For recording guitar amps/cabs: Shure SM57 or Senn MD421 or Neumann U67?

  • Thread starter Thread starter valacirca
  • Start date Start date

For recording guitar amps/cabs: Shure SM57 or Senn MD421 or Neumann U67?

  • Neumann U67

    Votes: 2 7.7%

  • Sennheiser MD421

    Votes: 3 11.5%

  • Shure SM57

    Votes: 21 80.8%
  • Total voters
    26
V

valacirca

New member
TBH, I'm just asking because the cab impulses I got from the Line6Pod has different variants based on these three microphones.

Which would you choose?
 
You're asking about impulses.

Impulses.




Use the one that sounds the way you want.
 
well, if I didn't have any of those 3 mics, but were allowed to have one, I'd pick the U67, that way so I have it and could keep it.

But probably the U67 anyway, since I'm more of a fan of room guitar sound. Although I prefer ribbons.
 
valacirca said:
What if I just wanted to know what most people would choose... like, y'know... what I asked in the OP? :confused:
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But it's all about variables. What kind of guitar, what kind of amp, what kind of music, what kind of mix, etc.

I know it's not the answer you wanted to hear--but there isn't one answer. I'm a guitar player. I record guitar non-stop. I use a 57 on one amp, a 421 on another, a condenser on another, and a ribbon on still another. And that can all change when I change guitars.

And when I get a new amp, it doesn't matter that I've been doing this for years. After I dial in a decent sound on the amp, I still audition a bunch of mics. I got a new amp last December--and I'm not still not sure what my "go to" mic is for it.

Take it for what it is and have fun experimenting.
 
The real answer is - any of them.

The one to use is the one that gives you the sound you want.

And that sound will vary a lot as to where you actually place the microphone.

There is no one answer - all are equally good, or equally bad, depending on what *you* want to achieve.
 
I like the senn 421 for guitar cab. Mic placement and gain staging is crucial.
 
U67 - if you don't like it, you can sell it and use the money to buy 8 buzillion SM57s and swim around in them like Uncle Scrooge swims around in money. Then you can borrow enough money to buy a 421 that you'll probably prefer to the 57s in many cases.
 
You left out an option:

"Whichever sounds best on that cab with that player for that song."
 
Which one would I choose?
I would start with a ribbon, then move on to a 421, then on to a 57 if I wasn't satisfied with my first choice.
But if I moved on to a U67 I would immediately realize that I was in the wrong studio. :D






:cool:
 
valacirca said:
What if I just wanted to know what most people would choose... like, y'know... what I asked in the OP? :confused:
Click to expand...

Then you would use the search function on this site because this exact pole has been repeated 8946864818997864423155788674231544864521 times.
 

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Kingofpain678 said:
I just realized how old this thread is....
Click to expand...

And stupid - comparing $80, $200 and $4000 mics.

Which is better: a 2001 Neon, a 1985 Buick station wagon or a brand new $60K Lexus?

I've used all three mics on guitar amps and I've never had any success with SM57's, I think 421's have a very hard sound that works on toms but little else and the U67 sounds wonderful. Big surprise! :rolleyes:
 
Kingofpain678 said:
Then you would use the search function on this site because this exact pole has been repeated 8946864818997864423155788674231544864521 times.
Click to expand...

KOP you need more arrows then cut and paste to get this sucker ready for a sticky!!! :D





:cool:
 
bouldersoundguy said:
You left out an option:

"Whichever sounds best on that cab with that player for that song."
Click to expand...

...when auditioned in the mix.

SM57's are funny little buggers - it takes a while to get the hang of positioning them right (they're awfully position-sensitive), but once you do, well, they capture and augment everything you want from a guitar, and nothing you don't.

It's still not my go-to lead mic, but I'm wondering if that's beginning to change - for this video I posted over here, I just left the SM57 I'd positioned to track rhythm guitars in place and hit record, and to my surprise I really liked how the lead guitar recorded. I'm wondering if I just never quite got the placement right before. :D

Anyway, tangent aside... Try 'em all. There's no best way to do this - recording and mixing is an art, and half the fun is we all get to choose our brushes and our personal palette.
 
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