Lower-cost alternatives to the AKG c414 for electric guitar

R

rafwil

New member
Hello!

I'm looking for recommendations for lower-cost alternatives to the AKG c414 for recording use in my home studio; particularly LDCs with max SPL levels high enough for close micing a loud electric guitar cabinet and with a similarly crispy high-end response to the c414. That said, it doesn't need to have multiple polar patterns, as I'm looking for microphone recommendations mostly for the purpose of recording electric guitar out of an amplifier. I use a strat-style guitar out of a vintage orange amp & primarily play with my fingers, so having high-end definition is v important!

I have other budget microphones in my cabinet for acoustic instruments, vocals, drums, etc, so I don't need something super versatile. my budget is around $300 but I am flexible if it's for the ultimate solution! Been looking at the studio projects B1, WA47jr, and considering selling some other gear to get the WA-14 -- but I want to avoid that option if I can! If you have experience recording guitar with any of these microphones I'd love to hear about it.
 
The AKG214 is pretty bright. The Audio Technica 30 and 40 series are both good for your intended usage, and can be had for less cash used. Honestly there are a number of mics at this price range that can handle the job well, especially if you can find a good used model. The AT 4047 and 4050 are a couple of fav's and can be pretty reasonable used. I also use Oktava mk219's and I have several MXR mic's that will fill the bill and should fit your budget.
 
Gtoboy said:
The AKG214 is pretty bright. The Audio Technica 30 and 40 series are both good for your intended usage, and can be had for less cash used. Honestly there are a number of mics at this price range that can handle the job well, especially if you can find a good used model. The AT 4047 and 4050 are a couple of fav's and can be pretty reasonable used. I also use Oktava mk219's and I have several MXR mic's that will fill the bill and should fit your budget.
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looking into these recommendations right now, thanks so much! I assume you meant MXL mics -- & I'm curious as to what models you use? I have a 990 & find it surprisingly useful for vocals / acoustic instruments in a pinch (aside from some finicky grounding issues screwing the capsule on), and it has a similar freq response to what I'd like but it just can't take the volume from a loud amp!
 
you know,
of all the items to cut corners on,
good microphones should be the very last on the list.
 
GONZO-X said:
you know,
of all the items to cut corners on,
good microphones should be the very last on the list.
Click to expand...
Is $300 for a condenser to record electric guitar cutting corners for most home recorders?

Personally I have exactly one condenser I've paid more than $300 for, and it's not going in front of a guitar cabinet, but I don't do loud stuff anymore, so it's a moot subject" for me.
 
Considering most guitar amp speakers pretty much roll off after 5-7KHz, how much crisp high end do you need?
 
keith.rogers said:
Is $300 for a condenser to record electric guitar cutting corners for most home recorders?

Personally I have exactly one condenser I've paid more than $300 for, and it's not going in front of a guitar cabinet, but I don't do loud stuff anymore, so it's a moot subject" for me.
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it's not for either of us to say....

it's up to the individual, and what level of quality he/she is after.

when you can afford better, it usually pays off in sound quality,
if that's the goal, find a way.

---------- Update ----------

me, i use a SM57 on guitar cabs,
works great.
 
GONZO-X said:
it's not for either of us to say....

it's up to the individual, and what level of quality he/she is after.

when you can afford better, it usually pays off in sound quality,
if that's the goal, find a way.

---------- Update ----------

me, i use a SM57 on guitar cabs,
works great.
Click to expand...

The industry standard in Nashville for years has always been using a Royer Ribbon mic (which is well over a Grand) combined with an SM57. Many people who can't afford the Royer just use an SM57 or something similar. I just discovered the new sE V7x instrument mic, designed by Neve, very much like an SM57 with a touch more clarity. 99Bucks. Rave Reviews.
 
yup

PDP said:
Roswell Mini K47 will beat anything in its price range. Reviews are on Youtube.
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PDP is giving a great suggestion if it fits your budget.
It is an very good utility mic, even good for a lot of vocals.

because you said something about crispy top end (or something like that) I won't suggest a ribbon, but... Ribbons are really nice for distorted or harsher sounding guitar tone.

Lewitt (LCT) mics are decent also for utility sake if the brighter side of neutral is what you are looking for.
 
checking out that roswell one now & it looks awesome! leaning towards that or the WA-47jr right now. thanks for the suggestions tmix & pdp


gonzo-x, what’s an sm57?
 
tmix said:
because you said something about crispy top end (or something like that) I won't suggest a ribbon, but... Ribbons are really nice for distorted or harsher sounding guitar tone
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oh ya — i have a couple of cheap Nadys that i use for guitar sometimes. i like them too, just looking for an LDC option.
 
Why? If you have a sound you like, which explore something else? The trouble here is it's personal. I have 414's and hate the sound on loud guitar - hard brittle and not remotely flattering. I like the two samson cheap LDCs I have . They're not as bright but do guitar cabs quite well, and 140dB is career limiting, so at that kind of level, if you could even get there, which I doubt - it wouldn't just be the mic that would be distorting. 414s are not suitable for everything - most, but not all. I'm not sold on any condenser for loud guitar cabs.
 
The SM57 is part of the Shure Brothers' "Unidyne III" family of microphones developed by Ernie Seeler which include the 545, 565, SM57 and SM58. These are the best selling microphones of all time, operating in all corners of the globe and beyond. Up until the Trump administration, a duo of SM57's were an instantly recognizable feature set on top of the President's podium for many years. This microphone is used on the international space station.

The "gain before feedback" characteristics of the Unidyne III element makes this microphone a very popular choice for PA system live sound reinforcement use. The developer wanted to produce a microphone with a flat frequency response, but came up with this instead. Frequency response of the SM57 is stated as 40 Hz to 15 kHz with a rolled off response below 200 Hz useful to offset proximity effect in near field applications, and a rising presence peak beginning around 2 kHz and peaking at around 6 kHz.

The sound of these microphones has been described in many ways. It's rarely if ever genius on any source, but also rarely sucks making it versatile enough to handle a wide range of applications. The nature of the midrange in recording loud and distorted electric guitar and snare drum makes the presence peak of these mics well suited to, and very popular for those tasks.

Opinions vary.

Steve Albini once said something like this:

"SM57: "Piece of shit dynamic mic some people are inexplicably crazy about, so we bought one. Sounds equivalently good on everything from snare drum to electric guitar. Unfortunately, not a very high standard of "Good." If you need to record something and there's no microphone available, this will do, I guess."

To paraphrase Slipperman, he once said (while simultaneously laughing) nothing brings you closer to the listener than the SM57.

Love it or hate it, the SM57 is around 100 bucks US, and a fairly standard choice for loud guitar cabs.
 
I have a pair of t. Bone SC1100's. So far I've used them on vocals, as OH's and room mics, with satisfying results. Some claim that they're 414 clones.
 
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