There are two types of guitar amps: electric guitar amps and acoustic guitar amps. Electric guitar amps have a tone that is shaped with a frequency roll-off above 4kHz to produce a comfortably distorted sound.
On the other hand, acoustic guitar amps are designed to have a hi-fi sound with a broader frequency range to naturally represent the sound of acoustic instruments. Acoustic guitar amps usually have built-in phantom power, so you can directly use the SEM-01 mic with them, for example, the Bugera AC60.
SEM-01 mic with them, for example, the Bugera AC60.
SEM-01 in the Bugera AC60 acoustic guitar amp However, it is important to note that not all acoustic guitar amps have 48V phantom power. Some only have 15V phantom power, and in such cases, the SEM-01 will not perform optimally, for example, the Marshall AS100D.
So, if you want to use a guitar amp to amplify your instrument, use an instrument/acoustic amp, as it has a broader frequency range, producing a more natural sound, in addition to the built-in phantom power supply factor.
But what if your acoustic guitar amp doesn't have phantom power, or you only have an electric guitar amp but still want to use the SEM-01?
Don’t worry, there are many stores, both offline and online, selling external phantom power supply devices. This device provides the 48V voltage required by the SEM-01 microphone.
External phantom power supply from Samson, S-Phantom
The prices vary, ranging from 200 thousand to millions. We recommend the Samson S-Phantom because we have tried it and found no issues, aside from its valuable price and solid build quality.
For acoustic guitar amps, you just need to set up as follows and adjust the gain as needed, do EQ-ing as necessary:
In electric guitar amps, of course, significant EQ-ing is required to get a more natural output, although it's somewhat challenging due to the limited frequency range of the electric guitar amp itself.
We hope this article helps. Success always and happy creating!
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