Shure SM57 vs. Audix I-5 (Video)

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fluff191

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While I was making my Dual Rectifier video, I recorded the track with 2 microphones while I was at it and made a second video comparing the 2.

The Audix is more scooped than the SM57, but in a very musical way. The SM57 has a nice midrange honk that really makes it cut in the mix. Pretty cool. Enjoy.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2rtkLFKytY
 
JUST WOW! Those mics sound VERY different, possibly moreso than two the difference between tubes. I can see how prolific SM57s are on recordings since the Dual just sounds 'right' when recorded with it. You know, even though that isn't exactly what they sound like live. I wonder if there really is a way to capture the tone of an amp live through recording? I always notice that when I try to record my rig, it doesn't sound the same as it does to me in the room.
 
YellowJacket said:
JUST WOW! Those mics sound VERY different, possibly moreso than two the difference between tubes. I can see how prolific SM57s are on recordings since the Dual just sounds 'right' when recorded with it. You know, even though that isn't exactly what they sound like live. I wonder if there really is a way to capture the tone of an amp live through recording? I always notice that when I try to record my rig, it doesn't sound the same as it does to me in the room.

What I wished I had done at the end is combine the 2 mics. Man oh man it sounds like a Mack truck.

I think it's hard to capture what an amp actually sounds like because the ear is always changing (i.e. fatiguing, etc.) so you dont have the constant reliability of a mic maybe? But my amp sounded in the ballpark of what I captured with the mic.
 
on a related, but side note...

i used to do this kind of a/b stuff all the time...
every mic i could get my hand on.

i bought a palmer PDI-09 (junction) a few years back, and quit using the 57 once i did.

i do about 80% of all my tracking now, with the pdi-09.

got the idea from reading about alex lifeson, eddie van halen, joe bonnamasso, keith richards, just a bunch of guys using these palmer things, mostly for live FOH feeds....
but after a/bing the palmer with a bunch of mics, i'd say the palmer is a bit limited, but what it does, it does extremely well, and the limitations happen to fall into the sweet spot of what i do.


just something else to throw into the mix.
 
Hmmmm I am not familiar with the Palmer PDI-09. Looks like a guitarist-specific DI of some sort? And you like better than an actual mic? Tell me more!
 
here's my most current example of the PDI-09 in action.


http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/46802-BB-04_eq.mp3

song is called "Walked away"

it is currently being mixed for a new album.... and is UNMASTERED, so you gotta REALLY CRANK IT


but

it features every guitar part recorded by the pdi-09.
 
Ah, so the Palmer is similar to a trusty RedBox but with a few extra features? The RedBox is supposed to emulate a Marshall 1960A (which speakers? I have no idea) mic'ed with an SM57 and it's pretty good at it. For non critical work (live FOH feed) it works very well, too. I'll have to check around and see if I can demo a Palmer around here. Thanks for the info.

BTW, great shootout! 8)
 
gonzo said:
here's my most current example of the PDI-09 in action.


http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/46802-BB-04_eq.mp3

song is called "Walked away"

it is currently being mixed for a new album.... and is UNMASTERED, so you gotta REALLY CRANK IT


but

it features every guitar part recorded by the pdi-09.


Wow those are some very nice guitar tones. The clarity is insane.
 
kdorsey-
i'm not really versed on the use of the redbox..
i remember it, when it first came out.
the junction, is the same circuit as in the bigger palmer rack mount units with the load part built into it (attenuator)

i don't think it was ever intended to totally REPLACE a good mic, in a good room...
but having this takes the lack of a good room out of the equation...

it has zero bleed, which is REALLY cool, when you're playing live.

for recording, it's a signal right off the output of the amp, before the speaker, that capture the whole sound of the amp.
then, what i do, is send that signal to the recorder...
and the thru part, goes to a weber mass lite, to attenuate the volume to my guitar cab, for monitoring purposes.

cool thing is, with this setup, i can ALSO add a mic, either close, or room mic, and blend it in.


pic of my rig:

gtrrig1uu4.jpg



fluff191
yes, the clarity.
that's key.

you know, sometimes you just want it super dry and in your face.
the palmer, is perfect for that.

and as i said before, you can always add a real mic into the equation, and blend it.

the one thing the palmer WONT give you, is the effect of an off-axis mic, which is one of my favorite mic positions.

this is more like the sound of a nice dynamic (insert your favorite mic here _______), dead on the speaker.


FWIW
i've been playing live and recording for almost 31 years now.
i've used every mic under the sun, a lot of studio work and tons of live work.
the thing i liked about this particular device, was that you get a super consistent tone.
so, yeah, you gotta tweak your rig, to fit the palmer, so to speak.
but once you have that down, getting a good line level guitar sound is just dirt simple.
 
oh yea, one other cool thing about the palmer....

the signal you get, is pretty full range..
but it is SUPER easy to eq, and add FX on mixdown.

i record dry, get the best dry tone i can get, then decide if i want to add room effect with reverbs or delays....

i also own a Demeter Silent Speaker iso cab, and MUCH prefer the sound of the palmer to it.
 
Very interesting. I also love the sound of an off-axis mic and would not personally use the Palmer alone, but would absolutely use it in addition to a mic. Hmmmm I may check one of these out. Thanks for the info!
 
fluff191 said:
While I was making my Dual Rectifier video, I recorded the track with 2 microphones while I was at it and made a second video comparing the 2.

The Audix is more scooped than the SM57, but in a very musical way. The SM57 has a nice midrange honk that really makes it cut in the mix. Pretty cool. Enjoy.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2rtkLFKytY

Wow, great Recto tone! Very interesting mic comparison
 
I just bought an Audix I5 and started recording with it tonight, It captures my recto very well :D Money well spent, and I have yet to try it with my 57, but it should sound really good because it will fill in the sound with the 57
 
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