Sennheiser e835 vs. SM57

geet73

OMG!
Would I be better off buying the senns or the 57's? I trust the 57's a bit more, but my friend is trying to tell me that the e835's would be better because they have "newer technology" and I can get them cheaper.

Opinions would be greatly appreciated.
 
This has been covered a number of times - trying doing a search.

My personal favourite is the e835. Prefer the sound of it, warmer but clearer.
 
If you are buying four, consider a pair of each.

As a complete newbie recordist, I picked up a bunch of SM57 new because I got a deal on them. After the smoke clears, and one is smarter and wiser, other alternatives become apparent.

F'instance: I'd like to replace an SM57 with a Beyer M201 for snare. On hat, I'd like to replace the SM57 with either a M201, or the Sennheiser E609 black face. The E609-SE Silver is a whole different animal.

The E835 has its high frequency peak much higher than does the SM57. Perhaps this is what increases the clarity.
 
I have one of each, and through my cheap art tube mp, the 835 wins to my ears for most things (acoustic guitar, voice) for the clarity. But I dont' think you could go wrong with either
 
i have a pair of 835s and four 845s, mostly used for live but always to my mind better than the sm57s or 58s they're marketed against.

but the sm57 has stood the test of time. you could do a lot worse. i'd do with the sennheisers every time but i'm still tempted every so often by adding a shure to my collection!
 
I did a hand-held walkaround with an SM57 driving a headphone distribution amp and a set of cans. It is quite revealing, listening to the drummer and moving the mic everywhere.

My SM57 sound like pure dog sh!t on cymbals, especially up close.

I'd like to replace my snare and hat SM57 with a set of Beyer M201 or Sennheiser E609 black face.
 
I was planning on using these mics on toms, snare, and guitars mainly. I was going to get a pair of AKG c1000s for overheads.

I wouldn't want to get a pair of each.. I wouldn't be able to have consistent micing on toms. I dunno.

I did do a search first... nothing gave me what I wanted to know.. opinions on the 57 vs. the e835. From what I've gathered, the e835 is clearer and provides more crack on snares. I didn't hear anything about toms. The 57 is just the all around recording mic. At least it always has been.

I just want to know if it would be a bad move to just buy a handful of e835s. If they're thaat much cheaper, I might just go for 'em.
 
geet73 said:
I was planning on using these mics on toms, snare, and guitars mainly. I was going to get a pair of AKG c1000s for overheads.
Avoid the C1000s, especially on cymbals. They're harsh and brittle and overpriced. Believe me, you won't regret it if you get a pair of Oktava MC012s from GC. Wait until they go on sale for $50 a piece.
 
Really? My friend has a pair and I've always liked the sound he's got from them.

I'm borrowing some of those Oktavas and a pair of c1000s this weekend.. I'll compare. :-)
 
i have a c1000S, it was always my intention to make a pair but i was never that struck with the sound of them. to this point i still don't have a condenser pair but i make do.

it wouldn't be a bad move at all to get some 835s. the 57 is certainly a classic sound and what is 'better' is very subjective. but i'd take the senns simply because i feel like i'm getting a good value for money thing. if you're not too keen they get decent money on ebay, at least over here.
 
geet73 said:
I was planning on using these mics on toms, snare, and guitars mainly. I was going to get a pair of AKG c1000s for overheads.

I wouldn't want to get a pair of each.. I wouldn't be able to have consistent micing on toms. I dunno.

I did do a search first... nothing gave me what I wanted to know.. opinions on the 57 vs. the e835. From what I've gathered, the e835 is clearer and provides more crack on snares. I didn't hear anything about toms. The 57 is just the all around recording mic. At least it always has been.

I just want to know if it would be a bad move to just buy a handful of e835s. If they're thaat much cheaper, I might just go for 'em.

I've got both of those mics and have used them to mic drums and guitars. To be honest, i don't think you would have any regrets if you chose the 835's over the 57's or vise versa. The 835's are well constructed and durable. They don't sound exactly like the 57's (a different flavour for sure), but they will work well for what you want them for. Unless you specifically want that sm57 sound, I would not hesitate getting the 835's instead, especially if you can get them for substantiall less $$$.

T
 
Thank you for the help. I think it's just going to come down to which is cheaper now. He wasn't selling me on the idea too well. Thank you for some educated input.

<3! (No, I'm not gay.)
 
Well, the SM57 has been around for a real long time and has become very popular. It's a very good, solid all round usable mic that has justly earned its good reputation. I've had one for years and I'm glad I have it because it does get a lot of use. I am also a drummer and we drummers fit into a different catagory than most of the other posters on the mic forum. We want the "one trick pony" and we want its trick to be a good one. The SM57 does a lot of things well but nothing spectacular.
I own a Sennheisser e835 and I love it. I use it on my hihat or on my snare when I'm doing brushwork or when I want a very bright crisp signal from my snare. My other choice for snare is my e604's which give a great signal and are small enough to keep out of the way.The SM 57 also works here but it is larger and not quite as crisp.
As much as I like the e835 as a mic, I don't like it on my toms. It's too bright for them. I am playing around with sdc's with a 10db pad for the toms and I like it so far. I am going for a deep thudding resonance on my toms and the e835 was too high end for my taste. my other choice for toms(mounted) are either an e604 or an AKG D690 (the SM 57 also works okay there) or an LDC like a SP B1.
I am interested in trying the Audix Micro-D because I hear good things about it and the size is right. For the floor toms, it's either kick mics or darker LDC's like the Oktava MK319.
I say that it's not a choice between either the e835 or the SM 57, they're both good in different places.
 
seems i find myself saying this a lot frequently--i'm with rimshot here.

i don't currently own any SM57s, but i've used plenty of them in the past and i do own three of the 545's, which were the sm57's predecessor. i find the 545's to be a little ballsier (grittier) than the sm57s i've used in the past and i like the 545's a little better on rock guitar amps, snare and toms.

i've also got a pair of the senn 835's, and i like them a WHOLE lot better than my pair of sm58's. as rimshot said, they're a little more peaky higher up, so they seem a little more aggressive on some vocalists. on some vocalists i like the 58s better, but i'm not one of them. :D i also like the 835s on rock amps, toms and snare, depending on the sound of the amp, toms and and snare.

they're really very different mics with similar characteristics, and while i understand your desire to "be consistent" with your mics for your toms, please understand that different sized toms sometimes benefit from different mics. it's not about being consistent--it's about matching the sound up with the right mic for the job. when i fully mic my kit, i generally use my 545's on the lower toms and the 835s on the hihat and upper toms. my kit's expanded a bit since the last time i mic'd it all up, so i'm gonna have to experiment again.

but anyway, i'd recommend getting a pair of each if you're looking at getting 4 mics. but then again, i'd rather have versatility over consistency.


wade
 
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