Guitar Amp Microphone Test

[tommybreschi]

do you need a interface to record like that in cubase ?

[patrickrennemomusic]

How do you record the sound: is it plugged into your pc and put onto the video afterwards?

[kajketielle]

@patrickrennemomusic The signal chain is pretty simple. Mic-->PreAmp-->PC. No EQ nor compression.

[teofaouaz]

Very decent post, dude. Thanks for sharing with us. IMO, all mikes sound great. All combinations are usefull as well. This video can save us much time. Cheers!

[miguelpessanha]

Dude nice video, but i waited all the video to see the combination 57 & 421 in action!

[jcshirke]

Nice job, man. The thing I take away from your test is that each mic has its own use and application. I found myself wondering, though, if you took the e906 and moved it a little more toward the center, whether it'd pick up a little more treble; or if you took the SM57 and moved it away from center, maybe it wouldn't be quite as bright, etc. Obviously, that's all just personal preference. They all sound good, though. Cool test.

[jimihendrix19999]

Mein Lieblings ist der Sennheiser e906! Aber den unterschied kann man auch nur feststellen wenn man sein Computer an Boxen anschließt... finde ich!

[MegaAluchi]

question:

how can I use a microphone to project my singing voice with a single channel guitar tube amp?

any device that let me do this?

also, how can I record both my singing and audio out from amp?

thanks

[bigbirdtalent]

phase nightmare

[diddlytube]

@bigbirdtalent Yes, mics need to be at different distances when combined, or the result is comb filtered murk. The Orange amp doesn't have much note separation, but the single mics capture its characteristic "wooly" sound pretty accurately. There's an audible dropoff in clarity and impact when the 2-mic combos kick in. Tedious to move 5 mics for the combo settings, but necessary so the mics will complement each other, rather than lose impact. Useful post for the single-mic comparisons.

[bigbirdtalent]

@diddlytube yes pretty much MD421 is a very good starting point with the 57, I always like to used it with a Royer 121

[BrokeProductions1]

Do you recommend the tiny terror because i really want an orange but it's the only one i can afford. Could I use it live?

[kajketielle]

@BrokeProductions1 The TT is good for small gigs, It's only 15Watts! For bigger stages, I would go for a 50Watts.

[btyremanable]

I like the MD421 by far the best to my ears, it sounds the most natural and least harsh

[TubeTestsShow]

great video!!! keep it up!!!!

[ALEXCHASE750]

Hey brah, what do you plug the mics into? straight to the computer?

[dinosquirrel]

Love shure guys, BUT remember its about the sound youre going for. The 57 to me seems to distort a little on the overdrive, more than I'D like. Cool thing is, you can make the 57 sound like the others, clear winner.

[juancaraledo1]

57 Wins!!!!



[cowboytonydee]

@match175 Just because of the placing of the other mics. In fact, the SM57 sounds bright.

[danceofthedruids]

Nice comprehensive demo ... thanks!

[cheloronaldo]

dude i already have a line 6 pod ux1 usb interface.. would it be enough with a line 6 spider III or IV and a shure sm57 to make good recordings? or do i need to get another amp or another usb interface?

[ExplodingBody]

I love the first piece that you played for the clean test, Im addicted to it lol. Is that part of a song, or did you make that? I dont know how you would, but could you post tabs or something?

[kajketielle]

@ExplodingBody LOL thanks! You have the same chords, played differently of course, in Van Halen's "316"... just find the tabs and look at the first three chords!

[fretduster03]

would you recommend sm57 for an all around mic..mainly live vocals next would be for recording.or maybe i should get a condenser for recording for better clarity and fullness.thanks in advance

[gullywoots]

it's true the mics are positioned very differently, but this is a cool test anyway.

[Alejoint73]

No wonder the SM57s have been the pro's choice for so many years.

[BarthelemyLesaint]

I wish i was a sound ingenee so i can tell the difference !

[beingthewanted94]

i own a sure sm 57 and i run it through a marshall avt 50h half stack and it sounds great i hope this helps someone and if you have any questions about the shure mic just ask

[mikeisametalhead]

you should have done all at once



[philotze]

Get a Palmer PDI-09

[Simo573c]

I don't have very much experience with recording guitar so, after the mic, what do you use there? could someone explain an example of how to get the sound from the microphone till it comes out of the speakers on the computer?

[limit6]

I liked the first a1 and the 57 best w/ distortion. I'd love to hear that combo.

[DiatonicVids]

Could I run a sm57 into a Boss DR-800 to mic an amp, or do I need different hardware?

[LOMAZ5150]

what if you want too play too a song?

[steffenbrix]

Yydr..hate the Orange distortion... but nice video. SM57 is a hopeless microphone for recording electric guitar...it gives you that very irritating midrangy sound on everything - and you just can't tweak your way into getting it to sound pleasing. After years and years I just found that a nice condenser right in the front of the cone is the natural sounding way to go. Then you can always tweak the sound the way you want afterwards :)

But thanks for the upload ;)

[Rikitocker]

The SM57 all the way ... nice and tight in the mids and with that compression - this is why it is my go to mic for guitar cabs.

[kiks1234567]

which mic do you recommend, sm57 or E906?

[kajketielle]

@kiks1234567

It depends... like everything in life, it all depends on taste and situation. :)

For sure, if you want to "go the safe way", go with the SM57. If you want a more "vintage" and hollow tone, I would go with the e906.

Hope this helps in your choice!

[kiks1234567]

@kajketielle yep, thanks! i'll "go the safe way" :)

[ransisua]

@kajketielle Are you saying that even super expensive mic like U87 is not the most versatile mic? Glad to hear that.

[kajketielle]

@kiks1234567 The SM57 has a less coloured sound than the e906. If you have the bugdet for only one mic, go for the SM57.

[theinck]

I just bought a 421 for $200 off eBay

[RustoleumHarborBlue]

thanks for doing this. i was gonna buy an e906 from reading all the rave reviews, but your shootout affirmed that i'm perfectly fine with the classic 57

[monkeyxx]

wow, that humble little 57 sure is something. good tones from the others, too, and some wacky and weird sounding blends, oh well can't win them all!

[ssalzone]

yeah, i think you get MAJOR tonal differences how the mic is pointed (edge vs center and everthing in between)

[drneme]

COOL!!!

[devilsaddendum]

I don't like the sm57, sadly. It creates a high-pitch noise that covers the actual tone of that you're playing. That's been bothering me a lot, because in my music there's a lot of instruments all trying to be heard, and the dist guitars are using up the treble with noise.

[runelink2]

@devilsaddendum eq?

[Fishies125]

@devilsaddendum Ya, I hate sm57's with a passion. They sound completely disgusting to me. Recognized it right when he switched to it. Ugh.

[Michael55443]

@Fishies125 You a mic snob?

[Fishies125]

@Michael55443 Haha actually not much. I've just really taken a disliking to SM57s, and most dynamic mics, because I realized that most of the time I would hear tone that I really hated from amps that I really loved it was when they were mic'ed with a 57 or similar. Got into condenser and ribbon mics and I love it. Just personal taste. =)

[Michael55443]

@Fishies125 I hear ya. I want to get a ribbon mic, but the good ones are a little pricey.

[Fishies125]

@Michael55443 I know. Someday.

[artistrecording]

best one SM57

[sinbindinchin]

Are those groove tube mics condensers? cant find out anything about them.

[kajketielle]

@sinbindinchin

Unfortunately there is not much on the net about these mics... I like them very much, if you want a silky sound on guitars or vocals.

[kajketielle]

@sinbindinchin Yes, they are GT a1... out of production :(

[DudVince]

Am I wrong or did you forget to combine the sm57 and the e906?

[kajketielle]

@DudVince

Yep... sorry :) Will try to fix this in a next try out!

[redlinechavez]

I really dig the shure sm-57.

[PIlotrcm]

i think the really really important question is...What other post mic things do you have this signal running through before it comes out of my computer/headphones? Are you messing with noise gates or any kind of EQ's or compressors in a computer software program or anything like that?

[kajketielle]

@PIlotrcm

This is the signal chain:

Guitar Speaker --> Mic --> Preamp --> A/D Converter.

No comps, eqs nor gates involved... The recorded material is normalized to -3db and bounced in a format editable with Final Cut.

[Featureman]

If a person buys only one mic, I recommend the Shure SM57. Be sure it is a real one and not fake. There are some videos that show the difference.

[davidbrucemusicvideo]

The SM57 always is brighter than the condensers. I'll stick with condensers. :-)

This is good. Thanks!

[MadBassist2]

I really like the e906. I personally use a Royer R-121 for guitar amps. It gives the most accurate reproduction of sound I've heard.

[kajketielle]

@MadBassist2

I would really like to try out the Royer some day!! :P

[MadBassist2]

@kajketielle I absolutely love it. It sounds fantastic on guitar amps. I have someone that is buying mine so I can buy the Royer R122V which is basically a 121 with a vacuum tube inside of it. I cant wait to get it!

[baruchdor]

did you try the m88 and 99 bayer dynamic

...if not?

can you please stand the 421 and the 57 at the same place?

for my web electricguitarscoil 

[conca121212]

the md421 is very good for vintage tones

[clayton5150]

for me two 57s on and off axis

[airborneseepage]

Mic position has a bigger impact than mic choice - when will you people learn?

[kajketielle]

@airborneseepage: read the description please :)

[TheLimiter]

@airborneseepage

Both are important !

[heyitsmekid]

@airborneseepage who you callin' "you people!" lol jk

i agree. half an inch to the right of center, completely different sound than center. subtle changes give drastic tonal changes!

[orenben1]

@airborneseepage it has a different impact though, changing the mic position wont change the tonality of the mic itself, itll just emphasize different frequencies, and effect the dynamics. id say what you said is a half truth

[Buhzie15]

combine an on-axis 57 with an off 421 and you've got win

[conca121212]

@Buhzie15 sounds awesome!

[sonicsmainman1]

Deffinatly a differance in tone, but i think the mic placment had a bigger impact on the sound. Try them all in the same position, the corner where the speaker and the center cone meet is the best.

[FriendNotFoeBand]

@match175 that's because the sm57 is the only one near the voice coil

[rene495]

Thanks for the Demo

[lookagain77]

@match175, that's because the impedance of the mic preamp he's using is too low for the other mics and unfairly favoring the SM57 due to its being better matched to the impedance of his preamp. It's like putting extremely thick oil in a brand new car and then complaining that the engine is not as powerful as the one in a car with much less rated horsepower....

[FriendNotFoeBand]

@lookagain77 that has little or nothing to do with it. it's all about mic position. The edge of the speaker cone sounds darker than near the voice coil.

[lookagain77]

@FriendNotFoeBand Actually it's the cables, I just noticed they look different, he's probably using different grade cables for each mic. Also, the way the light is hitting each microphone from different angles is creating asymmetrical patterns of shadows on the speaker grill/cloth which are probably interfering with the frequency response of each micophone.

[FriendNotFoeBand]

@lookagain77 i actually think it's the deodorant he's wearing

[lookagain77]

@FriendNotFoeBand I suppose that could be it since the smell of the deodorant travels through the air and it's probably interfering not only with the speaker movement but also with the diaphragm of each microphone. That's why it's best not to use deodorant when recording.

[FriendNotFoeBand]

@lookagain77 that must be why good, hard working, touring bands always smell when you meet them.

[lookagain77]

UNFAIR TEST, the ELBERG preamp used here is a low-impedance preamp (1.2k Ohms), giving you a completely inaccurate sound (high frequency loss) coming from the e906 and the MD421 which might need probably 2k Ohms or more to get the best out of, and unfairly favoring the SM57 due to the mic's already lower impedance (than the others')

[siriusisastar]

Any of these mics would sound markedly different if simply moved to the cone.

Most of the signals sound "honky"/muffled and ill-defined in the low mids.

You can't go wrong with a 57 on the cone. :)

[OMERTA011]

e906 for hi gain, sm57 for clean. plain and simple

I'ld use the groovetubes for a stereo picture.. not for the middle lead tone for sure..

and that's what's messed up.. the cheapest mic sounds the best... :/

[Foodizzle]

sm57 for clean, e906 for distortion!!

[TJmusical]

the test is not accurate. all the mics are position differently leading in a different kind of tone captured,

[kajketielle]

@TJmusical: read the description please :)

[DudVince]

@TJmusical I think it is supposed to be just a test, not a comparison. However, I also would like to hear a comparison of all mics at the same position. Cheers.

[purplemonkeyelephant]

sm57 definately wins the race

[industrialkhaos]

Thanks for a very informative video, I am looking for a better mic solution for my home studio and this help in sorting a few things out. By the way I liked the GT mics.

[leveniseendroom]

nice video! Ive been looking around what mic would be best to use for my band, but i kinda get the idea to just use 12 mics, and see what works out best...