11 mics on a guitar amp - shootout

[chris carter]

Wow, what a great post!!!!! The SM7 did sound really damn good solo, but like the above poster, I can anticipate having problems with it in a dense modern mix. I think in a mix the 121 was the one for me (or maybe the 57).

[Iggy Poop]

I can't believe so many people said they'll be getting an sm7 after this post. Because I can't believe everyone around here doesn't already have it. You can't spend $350 any better than on an sm7b.

[heyman]

Iggy, you are right. I put off buying one until now. I need one for Vox any way.

I could see it being used on alot more as well.

Any one use it on the hi hat?

[usamike]

FWIW, I was doing a guitar overdub session yesterday (the day after I did the shootout). We ended up using the 57 on everything except one heavily distorted strat through marshall track on which we chose the royer. I tried the SM7 a few times but we ultimately chose the 57 or the Royer.

[eligit]

Originally Posted by usamike

Pretty loud but not as much as you would think. I am blessed (or cursed) with a twin that breaks up earlier than most. I think it was on about 4 or 5. I LOVE my twin reverb, which is a 70s silverface modded to blackface specs.

interesting.

i was just playing a BF reissue.....i did not even get a touch of overdrive and it was pretty damn loud!!

[Iggy Poop]

Originally Posted by usamike

FWIW, I was doing a guitar overdub session yesterday (the day after I did the shootout). We ended up using the 57 on everything except one heavily distorted strat through marshall track on which we chose the royer. I tried the SM7 a few times but we ultimately chose the 57 or the Royer.

I could understand that. The sm7 is a brighter, fuller sound than the 57 which is darker not as big sounding. The 57 lets guitar tracks sit very nicely in mix but in a different place than the sm7 does.

[manning1]

usamike
for a giggle sometime...use a speaker ax a mic.
then do a blind shootout (recording rok guitar) tween it n normal mics n see if people can spot the difference. lotsa fun.

[Susceptor]

I liked the SM7, SM57, RE15, 421, 121; also, I found the Audio Technica to be ok. I really REALLY liked the SM7 and the 421 (as well as the others I mentioned, but not THAT much).
I also think the RE18 would sound awesome for clean.

[vernier]

Has to be in a mix. Doesn't hardly mean anything to hear overdrive rhythm guitar sloloed. 57's get used a ton for good reason, ya know.
'

[strat+ac30]

Thanks for the great comparison!

...

All this "worthless unless heard in context" stuff doesn't make sense to me. OF COURSE you select a mic (and, hopefully, source instrument) thinking about the overall production and what will work. Reference two of the above comments:

Originally Posted by Never1

I'd say the vast majority of those tones are useable in certain contexts.

SM7 sounds great as always. I use mine all the time on guitar amps, but even the RE18 would be useable for a guitar part that needs to sit in a dense mix and not take up too much space. Pretty much exactly the opposite of the SM7B track.

Originally Posted by chris carter

Wow, what a great post!!!!! The SM7 did sound really damn good solo, but like the above poster, I can anticipate having problems with it in a dense modern mix. I think in a mix the 121 was the one for me (or maybe the 57).

Who here hasn't used a 57 in the mix? And who hasn't used it on enough amps, with enough different placements, to really understand what it does to sound?Well then the rest of the comparison can give me something to work off of, e.g. "i don't have any mic that provides something softer, with less of a 6-8k bump and more high extension than the '57".

As someone who approached recording initially from the perspective of guitarist, I was ALWAYS frustrated with because the 57 didn't capture AT ALL what I heard from the amp...so much fizzier (or duller, if I placed to avoid fizz). Still doesn't. The Royer R121 comes SOO much closer and you can hear that in the comparisons. Do I still use both mics? ALL the time. Depends on...wait for it..."how it will work in the mix".

[Energie]

liked the 121 best followed really close by the SM7. Would be interesting to hear these in a mix.

[Recycled_Brains]

SM7 and the Gefell sounded best to me.

[Saxon-of-a-son]

Did you say you positioned the mics in exactly the same spot? Might be a bit misleading. I'd never place a 57 in the same spot as a UMT70S. Different mics have different optimum placements. Just stating the obvious, I guess.

[DeepSpace]

Great shootout - although it leaves out most of my favorite guitar amp mics. Top of my list are:

MD409 U3
PL-6
BCM705
R84

...but it does include three others that I like (SM7, MD421, R121), though as previous posters have remarked, the 421 does not sound at its best in the example provided here.

[patshep]

i bought an sm7b a while back, for use as a vocal mic, it wasn't what i needed for vocals, but i remember one of the best overdriven guitar sounds ever, with a 335 through a koch amp into a sm7 with a great river, was magic, i will buy one again

[daveytinners]

Great post, made for some good listening.

Fave was the SM7b.

Like others have said, I'd also like to hear a few other mics.

It's be cool to have a DI of that riff up here, or another one similar, then people could reamp and add more samples to the shootout using as close a setup as poss. This place needs a home for shootouts!

441, RE20, 609, and the usual LDCs would be nice to hear.

[Preme Diesel]

SM7b
121
57

I always have a combination of at least two of the three up for any tracking session, blend and choose in the mix after

then again i clearly went into this shootout biased

[John Eppstein]

What placement did you use? Placement is key.......

[larry b]

Another vote for SM7b. Also played the mp3 for my gf who is somewhat educated about recording (from being around me all the time, hah) and without knowing what mic is what she picked the SM7b and the MD421.

[heyman]

Get a Sm7..

I bought it for Vox.

Used it on Elec guitars, bass, Hi hat, Kick, Snare..

great workhorse..