Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

[phil_104]

Hey dudes,

So my band is at that point : We are co-headlining a fundraising event, with an expected turnout of around 500 people. That means a big room, with a big established PA, and a bunch of fancy stuff.

That also means I need to mic my cab. It's a Mesa Rect 2x12, with Celestion V30s. Those 2 mics are pretty much what I saw people using around, but don't have any experience with them.

What do you guys think?

 

[sonnyblu]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

I like the e906... if not only for convenience! Just drape it over!
I've never done a side by side, but I've never been disappointed in the tone of the e906. If anything it may be a little smoother... meaning closer to a SM58 in tone. Look at the specs... If the SM57 is to upper mids.

 

[CTN]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

the SM57 on a recto cab I find loses a lot of the low, a bit of the low-mid and upper high end. high-mids come through nice and clear though and treble sounds a bit compressed.

maybe bring both, and test each one during soundcheck?

edit: then again, if the venue has their own soundguy, he might just use whatever mics he's got (most likely an SM57...seems to be the standard for guitar amps).

 

[jones]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

Of the two i would choose the e906. It's more money though.
For around the same as a 57, I would recommend you at least check out the Audix i5.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

I think most of the "e906's" you see around are really e609's. The e609 cost about the same (~$10 more) as an SM-57, but looks very similar to a e906. I almost bought an e609 last year. Tonally, it's very similar to a '57, with a similar overall EQ curve (i.e. big upper-mid hump), but it's frequencey response is a bit smoother. I found some good sound clips on the web, and the 609 sounds like its frequency response curve looks - 57ish, but a little less cluttered in the upper mids.

The e906 costs almost twice as much as the other two, but I don't recall the particulars of its sound.

The Audix I5 gets a lot of positive comments, but I don't see how it's that different from the SM57 I already have. The e609 at least has the flat-pack form factor thing going for it.

Edit: Found it. Here's my thread from last year: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=161273&highlight=e609&page=2

One page 2 in post #34, Supernosher (RIP) posted a link to Front End Audio (only thing he did right in that thread). On Front End's homepage, look for the "Tuesday Testers" link halfway down on the right. Their sound clips were very helpful.

 

[phil_104]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

Thanks very much for the comments and info!

 

[jones]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

I think most of the "e906's" you see around are really e609's. The e609 cost about the same (~$10 more) as an SM-57, but looks very similar to a e906. I almost bought an e609 last year. Tonally, it's very similar to a '57, with a similar overall EQ curve (i.e. big upper-mid hump), but it's frequencey response is a bit smoother. I found some good sound clips on the web, and the 609 sounds like its frequency response curve looks - 57ish, but a little less cluttered in the upper mids.

The e906 costs almost twice as much as the other two, but I don't recall the particulars of its sound.

The Audix I5 gets a lot of positive comments, but I don't see how it's that different from the SM57 I already have. The e609 at least has the flat-pack form factor thing going for it.

Edit: Found it. Here's my thread from last year: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=161273&highlight=e609&page=2

One page 2 in post #34, Supernosher (RIP) posted a link to Front End Audio (only thing he did right in that thread). On Front End's homepage, look for the "Tuesday Testers" link halfway down on the right. Their sound clips were very helpful.

The i5 is waaaaayyyy cleaner sounding than a 57 IMHO. It has a gentle mid scoop centered around 600hz. If you are really into the Rec sound, this helps to keep it from getting too muddy. The high end is much more transparent to my ear than a 57 as well, and the low end roll-off is not as extreme as the 57 so you get a fuller bass response. In short, the i5 sounds very modern and clean next to a 57. If you are doing classic rock, blues, old school metal... The 57 is still very hard to beat, for anything more modern, I would personally use the i5 any day of the week.

The e906 and e609 are again, more traditionally voiced dynamic mics, optimized for guitar. If your style has one foot in the classics, and one foot in modern sounds, those may be the way to go.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

1st choice = sm57; if placed right and the lows roll off a bit and proximity effect makes up for it, but you may want a touch less lows so you can mix it properly with the kick and bass (I have no issue rolling guitars off at 100 Hz and below to get it to sit right in the mix)
2nd Choice = i5; great for heavier sounding guitars and metal, a little more hi-fi than a 57, slightly better rejection. Good mic in general
Last choice = e609; best quality is ease of placement, I like the 57 and others better, but it works.

 

[jones]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

1st choice = sm57; if placed right and the lows roll off a bit and proximity effect makes up for it, but you may want a touch less lows so you can mix it properly with the kick and bass (I have no issue rolling guitars off at 100 Hz and below to get it to sit right in the mix)
2nd Choice = i5; great for heavier sounding guitars and metal, a little more hi-fi than a 57, slightly better rejection. Good mic in general
Last choice = e609; best quality is ease of placement, I like the 57 and others better, but it works.

I agree completely with everything you say. I would only emphasize "if placed right" in your description of the 57. The i5 in my experience is much more straight-forward for the inexperienced user to place. Basically with the head parallel to the grill cloth, half way between the center and edge of the speaker. Move left or right for more treble or bass.

The 57 tends to work best with an off-axis placement when used on a high gain amp. The end result, in the right hands, can be better. But if you are new to all this, the i5 is much easier to work with.

 

[RushOfBlood]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

I also like the SM-7 and the Beyer M-88

 

[cakire82]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

I am not a big fan of this guy but he has a decent shoot out of these 2 mics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfu6YIsXxo

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

if you close mic it right, then you can't go wrong with either really, they are both industry standards in terms of live amp mics. an sm58 without the pop shield will sound good if thats all you have (i think thats just a 57 anyway?) its more to do with placement in my experience.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

I have a sm57. It's a badass versatile mic that works for almost anything. It's very durable as well, i'd have to put this against an AMAZING mic to stop using it.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

Of the two i would choose the e906. It's more money though.
For around the same as a 57, I would recommend you at least check out the Audix i5.

+ 1 on the I5 and also look at the Beta 57 from Sure. I have all 3 (I5, 57, Beta 57) and to my ear the fattest, punchiest and best overall tone of the 3 is with the Beta 57.
The 909 is ok but IMO both the Beta 57 and the I5 will kill both the 909 and the regular 57.

 

[drpietrzak]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

I like the SM57 of those 2. I like the PR-30 more for most things but I do not play metal at all.

 

[wahwah]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

The Heil PR-30 is my favourite cabinet mic. The I5 is also a great mic for guitar. I have a Beta 57 that doesn't see any action since I got the PR-30, they are really in a completely different league. As for the two mics mentioned, I would always be happier to see a standard 57 on a live cab than an e609, or 906 for that matter. I have an aversion to the presence peak in the Sennheisers, although many seem to like it. For a one off gig, I'd say borrow a 57 and have fun. As a mic to invest in and keep as part of your rig, I'd be going for the PR-30. I think the old standards have been surpassed by mics like the I5 and PR-30, and it's about time. These advances are in keeping with the dramatic improvements in sound reinforcement systems.



Cheers............................................ wahwah

 

[scottish]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

ive never used the shures myself but ive always been happy with 609s or 906s.

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

I have the 609. For live applications, I found it to be similar to the Sm57, if not a bit crisper (which I like),a nd since you can drape it over the cab you don't have to shell out for a mic stand. The 57's are industry standards because they're built like tanks and provide good sound for most applications. The 906 to my ears doesn't sound any better live than the 609, but in the studio it's smoother overall. Good luck either way!

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

Is the e906 basically the same mic / capsule as the e609, just with the hi-pass filter and whatever the other switch is added? I have and use both the SM57 and e609, and I honestly cannot tell the difference between them sonically. Both are nice for clean tones, but on distorted guitars, they accentuate any fizz that is in the tone, and are pretty deaf to low mids. I still use them when I play out, but in my home studio I use a more expensive, more transparent sounding dynamic mic, the Stedman N90, on distorted electric.

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Mic for cab : Sennheiser e906 or Shure SM57

Is the e906 basically the same mic / capsule as the e609, just with the hi-pass filter and whatever the other switch is added? I have and use both the SM57 and e609, and I honestly cannot tell the difference between them sonically. Both are nice for clean tones, but on distorted guitars, they accentuate any fizz that is in the tone, and are pretty deaf to low mids. I still use them when I play out, but in my home studio I use a more expensive, more transparent sounding dynamic mic, the Stedman N90, on distorted electric.

+1 to this. Condensers in the studio all the way for me...