Miking up amplifiers on stage to go through the mixing desk to the Public Address system has always been a major logistical exercise, with switchovers and different bands requiring different setups. Then there’s the space effect – stands and boom arms appearing from every conceivable corner, not to mention the need for an army of stage crew. And that’s all before you find ‘sweet spot’ with individual amp face!

Now all that tiresome and frustrating procedure could be a thing of the past, as a couple of clear engineers at SamSystems have come up with ingenious if not simple – answer to losing all tat stage furniture. The Integral is a baffled, guitar specific mic encased and suspended within a composite hoop between the grill and speaker cone of an amplifier. Its angle and position have been carefully selected by way of various sets with different makes of speaker to pick up on the optimum overall ‘sweet spot. With a maximum depth of 11/4” and an XLR connection, it’s simple to install and should fit easily behind the grill of most guitar combos and cabs.

The mic has been calibrated to be quite bright in the mids and high mids when the mixing desk is set flat. A useful setting, as this allows the treble to be rolled off to taste. And of course there is still the option of mixing the Integral with an outside mic for extra colour if required.

At the time of going to press, the Integral is only available for 10” and 12” speakers. We’re left thinking… how come nobody has ever thought of this before!