Which is a better choice?

[harbingertx]

I've always recorded guitars digitally through my Line 6 Toneport, but I want a more natural sound and I wanna start micing my amp.
Which would be a better choice, the Shure SM57, or the Sennheiser e609?
They both have their pros and cons, the Shure SM57 also makes a great snare mic and I could use it if I wanted to mic the top and bottom of a snare, but they Sennheiser is made specifically for guitars, so I'm torn between the two.
Any input?

 

[All4Love]

Line 6 sucks man. Digitech blows them out of the water.

Micing a amp is a tricky process bro. Ive learned the hard way. Speaker, Amp and Mic quality is what you need.

The SM57 is the best bet because it can handle the speakers load at potential speaker volumes.

The amp and Speaker is really important because if your amp sounds like crap, expect to record crap. you cant polish a terd.. you can only dress it up to sound like good crap. ha. If you have a good amp then search the forums for info on finding the sweet spot of a amp.

My recommendations....get a Digitech RP series and be marveled by its sound recording and live use. Its much better than micing a amp to me because technology in simulations have doubled in the Digitech world. Make sure its the newer chip set...DNA 2.

Other choice is Amplitude. which is user friendly and analog. Expect to pay for what you get out of it though...but..its worth it. Thing with Amplitude is...if you dont have a powerful computer its going to eat up your cpu to produce that nice analog sound. My computer now (Sempron 1.8ghz) can not handle but 2 track with Amplitude in the tracks mix.

I personally lean towards the Digitech because it does not eat your cpu. Reason be because all the effect are done before it enters the Computer. Digitech is awlsome.

 

[ZoSo58LP]

hey man, after years of using an SM57 and just getting my e609 a week ago, i'd say go for the e609!

i love the way it captures my JCM2000's tone...it's perfect!

 

[miroslav]

Skip the SM57 and the e609...and for a couple of bucks more, get a Cascade Fat Head ribbon mic.

They're killer on guitar cabs!

You'll thank me later.

 

[All4Love]

true on the mic!

 

[TheChikenMaster]

get both and mix tones or a/b them or use them for different applications. You don't always want the same boring tone

 

[bozmillar]

for what it's worth, the only reason people like the sm57 is because everyone likes the sm57. it's not a magic nor even a special mic. if you really want the best sound, go try some mics and pick the one you think sounds best. Most reviewers just repeat what they've been told and believe it.

 

[moresound]

You can mic the top of the snare with the senn. 609 too!
not to bad on horn either.

 

[TheChikenMaster]

For the record people like the sm 57 because of its frequency range. It is very fitting those instruments in the midrange. Hence the use on snare and guitars.
and for the record if anyone ever noticed the president speaks into 57s why I wonder.... Same reason most likely, and they fit the the budget of the USA

 

[Todzilla]

Don't overlook the Audix i5. Great SM57 contender. I like it a whole lot on snare and guitar cab. And it's only a hundred bux.

 

[moresound]

Don't overlook the Audix i5. Great SM57 contender. I like it a whole lot on snare and guitar cab. And it's only a hundred bux.

Ya they are pretty good. Maybe slightly brighter! I got two of them for fifty dollars used at G.C. at that price I couldn't pass but it was kind of a compulsive purchasing deal for me for I must have ten 57s and didn't really need them but still again at that price........

 

[cavedog101]

Ya they are pretty good. Maybe slightly brighter! I got two of them for fifty dollars used at G.C. at that price I couldn't pass but it was kind of a compulsive purchasing deal for me for I must have ten 57s and didn't really need them but still again at that price........

Try a 57 and an i5 on guitar cabinets. They kind of extend each other. Another good setup for guitar is a 57 with(take your pick) any one of a number of kik drum specialty mics. The ATM25 is my fav for this. Another great guitar amp mic is the Kel HM-1. Its a condenser thats voiced without that harsh high-end and it takes a trenedous amount of spl without breakup. In fact, you'll want an inline pad for this little mic. Imagine a 57 or an i5 as a condenser..........

 

[johnsuitcase]

Micing a guitar cab will get you something different than the toneport, but I suspect that you're not getting everything out of the Toneport. It may not be quite a real amp, but it certainly doesn't suck. The presets are kinda weak, but mess around with the amps and turn all the knobs.

I record bands all the time, and frankly, the Toneport fits in fine once you know how to use it.

If you really love the tone of your amp, go for it. But don't expect a magic bullet. You're opening a whole new can of worms> Mic selection, amp settings, the room, your mic preamp, mic positioning, etc and so forth.

57 is a good guitar amp mic for loud amps. If you're tracking with a small amp, a condenser is a good choice. Ribbon mics are great, but best when blended with a 57 or condenser. They tend to be a shade dark by themselves.

Good luck!

 

[moresound]

Try a 57 and an i5 on guitar cabinets. They kind of extend each other. Another good setup for guitar is a 57 with(take your pick) any one of a number of kik drum specialty mics. The ATM25 is my fav for this. Another great guitar amp mic is the Kel HM-1. Its a condenser thats voiced without that harsh high-end and it takes a trenedous amount of spl without breakup. In fact, you'll want an inline pad for this little mic. Imagine a 57 or an i5 as a condenser..........

Ya I have used a Sennheiser e602 kick drum mic and i was amazed at the sound that I got.

 

[harbingertx]

Micing a guitar cab will get you something different than the toneport, but I suspect that you're not getting everything out of the Toneport. It may not be quite a real amp, but it certainly doesn't suck. The presets are kinda weak, but mess around with the amps and turn all the knobs.

I record bands all the time, and frankly, the Toneport fits in fine once you know how to use it.

I know how to use it well, I've had it a couple years, and I can good some good tones out of it, but I just want a more natural sound you know?