this is your first mic ?

SM57

save up about $300 more and get a used R-121. (make shure you have a guarantee that it's good) You'll never regret it! It's could possibly be the only mic you'll ever want for ac and elec.

Got to have a good pre amp though. This is just as important for any mic/any sound source.

other wise a SM57 is ok, lots of different condensors can be pretty cool. With either of those mics be prepared to do LOTs of experimenting in mic positioning. Oh yeah, the first thing is to have a killer tone and killer player too.....

Good luck

sennheiser 421, hard to go wrong with that one and it fits your budget

or electrovoice RE-20, killer on guitar amps too

I've never had any luck with 57's, I just hate 'em

walaby wrote: Hello.
I'm thinking about buying a Mic for recording Instrument like Guitar-amp.
It could cost up to 400$.
Please can you give me some ideas of types and comments about ?
Thanks.

SM57-----or-------SM58!!!!
Ive used the 58 for yrs----------In my opinion-----its the BEST mic for live-or-recording!---------------------------The 58 has never-----ever-----------let me down-------------------.
Save youre 400 bucks for a good vocal mic!----- 8-) dont push youre amp too hard while recording(In my opinion)
Record at low levels to get the best tones dude! :lol:

If you have $400

Get 4 SM57's

As for comments

I have gone into the studio and gotten GREAT results with just one 57, this is a great mic for guitar rigs, to get anything close you will have to spend a lot of money

Plus, they are built well, proven technology and sound awesome, and can be used for many many applications, from vocals to drums, to, damn just about anything

For a studio, a SM57 is a MUST own

$400? a 57,and a cheap condensor, CAD or something like that. If you can't get a good sound with a 57 one inch from the grill pointed at the dust cap/ speaker intersection then there is something else wrong. Bad amp, bad cabinet, bad sound, bad player, etc...

I would get an SM57 or a Sennheiser E609. I've used the E609 a few times now on guitar cabs and haven't brought out the trusty SM57 for the last 3 sessions!

In all reality you are going to get a lot of people that say to get an SM57 with good reason. 1. It's an inexpensive mic 2. It sounds good with any application 3. It's built like a brick shithouse And the list goes on.

The Sennheiser E609 can be used well on quite a few applications, but being the same price as the SM57......you'll get more out of the SM57.

I'd have to disagree. I'd rather have one sweet mic than 100 sm 57's any day. I just tracked an acoustic tune last night, used the R-121 for everything. Ac gtr, male vox, shakers, tambos, djembe.. The Neumann LD tried to make an appearance but it never quiet made it. If I had about 3 more I think I could be VERY happy with nothing else. The 57 is a good mic, can't underestimate it. But I'll never use a 57 for elec gtr again. Also, sorry eddies880 but I think there's no sweeter sound than an old tube amp that's been on all day cranked way up. The sound of an old super or deluxe about to melt down is sweet. Plus I like how it smells too.. :)

How much does the R-121 cost?

When it comes to guitar amps....anything that is tube and cranked past 11!!!!! If you are concerned about being too loud then buy a Marshall Power Brake and you still can have the head cranked!

I would seriously try out different amps, cabinets, and speakers. Why spend all this money on equipment if the input isn't top notch? My 1965 fender deluxe (vintage not reissue) sounded like crap recorded through a certain celestion cranked. sounded awesome through this 1966 jensen c12q. I just got 2 vintage 1966 c12q's and they sound COMPLETELY different in different cabs - one in the deluxe cabinet and another in this marshall 1x12 cab I have. Finally, I have an old 4x12 marshall basketweave with greenbacks that sound SO FAR superior than this new celestion - the tone I get recorded sounds completely different. So just taking ANY guitar amp and cranking it, through any speaker, I don't think is the answer.

Also, if you're going to have expensive mics, mic preamps and compressors, why record a new guitar with crappy new growth wood, not so great pickups, not a great guitar cable, speaker cable etc. etc. You can also get vast improvements / differences in tone via the guitar, pickups, guitar cable, amp, and speaker cable.

R-121 about $1100. If you can afford it, GET IT. Awesome, awesome mic. I worry a little about damaging it's ribbon so I'm extra cautious, but *knock on wood* so far so good. If you get up to the $1000 range a Coles 4038 would be worth checking out too.

My fav cab mic has always been the RE38n/d. But good luck finding one.......
Actually, I'd love another....... anyone want to sell one?

J-3 wrote: I'd have to disagree. I'd rather have one sweet mic than 100 sm 57's any day. I just tracked an acoustic tune last night, used the R-121 for everything. Ac gtr, male vox, shakers, tambos, djembe.. The Neumann LD tried to make an appearance but it never quiet made it. If I had about 3 more I think I could be VERY happy with nothing else. The 57 is a good mic, can't underestimate it. But I'll never use a 57 for elec gtr again. Also, sorry eddies880 but I think there's no sweeter sound than an old tube amp that's been on all day cranked way up. The sound of an old super or deluxe about to melt down is sweet. Plus I like how it smells too.. :)

No porblem dude-----I own a Marshall----been using it live or for about 20yrs,so I know what youre talking about as far as the tube sound,there is no sound likei t----but the only problem Ive run into while recording with the Marshall cranked is that the 57 or 58 cant handle the SPL,Ive used a KSM44 that can handle it,man it sounds great!

J-3 wrote: The sound of an old super or deluxe about to melt down is sweet. Plus I like how it smells too.. :)

YES! The aroma of good sound! :lol:

BTW I'll put my word in for the MD421 by Sennheiser :!:

Damn, eddies your making a 57 distort.... holy loudness batman! I've mostly had experiance with my old 60's fenders. (super reverb 40 watts all tube 4x10" , Deluxe Reverb 22 watts all tube 1x12" and my little Vibro Champ 5 watts class A all tube 1x8" speaker.)

None of those could ever distort a 57. I just crank 'em up till they sound nice, throw that R-121 in front about 8" back, go thru my MP2NV and EL8x and its pure tone fiesta! Very litttle in this world make me happier :D . Even live I use my Deluxe and never have any problems. I put it up on a stand and have the sound guy mic it and put some in the monitors if its a really big place. That way I get the amp about to explode sound but at doable volumes. I don't how guys running 100 watt Marshall stacks can even use those monsters. Damn man, thats 100 watts, all tube! That is a lot of grind.

As far as the mic thing, a 57 can get great results. I'm shure the 421 is great too, its a standard. Also, I just saw the newest SRV DVD live and they had Re20's on EVERYTHING including Stevies gtr amps. Sounded great! The thing about any type of dynamic or condensor mic compared to the R-121 is that with the 121 you just pop it infront of what ever you want to track and it sounds gold. The others you have to do lots of experimenting with placement to get the desired results. Oh, and if your making your 57's distort then you don't want to put a 121 in front of that firebreathing amp either.

Right right, 57 is the standard.
Has anyone else tried a Beyerdynamic M69TG, or just me? I picked one up from a friend for $100 and I am liking it very much on guitar and for my live vocal mic. On guitar it seems to have an easier "sweet spot" than a 57, and it just seems to sound meatier and nicer overall. Maybe I just haven't gotten over initial infatuation with my new toy, but I think it is a great 57 alternative. Probably gonna try it for a snare or tom mic next too.
Anyone else got one?

personally never been able to get a good tone (for my application) with an sm57. My fav. is a c414. Lately I've even been using small diaphragm condensers on my blues junior. sound great. studio Projects c4- 300 bucks for "matched" pair.

I have to say, I really haven't got that "ideal" sound from any of my SM57's when I record guitar. I don't hate them, however I am very curious what else others are using to get an awesome sound. I get the best results with 1 mic up close and a condenser mic 2 to 3 feet back (or further for a room sound).
But I am to the point that I want to purchase something new (mic wise) and try getting a more "ideal" sound.

I would look into the Beyer M88. It's sorta in the ballpark with the 57 but quite a bit thicker in the lower mids and not as hyped in the upper-mids. I generally start with this mic on guitar cabs.

my .02
Chris

J-3 wrote: Damn, eddies your making a 57 distort.... holy loudness batman! I've mostly had experiance with my old 60's fenders. (super reverb 40 watts all tube 4x10" , Deluxe Reverb 22 watts all tube 1x12" and my little Vibro Champ 5 watts class A all tube 1x8" speaker.)

None of those could ever distort a 57. I just crank 'em up till they sound nice, throw that R-121 in front about 8" back, go thru my MP2NV and EL8x and its pure tone fiesta! Very litttle in this world make me happier :D . Even live I use my Deluxe and never have any problems. I put it up on a stand and have the sound guy mic it and put some in the monitors if its a really big place. That way I get the amp about to explode sound but at doable volumes. I don't how guys running 100 watt Marshall stacks can even use those monsters. Damn man, thats 100 watts, all tube! That is a lot of grind.

As far as the mic thing, a 57 can get great results. I'm shure the 421 is great too, its a standard. Also, I just saw the newest SRV DVD live and they had Re20's on EVERYTHING including Stevies gtr amps. Sounded great! The thing about any type of dynamic or condensor mic compared to the R-121 is that with the 121 you just pop it infront of what ever you want to track and it sounds gold. The others you have to do lots of experimenting with placement to get the desired results. Oh, and if your making your 57's distort then you don't want to put a 121 in front of that firebreathing amp either.

Hard to believe but true----------I not only overloaded the mic-----but also blew the tubes on the marsh :oops: ---Rookie mistake---it will never happen again.
I tend to not like the 57s high to mids reproduction of the amps tones.
Quick question------------------------who makes the RE20? :?

electrovoice makes the RE-20

btw steve lukather who happens to be an amazing player is using KSM-32's on his cabs ... might be worth checking those out

Mario-C. wrote: electrovoice makes the RE-20

btw steve lukather who happens to be an amazing player is using KSM-32's on his cabs ... might be worth checking those out

Whats the going $$$$ of the RE20?

its that guy again wrote: I have to say, I really haven't got that "ideal" sound from any of my SM57's when I record guitar. I don't hate them, however I am very curious what else others are using to get an awesome sound. I get the best results with 1 mic up close and a condenser mic 2 to 3 feet back (or further for a room sound).
But I am to the point that I want to purchase something new (mic wise) and try getting a more "ideal" sound.

Do you pan left and right at the mixer and use to tracks at the recorder? or do you center the pan and use mono (1track)?at the recorder

LittleDogAudio wrote: I would look into the Beyer M88. It's sorta in the ballpark with the 57 but quite a bit thicker in the lower mids and not as hyped in the upper-mids. I generally start with this mic on guitar cabs.

my .02
Chris

Hey Chris,
I would bet the M88 would be right in line with my M69 for the most part (maybe the higher SPL version?). Have you ever tried/compared both? I think my M69 is like a classier 57 or something. Pretty much how you described the 88.

You can spin that fuckin pan pot all you want but its not gonna improve the sound.

I like the good old SM57. I also think the MD421 is a good choice. On the condenser side I like the Blue Dragonfly.

I think if you get some kind of combination of an sm57, an e609silver, and a 421, you will definitely have the needed tools at your disposal. Definitely save up and get a royer 121 at some point, but with the aforementioned mics you'll have a very nice and versatile mic closet for electric.

I've got the e609 (new one for like $99) I don't think it sounds a whole lot different than the 57. The coolest thing about it (the only reason I kept it) is that you can hang a cable over the front of teh amp with the 609 attached and mic an amp with out a stand for live use. Studio obviously not. Live, it's quick, easy and takes zero room to put in a cable and the little mic w/out a clip. It great for guys like me who just need a little presence in the PA becuase of using low wattage amps live. (22 watt deluxe for rock shows) You can actually get pretty good placement like this if you experiment a bit. Works like a charm....

ROCK!

Kinda curious, has anyone used the E 906??? not the 609. The 906 is like 180 bucks, black etc.. Just wondering

its that guy again wrote: You can spin that fuckin pan pot all you want but its not gonna improve the sound.

So in other words-----you run mono?

I run a mic to a cable then I run it to the pre amp then I run it to the board then I run it to the recorder. Sometimes I use 1 mic, sometimes I use 2 mic's. That would be dual mono. Even if I panned them.

its that guy again wrote: I run a mic to a cable then I run it to the pre amp then I run it to the board then I run it to the recorder. Sometimes I use 1 mic, sometimes I use 2 mic's. That would be dual mono. Even if I panned them.

Got-it------I basically run it the same way (mono) but Il use the channels TRS send and return,to run it through preamps and or channel strips, I just havent tried using two mics (dual mono)---I take it you have to watch out for phasing issues

i am reading this too much that for recording guitar pluged in amp
using a mic is much better than directly plugging the guitar in the audio interface.

i asked in a thread that why is it so
i intend to buy a MOTU 896hd
and instead of an amp i would plug the guitar in the line 6 pod xt or any other effects processer that i have. wouldn't it work good.

if not than what's good in buying such an expensive audio interface
why not just get good preamps and and a standard pci soundcard.

You can plug a Pod XT into an input on an interface and it will sound good. It's all preference. A lot of people really like the results they get with their XT's, but I just think a mic'ed guitar amp sounds better. Sometimes if you mix both a mic'ed signal AND an amp simulator and it will yield great results. This guy says he recorded all of his guitars with a Pod...2.0 NOT XT. So I guess it's easier to get a Pod to sound cool when you're an ungodly good guitar player.

(Dead Link Removed) Clip is in post at the top of the page

I am with J-3, I have myself a couple of Royer 121 and the are just great and so is the classic SM57. Yo will not go wrong with those.
I also have the XT-pod which is quite good piece of gear. Again a good choice.
8-)

So I guess it's easier to get a Pod to sound cool when you're an ungodly good guitar player.

does it mean playing skill is important in the guitar recording to sound it good i.e unless you master the picking,arpeggios and sweeping stuff the sound of the recording wont sound good.

i am gonna check out the video link 8-)
and yeah JoeDj XT-pod is cool, i am studying it's handling though :lol:

It's all about touch. I record lots of bands and some guys can tune up their nice gtrs and crank up their nice amps and they just dont have the touch to make it sound good. Some guys do. This is all true for drums, bass, vocals (mic technique) everything. I have a guitarist I track often that can make a nylon string gtr sound beautiful but when he grabs my amazing sounding old Martin D-35 steel string it sounds like crap. Another guy can tune his guitar untill he's blue in the face and when he plays it sounds out of tune. He hands it to me and it sounds fine. I'm currently recording a male vocalist that can really use the mic and get some great tones.

As far as pod's etc. I've had some good luck but it still dosn't come close to the real thing. Why spend the $ on something that mimics something? All you need IS---inspiration/fingers/guitar/amp/pedal(s)/mic/pre/comp/eq/recorder chain thats all kick ass!! Untill then your just settling, IMHO.

yes i am getting the point now that its the sense of touch, i thought that they are talking it doesn't work well (effect processors and audio interfaces). as far as the real thing and mimics are concerned. i happened to listen to just a couple of amps 1 a Marshall brand and 2nd Fender brand i really felt a unique tone coming out of the amps which i don't get from the vamp2 and don't know about the line 6 pod xt much. So i think it is true that no matter how expensive the effects processors are they won't sound good as the original thing.

but the processors do have more parametric controls than the amps, processors can store many effects do the processors beat the amps somewhere in tone.

hassan wrote: yes i am getting the point now that its the sense of touch, i thought that they are talking it doesn't work well (effect processors and audio interfaces). as far as the real thing and mimics are concerned. i happened to listen to just a couple of amps 1 a Marshall brand and 2nd Fender brand i really felt a unique tone coming out of the amps which i don't get from the vamp2 and don't know about the line 6 pod xt much. So i think it is true that no matter how expensive the effects processors are they won't sound good as the original thing.

but the processors do have more parametric controls than the amps, processors can store many effects do the processors beat the amps somewhere in tone.

Go with the Amp!!!!.
Just mic it---and GET_ER DUN!---------yu may have to spend hrs on a single small lick or rythem,but place the mic where it works :wink: and get it done 8-) -----some compression and EQ------and of course a bitchen Pre always helps 8-) ----------dont make it more complicated-----------------------and of course -------------youre right :lol: theres no thing like the real thing 8-) :lol:

Audix i5 is the best mic for cabs i've used yet short of a ribbon!!! It blows the sm57 and e609 out of the whatever. I had all 3 and did a test run. The Audix i5 is the mutts nutts when it comes to recording Mesa Boogie rigs that are fully cranked. I've also heard it blows the 57 away as a snare mic. You can pick one up from GC for $99. If you are in Texas and tell them you are a producer you can qualify to be exempt from sales tax :)

I wrote a full review on Harmony-Central about it. It basically boils down to its much fuller, ballsy, and open than an sm57 or e609 which are very similar to each other. the e609 is only slightly better. they both have that lost in a metalic cave sound which the i5 thankfully doesn't. what you play is what it records with a little bass proximity boost the close in you get! Very natural sounding over all.