Choice of mic for use with guitar amp?

[baddog]

Hi there. The users of this forum have convinced me that I should mic my guirat amp in live gigs - so my next question is What mic do you recomment- please be aware I don;t want to spend mega-bucks ?

 

Thanks for everybody's help - you lot are really clued-up

[david.elsbury]

Shure SM57 is commonly used, as is Sennheiser E609. ATM650 fro Audio Technica isn't too bad either.

Do you have a music/pa type shop near you, or would you be purchasing online?

[Killyp]

Shure SM57.

 

Just like the SM58 (almost identical, but tailored for vocals), the SM57 will never do anything unpredictable, and is arguably the best all-round microphone alongside the SM58. It's been the industry standard for years and will probably continue to be the standard for years to come.

[david.elsbury]

Just for the record.

 

Shure SM57 (and SM58 for vocals) certainly could be considered "industry standard" as it is, as noted above, predictable and repeatable.

 

But myself and a lot of others would contest the claim that is is the "best".

 

OP, get a few mics (hire is cheap) and try them out, that way you are happy with the sound and you can make an informed choice.

[Charlie Jeal]

Bite the bullet and buy a Sennheiser E906, they're far superior to 57s on guitar.I haven't stuck a 57 on a guitar amp other than for that extra 4th guitarist since getting my 906s shortly after they came out.

 

 

Charlie

[alex_kyuss]

Like many above Sm57s are good and so are sennheisers e606 or e906 or if you really do have money to splash take a look at audio technica's AE2500

[TimmyP1955]

Senny E906, E609, Audix D4, Audix M1244 (my current choice), Heil PR20/22/30/40, AT4040, KSM32, .... I'll try about anything in the mic locker before putting a 57 on something.

[Rob_Beech]

Another great example of the subjective nature.

 

I must admit I'm inclined to put a 57 on them as I'm falling over them in hire stock, they're not the best mic for the job, though it's predictable and that's usually what guest engineers want.

 

Timmy, I do hope that it pays off avoiding the 57 like the Plague.

[billy jim]

For simplicity, just to get a decent sound, I would agree with a 57- it can be used for just about anything, as demonstrated by this: http://www.studioreviews.com/57song.htm.

[Bobbsy]

The SM57 is fine for this. I have one ATM650 which I slightly prefer most times, but I wouldn't dash out and buy one just for this purpose. I've also been known to throw a LDC at the job sometimes when the SPL from the cab isn't too ear-splitting...they can give a lovely clarity.

 

Bob

[drsound]

This all depends on the cab and the sound you want to capture from it of course, but the ubiquitous 57 will give you a known quantity to start from since almost everyone is familiar with the sound they produce.

 

For the record I also like a Beyer M201 on guitar amps.

[Stan Hope-Streeter]

The big advantage of the Sennheiser 409, 509, 609 type (or whatever the latest version is - I'm still using my old 409's) is its shape.

 

Unlike the once-ubiquitous SM57, you can put it up against the speaker grille without the mic and its cable getting in anybody's way on a cramped stage.

 

If comparing mics, be aware that the sound depends very much on where the mic is positioned over the speaker. Moving it a few inches can make a huge difference and is a good way to get the sound you want before fine tweaking with the channel EQ.

[The_Zark]

I love the 609 for both live sound and recording, the 57 is pretty standard, but I'd totally go for the 609, it's got an extra bit of shimmer for some amps from the supercardioid pattern. Additionally, the 609 is a side address mic and has a much tighter profile and that's always nice for smaller stages.

[soundgeek]

Several options:

 

Sennheiser 845 sounds nice - used it at weekend.

The SE 4400 A Also sounds AMAZING - but more expensive. I used two of these last week and was VERY impressed :** laughs out loud **:

[Gareth Owen]

I like to use an Audio Technica 4033 on Guitar Cabs. Its a choice I picked up from Mick Hughes and Gert Sanner, who mix Metalica and Thunder respectivly.

 

Intrestingly though, Bobby Aitken, sound designer for We Will Rock You concurs with most of the posters above and uses SM57s.

 

It looks like you've already considered this, but, if your determined to get the ideal sound to the audience, most rock and roll musicals use some form of Guitar Cabinet Simulator, DI'd straight in to the PA. Line 6's PodXT Pro is the obvious choice but I have also had exceptional results from the ValveTronics Vox ToneLab.