Poll : SM-57 or E-609 on guitar cabs?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kid klash
  • Start date Start date

Shure SM-57 or Sennheiser E-609 for recording guitar cabs?

  • Shure SM-57 ($80-$90)

    Votes: 53 53.5%

  • Sennheiser E-609 ($90-$100)

    Votes: 46 46.5%
  • Total voters
    99
kid klash

kid klash

The original Mr. Nice Guy
Granted, the Shure SM-57 has been used for years to mic up guitar cabs and combos, but the Sennheiser E-609 "silverfront" dynamic has been stealing a lot of thunder lately. To me, the 609 isn't quite as fussy regarding placement, or the type of preamp it's going into. It also seems to have a smoother but extended bottom. But I like the SM-57 too... I've got a bunch of both! They're both about the same price too. If you needed to choose one or the other, which is your current favorite?
 
Last edited:
Scriabin said:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=140098

Check out a recent song I recorded with one Shure 57 at the above link. I personally think the 57 is a damn good mic and often choose it over various mics by Soundelux, josephson, neumann...you name it.

Cheers,
Scriabin
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Nice job! Although the 545 and 57 aren't exactly the same mic (I've got a few 545's myself, and prefer the older 545's over any of the 57's on brittle-sounding SS amps), the song sounds damn good.
 
Wow, good poll. I have both and I like both... but I don't always like one over the other every time... so I can't vote.
 
DJL said:
Wow, good poll. I have both and I like both... but I don't always like one over the other every time... so I can't vote.
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Yeah... I'm with you on this - they're both good - it all depends on the player, amp, style and the vibe you're going for. ;)
 
I used both the SM-57 and the e609 silver on a 61 Tremolux (with a clean Tele) and a JCM 900 2500 half stack (with a Les Paul Special with P-90s) in a session yesterday. In both cases, the client liked the e609 the best... less brittle, more accurate-sounding and smoother on the bottom end. Frankly speaking, the e609 took no effort placing it for a good sound.
 
What's your preamp situation like?

kid klash said:
I used both the SM-57 and the e609 silver on a 61 Tremolux (with a clean Tele) and a JCM 900 2500 half stack (with a Les Paul Special with P-90s) in a session yesterday. In both cases, the client liked the e609 the best... less brittle, more accurate-sounding and smoother on the bottom end. Frankly speaking, the e609 took no effort placing it for a good sound.
Click to expand...
 
Scriabin said:
What's your preamp situation like?
Click to expand...

For this session, the SM-57 and the E609 were going into an M-Audio Octane, direct into a stack of ADATs via lightpipe.
 
Anybody know the actual difference between the newer "silver" 609, and the older orignal e609?

I'm hearing/reading that the older ones were better??

Thanks,
Rick
 
WERNER 1 said:
Anybody know the actual difference between the newer "silver" 609, and the older orignal e609?

I'm hearing/reading that the older ones were better??

Thanks,
Rick
Click to expand...

Depends on who you talk to... I think the e609 silver has more in common with the 409 than the original 609. I believe the silver is now 1/3 the money than the original 609 also.
 
So nobody really knows what the difference is as far as quality or sound?
 
I like the e609 for live use over the 57 just for the reason of more isolation. I also use the E609 on the snare. For in the studio it depends on the setup and what sounds better to me.
 
I'll take the 609. I mix more live than anything, and for one, yes, the isolation is great, and beyond that, my lazy ass doesn't have to break out another damn boom stand for it. You can just drape it right over the amp under the handle or amp head.
 
How are the 609s on toms? I was going to buy three of them for $210, but I missed out.
 
sm-57 trick

try using 2 sm-57's on a guitar cab right next to each other with one 57 a capsule length ahead of the other (about an inch), this slight difference in distance from one mic to the other creates a comb filter wich sounds good.
this is jimi pages setup (along with a pair of room u-87's)
 
I'll second the MD421.

I believe the difference between the old e609s and the new ones is that the old ones were handmade, and the new ones are not. I could be wrong, but I heard that somewhere.
 
The shape of the e609 is soooo convenient... it makes mic'ing guitar cabs and combos a snap.
 
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