What Mic do you use for electric guitars?

[George Necola]

I use KM88, shure sm57 (old series) or a combo of 421 and akg 414. it's all bout the preamp. my 57 comes alive with the chandler germanium while it sucks with my audient.

[stevep]

Sm 57

and whatever room Mic i feel like trying

[TornadoTed]

As far as dynamic mics I tend to go with a RE20, MD421, SM57 or a modded SM57 for a smoother sound than the unmodded one. I often use either a Nuemann U87 with InnerTube audio mod or a Shinybox MXL46 with the dynamic aswell. I was seriously happy with the RE20, Shinybox combination I used on the last band I had in the studio.

[paterno]

Does it have to be just one mic? I'm a big fan of two mics on a guitar amp -- usually an SM57 and some other kind of condenser, usually a KM 86/84 [w/ pad] on smaller amps and a 451/2 [w/ pad] on a 4X12 cab. I've also liked the new Heil PR-30 in conjunction with the 57 as well.

Cheers,
John

[yawatta]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

...lately though there are times when my RCA BK-5...

I just used an old BK-5B last night on some heavy distorted guitars with an RE-20 in back of the cab (fender 2x12) and i was well pleased..

thanks for the suggestion

[Ollie]

I really have liked using a Gefell UMT-70. It sounds great. I also used R121, M160, SM57, SM7B, and others.

[evilgrill]

i´ve had good results with sm57, beyerdynamic M201TG or tsm MT84 (with unnecessary cloth removed) near the speaker and akg 414, blue baby bottle, röde classic or oktava MK 219/MK 319 further away.

[whitepapagold]

57, BUT I really don't like the new 57s, so I bought 2 unidyne III 57s. Maybe I got bad ones but I really didn't like the top of mexican 57s. Im thrilled with the Unidynes but I really hear quite a difference(ie why I assume maybe my first 57s were potentially screwed up- most say the difference is subtle-not to my ears) Plus the 57 is GREAT on back up vox( I LOVE IT FOR THIS), yelling vox, and rap/spoken word vox, snare, hh, and about 80 million other things- hard not to like functionality!

[Bat Head Sound]

Electrovoice RE-38 or the N/D 308 are awesome mics on a guitar cab. Used in combination with a Royer 121 can be heavenly.

[DAWgEAR]

BLUE Dragonfly or Royer R-121 depending on the sound I'm after. Very different.

Occasionally a Sennheiser MD421.

I can't say I have ever liked an SM57.

[Seamus TM]

I usually start with an R84, unless they are already being used for something else.
Then I try a Beyer M560dx (Sank modification), depending on how loud the guitar is... the M560dx doesn't take kindly to too much gain, but sounds great in the perfect situation.
Then I'll try a 57, if the Beyer doesn't work.

I haven't gotten any further than that without something sounding like an electric guitar.

[d. gauss]

i've been on an ev 635a kick.

-d. gauss

[Ianneve]

I sound like I'm pimping this mic but I'm not. I'm actually just honest. *gasp*. And excited cause something this cool for this $ almost never comes along.. Cascade Fat head. Used it on Elec gtrs and over heads. OH NOOOO! I used it on 2 different instruments on the same album... Heh ... Actually 3, I use it on acoustic guitars as well. Does that make me a bad person? :>) Awesome huge sounding mic.

[nadsatrebel]

E-609 close-blue baby bottle about a foot or so out from the cab and checking phase-mk319 around the same place as the BBB into Neotek Series I console/mic pre. I will use a 57 if I have to . A few weeks back I put an Audix d6 on the back of a semi open mesa 2x12 and it made for a nice blend with the 609.

[in the red]

i almost never use sm 57s alone, always in combo. most of the time i put up the r-121 and see how it works. almost always i find it too smooth (which might be another mans dark) and add a brighter mic. either sm 57, 421 (can be very cool alone), soundelux u-195, U47fet... i was thinking to leave the r-121 in its box next time (demo for hatebreed-like hardcore band) and see how it works. been using it a long time as a standard.

[AmekGuy]

Originally Posted by TornadoTed

As far as dynamic mics I tend to go with a RE20, MD421, SM57 or a modded SM57 for a smoother sound than the unmodded one.

Can you describe the SM57 modification?

[mhartman]

Originally Posted by AmekGuy

Can you describe the SM57 modification?

It was in TapOp a while back, here is a writeup on one guy's experience doing it:

http://www.churchmedia.net/CMN/showthread.php?t=17017

And another here:

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/ind...057#msg_111029

[Tim L]

In addition to the R121, 421, Babby Bottle, as well as the 57 (which I'm not a great fan of), I'll just add a few...

I love using the e604 for elect gtr's.

Though it can be somewhat difficult finding 'the spot', the Blue Ball can do some pretty cool stuff as well (usually in tandem with other mic's).

The Lawson L47MPmkII is great for dirty lil' bluesy combo amp stuff (think Stones) as well as cleaner jazzy stuff...

[AllAboutTone]

Depends on the music that you are recording, i tend to keep going back to the AKG 414 and the U87 sometimes, even a AKG c3000 is cool as well. I hardly ever use the standard sm57, it does not have a wide sound like the bigger ones.

[C/G]

Usually anything will work but here are what I reach for first, in order:

Sennheiser 421N (old white one)
Sony C-38b LD condenser.
Fostex M88-RP ribbon mic.
Beyer M160 ribbon mic.
Gefell DM622 dynamic mic.
SM57 if there is one lying around.

If none of those are happening, I'll try something I never use on that application like a BLUE Mouse, Gefell tube mics, UM70s ect....

Then there are the room mics, and I like the Gefell UM92s, UM70s, M582/UM70 combo, AKG 451 with BLUE B6 capsule.

[bruno]

modded sm57 , older unidyneIII or u87

[DigitMus]

Geez, where to start...

Close mics:
RE20
E609 silver
MD421
MD441
Fostex M11RP
Beyer M160
Beyer M260
EV N/D408
EV N/D357
Audix OM3xb

More distant mics:
AEA R84
Neumann M149
Gefell M295
Gefell UM75
AKG C414B ULS
ADK A51TC
modified Realistic (Crown license) PZMs


I probably left a few out - always use an IBP on the close mic...

Scott

[mosrite]

I was recently considering selling my Coles 4040 (god knows why) until I reminded myself of how it performs on my Vox amp. I compared to the SM57 and there was no contest. 57 sounded toppy, harsh and light. Coles sounded lush, rich and full.

[MrVelvet]

I hated the 57... Sounded like "amp sound through a tunnel" - well, not as muddy as the Pod, but I was never satisfied with it...

After using high quality pre's (like the D.W. Fearn), the 57 opened up, especially at the top. Still has it's sonic signature, but I liked it.

However, I am really picky about my guitar sound, so I want the recorded guitar to sound as close as possible to the amp in the room.

Keep in mind that a close mic'd speaker sounds mostly brighter than what you hear in the room - so I make sure I don't stress that.

For a 4x10" Fender Bassman, an AT-4033 worked very well, for some Fender Blackface 1x12", my Rode NTK works nicely (if placed correctly). Royer R-121's are great, too.

The Audix i5 is great for clean guitars, but anything crunchy will sound unpleasant and nasty through them.

Used the Sennheiser 421 (in the BF version), sounds great, but lacks just a little attitude IMHO. Would love to try the e609.

With some mics, I noticed it depends on the player - e.g. I have a rather "dark" attack, so the Rode NTK is fine sometimes, but with some other players who sound bright by themselves, it can be wrong, even with the same amp/guitar setup.

[weatherbox]

R121, SM7b, MD421, and I5 are my go-to mics, and typically can get what I want from one of them depending on setup and mic amp. Older Baby Bottles are great on amps, too.

[soupking]

Last weekend was my first official day miking my Music Man HD 150 (from what Harmony Central says is a really nice amp) through an Ampeg stack.

I'm a total amateur at mic placement, but not a total idiot either.

First off, I must have gotten pretty weak SM57s cuz they didn't sound like shit, but they were really raw and grainy. I did buy them discount off eBay and they were mailed to me from China (3 point shot), but I figured that's standard. Anyway, the jury's still out on this mic. I think about the only thing I could use it for is guitar distortion. I played it clean, bright, and with overdrive. It sounded best actually clean now that I think back, but the whole 'all-purpose mic', I ain't feeling it.

I also now know what people mean by flat. i paired it with a md421 which really helped it out on the lower end, so much that I wouldn't seperate the two. Still it sounded 1 inch thick and 6 feet high. I'll probably tryout a Royer 121 to aleviate some of that flatness.

As for the sm57, I'm thinking about sticking it in the bullpen and trying out the e609 and possibly the bk-5, sm7, and maybe even my pencil mic in the rotation for the hell of it.

My big ol' 2 cents.

[ToddS]

I truly love an SM57 on guitar. That's just one of those things in life that just works. Everything else is in the player.

[Jay Kahrs]

Originally Posted by Sound Bloke

Forgive me if I'm wrong but don't guitarists and engineers alike, obsess over getting the absolute best out of a particular guitar amp - using it to achieve a particular sonic charecteristic.

Often in the world of high end recording, such is achieved in a space that is acoustically desirable.

If such is the case, why would you then take some cheap arsed mexican made dynamic piece of shite, only reconisable by it's signature off axis colouration and shove it up the speaker box's clacker with **** all regard for either the charecter of the amp or the acoustics of the room.

Rock "n" roooooooooooool man!

BUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[Ruudman]

EV635, MD421, SM57.

For Vox bellish sound, I'ved liked a 414.

Somebody has experience with a 409 on Marshall-like amps?

ruudman

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by Sound Bloke

If such is the case, why would you then take some cheap arsed mexican made dynamic piece of shite, only reconisable by it's signature off axis colouration and shove it up the speaker box's clacker with **** all regard for either the charecter of the amp or the acoustics of the room.

For the same reason that you would take an assembly-line-produced-plank-of-wood-with strings like a Telecaster, hook it up thru an electronically primitive and dated tube amp and play it with Steve Cropperish bare-essentials-in-the-pocket attitude and end up with something that fits the song, enhances the bigger picture and translates beautifully on all kinds of playback mediums.

Axis colouration or not.