New Music Gear Monday: SamSystems Integral Close Cab Miking System

Mic stands can be a pain because they’re always in the way. Whether in the studio or on stage, you can bet that the stand is going to be hit at some point and the mic will soon be pointing where it’s not supposed to be. That’s especially true for a guitar or bass amp, where the exact right placement on the speaker cone is critical for a good tone. And aside from marking the grill cover with unsightly tape, it’s difficult to ever get the same placement twice. Those problems can be distant issues though, thanks to the new Integral Close Cab Miking System from SamSystems, a setup that seems so obvious that you wonder why anyone hasn’t thought of it before.

The Integral Close Cab Miking System is a dynamic mic (made by AKG) that’s mounted in the center of a ring that attaches over a speaker in your cabinet. It will use the same mounting screws as the speaker itself so it will be solidly mounted in the same position after it’s attached. You’ll have to remove the speaker grill however in order to reach the XLR connector on the mic.

The mic is mounted on a teardrop-shaped center pod that appears to be looking directly at the speaker voice coil. Anyone who’s ever miked an amplifier knows that spot is rarely where you’ll get the best tone, but the System’s microphone is actually mounted sideways so it’s pointing towards the end of the speaker cone. This placement also allows the mic to accept a higher SPL level without clipping. The point is, the sound is the same because the mic is always in the same place, thus eliminating another thing to think about for the engineer.

The Integral Close Cab Miking System is available for both 12 inch and 10 inch speakers and will work equally as well on bass cabs as it does with guitar.

Price is around $149 for the 12″ version and $137 for the 10″ model.

You can find out more on their website, or watch the video below.

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