md 421 or sm 57?

Why not have both? Having the ability to change mic, based on the material is a good thing. Versatility is key.

That being said the 421 is a great mic; especially for bass & drums.
 
sonis_youth said:
Well, I would like to have them both, but I can't afford that.
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421 is ~ $299 & a 57 is less than $90.00 new. Look on ebay, you can find some good deals on both of these mics.
 
I have both. From my experience the 421 sounds a lot smoother while the 57 is more raw. So I guess it would depend what type of guitar sound you're after.
 
I think the 57 would be a good start. For bass, I think a good direct box might be a better answer...
 
Here is what Steve Albini says about these two mics. (from his website)

Shure 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.

421-

Versatile, general-purpose dynamic mic. Often used on bass drums, toms, snare, bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals, horns. Can handle extreme SPL. Has high-pass filter variable from flat ("M" for music) to strong hi-pass ("S" for speech).


I have both, and I don't feel the sm57 is that bad, I do think the 421 is an awesome mic and way more versatile in quality application than the 57.

If you can afford the more high quality mic, this should be a no brainer.
 
Simman said:
421 is ~ $299 & a 57 is less than $90.00 new. Look on ebay, you can find some good deals on both of these mics.
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Getting mics off of ebay is not a smart move. Think about it....
 
What would be wrong with grabbing a mic from ebay? I was just searching this exact topic and found one going on today. I came to search here after seeing some of the deals on ebay. New Audio Technica 2020 $119.00, free cord and stand. I know it's not a great mic but I can't afford a great mic and that same mic is about $250 CAN with taxes near me in Toronto. Please elaborate on your views of mics off ebay. I was thinking of grabbing the 2020 and an SM 57 as I can get both for the same price as just the 2020 here. I record mostly rap vocals, trumpets, flutes, acoustic, electric and bass guitars. Would I be better buy a better condensor instead of both?

Thanks,
J
 
I have both. I got the 421 at guitar center for $315. they are both great mics, but i find the 421 to be superior on almost everything. If you can afford the 421, get it- it sounds good on everything, and it will hold its value.

personaly, I use my 421 on bass drum, SM57 on the back of the amp and an AKG D112 on the front of the amp. It sounds great. i got the D112 for $150. its another good mic to consider along with those two.
 
RobertN said:
Getting mics off of ebay is not a smart move. Think about it....
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I have bought about 20 mics off eBay, none of them duds. I've also sold about 10 mics on eBay, none of them duds.

I have also bought 3 or 4 mics from members here, all of them also good.

What's the big problem with buying used? I figure I've saved at least $2K on mics alone, and probably over $10K total on the studio, maybe closer to $15K.
 
sonis_youth said:
Well, a raw sound would be nice, I want to record distorted guitars, but I also want to record bass.
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I've mostly used them for recording electric guitars and some vocals. The 421 will get you a more raw, raunchy guitar sound, at least on the sources I recorded. The 421 will give you a smoother I'd describe it as a more studio guitar sound, that will probably work better when being processed with compression, EQ, etc. If you're going to record bass also then definitely get the 421. To me it also seems like you don't have to work as hard with mic placement to get a good sound with the 421 also. I definitely prefer the 421 on electric guitars but it depends on the sound you're after.
 
Hmmm....mics and ebay....ive had good luck and bad luck. I think if you are buying new it is basically not a problem...I bought 2 new mxl 603s they've been fine. I bought a used mxl v69me for $200. It never worked right....sounded like a storm of static. Ive looked into getting it repaired but no real luck....minimum it will cost around $60. I also bought a shure bg 5.0 used that had a few problems.. So ebay is risky business but sometimes worth the risk. Not everything on ebay is bad it's just some things are.
 
SM-57s are cheaper and provide a nice raunchy sound on amps. 421s are more expensive and give an arguably more balanced sound. Can't fault 57s though, they're an industry standard for a reason.

Oh, and what's the big deal about buying on Ebay? It saves cash, and if the mic is faulty, you can always get your money back. Just buy from an established seller with a good reputation/feedback is all. I've gotten all my mics except for one off there so far.
 
The trick with E-bay is that you have to keep in mind the old saying "if its too good to be true, it probably is". With that said you have to cover your bases. Check the sellers feedback and see if they have sold other mics and received good feedback. Also make sure you read teh description and understand it clearly. If you have any questions or doubts about the mic, email the seller or don't bother bidding.
Most mics for whatever reason sell used for about half the price of new (most cases). There are plenty of good deals to be had. Over half my mic collection came from ebay and I haven't had any problems with any of them. For what its worth....
 
sonis_youth said:
Well, I would like to have them both, but I can't afford that.
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Then get the MD421 first... you can always pickup a used SM57 for $50 or so later.
 
Yup ... MD421 every time ... a quality mic that will last you a lifetime, as opposed to a mediocre mic that will last you a lifetime (SM57).

On mics and ebay ... I picked up an AKG dynamic over the weekend for about $30 including a 20' xlr cable. Good buy? Yeah, the mic works fine and will be ok as a utility mic for my live rig ... but it's taken me an hour so far to wash the pure yellow tar out of the basket and wind shield, and the whole package reeks of stale cigarette smoke. Not cool if you're not a smoker, or just if you're someone with a working nose.

That said, I've bought a Beyer M400 and a Shure 545 off ebay before with absolutely brilliant service from two independent sellers. It's a lottery!
 
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