Audix i5 vs. Sennheiser e 609

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 6:33 am

Ok...so im looking to expand (once again) my studios dynamic mic's...right now im recording only with Shure sm57's as my dynamic mics....im looking for I mic mainly for recording some guitar cabinets but it would be a plus if it could record some drum tracks/ other stuff...
both of the mics cost the same (100$) any one had some exprince with one or both of them??
what do u say??

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 7:09 am

I have a e 609 and they work great for both.
also I use it for Acoustic guitars. very good mic.. and inexpensive...It would be agood addition...

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 1:52 pm

I too love my e609 on guitar cabs. I have yet to try it on acoustic, but plan on giving it a whirl to see how it'd sound on a snare ...

Jbrax, where did you place it on an acoustic and what sound did you get?

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 1:58 pm

about 10 ins directly infront of the hole used lots of gain

I liked how it turned out except for the fact the Guitar had a set of 12's on it and I think it would have sounded better with a smaller gauge set of strings on it..

The sound was very warm and not real bitey.

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 6:20 pm

I did a side by side comparison of the senn e609 on a guit cab right next to the sm57. The sennheiser just didn't sound as warm and was lacking in the mids.

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 7:29 pm

I have both Audix i5 and Sennheiser e609.

I like both dynamic mics but the e609 is very specific to micing guitar cabinets and it's kinda low headroom that a nice preamp with high gain is needed.

Audix i5 is a very versatile mic just like the SM57. I tend to prefer it over the SM57. Good for micing guitar cabs, drums (snare, toms), percussion and even vocals.

good luck with your choice.

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 9:12 pm

I own SM57, SM57 UnidyneIII, Audix i5, and used to own MD409, which is the elderly parent of the 609. I have listened to the 609 in a limited trial and wasnt impressed. It didnt exhibit the warmth of its parental lineage.

The i5, on the other hand, is a very versatile mic capable of quality reproductions of many sources, and like the 57 is virtually indestructable.

It is currently my go-to snare mic. For guitar cabinets, I am putting up the KEL HM-1 condenser. It is a slightly dark, clear, and accurate mic that can stand a good amount of db's and not break up. Theres a particular 'bloom' about this mic that seems to enhance guitar sounds.

Its around the same price as the others and has a trial with moneyback guarantee. Which you should not need to exercise.

For certain guitar sounds and snares that are a bit 'toppy' I still use the old UnidyneIII. Its a friend I've trusted for 25 years and I dont see putting it away anytime soon.

Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 2:30 am

Thank you all for your good respondes!...I think im going to go with the Audix i5... Wink

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:02 am

The E906 is a far superior mic to the e609 for just about any application. For the extra 100 bucks its absolutely worth it

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:22 pm

The i5 is great on snare (like DD said), and it works great as OH on kits in a live situation, much better in many situations where you'd normally use a 57 (including amp cabs).
I too, was not impressed with the Sennheiser 609. Just too one-dimensional. I like mics that do well in more than 1 or 2 scenarios.
The only Sennheiser that I thought did this is the 421 ( and the 441).

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:34 pm

ya i also have a 609 and its good for micing guitar cabinets. i think its all its all its really good for. i have yet to try it on and kind of drum application. :/

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:10 pm

The Audix i5 is a great mic and stands up to even the MD421 IMHO. I was immediately impressed when I mic'd up snares and even toms with this thing ...the quality/cost ratio is far in it's favor, a fantastic value.

Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:22 am

About a yr ago, I was buying a couple of SM57's and the guy said to me "man have u tried the Audix i5". Usually that means the guys hustling u for a low grade mic upsale.... yadi yadi yadi But "the guy" was right about the mic and in the past yr, the last 2 shows I played the sound guy switched the typical SM57 w/ the i5. I like to use it in tandem on my guitar cab w/ the SM57 on one speaker and the i5 on another. Lets say u tried doubling 2 SM57's, U would think that would be a wise choice. However, that only induces phase hell within the image of the track. But I find that combining the i5 w/ my beloved SM57 to create a nice low mid track to help support the sound. But if I had to choose between the SM57 and i5 then you shurely would know my answer. I like the senn e 609 too but i5 would be my choice between those...
Razz

Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:48 pm

for snare...AUDIX or 57...for guitar cabinet, 57...all the way, or with a 421 or a good condenser mic... Cool

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