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Author Topic: Something About 57s  (Read 11572 times)

bilco

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #30 on: July 27, 2006, 06:03:16 PM »

Frob wrote on Wed, 26 July 2006 16:03

honestly i would take just about any mic, i have stoped buying equipment to complete projects. at some point you just have press recored and live with what comes out the other end as the best you could do at the time.

That is exactly what I need to hear.  I have been stuck in the "as soon as I get a __________, THEN I will record the song" because I guess I want to get it right the first time and I hate being new and not good at something.  I keep falling into the trap of thinking the gear is the answer.....

Must remember....placement, not the mic, placement, not the mic

I got another 57 today.  I have come to the conclusion that a simple man needs a simple mic and it is easier to work within the limitations of this mic and try to get the best placement with a simple tool than it is to try to figure out something with all kinds of rolloff and boost switches and then add placement into the mix of things to tweak.  Start simple and learn and record RIGHT now.  The perfectionism thing is really hard to let go of though.....

I don't pretend that it's going to sound like something recorded in a real studio, but I am comforted by the fact that when asked what his favorite mic was in a Mojo Pie interview, Fletcher wrote, "This is really pretty easy. My favorite microphone ever made is the Shure SM57. It's rarely ever "genius" but it never ever totally sucks. You can point one in the general direction of a sound and you'll get a pretty decent representation of that sound that can be recorded and pounded to death later."

That's good enough for me!
Bill Colbert, who is now leaving to actually &%#@%^ record something
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jetbase

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #31 on: July 27, 2006, 09:29:23 PM »

the other day i had, for two guitarists, two classic marshall amps & cabs in a tight sounding room. i put a u87 + sm57 on one & a u89 + sm57 on the other. result was a classic hard rock sound without any effort, which is just what the project required.

while it's not my favourite mic in terms of sound, i will go out on a limb and say it's the greatest mic ever made. i've never, ever had a problem with one &, if it's not the exact right mic to use for an application it can most times get you in the ball park. maybe less useful if you have an amazing mic collection, but when someone asks me what mic to buy i'd tell 'em a 57 over an nt1 any day.
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wwittman

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #32 on: July 28, 2006, 05:35:30 PM »

KM-84
U-87
UM70s
D224e
RE20
SM-7

there is not a SINGLE thing that these wouldn't 'work' on at least acceptably...

and in no case would a 57 be superior
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William Wittman
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Bobro

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #33 on: July 29, 2006, 06:36:32 AM »

It's just an opinion but in my limited experience everything that's said about the SM57 actually applies to the 421 (plus the Sennheiser is obviously the model for the original Star Trek phaser gun). So the MD 421 gets my vote for the no-budget/desert-island mic.

Of course the 421 doesn't have the particular size and shape of an SM57, making it far less prone to acquiring an exceptionally "colorful past" in the hands of the sexually over-enthused musician or engineer.

-Bobro
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Frob

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #34 on: July 31, 2006, 04:20:07 AM »

jetbase wrote on Thu, 27 July 2006 18:29

while it's not my favourite mic in terms of sound, i will go out on a limb and say it's the greatest mic ever made. i've never, ever had a problem with one &, if it's not the exact right mic to use for an application it can most times get you in the ball park. maybe less useful if you have an amazing mic collection, but when someone asks me what mic to buy i'd tell 'em a 57 over an nt1 any day.


i dont know if truer words can be said with one edit. i always recommend the sm57 if its there first mic or they dont own one

Quote:


KM-84
U-87
UM70s
D224e
RE20
SM-7


only one problem with this statement, this is the budget forum and the cheapest mic on this list is US$150 used. that is almost twice as much as the price of a new sm57. and we are recommending it with the disclaimer that while it is not the best mic in every situation it is a mic that will work. i am not saying that any of these would not be better then an sm57 in almost any situation, in fact if you do have the luxury of own all of those mics in enough quantity to mic a full drum set then i would never really expect you to use an sm57. however since you do own an sm57, and dont own any of the a fore mentioned mics, then there is nothing wrong with using an sm57.

Ironklad Audio

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #35 on: August 12, 2006, 02:18:52 PM »

i saw a post a replies back stating that someone thought the SM57 was still produced in the USA

unfortunately, they're now being made in mexico from what i understand
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wwittman

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #36 on: August 12, 2006, 05:40:20 PM »

Frob wrote on Mon, 31 July 2006 04:20

jetbase wrote on Thu, 27 July 2006 18:29

while it's not my favourite mic in terms of sound, i will go out on a limb and say it's the greatest mic ever made. i've never, ever had a problem with one &, if it's not the exact right mic to use for an application it can most times get you in the ball park. maybe less useful if you have an amazing mic collection, but when someone asks me what mic to buy i'd tell 'em a 57 over an nt1 any day.


i dont know if truer words can be said with one edit. i always recommend the sm57 if its there first mic or they dont own one

Quote:


KM-84
U-87
UM70s
D224e
RE20
SM-7


only one problem with this statement, this is the budget forum and the cheapest mic on this list is US$150 used. that is almost twice as much as the price of a new sm57. and we are recommending it with the disclaimer that while it is not the best mic in every situation it is a mic that will work. i am not saying that any of these would not be better then an sm57 in almost any situation, in fact if you do have the luxury of own all of those mics in enough quantity to mic a full drum set then i would never really expect you to use an sm57. however since you do own an sm57, and dont own any of the a fore mentioned mics, then there is nothing wrong with using an sm57.


sorry for the extensive re-quote... but if you read the first quote above, it says nothing of price.
it says: " it's the greatest mic ever made."

the greatest $90 mic ever made would be a different contest.

FWIW I'd find a used AKG D1000e for $40 or so over an SM-57 on  just about anything.
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William Wittman
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djwayne

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #37 on: August 12, 2006, 07:32:27 PM »

[quote

Of course the 421 doesn't have the particular size and shape of an SM57, making it far less prone to acquiring an exceptionally "colorful past" in the hands of the sexually over-enthused musician or engineer.

-Bobro[/quote]


Another good reason never to buy used mics !!
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Tomas Danko

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #38 on: August 12, 2006, 07:44:58 PM »

[quote title=djwayne wrote on Sun, 13 August 2006 00:32][quote

Of course the 421 doesn't have the particular size and shape of an SM57, making it far less prone to acquiring an exceptionally "colorful past" in the hands of the sexually over-enthused musician or engineer.

-Bobro[/quote]


Another good reason never to buy used mics !![/quote]

You'd be surprised...
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jetbase

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #39 on: August 13, 2006, 07:53:33 PM »

wwittman wrote on Sun, 13 August 2006 07:40

 
sorry for the extensive re-quote... but if you read the first quote above, it says nothing of price.
it says: " it's the greatest mic ever made."

the greatest $90 mic ever made would be a different contest.

FWIW I'd find a used AKG D1000e for $40 or so over an SM-57 on  just about anything.



yes, but it says nothing of sound quality either. the greatest sounding mic ever made would also be a different contest. but anyway, it's not a contest, just my opinion (which happens to be right... in my opinion).  Razz
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Ironklad Audio

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #40 on: August 14, 2006, 03:16:10 AM »

yea...althought i hate to admit it, i'd have to also agree that the sm-57 is the "greatest" mic ever made, due to the fact that ANYBODY can throw down $90, and have a microphone that will work on damn near any source you throw at it
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Vertigo

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #41 on: August 14, 2006, 03:07:58 PM »

William, don't be such a hater Wink

The '57 has a "character". If you like it - use it, if you don't, then use something else. Personally, I agree with the opinion that the '57 never really "sucks".

They're cheap, they sound "good" on just about any source, and you could run them over with a truck without damaging them. I wouldn't feel inconvenienced in the slightest if I ever had to do a session without one, but I do like to use them on certain sources here and there. I find them to be right on the money when an aggressive, mid-hyped, lo-fi sound is what I'm looking for.

Oh, and they're hella fun to modify. I'm working on a modification to one now that I'm sure William will love...

-Lance
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jdier

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #42 on: August 18, 2006, 08:20:04 PM »

When I only had 2 57's and not much else I mic'ed acoustic with them.  One at a 45 degree angle down from the sound hole (like in a  kick drum stand pointing up towards the sound hole when I was sitting down strumming) and the other one about a foot away from the 12th fret pointed a little towards the headstock, but more like towards the 10th fret.

It sounded really nice.

I have also put them over my left and right shoulder pointing down at the guitar.

It is tough to go too horribly wrong with SM57's
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jdier - Home recordist

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jdier

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #43 on: August 18, 2006, 08:21:39 PM »

Ironklad Audio wrote on Sat, 12 August 2006 19:18

i saw a post a replies back stating that someone thought the SM57 was still produced in the USA

unfortunately, they're now being made in mexico from what i understand



Mexico is better than China.
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jdier - Home recordist

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Jeff Gazdacko

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Re: Something About 57s
« Reply #44 on: August 22, 2006, 06:07:35 PM »

Vertigo wrote on Mon, 14 August 2006 15:07


They're cheap, they sound "good" on just about any source, and you could run them over with a truck without damaging them.



Have you ever ran over one with a truck? I haven't tried that before... but I've seen way too many SM57's with cracked/broken plastic windscreens to allow them to qualify as being durable let alone the "greatest mic ever".  If a hit from a drummer could break them I'd doubt an sm57 would survive being run over by a truck.

In fact I refuse to ever buy an SM57 due to the "cheep" feeling of the plastic windscreen.   There are plenty of other options out there that in my opinion sound better and are far more durable.

-Jeff
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