Shure SM57 or something else?

[MadAsAHatter]

I've pulled out my old mixer and am looking to get a mic to record myself playing as I practice. This will be strictly used in house. I don't need anything fancy, just something that will give better quality than a cell phone (or the old tape recorder) and will work for both guitar and bass. Should I just go with the industry standard SM57? Anything better/comparable in that price range? Or maybe go for something cheaper and get an SM57 clone like the Behringer?

 

[RaceU4her]

57s color your tone a lot and probably isn’t the best if you are going for an in room tone, if your using it for bass as well I’d say look into some kind of condenser like a lewitt lct240 or something similar

 

[TweakerMNN]

There is not that lot good built mics in that price range.
Best option may be an LD condenser mic like Rode NT-1. It works in most cases. Just make sure your audio interface has phantom power option.
If you want something small. Check an Octava MK 012. Very nice mic

 

[Techdeth]

Look into a used 421 . I’ve had the best luck with that mic when trying to get the tone my ears are hearing in the room . It’s definitely what I trust most but I know we all ate different

 

[ZEN Amps]

57. If your tone sucks, it's not the mic.

 

[cardinal]

I've been reading into this; 57 and lately the e609/906 seem to be the go to standards for guitar.

I've read the Beyerdynamic M88 is a good choice for bass and guitar.

I ended up with a 57 because it's much cheaper; haven't tried it on bass yet but sounds fine on guitar. It's used so commonly that it seems like the safest choice: it just has to be "good enough."

 

[Monkey Man]

I've been reading into this; 57 and lately the e609/906 seem to be the go to standards for guitar.

I don't like the super-high end on the "e" models; a tad "hard". SM57 OTOH, just seems to work perfectly and add vibe and mojo, hence its track record.

I ended up with a 57 because it's much cheaper; haven't tried it on bass yet but sounds fine on guitar.

The 421 for bass, mate.

MadAsAHatter, I suggest the SM57 and if you're able or keen to do some blending using 2 mic's, the MD 421 as well. Proven combination, especially if you appreciate old-school vibes.

In the latter case you'd be able to use the 421 for bass cabs as well with superb results. It's another long-time go-to combination in the studio.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Since it's been.... has it been almost 10 years, shit I'm getting old.... a while since I looked a mics I didn't know if there was anything newer on the market that took the 57's place in that price bracket. Appears there's a few competitors but the 57 still remains the gold standard.

I think I'll be best going with an SM57. That's what I mainly used to use, but all my mics got damaged in a flood a number of years back. I haven't had the need to replace them since then. Maybe if I start composing full songs again I'll want to do some double mic blending for better quality. For now a decent recording as I noodle around with some riffs will work.

 

[Tone Monster]

The 57 is tried and true HOWEVER, I liked the Audix I5 more. To my ears it was like a more refined 57. Same price too.