SM57 vs e609

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some dude

some dude

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I don't know a lot about mics, but I am looking to start recording at home and need to make a choice.

I don't know if it makes a difference, but generally I play loud ass rock and roll (70s rock/metal, stoner rock, sludge metal, some thrash, hard rock... whatever).
 
I vote Audix i5 also.
Think of it as a more modern, cleaner sounding sm57.
And cheap
 
Audix I5 sounds slightly fuller and wider then the SM57, but to me, it doesn't do as well with higher gain and drive, it sounds slightly fuzzy and mushy, where as the 57 seems to capture higher gain drive better. I prefer either of those over the 609, at least by itself

Heil PR30 or 40 is also a great place to start. with the 30, you can jam it right into your cab and not really have to worry about too much bass.
 
I own two 57's and two i5's and I much prefer the 57 for high gain sounds. You will want that 57 if you are going for that stoner/doom tone, it accents all the right frequencies. To me, the i5 picks up cleans and acoustic guitar better because it seems to sound more open and a bit cleaner. On high gain guitar cab it is easy to sound good, but difficult to make sound great. I can move it and move it and it'll never sound 100% how I'd like it to sound. I feel like I always need to change something for the next time you know. The 57 however may only get shifted once or twice before it's in its "sweet spot" and I can start tracking.

I have no input on the e609 because I don't own one, but I've heard it compared to a 57 with more body and less treble. I wouldn't own one if it was my only mic. 57's first because if you can't get a good recording with a 57 and digital interface, the problem is you and not the recording system. It's a good benchmark mic :thumbsup:
 
Actually, I use a 57 and an e609 and mix them together.
 
SM57...they're the baseline, the foundation. From there, play with others - but everyone should always have at least one SM57 in their recording aresenal.

V.
 
I prefer the e609 (solely for the application of recording a guitar cab in a high gain setting). I have found that the sm57 works great when you can really crank the amp and have proper positioning (its also a great starter mic for anything). I like the e609 because it is less "picky" to my tastes, and I think it does better at lower volumes than an sm57.
 
Both the Heil PR30 and the Audix i5 have an upper mid emphasis that just doesn't sound good with high gain. To me they both sound like a cheaper SM57.
The mic to get from the Sennheiser range is the E906, I haven't tested it personaly, but from what i heard it seems like a very good alternative. I also tried the famous MD421, I didn't like it at all for high gain modern tones.
 
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