best microphone for guitar cab

[riverman]

Hello,
anyone got any suggestions for a suitable microphone to mike a 2 x 12 guitar cab for P.A. system.

riverman.

[Gibsonman63]

The trusty Shure SM57 works well for me. There is a lot you can do to dial in the tone with just mic placement.

The Sennhieser E609 isn't bad either, but seems to have more bleedover from drums when I used it for recording.

[Drumslinger]

SM57 or the e609 will suit just fine but the MD421 is a nice mic for a full sound but will cost a little more. I know a brick might be thrown at me but I have had some good success using the MXL 990 as well, which surprised me. I was in a rush and said "f**k it!", grabbed the closest mic and had the guys do a sound check while I monitored levels on the board and was really surprised at how smooth the the guitar sounded. Just a level adjustment was needed. All knobs at 12 o'clock. Like all things, there are some key parts that contribute to the sound...the Player, Guitar, Amp, Speakers and Room, just to name a few. I have all 4 for live micing and for most applications, the SM57 is used. Hope this helps.

[stelligan]

I like SM57 and Audix i5 for live guitar mics. The i5 is built like a tank and more open sounding to me than an SM57.

[Drumslinger]

Oh dang!! I forgot about the i5.....good point stelligan! Excellent mic for snare drum as well. I think they go for about $75.

[LeeMo]

I have had good success with a B.L.U.E. Ball. I also like to add a large diaphram condensor at a distance for ambiance.

LeeMo

[Andy Le Blanc]

AKG C3000, every/any mic will color your tone, I like a large diaphragm condenser with a high spl.

[selloutrr]

the guitar sound you are most familiar with hearing is a combination of several factors. Microphone, preamp and mixing console.
being that 80%+ of the albums released between the 80's and now where mixed on an SSL solide state logic (lots of DBX modules inside) The buss Comp has a special magic your ears want to hear.

The preamp makes a huge difference in how a microphone is preceivide, neve 1290, 1073, 1081... API 312, 512.. Trident B range.. Neotek. etc.

The microphone.
The most commonly used live mic would be the SM57.
here are a list of go to studio mics for guitars

Sennheiser 409
Royer 121 ribbon
RCA 44 ribbon
Sennheiser 421
Audio Technica 4068 Tube Mic
Beyer 260
Beyer M88
Neuman U47fet ( electric and upright bass and kick drum )

The most natural guitar tones come from ribbon due to the fact it's not moving a diaphram and can pick up the suddle detail.

Keep in mind you do get what you pay for in audio recording. Ribbon microphones are extremely fragile and IMHO I would not buy a used ribbon mic unless it was from a trusted studio. if you apply 48v phantom power your ribbon mic is now a hammer faster then you can go ... oh snap and power it off. if you place it on the ground the magnet is so strong it attracts dirt and the tone changes.

I've made great albums with a SM57 but due to the 3K bump I use two and cause a natural phase shift to help smooth out the treble. it's nice for solo's in a room full of screaming fans but not for finding pockets in a busy mix.

The trick to any microphone is knowing it's limitations and working around them. Freq response, SPL, pattern, impedance, and sensitivity. Some preamps don't have enough gain to reproduce ribbon microphones without internal distortion.

[Structo]

When I have ran sound before I had a couple SM57 and I would put one near the speaker of a guitar amp and another about 3-4 feet away.
If I had a better mic I would use it for the room mic.
I had a box of mikes available for my use and to be honest I didn't know what half of them were. I know some were condenser mics, I used those for over heads on the drums.
I had a specially stubby little mic I used on the kick, and a couple other dynamics I used on the snare and high hat.

In reality since I didn't know what I was doing at first, it involved a lot of trial and error and just experimenting with the different mics and their placements.

[riverman]

thanks everyone, I appreciate the feedback and your expertise. It looks like the sure sm 57 for me.

[butwhatif]

My fave for live guit amps is Shure KSM32, has a pad and hp, a big full uncolored sound. studio fave is Royer 121

[stelligan]

My fave for live guit amps is Shure KSM32, has a pad and hp, a big full uncolored sound.

Man, I gotta try one of those. I see them on many pro stages and they aren't bank breakers, are they? Do they possess good rejection characteristics(rear)?

[butwhatif]

They have a huge signal, no feedback

[Cliff Schecht]

AKG C3000, every/any mic will color your tone, I like a large diaphragm condenser with a high spl.

Been my go to mic for years. That and a SM57 for close-miking guitar cabs. As others stated, just a 57 and playing with the mic placement will make a surprisingly large difference.

[David Root]

Only mike I have is an Electrovoice RE10. Is that OK for close miking a cabinet?