Recommend mics

[thejay]

For Vocals - I have been looking at the SM7B and the Rode NT2 - any thoughts? I do not want to spend a whole lot on a vocal mic but I want something that I can use that sounds great without a lot of extra processing.

For Guitar Cabs - e609 and SM57

Thoughts?

 

[jpdennis]

Well, I just found and bought an EV PL84 on the Musician Friends Crazy Deal/Stupid Deal - $30.00. I have an EV RE410 to compare it with and the PL84 was just as good if not better. I have some Shures but the EVs seem to work better on our board - not sure what that means since I don't set it, the soundman does. For the cab I use the e906. Read the Sennheiser comparison chart they have. For me the e906 seemed like a better choice when I was looking two years ago, but who knows today ...

Dennis

 

[D2dark]

For Vocals - I have been looking at the SM7B and the Rode NT2 - any thoughts? I do not want to spend a whole lot on a vocal mic but I want something that I can use that sounds great without a lot of extra processing.

For Guitar Cabs - e609 and SM57

Thoughts?

A sm57 and a pop filers!
You can do miracles with it and you already have it.

 

[TriAxis6]

I recently commented on vocal mics in another post, but I think I'd say the same thing here.

The mics you are looking at sell roughly for about $400 or so. That's a pretty good place to start for vocals, but you should NEVER skimp on a vocal mic, especially if you do not want to do too much surgical EQ later on down the chain. In the studio we have a couple of "go to" mics. Obviously the U87 is THE standard, but quite expensive. I always recommend looking at the Neumann TLM 103. Without getting too technically deep, it is a watered down version of the U87. New they are about $1,100, so try to find on used. I promise, you will not be sorry. The other plus is that if you record acoustic guitars, you'll never use anything else. I actually like it better than the U87 on acoustics as it is a tad darker sounding to my taste and I usually reach for it over the U87, unless the acoustic guitar is pretty dead sounding.

For guitars, especially crunch and overdriven source material, the Royer 121 was a game changer for me. The ribbon sound is warm, organic, and still BRUTAL if you want it to be. I am fortunate to have a matched pair in the studio and we use them live too. Every FOH guy that mixes us is wildly happy to see us bust out with 121's instead of the usual 57's or 421's. Actual FOH guy quotes include: "wow, these guys actually know about audio" , "Oh thank God...this is going to be easy", " Holy sh!T....you guys got two of THOSE...NICE!" :lol:

I used to use a combination of a 421/57, 414/421 and I had to fight to get what I wanted. Then there were the phasing issues if they were too far apart. I've said before in other posts that I must be the only IDIOT in all of "guitardom" that never dug the sound of a single 57. After I got the matched pair of 121's I've never looked back and I get an amazing sound quickly.

This is just a starting point, you need to consider the mic pre...this stage of the chain can color you sound as much as you plugging your guitar into a different amp. Getting the right combination of mic/pre is the silver bullet!

Let me know if you want me to ramble on about mic pres! :lol:

Best of luck to you my friend!

 

[soundchaser59]

Nothing like a good condenser or a good ribbon for vox. Splurge a bit if you can and get a cheap one (any Chinese budget mic will do) and a good one (AT5050, C414, etc) and record them both at the same time, then play back side by side. If you can't hear the difference, you should probably let someone else do all the recording and stick to your heavy metal guitar. That said, on a decent budget I actually prefer a nice large diaphragm dynamic like an SM7b for vox. The RE20 is nice, but EV mics do have a characteristic sound to them that you may want, you may not. But I've never had a Neumann.

My recommend is never use only one mic on your guitar cab. The E906 will squash the E609. I use the E906 and the SM7b on my cab, and it's much fatter and warmer than any single mic could ever be.

Mics are one area you don't want to cut corners if you have any hope of getting decent stuff. A voc recorded with a good mic and a good pre can almost mix the way it is without any fix it.

 

[TriAxis6]

Nothing like a good condenser or a good ribbon for vox. Splurge a bit if you can and get a cheap one (any Chinese budget mic will do) and a good one (AT5050, C414, etc) and record them both at the same time, then play back side by side. If you can't hear the difference, you should probably let someone else do all the recording and stick to your heavy metal guitar. That said, on a decent budget I actually prefer a nice large diaphragm dynamic like an SM7b for vox. The RE20 is nice, but EV mics do have a characteristic sound to them that you may want, you may not. But I've never had a Neumann.

My recommend is never use only one mic on your guitar cab. The E906 will squash the E609. I use the E906 and the SM7b on my cab, and it's much fatter and warmer than any single mic could ever be.

Mics are one area you don't want to cut corners if you have any hope of getting decent stuff. A voc recorded with a good mic and a good pre can almost mix the way it is without any fix it.

Nice post and good information, but remember the phase issues that can happen if the mics are not extremely close to each other. I've seen and talked to people that literally tape two mics together, side by side to avoid this phenomenon. Or, you might dig the out of phase sound too!

 

[Given To Fly]

For Guitar Cabs - e609 and SM57

Thoughts?

e906 is the way to go if you have to choose between the two. :wink:

I mic my Roadster with a pair of Shure KSM141's. These mice are more for acoustic instruments, classical music, etc, but they actually capture what the Roadster sounds like without coloration. I'm fairly certain this isn't common practice but I didn't like how dynamics colored the tone. I wanted to hear the Roadster! Simply put, I treat the guitar amp like an acoustic instrument.

 

[gonzo]

i have forgone mics, and use a Palmer PDI-09 instead.

incredibly consistent.


i have (2) Shure sm57's, AT4033, ADK Hamburg, Shure KSM44 that i will occasionally blend with the palmer, usually for room effect.

 

[nathan28]

I have used and own sm57's, E609 and the Audix I5. My go to mic has been the Audix I5 on guitar cabs and snare. Great top end and low end. It seems to have more bite than the Sm57 and more lows than the E609.