Microphone Shoot-Out!: AKG D112 vs Shure SM57 (Mesa Dual Rectifier/PRS Custom 22)

[nivlafarts]

The Shure sounds tighter and more articulate. I would just double track if I wanted more guitar, it might be annoying but it disciplines you! Also, I think the bass is what adds the beef to a guitar tone. Were these recorded with a preamp or just dry? Nice playing btw!

[CowcarMusic]

@nivlafarts Recorded dry! I agree with double tracking for discipline... I got a Tape Based 4 Track in '96, a year into playing, and it increased my skill 1000%... the only problem is I find it hard not to double track now... which isn't always needed and can take away from some recordings... I just love it though lol

[RobTyler93]

I think the D112 is sounding pretty tasty because of the boost in the 2-4kHz range it has (aimed to gain some click when recording kick) and also a boost in the low end making it thick in this shootout. I'm sure you can get a better sound with mics in the same price range out there. You're going to be attenuating the low end anyway if mixing with bass. Nonetheless made a decent sound for a video shootout!

[kesanar218]

i like the warmth of the 112

would you get the same warmth using a beta 52

[CowcarMusic]

@kesanar218 haven't tried the 52... it's a possibility though lol

[radulica]

The SM57 is an industry standard, but I gotta admit, I've never tried putting the D112 to a guitar amp. In the distortion part, the D112 sounds much better and fuller than the SM57, but for the acoustic part, the SM57 just has much more clarity than the D117. It's really a matter of what sound you prefer. But that's what I would do, use the D112 for Distortion and the 57 for the acoustic parts.

[lebenmachtdurstig]

pretty unfair:

every microphone in the world sounds betten than a sm57.

[CowcarMusic]

@lebenmachtdurstig lol

[zapzzapzzapz]

ty



[jlewallen]

The AKG D112. is the clear winner in this shootout in my opinion. I have both of these mics and use the AKG on my bass drum and the SM57 on my Snare and am surprised at how well the AKG performed on the Guitar amp....I use a SM57 on my guitar player's amp so I might have to reconsider that decision...thanks for this great video comparison

[myguitardidyermom12]

wow, the D112 on a clean guitar sounds fucking ridiculous! I know what I'm doing on my next session with clean guitar.

[bedofrazorsqwerty]

That D112 is the best raw guitar sound I've ever heard. I can imagine that and my Audix i5 playing very very well together for rhythm guitars. Craigslist here I come....

[pesciro]

Hey! Do you have any problems trying to make your sound sit in the mix with the AKG mic? Based on the sound I would say that you have to cut out a lot of bass frequencies to make your guitar sit in the mix.

[CowcarMusic]

@pesciro I don't generally use the D112 for this purpose. If I did I would use it with another mic D112 for the low and the other for the Highs...

[TableWolfMusic]

@CowcarMusic Sorry to jump into your convo. Is it ok if I ask, how do you avoid phase problems when you do that with multiple mics?

[TableWolfMusic]

@TableWolfMusic Hmmm, now I think about it, the microphones probably arent moving much at all if they are mounted on a steady stand and so that wouldn't be a problem.

[jjlwis]

haha, wow i never thought of using a D112 for a E-GTR mic.. but i guess now i will!

[nikitofin]

love that riff, is yours??

[CowcarMusic]

@nikitofin I make up all of these riffs for these shoot-outs

[nikitofin]

love that riff, is yours??

[instereovideos]

The AKG has more balls... that's not always a good thing. I think that in the clean riff, you can appreciate the extra output that the AKG has. But in the distorted section, that D112 is just mucking up the sound with too much bass frequency. Big guitar sounds are what we all want, but "bigger" does not always make "better."

[sammy5772]

@instereovideos EXACTLY, it seems to em that that much bass would just mussy up the low mids and walk all over the bass if left un-eq'd. Something that might sound great solo'd can sound like total shit in a mix.

[MicahTHartsock]

I've recorded some HUGE guitar sounds with a r121 and a akg112.

[canitasteyou321]

i think the sm57 sounds great off center

[VitorVitoriaBaia]

AKG D112 ??? Are you people def? Where are the mids and highs? I can only ear BASS BASS BASS....Shure SM57 born to Snare and Guitar Amps. If you want more bass, EQ a little bit....or record with both.

[kijkenify]

nice a esp james hetfield sig guitar in the background...... NICE

[tolisdrums]

man i must say that the d112 worked UNEXPECTEDLY WELL i will totally check out combining these mikes whenever i go back to the studio with my band

[thezombiebrew]

If you are recording heavy guitars, this combo of mics is HEAVENLY. I tend to record with 2 57's, and a D112. I place both one 57 right on the centre of the cone, one on the edge of the cone, and the D112 on another speakers cone. Use the 57 that was on the edge of the cone as the body and bulk of the sound. EQ the other 57 to have all bass and mids cut right out and the highs/mid-highs boosted, this brings out the pick attack, and the d112 delivers all the rumble. Mix both mics low and your set

[CowcarMusic]

@thezombiebrew Sound good... I will have to give it a try!

[leparditas]

@thezombiebrew phat about phase isues?

[XDrummerSteve]

D112 is certainly a hotter signal and performs much better in the lower frequencies. So, if I were to pick a mic to place on a guitar with a lot of overdrive, it would go to the Shure. Not too bad on the clean sound but I would reserve the D112 for the kick drum.

[Bridgebain]

Your vids are spot on man. Especially, it's important to know that your iMac is a 24" !!!! Very thorough!! but seriously...more more more.

[pastorkev777]

Do a the twin clean demo between the shure beta 52 and the AKG D112, that would be cool. I have used the shure beta 52 for clean sounds and its cool. -PK

[Rawr5649]

nice test, though I'm really sick of this guitar riff now

[tomm1tch]

It's funny but I reckon the D112 sounds quite a lot better, nice character, sounds more pure. Strange for a typically bass based mic. I've had pretty great results using both mics (on various amps: Randall G7 combo, Orange 30w into Marshall 4x12) and combining the two sounds at mixdown. :) The AKG has such a nice sparkly top end.

[DrAstra]

Well... the d112 has much more output thatn the sm57, whitch may confuse some peoples hearing! But I must say I wouldn't have thought that the d112 sounds so good on guitar speaker!

[jakdedert]

I don't find much to recommend between them in the distorted guitar. That said, I kept having to adjust the volume (up) for the 57; which makes it difficult to judge. Next time try to more carefully match the gain between mics. Moving the mic out on the speaker was an interesting experiment, but rarely would I ever mic a cabinet anywhere but position '2', midway from cone to edge. The Shure sounded better on the clean guitar to my ears....

[CowcarMusic]

@jakdedert I agree... I've been trying to match the volumes in the newer videos! I seem to like a combo between the Center and Off center for actual recordings (Usually in a 2 or 3 mic combo).

[jakdedert]

@CowcarMusic Yeah, you're probably dealing with a studio situation...where I'd likely be inclined to put another mic somewhere farther back. I was think more in a live application.

[FuckinMetal3694]

Shure \m/

Fuckin Mesa kicks ass

[CowcarMusic]

@FuckinMetal3694 The Mesa is AMAZING! lol

[Kevinkoch2443]

D112 FOR SHURE haha ! AKG is best!

[Kevinkoch2443]

D112 FOR SURE haha ! AKG is best!

[azombiestool]

LOVELY vid man. Does that Tascam have it's own preamp for the inputs? thanks.

Cheers from GA.

[CowcarMusic]

@azombiestool Yes 10 inputs have pre-amps... I only recently invested in 2 Mic Pre-amps (UA 710T) but didn't really feel I needed them until now!

[azombiestool]

@CowcarMusic Oh neat. I wonder if it'd work with my cubase program. I need more inputs. Now, with your new preamps, do you run them into your tascam with THOSE preamps set at a certain level? Do you run them behind the tascam? Or do you simply use them instead of the tastcam preamps, but still run the mics through the interface?

How much was your tascam? thanks!

[CowcarMusic]

@azombiestool I believe it comes with a copy of Cubase... I can run the Preamps that I just bought with the builtin preamps and with the other inputs in the rear of the US1641... I really enjoy the US1641 and think it's a great preamp!

[azombiestool]

@CowcarMusic Awesome! I have Cubase AI5.. I wonder if it'd be compatible with that.. and whats your favorite mic/mic combo to use on recording guitar cabs so far? You have alot of videos, but which ones do you enjoy using most?

[CowcarMusic]

@azombiestool so far I've enjoyed the Sennheiser MD421 and the Shure SM57 together... I just got a Neumann TLM103 and that has been amazing! I'm thinking TLM103 and the MD421 (and maybe add the SM57 too)...

[azombiestool]

@CowcarMusic Sweet. Ive heard people doing the combo of the 421 and the SM57. Do you use the sm57 for the dust cap and the 421 in the middle/on the edge of the speaker? What positions do you usually take in that combo?

[OwensDrumming]

The D112 sound almost like Metallica's sound.

[CowcarMusic]

@OwensDrumming It's definitely a great sound! I know I was impressed!

[OwensDrumming]

@CowcarMusic I mean for a low frequency mic, that sounded awesome!! Also by the way, awesome videos!

[stratomaster134]

Not sure, but I'd probably take the shure sm57 for more rhythmic guitar playing and for a song that's more so directed toward vocals. Seems like a more, collected mic, than the akg d112. The akg d112 sounds like it might be too much in a song, seeing as it picks up intense low frequencies that probably should be left for the bass and bass drum. Other wise, things might get crammed in a recording? What do you think?

[CowcarMusic]

@stratomaster134 I can see that for sure! Although sometimes you need that low Chunk for Heavy Guitar! Might even be useful for some low end on a Fender amp... but I agree that the SM57 is the winner here!

[stratomaster134]

@CowcarMusic Yeah, the AKG would be cool for a certain song or effect, seeing as the SM57 is common as a guitar cabinet mic, it could be used for an interesting change.