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  • best mic for recording guitar and snare drum?

Hi all,

Can anyone advise me what the cheapest, decent mic would be for.

a) recording a guitar amp
b) recording a snare drum

I don't have a big budget but at the same time I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by getting something really cheap and nasty.

Music to recorded is mostly blues oriented.


Thanks in advance.
    You can't go wrong with a Shure SM57 dude 8)
      Yeah - I would have bet money on that being the 1st reply ?

      The thing is that we are recording live so we need more than 1 at a time and at roughly 2k per SM57 it's a bit steep at the moment.

      Are there any cheaper alternatives or is SM57 the only real answer?
        Sorry man. Bloody hell - didnt realise they were that expensive ??? I'm sure (pardon the pun ?) there are 2nd hand 57's floating around. I remember seeing one or two on gumtree a while ago. What about a relatively inexpensive drum mic kit?

        http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/5DrumMicKit/

        Might be worthwhile to check them out ?
          I have that same drum mic kit.

          Wanting to mic the snare top and bottom though - tested it with a borrowed 57 on the top and the samson snare mic on the bottom - It works so much better than with one mic on the top which leaves me a mic short.

          Also tested micing the front and back of my cab - makes a big difference too - so in a perfect world 3 SM57's is what I need.
            Check out the Audix I5, a similar mic to a 57, but comes in a bit less I think.
            I think Marshall Music stock them.
              Careful buying the cheap SM57s - more often than not they are fake. The PG57 is a good option on a budget.
                Thanks all.

                I'm waiting for a reply from the gumtree ad.

                I know all to well about fake mics.

                I went and checked out some "SM58's" yesterday and they are not genuine. (I armed myself with pics of real ones and fake ones from doing a bit of googling)


                They are still being advertised:

                http://durban.gumtree.co.za/c-Stuff-for-Sale-musical-instruments-SHURE-SM58-Microphones-for-sale-W0QQAdIdZ216696809

                and

                http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/23746975/SHURE_SM58_Microphones.html

                it's the same guy.

                He claims that he doesn't know that they're fake but I asked him to remove his ads and they're still up. I'm not sure how to take action against this.

                (maybe this should be posted elsewhere to warn potential buyers)
                  Talking about 58's, I actually find that certain electric guitar tones record better with a 58 than a 57. Have you guys found the same?
                    Another vote for the Audix I5!

                    I have an SM57 myself and a friend of mine has an I5 and after borrowing his I5 a couple times when I ran two amps in stereo live, I have to say I prefer the I5. Smoother top end (the SM57 can make a high gain amp sound fizzy without careful placement) and a more present bottom end. I felt it was more faithful in it's reproduction of the tone coming out of my amp than the 57. My buddy says he loves it on snare drum in his studio, although I didn't try it on that. I'd say go for the I5. AFAIK it's cheaper than a SM57. And...a quick Google search confirms it - R1119 at Orange Music and R995 at Sound.co.za
                      The beauty of an SM57 is while it's not the most accurate of sounds, it always works in the mix. Sometimes a bit to bright and fizzy for some sounds, but then you move it away from the centre of the speaker a little and/or angle it slightly and it smooths out.

                      Another great mic for electric is the Sennheiser MD421. Not sure how much they are going for though.
                        Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Another great mic for electric is the Sennheiser MD421. Not sure how much they are going for though.
                        Yeah, the Sennheiser MD421 is great but quite pricy at US$570. I have great results with a Sennheiser e835 which costs around US$150. It's similar to the Shure SM58, but I think it has more clarity across the frequency spectrum especially at the bottom end.
                          I love the MD21's.. They work on almos anything..toms,snares,kickdrums,saxes,trumpets,guit amps and even some vocals.. But they are a tad pricey..

                          I can also concur with everyone else,if budget is the thing, then go for the PG57.. The only difference I foud between them and th SM's was just the construction..And maybe they ound a bit 'narrow'.. But it's a great mic for the price..

                            I have the opportunity to buy a couple of beta56a's at a very decent price. A good call for snare and guitar amp? Or should i keep hunting for SM57's? (would love a MD421 but they are definitly out of reach at the moment.)
                              The Beta 56a is pretty good on both snare and guitar amp (and I like it on toms though - but you need one per drum), and is smaller than a 57, so it's easier to place, but SM57s still rule for me. Like the Beta 57, the 56 has a wider frequency range (up to 16KHz instead of 15K on the 57) so can be a little harsh and while the hypercardioid pattern helps leakage it can makes positioning the mic a little more tricky. The built in stand adaptor on the 56a can be a bit problematic after time too.
                                18 days later
                                I bought the Beta 56a's - haven't really put them through their paces yet but I'm very happy so far.

                                I was very interested to learn that the Beta 56, 57 and 58 all have the same capsule inside, and it's only the casings that are different!