Sm57 vs Audix i5

[Rocket Boy]

The i5 has a neodymium capsule for better transient response. Tends to sound brighter especially through cheap pres. The guys at Guitar Center will be apt to sell them based on the huge profit margin on Audix compared to almost nothing on Shure. That being said they are both going to be good for different tasks. I'd go with the 57.

 

[minds device]

it's smaller too. =)

the i5 also blends well with the 609 on guitars, IMO.

on vocals, you can get the 57 to work...i would never recommend it with an i5

I tried an i5 on some vocals on got good results. *I used it for a backing track with slight distortion

 

[drBill]

I can't say I PREFER either one. I use both depending on the track. I was off using the i5 for a long time, then put up a 57 one time and was blown away once again. Both good, but the 57 is more agressive.

You can hear them both here along with a bunch of the other suspects like:

421, 441, EV, 451, KM84, Beyer201, etc.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=267508

 

[soundchaser59]

what other mic works well for almost any/every studio/live application, and can be thrown at a brick wall, through a window and used as a hammer??

RE20

They tested RE20's by firing them at Iraqi tanks in the gulf war. We all know EV won that engagement!

 

[BeniRose]

Since this seems to have recently been bumped, I'll throw in my two cents. I bought the i5 being told that it was better than a 57 (before I knew what a workhorse the 57 was) and I really don't like it that much. It has a real low output and I don't think it picks up a snare that great, but maybe I just suck at drum micing. I'm looking forward to getting a 57 sooner or later, but right now I have no bands in the studio, just singer/songwriters, so I don't really need it. I think the i5 fairs really well on amps though.

 

[ittam]

57 with the TAB transformer mod?

Matti

 

[jasonbmerrill]

probably the only reason someone would vote 57 is because they dont own or havent used an i5 much...

and i5 has all the good stuff of the 57, without the crap sound.

cant go wrong there.

nice and smooth....

i5 all the way!

(that being said i still use 57s on toms, cause, well... they are the only ones i have left for them hehe)

 

[tojo]

I'd probably get the 57 just because I know it can do the job... and I've only had experience using it and not the i5 (which I would like to try of course)

I had some trouble micing an amp with a 57 though... it came out really boomy with lots of low end... is that probably because I miced the amp improperly or because its 57... maybe a combination? (Don't mean to hi-jack the thread... just wondering if anyone else had a similar problems with 57)

 

[second skin]

I'd probably get the 57 just because I know it can do the job... and I've only had experience using it and not the i5 (which I would like to try of course)

I had some trouble micing an amp with a 57 though... it came out really boomy with lots of low end... is that probably because I miced the amp improperly or because its 57... maybe a combination? (Don't mean to hi-jack the thread... just wondering if anyone else had a similar problems with 57)

make the amp sound good in the room. then point the 57 right at the middle of the speaker. this is where it will be brightest. as you move the mic toward the edge of the speaker it will darken up. thats about all there is to it. from there it's all experimentation. you should be able to get a useable sound from a guitar amp with a 57 once it's placed right. if you can't then there is something wrong other than the mic. there may be better options out there but this one will at least get the job done.

 

[tojo]

Alright thanks. I'll probably go with the 57 then... It's a really nice amp too so it must have been a poor micing job..

oh well that's how you learn

 

[second skin]

Alright thanks. I'll probably go with the 57 then... It's a really nice amp too so it must have been a poor micing job..

oh well that's how you learn

obviously it's not always as simple as i made it sound right then but you get the idea. the next dynamic that i buy will probably be an i5 because of all of the good things that i've heard about it. still i kind of think that it should be a requirement for anyone that wants to record guitar that they should learn how to make an sm57 produce on guitar cabinets.

 

[WhiteStrat]

obviously it's not always as simple as i made it sound right then but you get the idea. the next dynamic that i buy will probably be an i5 because of all of the good things that i've heard about it. still i kind of think that it should be a requirement for anyone that wants to record guitar that they should learn how to make an sm57 produce on guitar cabinets.

I agree--a 57 up against the grill may not end up being everyone's perfect sound, but when you consider how many great recordings have been made that way, it only makes sense to consider it a foundation--cab recording 101, if you will. Then take what you learn and expand it.

 

[MCI2424]

Any thoughts?

I used an Audix i5 on snare for the first time the other day and was blown away. Which do you guys prefer?

I like my Royer 121s, or GT44 Tube, or MD421, or sometimes MC012 if the sound is right.

Don't know about Audix, but I don't like or use SM57s.

 

[121234...]

Any thoughts?

I used an Audix i5 on snare for the first time the other day and was blown away. Which do you guys prefer?

I agree. The i5 beats my SM57s on the snare. The 57 is a good all-round mic though, the slightly warmer sound is useful. The i5 can sound tinny if you're not careful. You can't go wrong with either in my experience.