Sm-58 vs. SM-57 for recording guitar

dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Dec 11 2007 11:46 AM

I prefer the Sennheiser e609 Silver for recording the guitar cab...I also like the SM-57...but, as others here have suggested, there is no "right" answer to this question...try experimenting with different mics and mic setups...

image

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Rio

Joined: May 22, 2006
Posts: 500
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada

Posted on Dec 11 2007 12:39 PM

I use the e609 for close-miking guitar cabs, too.

As far as the 57 & 58 are concerned, I prefer the brightness you get from a 58 on a guitar cab, the 57 sounds a bit more squished and mid-rangey to me

Usually, though, I use the e609 for close miking, with a small and/or large diaphram condensor about 4 feet away-- the close mic gives more definition & immediacy ("oomph") but the room mics give more of the reverb and "natural" sound of the amp-- more "sweet". Mixed together, I like to think I can get a decent surf guitar sound

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http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/TheHighTides

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/pages/The-Blue-Demons

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dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Dec 11 2007 04:42 PM

Rio
Usually, though, I use the e609 for close miking, with a small and/or large diaphram condensor about 4 feet away-- the close mic gives more definition & immediacy ("oomph") but the room mics give more of the reverb and "natural" sound of the amp-- more "sweet". Mixed together, I like to think I can get a decent surf guitar sound

Hey..that's what I do! Two mics, one close to the cab, one at a distance...mixed together....sounds swell!

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LHR

Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 2123
The jungle
Costa Rica

Posted on Dec 11 2007 07:19 PM

What WR said: the SM58 is fine for recording guitar amps. Whatever a 57 can do, the 58 can too but with a bit less rejection in a close-mic situation. I really dig the Audix i5, though. But, for the record, I did not claim that is "far better". It is a very nice mic and actually very similar to the Shure SM57 in character. But is has a little something special about it. Can't say what. Maybe that little bump in low frequency response...who knows. Here is a little article on stocking your (budget) mic locker and recommending the i5:

LINK

Not to confuse matters too much I hope, but there has been no mention of another very similar mic and one that I am growing fond of, the Shure Beta 57A. I bought it for an emergency recording session (at full retail ) thinking it was basically a deluxe SM57. Boy, was I wrong. It performed well, mind you, but was maybe a little midrangey for my liking. Then after settling in with it and trying out different placements, I really got to liking the sounds I was getting from it. It has a <i>ton</i> of character. And it is hyper/supercardioid and not cardioid like the SM57 so it rejects unwanted sound better. And the grill is not weird and flimsy like the SM57.

Also, like dp sez, I have heard nothing but good things about the Sennheiser e609. Hanging a mic in front of the cab looks a little odd to me, but everyone does it. I would like to try one out.

—

SSIV

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dannylectro

Joined: Aug 18, 2008
Posts: 368
Orange, CA
United States

Posted on Sep 26 2008 04:55 PM

WR
as far as I know, it's the same mic with a different grill. Supposedly the effect of that is that the sm57 is more unidirectional, and has more or better high frequency response.

This is true. Either mic is fine for guitar

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surfer

Joined: Apr 12, 2007
Posts: 428
South Florida

Posted on Sep 29 2008 08:25 AM

Any mic is fine for guitar if it gets the sound your after. See my post on the previous page, a 57 and 58 are distinctly different mics, with different sound. There is a reason for the two.

—

www.cutbacksurfband.com

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fenderizer

Joined: Nov 15, 2008
Posts: 8
Stuttgart / Germany

Posted on Nov 18 2008 03:55 AM

spy
......which is the conclusion?! Which is better for a guiatr amp? The 57 or 58? I'm totally confused!

I once read that if you remove the "ball cage" from the SM 58, you get quite close to the SM 57 sound.
So if you're eventually going to use it for singing, you could get the SM 58 and detach the grill when miking your amp. If intended main usage is recording instruments (e.g. guitar, drums), probably the SM 57 should be your choice.

Greetings - the Fenderizer

P.S: if you're on a budget: there are some pretty decent chinese copies available

—

they're coming to take me away, hahaaa ...

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Kawentzmann

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1060
Berlin, Germany
3 Link Pins

Posted on Nov 18 2008 06:12 AM

I have a 56.5, no kidding. The shop said its pretty old and was available before the SM57. It has the ball cage like the SM58. I cant compare it with either, since I dont have them. It sounds a bit more open than my Sennheiser, which I prefer for closemiking guitar speakers with a dynamic mic, for the nice transients and mid shaping.

—

The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann

You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy.

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surfer

Joined: Apr 12, 2007
Posts: 428
South Florida

Posted on Nov 19 2008 09:28 AM

OK, the SM-57 is far more popular a mic for guitar amps, the SM-58 is far more popular with vocals. The ball on the 58 is just a sponge holder, to soften "P's" poping. They are not the same mic. The real answer still holds.....the mic that sounds good to you, that gets the sound you want is the right mic, any mic will work for anything, sometimes it sucks, sometimes a great surprise. EXPERIMENT!!!!!

—

www.cutbacksurfband.com

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surferXmatt

Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Posts: 1570
New York
United States

Posted on Nov 19 2008 12:59 PM

Slightly unrelated but.... I had very good results recording acoustic guitar and vocals with the SM-57.

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NoisyDad

Joined: Mar 04, 2006
Posts: 215
West Hartford, CT
United States

Posted on Nov 19 2008 02:49 PM

Another thing to consider is how many guitar parts you're recording for a given piece. If I'm recording my trio and using just one guitar sound, I'll go to my favorite SM57 (usually, anyway). However, if I'm putting in a second guitar part, I might want to use a different mike (as well as a different guitar and amp) to help differentiate the two guitar sounds in the mix. So, it helps to accumulate a few different mikes.

—

http://www.aquatudes.com
http://www.facebook.com/theaquatudes

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Kawentzmann

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1060
Berlin, Germany
3 Link Pins

Posted on Nov 20 2008 02:57 AM

NoisyDad
Another thing to consider is how many guitar parts you're recording for a given piece. If I'm recording my trio and using just one guitar sound, I'll go to my favorite SM57 (usually, anyway). However, if I'm putting in a second guitar part, I might want to use a different mike (as well as a different guitar and amp) to help differentiate the two guitar sounds in the mix. So, it helps to accumulate a few different mikes.

Exactly! Thats where lo-fi mics come in, they often have a nice sonic hook to them, that you wouldnt want on center stage.

—

The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann

You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy.

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dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Dec 11 2007 11:46 AM I prefer the Sennheiser e609 Silver for recording the guitar cab...I also like the SM-57...but, as others here have suggested, there is no "right" answer to this question...try experimenting with different mics and mic setups... image Top
Rio Joined: May 22, 2006 Posts: 500 Hamilton, Ontario	Posted on Dec 11 2007 12:39 PM I use the e609 for close-miking guitar cabs, too. As far as the 57 & 58 are concerned, I prefer the brightness you get from a 58 on a guitar cab, the 57 sounds a bit more squished and mid-rangey to me Usually, though, I use the e609 for close miking, with a small and/or large diaphram condensor about 4 feet away-- the close mic gives more definition & immediacy ("oomph") but the room mics give more of the reverb and "natural" sound of the amp-- more "sweet". Mixed together, I like to think I can get a decent surf guitar sound — http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/rockinrio.delrosa http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/TheHighTides http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/pages/The-Blue-Demons Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Dec 11 2007 04:42 PM Rio Usually, though, I use the e609 for close miking, with a small and/or large diaphram condensor about 4 feet away-- the close mic gives more definition & immediacy ("oomph") but the room mics give more of the reverb and "natural" sound of the amp-- more "sweet". Mixed together, I like to think I can get a decent surf guitar sound Hey..that's what I do! Two mics, one close to the cab, one at a distance...mixed together....sounds swell! Top
LHR Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 2123 The jungle	Posted on Dec 11 2007 07:19 PM What WR said: the SM58 is fine for recording guitar amps. Whatever a 57 can do, the 58 can too but with a bit less rejection in a close-mic situation. I really dig the Audix i5, though. But, for the record, I did not claim that is "far better". It is a very nice mic and actually very similar to the Shure SM57 in character. But is has a little something special about it. Can't say what. Maybe that little bump in low frequency response...who knows. Here is a little article on stocking your (budget) mic locker and recommending the i5: LINK Not to confuse matters too much I hope, but there has been no mention of another very similar mic and one that I am growing fond of, the Shure Beta 57A. I bought it for an emergency recording session (at full retail ) thinking it was basically a deluxe SM57. Boy, was I wrong. It performed well, mind you, but was maybe a little midrangey for my liking. Then after settling in with it and trying out different placements, I really got to liking the sounds I was getting from it. It has a <i>ton</i> of character. And it is hyper/supercardioid and not cardioid like the SM57 so it rejects unwanted sound better. And the grill is not weird and flimsy like the SM57. Also, like dp sez, I have heard nothing but good things about the Sennheiser e609. Hanging a mic in front of the cab looks a little odd to me, but everyone does it. I would like to try one out. — SSIV Top
dannylectro Joined: Aug 18, 2008 Posts: 368 Orange, CA	Posted on Sep 26 2008 04:55 PM WR as far as I know, it's the same mic with a different grill. Supposedly the effect of that is that the sm57 is more unidirectional, and has more or better high frequency response. This is true. Either mic is fine for guitar Top
surfer Joined: Apr 12, 2007 Posts: 428 South Florida	Posted on Sep 29 2008 08:25 AM Any mic is fine for guitar if it gets the sound your after. See my post on the previous page, a 57 and 58 are distinctly different mics, with different sound. There is a reason for the two. — www.cutbacksurfband.com Top
fenderizer Joined: Nov 15, 2008 Posts: 8 Stuttgart / Germany	Posted on Nov 18 2008 03:55 AM spy ......which is the conclusion?! Which is better for a guiatr amp? The 57 or 58? I'm totally confused! I once read that if you remove the "ball cage" from the SM 58, you get quite close to the SM 57 sound. So if you're eventually going to use it for singing, you could get the SM 58 and detach the grill when miking your amp. If intended main usage is recording instruments (e.g. guitar, drums), probably the SM 57 should be your choice. Greetings - *the Fenderizer* P.S: if you're on a budget: there are some pretty decent chinese copies available — they're coming to take me away, hahaaa ... Top
Kawentzmann Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1060 Berlin, Germany	Posted on Nov 18 2008 06:12 AM I have a 56.5, no kidding. The shop said its pretty old and was available before the SM57. It has the ball cage like the SM58. I cant compare it with either, since I dont have them. It sounds a bit more open than my Sennheiser, which I prefer for closemiking guitar speakers with a dynamic mic, for the nice transients and mid shaping. — The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy. Top
surfer Joined: Apr 12, 2007 Posts: 428 South Florida	Posted on Nov 19 2008 09:28 AM OK, the SM-57 is far more popular a mic for guitar amps, the SM-58 is far more popular with vocals. The ball on the 58 is just a sponge holder, to soften "P's" poping. They are not the same mic. The real answer still holds.....the mic that sounds good to you, that gets the sound you want is the right mic, any mic will work for anything, sometimes it sucks, sometimes a great surprise. EXPERIMENT!!!!! — www.cutbacksurfband.com Top
surferXmatt Joined: Aug 27, 2008 Posts: 1570 New York	Posted on Nov 19 2008 12:59 PM Slightly unrelated but.... I had very good results recording acoustic guitar and vocals with the SM-57. Top
NoisyDad Joined: Mar 04, 2006 Posts: 215 West Hartford, CT	Posted on Nov 19 2008 02:49 PM Another thing to consider is how many guitar parts you're recording for a given piece. If I'm recording my trio and using just one guitar sound, I'll go to my favorite SM57 (usually, anyway). However, if I'm putting in a second guitar part, I might want to use a different mike (as well as a different guitar and amp) to help differentiate the two guitar sounds in the mix. So, it helps to accumulate a few different mikes. — http://www.aquatudes.com http://www.facebook.com/theaquatudes Top
Kawentzmann Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1060 Berlin, Germany	Posted on Nov 20 2008 02:57 AM NoisyDad Another thing to consider is how many guitar parts you're recording for a given piece. If I'm recording my trio and using just one guitar sound, I'll go to my favorite SM57 (usually, anyway). However, if I'm putting in a second guitar part, I might want to use a different mike (as well as a different guitar and amp) to help differentiate the two guitar sounds in the mix. So, it helps to accumulate a few different mikes. Exactly! Thats where lo-fi mics come in, they often have a nice sonic hook to them, that you wouldnt want on center stage. — The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy. Top

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Sm-58 vs. SM-57 for recording guitar