Beta 57 on snare. Thoughts?

[AudioWonderland]

I am looking for a mic that has more top end than the SM57/ Other options in the closet include an i5, e609 and an e906 but they all seem to have peaks around 5k. The Beta 57 seem to have a nice bump around 10k that I think might be the ticket. Have any of you tried this mic on snare? What did you think? Any other suggestions?

[paultools]

It's great PLUS it has a tight pattern!

[Surbitone]

Ah, we just got this AT dynamic mic that sounds incredible on snare, we ab'd it against a 57 and it sounded alot more real. I can't remember the model number though - I'll find out for you.

[Jack Orff]

beta57 is my default snare drum mic; really like the crispness and upper mid detail, eqs well, and I find the pickup pattern to be ideal - capturing just enough of the high-hat (so that I don't have to put a mic on that) but without picking up too much of the rest of the kit.

[trompetfreak]

Try an AKG C535!
It's a really nice tight condenser that works great on snare IMO.

[mikethedrummer]

Have you messed around with placement and/or bottom micing as well?

Given this is gear sluts, I feel like we need to start talking more about technique than slutty solutions.

If you want more attack, pull the 57 back further. Straight up a fist high up from the rim, maybe further.

Then again if youre doing jazz or something, maybe a condenser is in order.

[robertshaw]

I really hate the beta 57. I would mod a sm57 with the transformer upgrade
much better than beta IMHO..... I just modded 1 today I have 2 now!! yeah
they really sound killer on gtrs too. beta 57 is weird

another option is the beyer m201 very good for HH bleed issues and sounds killer
on snr, gtrs, hats toms etc.........

[robertshaw]

TAB-Funkenwerk Transformer Modfor SM57 and SM58 Microphones

[sam guaiana]

I use the beta57 exclusively on snares, I probably will use the modded 57 when i get one.

[edvdr76]

Originally Posted by trompetfreak

Try an AKG C535!
It's a really nice tight condenser that works great on snare IMO.

This is a great snare mic! Very crispy sounding with nice body to it. Sadly I had mine stolen from my studio a few years back........ That Sucks!
An Audix i5 is great on snare for me though........

[muziekschuur]

I like the Beyer Dynamic Opus 67 or 87 better .



AKG has similar mics aswell.

[Washington]

The Sennheiser 441 is a pretty versatile snare mic IMO.

[RoundBadge]

The transformerless 57 is great.
the Audix i5 is also a nice 57 alternative on snare.

[jono_3]

Not a fan of the beta 57 on anything with the exception of using it as a live vocal mic. The grill is nice and flat to sing into. It just always sounds kind of fake. Have you tried a 421 on that snare yet?

[taturana]

i really like the beta57 on snare.... lately i've been using a GT convertible on top and a beta 57 on the bottom of the snare, but i can easilly record with just the beta 57.. funny enough, i never liked the original sm57 on snare...

[fakiekid]

I think the M201 is a better option here, compared to the 57 i find it has similar upper mids but an extended top end response with a more beefy low end. Like taking a 57 and adding a broad boost at 180hz, and a high shelf from 7kHz up.

The beta 57 in my experience sounds boxy and plumby, not very natural on snare. I have a transformerless 57 and an M201 and they've beat the b57 hands down when we've ab'd them.

[tysonviolin]

Beta 57 or Audix i5 on snare top every time. I really like beta 57 top and bottom.
+2

[Ben B]

If you have the opportunity, try an EV RE16 on snare. Just beautiful.

-Ben B

[kilroyrock]

+1 for transformerless 57.

[wayne_irie]

Beta 57 is fine on snare, +100 for m201 great on snares. M88 is a good bet as well.

[FreshSkweez]

Love the beta on SnareBottom but hate it on SnareTop. Too much boost and unevenness at 4-5K. It could be cool depending on the snare sound you have in mind but generally I think i5 is a much better alternative.

[Anselmo]

I used the beta57 on snare top all the time until I got a taste of the i5... now the i5 is my goto for snare top.

[audiogeek]

i use it from time to time... it's okay for what it is. it's big selling point with me is it's tight pattern, not because it sounds better than a 57. good isolation, but watch out for the rear lobe and the hi hats!

my go to is usually a 421; offers more high end detail and bottom "oomph"... but the bleed is terrible on this, the pattern is so wide.

[shaneoconnor]

its a plus one on beta 57 from me. although, there are plenty of more "realistic" sounding snare mics. i am trying more and more to stay away from a close mic snare sound.

[SRS]

Originally Posted by AudioWonderland

I am looking for a mic that has more top end than the SM57/ Other options in the closet include an i5, e609 and an e906 but they all seem to have peaks around 5k. The Beta 57 seem to have a nice bump around 10k that I think might be the ticket. Have any of you tried this mic on snare? What did you think? Any other suggestions?

Specs may say so... not sure offhand, but the Beta 57 for me has typically NOT been the one I go to to get more top end. I went through a period when I used the Beta 57 on the snare a lot, but have not for quite some time, primarily due to the purchase of an Audix i5... which has pretty much lived on the snare. I have not tried the e609, but have heard good things about it. Give it a shot and see. The Beta 57 to me seems really susceptible to the proximity effect, more than a regular 57. It is NOT a natural sounding mic by any means, and is not marketed that way.

The Beta 57 has a noticeably tighter rejection at the null points and is a better bet on snare top if you have hi hat bleed that you want to rid, unless using a gobo. The i5 also has this great rejection too though.

[riffmachine]

I've had great results using it on the bottom side of the snare. Haven't experimented much with it on top though. - paul

[David Watts]

man, you need to check out the Beyerdynmic M201 - if you're wanting that bright, punchy, "pop-punk" style snare sound, this guy cannot be beaten. It's a hyper-c too, so you can position it further back capture more of the snare and still pick up minimal hi hat waste.

Seriously, this guy rips all over a Beta 57.

[Bell Head]

I think beta 57 is all round a better mic than an sm57. I love it for it's boxy mids when, as I usually do, capture most of the snare sound with overheads and just want a little more punch/ volume. I find it better than a Beyer m201 most times when using this approach

Shure=More punch
Beyer=More snap and depth

[Sk106]

I still remember that week where I had access to a small studio and I tested mics against each other on drums. Everybody there was traditionally pushing for the SM57 on snare, but using the same snares I A/B-ed between the SM and beta 57, and the beta just sounded more mix ready, it sounded more like I wanted it to sound right away - sounded tighter, brighter and required less tweaking. Ever since I've prefered the beta over the 57 by a small amount.

[rogerbrain]

the beta's are hypercardioid ..personally I am not crazy about the sound of a hyper.. it can fix some stage issues but it creates a 'tubular' aspect to the top end (to me). also (another opinion) I am not really crazy about 10K on a snare most of the time.. but a hyper cardioid can isolate better so you can fix it in the mix later . try cutting some low end with a gentle shelf and put a broad bell centered at 5K and DONT compress it going down. Since Snare is pretty important to me I usually use one of my better SDC and an old EV 635 omni (which gets a lot more than the snare)