I'm an amp mic'ing NOOB, plz point me in the right direction

[rockskate4x]

I'd like to get a mic for sending the the sound of my guitar amp to the board for gigs or for recording as I break free from the cocoon of bedroom playing. I was looking at sm57's I've pretty consistently seen these go for around $100, and I am wondering if there are other good mic's for this application that maybe cost a little less (college student). What do you guys recommend?

 

[mayfly]

I'd like to get a mic for sending the the sound of my guitar amp to the board for gigs or for recording as I break free from the cocoon of bedroom playing. I was looking at sm57's I've pretty consistently seen these go for around $100, and I am wondering if there are other good mic's for this application that maybe cost a little less (college student). What do you guys recommend?

Sorry to be a jerk, but the SM57 already is a poor man's mic.  A used price of $100 is not unreasonable - hell I paid that 20 years ago when I was a student.

 

[OzziePete]

I'd like to get a mic for sending the the sound of my guitar amp to the board for gigs or for recording as I break free from the cocoon of bedroom playing. I was looking at sm57's I've pretty consistently seen these go for around $100, and I am wondering if there are other good mic's for this application that maybe cost a little less (college student). What do you guys recommend?

Sorry to be a jerk, but the SM57 already is a poor man's mic.  A used price of $100 is not unreasonable - hell I paid that 20 years ago when I was a student.

LOL I was thinking along those lines too. I would suggest that anything less than a SM57 would be playing with fire, unless you really can pull a decent sound replication from something cheaper. Most folks don't have the time to trial numerous cheaper mics and would instead stump up the money for a SM57 knowing that the sound it would give is workable. I was going to suggest looking at SM57 lookalikes , but they wouldn't be much cheaper than the genuine article & may give you a far lesser quality sound. :dontknow:

Maybe Chinese made Behringer mics might be something to look at, I only hope my mere mention of that manufacturer here doesn't invoke a flame war or me being banned from this forum!

 

[Superlizard]

Keep in mind the SM57 has an upper-midrange "hump" which may or may not be desirable.

 

[AndyG]

I know I'm in the minority, but I personally have never liked the 57 as a guitar amp mic.  I prefer using them on snare drums.
There are mics by AKG, Sennhieser, and CAD that can be had for less money, and IMHO sound better.
If you can find one cheap (best of luck), the Sennhieser 421 is the best sounding guitar amp mic there is, again IMHO.  If around $100 is your budget, go for the Sennhieser e609 .... a much nicer sounding mic than the 57.
For recording, I always double-mic the cabinet ... one condensor and one dynamic.  For live, the dynamic mic is almost indestructable, so it is the obvious choice.

 

[Justinginn]

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXL-990MXL-991-Recording-Microphone-Package?sku=273166

These guys are condensers so they're pretty fragile live (don't use them as hammers) but they're the two I normally end up using to mic amps, the big one in the middle, the small one on the side, pointed a in and down a little. Sounds pretty good. The big one's also a passable vocal mic (probably not live.... lol) and either can mike an acoustic with pretty good results.

I will ask though, where are you ever gonna play that doesn't have a SM57 or similar for you to use?  :icon_scratch:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Carvin has an SM57 knockoff.  $79.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=M67&cid=34

 

[taez555]

If you ask a 100 pro engineers what the one mic they couldn't live without for under a $1000.00 is, 99 out of 100 will probably tell you the SM57.

I've got a bunch of mics, 10 times more expensive than the sm57, and yet it still holds it's own with the big boys.   Sure it's got it's own unique voice, and I think a lot of people don't understand it at first because it may not reproduce (in your mind) what you want to hear when you first mic it up.  But once you get it in the mix it really cuts very well, and gives a very exact representation of what you want to hear.  I kind of look at as the tube screamer of mics.  

Plus, you can get it for less than $100.  I've never seen it for more that $99.   Here's some new and used prices for less than $70....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Foffer-listing%2FB0000AQRST%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Ddp_olp_new%26condition%3Dnew&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957

You can get stuff cheaper, but imo it's really not worth it, especially if you're doing live stuff.   The 57 can take a beating better than any mic out there.  Hit it with a drum stick, drop it in a beer, etc.  It'll keep working no matter what.

It's just a good all around mic.

 

[AndyG]

If you ask a 100 pro engineers what the one mic they couldn't live without for under a $1000.00 is, 99 out of 100 will probably tell you the SM57.

I've got a bunch of mics, 10 times more expensive than the sm57, and yet it still holds it's own with the big boys.   Sure it's got it's own unique voice, and I think a lot of people don't understand it at first because it may not reproduce (in your mind) what you want to hear when you first mic it up.  But once you get it in the mix it really cuts very well, and gives a very exact representation of what you want to hear.  I kind of look at as the tube screamer of mics.  

You bring up an interesting point, and in doing so explain why I do not like the 57 as an amp mic ....
When I record a guitar player, I walk into the room and listen to the tone he/she is getting from the amp.  My job is to capture exactly that (well, for the most part .... there are exceptions to that rule).  I have always found that with a 57, you have to compinsate somewhere.  Don't get me wrong, I know that there have been thousands of albums recorded with 57s in front of the cabinet.  If you like that tone, great.  However, I have never had a problem getting guitar tracks to fit into a mix using other mics.  All boils down to personal choice.
Allthough I do have to agree that the 57 will pretty much stand up to anything short of a thermonuclear explosion!!!  :headbang1:

 

[rockskate4x]

Ok, so I don't exactly know what I'm talking about when it comes to mic'ing amps yet... I'm just looking for a good FIRST microphone, and if it helps, I will mostly be using for live applications. All this doubling mic kind of talk is exciting and all, but I'm just looking to start out here, I can add a second mic later. What single mic would you suggest? So sm57 or no, where's a good place to start?

 

[AndyG]

Ok, so I don't exactly know what I'm talking about when it comes to mic'ing amps yet... I'm just looking for a good FIRST microphone, and if it helps, I will mostly be using for live applications. All this doubling mic kind of talk is exciting and all, but I'm just looking to start out here, I can add a second mic later. What single mic would you suggest? So sm57 or no, where's a good place to start?

My personal preferences aside, you will NOT go wrong with a 57.  However, my view is that the Sennhieser e609 is a better mic for about the same price.
At the end of the day, you can stick a $30.00 Radio Shack highball in front of the cabinet, and it will do what you ask .... pick up the sound to send to a mixer.  Your ear will be the ultimate judge of what you like or don't like.  For live situations, a dynamic mic is more reliable.  In recording situations, the microphone becomes more of a microSCOPE on your tone, because there are usually very few things out of your control.
If I were you, I wouldn't worry much about a mic for live; as it was mentioned there are very few places you will play where you will need your own mic.  The e609 is a great, versitile mic for recording, once again, in my opinion.

 

[dNA]

If I were you, I wouldn't worry much about a mic for live; as it was mentioned there are very few places you will play where you will need your own mic.

Yeah.. I'm with this guy on that point. If you need to bring your own cab mic to a gig - i'm betting there's a 100% chance your sound reaching the audience is NOT going to be good. If a venue doesn't even have a 57 or 609 (the two industry standards for guitar cab mics) then I highly doubt they have a decent board, power amps, and speakers. oy.


I think everybody has made good points. A good sounding mic is as subjective as anything else in music gear. There are people who will choose a hundred dollar dynamic over a thousand dollar condenser for certain applications. The only thing you have to go on is the long-standing reputation of mics that are generally standard in the biz. The SM57 and e609 are without question the first two mics that will come to anybody's mind if you ask them about mic'ing guitar amps.

I picked up an e609 used at GC for like 60 bux the other day and I was very happy about it. I personally have used various mics, including dynamics, small and large diaphragm condensers on my amp with success. My favorite mic a lot of the time has been a SM81 - a small diaphragm condenser. But it's not a poor college student's mic, at about $300. And i didn't buy it for recording electric guitar - that was kind of a bonus.
I think if you have little or no experience, either a 609 or a 57 will make you more than happy, and you can probably find either one used for the price range you're looking for. I would really advise you to stay away from anything cheaper, like the budget Shure mics, CADs, or similar stuff. The worst issue with those is not they all suck, but that they're made in China in factories with NO quality control and from item to item you don't know what you're going to get.

 

[jalane]

For the love of God, PLEASE just buy a 57.  Don't mess around with these MXL's and CAD's and the like, condensers in that price/quality range aren't worth your time and have 0 resale value. 

I've given this advice 1,000 times, and it's valuable:  if there is even a remote possibility that one day you will be somewhat more serious about making a quality recording, then don't buy anything recording-related unless it's good enough to continue using down the road.  People always say they're going to buy one of the cheap condensers to tie them over or whatever, and they think it sounds good because they've never heard what a big-boy condenser sounds like.  If you invest in a 57 (go on ebay and get a used one for $70), that mic will serve you well whether you're gigging, demoing, or recording a full album.  It's an industry standard guitar amp & drum mic, and whether or not some people prefer other mics for a specific purpose, it is THE PERFECT first tool for your recording toolbelt. 

 

[jalane]

If you can find one cheap (best of luck), the Sennhieser 421 is the best sounding guitar amp mic there is, again IMHO.

+1  :rock-on:

If around $100 is your budget, go for the Sennhieser e609 .... a much nicer sounding mic than the 57.

-1  :sad1:

 

[Cagey]

Carvin has an SM57 knockoff.  $79.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=M67&cid=34

Actually, that kinda looks more like a Shure Beta 57A.

Carvin M67

Shure Beta 57A
​

If that's true, then at $79 the Carvin's an even better deal.

 

[dNA]

If that's true, then at $79 the Carvin's an even better deal.

they probably make it look like the beta 57 so people will think they're getting a steal. but if there's was a mic legit comparable to the beta57 for 80 bux, I'm pretty sure EVERYONE would have one.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

While I will concede that the SM57 has a characteristic sound, and that brings in peoples opinion, it is widely used for recording guitar amps.  I got one in 94 and it is still going strong.  I have once captured the room sound recorded, and that was with a DI, a condenser, and a SM57.  I understand being low on funds makes this more difficult to justify spending that much, but I got my mic used in college and it is going strong after 16 years.  It is not fair for me to explain it as stretching those funds over a time that long, but it will last you, and it does do a good job.
Patrick

 

[Cagey]

they probably make it look like the beta 57 so people will think they're getting a steal. but if there's was a mic legit comparable to the beta57 for 80 bux, I'm pretty sure EVERYONE would have one.

You would think so. But, Carvin's got a lot of nice stuff that most people have never heard of. That mail-order-only business model severely limits their market exposure. Of course, if they did the retail brick & mortar distribution thing, the prices wouldn't be nearly as attractive. There's a helluva markup on musical gear in that channel, usually between 50%-100%. Apply that to the M67, and you end up at $160, which is about what a Beta 57A goes for new. So, who knows?

 

[AprioriMark]

SM57 or Sennheiser 421 II.  SM57 is ~80 bucks and 421 II is ~380.  Both are industry standards for good reasons.  A SM57 is never a bad choice, no matter what any snob tells you; especially in live music.  80 dollar or 380 dollars well spent, either way.  The 421 II is also a GREAT recording mic for a lot of high-sound-pressure situations.  Brass, hand drums, etc. 

I will also echo what has been said about cheap (sub-1k) condenser mics.  Just don't. 

-Mark

 

[dNA]

they probably make it look like the beta 57 so people will think they're getting a steal. but if there's was a mic legit comparable to the beta57 for 80 bux, I'm pretty sure EVERYONE would have one.

You would think so. But, Carvin's got a lot of nice stuff that most people have never heard of. That mail-order-only business model severely limits their market exposure. Of course, if they did the retail brick & mortar distribution thing, the prices wouldn't be nearly as attractive. There's a helluva markup on musical gear in that channel, usually between 50%-100%. Apply that to the M67, and you end up at $160, which is about what a Beta 57A goes for new. So, who knows?

Very good point. I may just pick one of those up instead of an I5 in the near future for snare. if I do, i'll be sure to post.