Suggest a Microphone for electric guitar to compliment a 57

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If you're looking for a mic to go along with the SM57 without spending too much, you should check out some ASMR mics. They tend to capture a more natural and full sound, which could be great for both electric and acoustic guitars. You can find more info on different ASMR mics at https://asmrmicrophones.com/. As for the Royer R121, it's definitely a high-end option, but the price for a used one can vary. It might be worth it if you're after that specific sound, but there are definitely more budget-friendly options out there.
 
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Personally I thought the 57 & the 906 were a little too similar. My ears preferred the 609 on its own & paired with the 57. I did this test with a few mics I had on hand, all inexpensive ones, FWIW & YMMV.
 
SeVR1 if you want a ribbon. The Royer is good too of course.
I would stay far away from any Sennheiser mic for guitar.
 
421 is a great blend with a 57 for meat but not a great standalone mic for acoustic guitar. Better for bass, Tom’s and certain horns. I’ve been blending an At 4050 condenser that I’ve had forever with a 57 and liking that. I have a Sterling Ribbon that sounds great on my Alnico speakers and with brighter amps. I have a hell of a time getting it to be in phase with a 57 so gave up on the combo, might be something to do with its figure 8 pattern. I would like to try a BD M160 ribbon as they’re cardioid and I dug what I heard of one on a mic shootout that Pete Thorn did a while back.
 
Heil pr30 is awesome to pair with a 57. That's my standard set up. The pr30 is darker and fuller than the 57 and really works with it
 
A R121 goes good with a 57 to add the lowend that it's missing. That said I think an E906 wins all by itself with a good Micpre because it has a wide response with more mids and less scratchy presence.. I'm leaning towards less is more and less complicated these days. $.02..

I reserve the right to change without notice.. :ROFLMAO:

I did this with a 57/R121

 
Anyone here ever try the beta 57? I find it much different than the standard. It's more open in the highs and has tight snappy lows.
It's a great mic to use further out on the cone or even near the edge to pair with the 57 at the dust-cap junction.
 
Id say grab a TLM103 condenser, works great for acoustics and vocals and is fat on guitars. I do like the D2 as well though with the 57
 
endofall said:
Heil pr30 is awesome to pair with a 57. That's my standard set up. The pr30 is darker and fuller than the 57 and really works with it
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I have a PR 30….never had any luck with it. Very bright.
 
I own a Royer 121 and a SM57.

I also like the audix i5 and the E609 (not together just in addition to)

Any combination of these is more than capable of recording metal.
 
Warm audio WA84 works good on just about everything. Overhead drum mic, decent vocal mic, really good acoustic guitar mic, really nice room mic for a guitar cab. I have used it in conjunction with SM67 and was getting some great sounds off my electrics.
 
endofall said:
That's odd because mine is almost the exact opposite of bright. I use it all the time as the darker thicker sound to blend into a 57.
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Interesting, mine could be picking up some from the rear and phase cancelling. Tried it again recently and it was again very bright.
Was having that issue with 57’s and added the Se iso stand deal, helped a ton. PR30 doesn’t really work well with it.
 
Greazygeo said:
Interesting, mine could be picking up some from the rear and phase cancelling. Tried it again recently and it was again very bright.
Was having that issue with 57’s and added the Se iso stand deal, helped a ton. PR30 doesn’t really work well with it.
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Honestly makes me wonder if something is up with mine. I run it into aml ez1073 pre which could help some to keep it from being bright but I wouldn't think that it would make it that much darker.

This was recorded with that exact set up, both pr30 and 57 into a ez1073. Left is a jcm 800 I built, right is a Mesa mark Vii. No post processing or Eqing. This was created as just a quick thing that I was goofing off with just to see how the mark VII tracked. Cab is a OS Mesa 4x12 with v30. The playing is garbage so excuse that.

I'm a Tool
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e4fd...Tool.wav?rlkey=dst3is26vwy9vqmr854x6syw2&dl=0
 
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I pair 57's up with MD421's, Royer R121's and a Bock 195 depending on what we are going for. The Royer is usually my first choice with a 57, but if I need punchier/more bottom, the Bock 195 is hard to beat. I think its a copy of the old Soundeluxe mic from a bit ago.. I usually add a 57 to get some teeth into whatever Im using it with. I tend to run the 57's lower in the mix than whatever its paired with. Royers are a bit to smooth by themselves, as are the Bocks. The 57 into a UA LA610 and the Royer into a WARM WA73-EQ is killer for heavy guitars. For cleans its totally different, I tend to sub the 57 for an AKG C414 with the Royer or the Bock. The detail in the 414 is amazing for cleans but it dosent do well for heavy..
 
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