one of them so that they are in phase. The rear mic will be very dark sounding in comparison the the front mic.

If it’s not an open back cab then try a ribbon mic off to the side if you have one, or any mic off to the side a bit. As always, mic position is what will make the difference here.

For reference, I recorded the feedback drone on this track with the two-mic technique:

I once recorded a project where I'd record the guitar parts, but afterwards keep the mics up and record crazy feedback over playback, just seeing what kind of feedback noises I could create with the guitar parts matching (so the tonalities are on the root notes of the song structures). Pretty useful because you can layer the feedback during mixing. It sounds good (to me) when you automate the feedback with panning, although some might find that cheezy. It's done on a lot of Hendrix albums.

I also remember I also achieved the feedback equivalent of "Terminal velocity" where it basically just sounds like really unpleasant vibration/ripping sound that will certainly peak out the mics. I guess if you have nice stuff you'd want to avoid blowing out your mics if possible. Best to read up on the specs of the mics and figure it out. Pretty sure many dynamic mics can handle crazy amounts of dB so some maxed out guitar amp feedback, as unpleasant as it is, won't do anything to your mics.

Yeah, but don't blow out your ribbons by running them too hot... or using the wrong cables. It can happen.

seby wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:30 pm For reference, I recorded the feedback drone on this track with the two-mic technique:

I really like that track!

VaticanShotglass wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 9:37 pm

seby wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:30 pm For reference, I recorded the feedback drone on this track with the two-mic technique:

I really like that track!

Hey thanks : )

RyanZ wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 5:38 pm I am working on some overdubs and such for a project and I have been adding in some guitar feedback. Are there any considerations y'all take when recording feedback? Anything during mixing that is good for taming feedback? I am always curious how great use of feedback is done so it's not so piercing, but remains effective.

Brick wall limiter!

Also you might want to move the mic back from the cab so your not getting any proximity effect. Too much mid garbage you might have to notch out later.

get a Metal Zone

Everyone knows feedback is hard to control. I like stacking overdrives, adjusting gain, pickup selector, physical position. Sometimes the Fugazi trick or resting the headstock on the cabinet to make the whole guitar resonate with the speakers is good. Sometimes fingering the chord that is the tonic of the song with it right on the edge of feedback with a lot of reverb can get a nice effect.... other times just a monotone high pitched squeal.

I've had good times at shows putting the pickups right against the speakers while the edge of the speaker cabinet incidentally frets random notes while the guitar is moved around. I oughta record some of that nonsense, but a close mic would be in the way.