AKG 414 vs. SM57
Kalle Lehto
I have an opportunity to buy Shure SM57 for a good price. I already
have AKG 414 B-ULS, and I'm wondering if I would benefit any from
SM57.
Are there any instruments/situations where SM57 would be superior to
my AKG, or should I just invest that money on something else? I.e can
SM57 do something that 414 does not?
I use my mics in my Event Layla-based digital home studio usually
through my Mackie 1202. I records mostly acoustic guitars, electric
guitars (micing my 4x12" Marshall cabinet), mandolin and lots of main
and background vocals. I don't do live shows.
Any kind advice would be appreciated!
Regards,
Kalle
Norman Lightfoot
understatement.
SM57 is good for snares and guitar amps.
414 is good for all kinds of stuff (except snares and guitar amps)
Get the 57 - they are cheap and indispensable.
"Kalle Lehto" <luck...@nic.fi> wrote in message
news:c61fdcf7.02061...@posting.google.com...
Mike Rivers
> I have an opportunity to buy Shure SM57 for a good price. I already
> have AKG 414 B-ULS, and I'm wondering if I would benefit any from
> SM57.
Everyone can benefit from an SM57. A "good price" for an SM57 should
be so trivial that you shouldn't have to ask. Unless you think that
$200 is a good price.
> Are there any instruments/situations where SM57 would be superior to
> my AKG
Many. And vice versa. The most important thing is that you have more
than one microphone so you can make choices. And once you have two
different microphones and recognize that they sound different, you'll
want a few more different ones. An SM57 is certainly a good place to
start your collection binge.
--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mri...@d-and-d.com)
Rich Kelley
On the good price issue, just be aware that you can buy them
brand new for $80.
Rich Kelley
Kalle Lehto (luck...@nic.fi) wrote:
: Hi!
Geoff Wood
enoough of them.
Do you only use opne mic at a time, or mic up several things. The '57 is a
very good general purpose mic, especially on loud things like guitar amps
and drums (maybe not bass drum...), and also *some* voices.
geoff
"Kalle Lehto" <luck...@nic.fi> wrote in message
news:c61fdcf7.02061...@posting.google.com...
bohemio
and amps... I have used 414's on snares and amps and have had good
results... I admit, not your everyday mic for those placements AT
ALL...
Get the 57, you won't regret it, I think everyone should have a 57
laying around their studio, it always suprises you...
Manuel Jimenez
WillStG
<< I can never pass on a cheap '57 (mic, not Chevvy). You can never have
enoough of them.
Do you only use one mic at a time, or mic up several things. The '57 is a very
good general purpose mic, especially on loud things like guitar amps and drums
(maybe not bass drum...), and also *some* voices. >>
I love the SM57 too, great cheap mic. Love them on vocals when you want
a forward sound as well, used one today on a guy with a Ray Charles-ey kinda
singing approach (although had he been a guy who moved his head around a lot it
might not have been great, seeing as how it has a narrower pattern than an
SM58.) Using a Mackie you might not hear how good they can sound until you get
a different kind of micpre though, maybe a micpre with some big transformers.
But anyway if the 57's cheap and works buy it, used in new condition $45-50 , a
little beat I've paid $40.
Cheers,
Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Fox And Friends/Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits
Jay Kahrs
>
>414 is good for all kinds of stuff (except snares and guitar amps)
I beg to differ. I use my 414 on snare and guitar amps all the time. I might
reach for something else first but sometimes the 414 works when the 57 doesn't.
---
-Jay Kahrs
Owner - Chief Engineer
Mad Moose Recording Inc.
East Rutherford, NJ
http://www.madmooserecording.com
Check it out --> http://www.gearslutz.com
A different kind of forum
YBStudios
>laying around their studio, it always suprises you...
>
I use one of mine to reset the pins in the door hinges from time to time.
First time I used an SM57, we were putting staging together. After we
finished, I hung it over the front of a guitar amp. It's a heck of a mic.
Wayne
t f
the 57 of condenser mics.
Todd Fitzgerald
Chief Engineer
OarFin Studios Minneapolis
www.oarfinrecords.com
Kalle Lehto
Thanks for everyone for answers! Yeah, I thought that my guitar
cabinet needs an SM57 in front of it, but kinda wanted to be sure. I
will definitely buy it now.
"Geoff Wood" <ge...@paf.co.nz-nospam> wrote in message news:<wivN8.7839$7N.12...@news02.tsnz.net>...
> Do you only use opne mic at a time, or mic up several things. The '57 is a
> very good general purpose mic, especially on loud things like guitar amps
> and drums (maybe not bass drum...), and also *some* voices.
I usually record just one instrument/mic at the time, although with my
ac. guitars I prefer mixing the mic sound with the piezo feed.
I use drum machine anyway, so I don't need to mic drums. But getting
better recorded sounds from my guitar cabinet justifies a $80 mic. :)
Thanks again,
Kalle
Fletcher
> Hi!
>
> I have an opportunity to buy Shure SM57 for a good price. I already
> have AKG 414 B-ULS, and I'm wondering if I would benefit any from
> SM57.
Yes. The Shure SM-57 is the greatest microphone that has ever been
made. They rarely sound 'genius' (though they do on occasion), but more
importantly, they never suck. You can pretty much point them in the
direction of a sound source, and get something that will be usable in
some way. You can't say that about too many microphones, you can say
that about the 57.
Good luck.
--
Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: 508-543-0069
FAX: 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"
or playing the Dr. Laura of hum at:
http://www.prosoundweb.com/recpit
Arvid Solvang
news:3D0739D7...@mercenary.com...
> Yes. The Shure SM-57 is the greatest microphone that has ever been
> made. They rarely sound 'genius' (though they do on occasion), but more
> importantly, they never suck. You can pretty much point them in the
> direction of a sound source, and get something that will be usable in
> some way. You can't say that about too many microphones, you can say
> that about the 57.
Do they need some sort of maintainance?
I have had 2 SM57's for my electric guitar rig since 1988 I have never done
anything with them.
They have been a couple of trips to the moon in different bandbusses
(winters can be bad here in Norway)
and in and out of tonns of different places, but I mainly use them in the
studio nowadays for drums and guitar.
(They have been in front a a Marshall 4x12" cabinet over a 1000 gigs).
I have never done anything with them for all those years though.
Should they be cleaned or changed some parts or something?
--
Arvid Solvang
http://www.viagram.no/
ro...@turalyon.azeroth.seitz.com
> I have never done anything with them for all those years though.
> Should they be cleaned or changed some parts or something?
I'm not sure really, but I once bought a used SM57, and it was damaged
during shipping. Shure wanted $75 for a new cartridge. The rep I
spoke with kinda laughed when she say the price and just said "This is
crazy.... they're $80 new...".
I'd just replace it if it breaks.
Ross Vandegrift
ro...@willow.seitz.com
TAPKAE
The crazy thing I hardly ever hear of is someone SELLING a 57. Crazy. How
desperate or stupid must a person be to try that? They are the most
affordable mic in the professional world, and work for a hundred years. How
could anyone not have a use for them?
I dig the things.
e
Cooler than sh*t!
Mike Rivers
> I have had 2 SM57's for my electric guitar rig since 1988 I have never done
> anything with them.
Change the oil ever 5,000 miles. More often if in a winter climate.
If they've been used for vocals or on dusty stages, it probably
wouldn't hurt to clean out the grill.
ScotFraser
SM57. >>
Yes, you should have an SM57 because it is one of the basic food groups of the
audio world.
Scott Fraser
David Morgan (MAMS)
"Norman Lightfoot" <jumptoco...@yahoo.com> wrote in message ...
> A world of difference exists between these mics, and that is no
> understatement.
>
> Get the 57 - they are cheap and indispensable.
Next to an MD-421, the SM-57 is a first-grab for brass instruments
(unless I am surrounded by elitists that demand ribbons - then the
distance and the environment become major factors in the result).
I happen to love the sound of a 414 above a reed instrument, given
the right recording space. (Especially the clarinet).
A handfull of 57s is a good thing to have around, even if you have
a fine stock of esoteric goodies hidden in the locker.
--
David Morgan (MAMS)
Morgan Audio Media Service
Dallas, Texas (972) 622-1972
_______________________________________
Main Street Studio, Garland, TX (972) 487-4045
http://web2.airmail.net/mams/mams.htm
WillStG
>the right recording space. (Especially the clarinet).>
Yeah, if you give them air they're not bad. I broadcast the US Navy band a
couple of weeks ago (a jazz & brass ensemble) and had 3 414's to cover 5
trumpets, 4 bones and 5 saxes. It was outside and a 414 did sound pretty good
on the sax section - I tried it in omni since there was no PA application. The
bones sounded pretty good too, next time I'm thinking of trying a figure 8
pattern on the second riser tier to put the back row (trumpets) in the nulls.
David 'db' Butler
mediocre sound and terrible off-axis response.
;-)
If you want great snares, try Beyer M201 (under $200), AKG D320 (under $150) or an
AKG C451B , around $400. All will blow away the sound of an SM57 with ease. The
former two have supercardioid response and will need minimal gating if any to deal
with hihat leakage, which tends to be hideous on the Shure SM57. All have much
cleaner repsonse, better tone, definition and bottom d.
But I have only been tracking drums for 33 years and teaching engineers how to
record them for 25, so what do I know ?
;-)
The only place I will use an SM57 on a drum kit any more is UNDER a snare, gated off
the top mike and out of polarity/phase, mixed in 4-6 db down.
As far as guitars, Sennheiser MD421 or MD441, some of the AT SM58 clones, AKG C451
series etc are all great.
On acoustic, the Neumann KM184 are the deal, all the way. I have heard, but not
tried, the newer A-T pencil condensors are supposed to have potential on guitars as
well with the right preamps.
db
In article <c61fdcf7.02061...@posting.google.com>,
luck...@nic.fi (Kalle Lehto) wrote:
--
David 'db' Butler, Consultant
Acoustics by db
"...all the rest are just brokers"
now on the web at http://www.db-engineering.com
Boston, Mass
Phone 617 969-0585 Fax 617 964-1590