Sennheiser e609 vs e906

I like my 609 Silver's quite a bit, but you do have to use thema little differently than a 57 or an MD409. I have found that I have to put it further towards the outside of the speaker cone than I would other mic's. The 609 is still my go-to mic for live use though. As for the difference between the 609 and 906, the 906 seems to sound a little more rugged and full in the mids. Also, the top-end seemed a little smoother. I haven't had a ton of experience with the 906 though, so these were just my first impressions.

As for other mic's on guitar cab, there have been some very good suggestions mentioned here. I REALLY LOVE the EV N/D468 on guitar. Plus, you can use it on many other things such as toms, percussion, tenor sax, Rhodes piano, glockenspiel, etc. A couple mics that I didn't see mentioned are the Audix D3 and the Audix i5. The D3 is no longer being made, but you may be able to find one used. This is a different mic than the D1 and the D2, so don't expect them to perform the same. I have 3 D3's that I put on toms live, but I love the sound of them on guitar cab and Rhodes piano as well. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it just sounds right. The i5 is Audix's newer instrument mic. It doesn't work everywhere, but it is amazing on guitar cab, horns, and percussion.

If you have any reservations, just get a couple of e609's. It really is a good sounding and versitile mic. I use it on trumpet and trombone quite a bit, and it always sounds great. For my own amps, I put an e609 and an SM7 on the same speaker cone, and pan them wide to reduce phase problems and to get a larger guitar sound. It really works well, and the guitar sounds exactly like I think it should sound in my head.

Cheers,
Zach
 
Just currious...anyone getting good use of the 609 silver with drums? The tight pattern seems like a natural.
 
The N/D468 is a more versatile mic than the e609 silver, but you won't go wrong with either one.

Cheers,
Zach
 
I had the same question regarding the differences between the Sennheiser e609 and the e906. The Sennheiser website has both Technical Data and Product Sheets for each microphone.

What I learned is that the e906 has a wider frequency response which means that it will capture a truer representation of the sound actually coming out of your guitar amplifier. This is what you want, after all. Adjusting your amp for the sake of nuance in artistic performance from one song to the next is one thing, while adjusting the amp (and guitar sound) to compensate for the weaknesses of your microphone just seems silly. What you want is a mic which captures your guitar/amplifier sound as you mean it to sound. That is where having a Switchable Presence Filter gives the e906 an added advantage. It lets you capture the sound more accurately at the source, making EQ-ing easier at the mixing board.

Here are the frequency responses:
e906: 40Hz to 18kHz
e609: 40Hz to 15kHz

Based on Specs alone, as well as the earlier comments by username usekgb that "the 906 seems to sound a little more... full in the mids" and "the top-end seemed a little smoother", I would choose the e906 hands-down.

As for price, you are speaking of a difference of only between $40 to $60 (2007 dollars). Then, when you think about keeping the mic 10 years, it amounts to under 2 cents per day. So, save a little longer and go for the better mic.

After reading earlier posts recommending the EV N/D468, I looked up the specs for it. The frequency response KILLS either of the Sennheisers above.

Electro-Voice frequency response:
EV N/D468: 20Hz to 22kHz near field; 60Hz to 22kHz far field

The thing that worries me about the N/D468 is the exposed wire connecting the ball to the cylinder; this wire seems susceptable to getting caught on things while moving it around, creating a potential for breakage. The hinge could loosen up over time, too, it seems, making it difficult or impossible to aim properly. I would not recommend this as a road mic, only for studio/home use.

All in all, I think for guitar amp miking, of those above I would stick with the Sennheiser e906, since guitar speakers don't reproduce extremely high frequencies, anyway, and the frequency of the low E-string on a guitar is approximately 91.67Hz when tuning to A-440. The e906 is still fine for the 4-sting bass, since the low E-string is approximately 45.8Hz, which is within the microphone's range. A 5-string bass, however, will require a frequency range down to 27.5Hz or lower to reproduce the fundamental of the low A-string, provided your bass speaker goes that low. (For bass guitar I would probably go with the EV N/D868 with frequency response 20Hz to 10kHz and a 144db dynamic range. It doesn't go very high, but we're talking about a bass, after all.)
 
Whoopysnorp said:
Rectos are pretty well known for having a boominess/loose bass that is hard to tame, and this would definitely be accentuated when doing palm mutes. No slam or anything; you just may have to set your amp in a way that wouldn't necessarily sound right for live playing.
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My thought exactly. Betcha a different speaker cab or simply tighter speakers would do a lot of good. Also, so much of the time, a guitar tone that sounds good soloed is entirely too muddy in a mix. If you are after that super heavy Rectifier sound, try rolling off some of the low end on the amp as you may be surprised how good it sounds recorded.
 
bubbagump said:
My thought exactly. Betcha a different speaker cab or simply tighter speakers would do a lot of good. Also, so much of the time, a guitar tone that sounds good soloed is entirely too muddy in a mix. If you are after that super heavy Rectifier sound, try rolling off some of the low end on the amp as you may be surprised how good it sounds recorded.
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I was going to let it slide since the dude posted it in 2005, but since it's still being talked about... ;)

The thing with Rectifiers is that really, each of the three different modes may as well be a different amp, but the EQ section voicing has to be consistant for all three of them, since they're shared across the preamp modes. Thus, while you've got the whole range of each knob (and here in particular I'm thinking of the bass and the gain knobs, the two oft-most-abused), the entire range may not really be "appropriate" for any particular mode.

Or, in plain english, the bass and gain knobs have the range they do not for the Modern mode, which is plenty gainy and seriously bassy right off the bat, but for the cleaner, tamer "Raw" mode. You can run them quite a bit higher in Raw since the low end isn't so punishing to begin with and because the preamp isn't being driven as hard. However, Modern has more bass response than just about anything else I've ever played (with passive EQ, anyway), so if you try to use a similar EQ setup, with the same gain thresholds, you get crap.

I play a Rectoverb 50 1x12, so these settings may not apply directly to a Dual, but if anything you'd want LESS bass with a closed back - I typically leave my bass knob lower than 10 o'clock when in Modern mode, often lower than 9. Meanwhile, since it's comparatively scooped anyway I almost never set the midrange below 12 o'clock even when going for a "scooped" tone to layer against a mid-y one, and for leads I generally have the mids up around 3 o'clock. Likewise, even my Strat has more than enough gain to solo on Modern with the gain no higher than 6, and some of the better lead tones, IMO, fall with the gain even lower.

Sorry to go way off on a tangent here, but I'm a total Mesa slut. And, even I never got on with the Rectifier line for the LONGEST time, until I learned how to dial one in, liked it enough to impulse-buy the combo after my last raise, and then came come, hooked it up to my THD Hot Plate, and was floored by what I heard once the power amp begin to compress and darken up. It's one of the most misunderstood amps I've ever heard. It sucks, it's known as a metal rhythm amp, so every time you see one in a Guitar Center some idiot has dimed the gain, treble, bass, and presence, and scooped out all the mids, and it sounds like a fizzy, muddy mess. Yet, run it hot enough to get the power amp in on the action and set it intelligently, and with my strat even David Gilmour could probably get on with the Modern mode... :/

EDIT - oh, and 50 million metalcore bands be damned, a Les Paul with it's 24 3/4" scale would not be my first choice for low end chunk. 25.5" is the minimum I'd recommend for tuning below E, and my main "rhythm" guitar is a 26.5" Schecter C7 Blackjack. The longer scale makes it a seriously tight guitar.
 
e609 for drums

I use the e609 under the snare (with either an SM57 or an Avant ADM on top) and it captures the sound of the snare itself very nicely. I'd consider using it on top for snare as well, although I haven't done so. I'm not sure I'd use it on any other part of the kit.

I use a e906 close on guitar cabs, and generally prefer it to a SM57- it sounds a bit livelier and brighter, even at the middle switch position (I havent' really played around with the switch, though I will, maybe this weekend) and even on its own.

Like others, however, I usually pair it with another mic when recording electric guitar. I like to use the e906 or e609 close on the cabinet, and then a ribbon mic (lately, I've been using an Oktava ML53) about 3 to 5 feet away.
 
Just wait till you record horns with it! I kinda liked it, with a little experimentation with placement in and or around the bells.
 
As a professional live sound engineer I've worked with both the 609 (black and silver) and 906 quite extensively. Yes it is true about the earlier black faced 609 sounding better than the silver 609. The black front is much warmer and fuller sounding. As most of you have said the silver is thin and bright almost brittle and harsh. Getting to the 906, it has the same warmth as the black front 609 with much sweeter mids and highs. I really like the switch which I either keep flat or in the low pass setting depending on the guitarist. I rarely and I mean rarely need to boost the highs. The 906 does sound great with other mics but can easily stand out on its own something the silver 609 simply can not do. In terms of recording id rather use my ribbon mic and a nice LDC than my 906 but it does still find its way into projects. It all depends on the style, tone and the player. My school of thought and training says "There are no right and wrong mics to use on any one thing, as long as it sounds good and sits well within your mix. If it sounds good in the mix then its correct, if not youre doing it wrong." Play around with every available mic youll be surprised at what sounds killer.
 
RoadCone said:
As a professional live sound engineer I've worked with both the 609 (black and silver) and 906 quite extensively. Yes it is true about the earlier black faced 609 sounding better than the silver 609. The black front is much warmer and fuller sounding. As most of you have said the silver is thin and bright almost brittle and harsh. Getting to the 906, it has the same warmth as the black front 609 with much sweeter mids and highs. I really like the switch which I either keep flat or in the low pass setting depending on the guitarist. I rarely and I mean rarely need to boost the highs. The 906 does sound great with other mics but can easily stand out on its own something the silver 609 simply can not do. In terms of recording id rather use my ribbon mic and a nice LDC than my 906 but it does still find its way into projects. It all depends on the style, tone and the player. My school of thought and training says "There are no right and wrong mics to use on any one thing, as long as it sounds good and sits well within your mix. If it sounds good in the mix then its correct, if not youre doing it wrong." Play around with every available mic youll be surprised at what sounds killer.
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Hi,
I have the e906 along with SM57, EV N/D468, Sennheiser 421, Sennheiser MD441U, and several other more. I can tell you that the e906 is very full bodied. I ran all these mics on a 4x12 for a fusion jazz recording during the post production to see which mic would sound best. Everybody agreed that the e906 and the MD441U were the best at capturing the body of the guitar best. The rest sounded good also with extra eq, but the e906 and MD441U were the ones that needed less tweaking. And that's what you will find with mic selection. Its not that you don't have the EQ capability to add what is missing, its that the choice of mic captures something closer to what you want the final mix to have or not have from the start. The EV N/D468 sound great as do the SM57's and MD421's, but they were certainly thinner here or middie there kinds of sounds. You have to have knowledge of what your mics sound like from your actual real-life use in order to really understand what is best. We can all generalize, but in the end you are plugging it up into YOUR rig and that alone can change a sound for the better or worse because of your situation and not necessarily because the mic is not good. Learn from yourselves and take other opinions lightly when you are talking microphones cause plugging a 100.00 microphone into a 900.000.00 console can certainly cause a sound difference that has little to do with microphones and a whole lot to do with clean power, 20K boutique preamps and thousands of dollars worth of Mogami cabling.
 
Mumm, this thread started in 2005, it was rehashed in 2007, 2009 & 2011, here we are again? I am sure by now everyone has tried out the e609 and the e906?

holy thread resurrection.jpg
 
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