I really like how less cuts are in your videos. It makes them really natural and makes your already high value contet extra good to watch/listen. Thank you! :)
Thanks for taking the time to say that. I do feel the pressure to speed through things for TH-cam, which is not really my natural pace, so I appreciate you saying that. 😊
@@JonWrightMusicTV I know, I'm a musician too and I try to make more educational content on YT and I feel what you are saying. But you helped me a lot with technical stuff, keep up the good work!
Recently, I’ve been thinking about getting a new microphone, so I’ve been wandering aimlessly around TH-cam. It’s been, what, at least a decade since I last dabbled in recording. Your video instantly transported me back to two very vivid memories: one, the good old days, about twenty years ago, when I thought I was unstoppable with an SM58 and SM57 in my hands; and two, the quarantine days, stuck at home during the pandemic. Honestly, I have to say, the feelings are oddly similar. Like, when your thumb hesitated for a split second between the 3rd fret and the 2nd fret on the 6th string, I thought, “Oh my God, I’ve been there too-I’ve made that exact choice.” So, no matter what other mic I might end up buying, one thing’s for sure: the SM58 is making its way back into my hands. Thanks, man. You’re a master of creating moments.
Awesome comparison! Agree with you, gear is awesome and exciting but it should't stop creativity. Some cheap mics sometimes have more vibe than expensive ones. More vids please :)! x
Very interesting video, especially as I already have the 906 on hand. I'd love to see a similar video where you talk about acoustic guitar micing in a live context (a comparison with different pickup systems would also be very interesting). Keep up the good work!
I think my personal experience is relevant here. A while ago I built a bowed lyre using seriously cheap materials. I mean, the soundboard is literally made from the same stuff clipboards for holding paper together are made from. The frame is all scrap pine wood and the bow hair is made of string. Yes, string. I then recorded a song with it using the built in microphone on my laptop. Just to make it sound more palatable, I went into my DAW and added some very slight compression and reverb. I uploaded it onto TH-cam thinking "Well, I'm not winning any awards for this but it's something." I then got flooded with comments all saying it sounded really brilliant. So yeah, you're absolutely right mate. Just do the projects you want to do with what you've got and if your passion is there then people will appreciate it.
Thanks for making this video amigo! You’ve got a really nice conversation style… I like microphone shootouts anyways…. Yesterday I purchased a Rode NT1 … should be arriving today… Can’t wait to give that a listen… spent the extra quid because on a few Mic shootouts It sounds better than the NT1A to me… cheers
oh man! these content is awesome i have just watch maybe more than 5 vids today but i can't beleive you only have these small followers, you must have of maybe half a mil by the quality of these videos! you got my subb!
@@JonWrightMusicTV Haha never you worry! I've made some crap on YT of my own, so I'd certainly not judge. I'm sure the info and opinions are still sound, no matter the window dressing!
Great video! When I get to recording acoustics for my album I will have to do a shoot out of all my mics. The e906 sounded great and I just so happen to have one.
Similar to this, I've just picked up a cheap sm57 and looking to stereo mic with my nt1a. Would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on stereo mic combinations.
Hearing the SM 57 immediately brought to memory some of the old Pentangle songs. (You know, Jacqui McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox) On TH-cam there are several songs from a live performance in Sweden, and you see these mics all over the place. Probably it’s nostalgia more than anything else, but I just love the sound. I own one, but I’m going to get another now.
I'm glad this inspired something. I'm not familiar with much of what you're referencing, but I know the sound of the SMs made me think of 'old records', so I think I know what you're saying. Never sounds bad.
Great video, very informative! Getting a Rode NT1a soon so this helps! a quick off topic question, what is the song called in the background, starting at around 5:45? :)
That's true about the cheaper preamps and low output mics - you get a hiss once you boost the gain enough to hear it. The cloudlifter or fethead can help.
Hi Jon, first off Thank You. (I’ve tried to type this comment 5 times). Trying to keep this brief... I always heard that if you want to record really big sounding guitars you will Hard Pan Dual Pass them. So I always did two recordings and panned them to extremes. There was much to learn, about mono compatibility and phase. Not using Pro Tools, I couldn’t zoom in close enough to see those wave forms going up/down and I wired one of my speakers wrong so it was 180 degrees out. I didn’t know. When I finally learned enough to check and discover, I thought OK now I’m good. So back to Hard Pan Dual Pass recording again, looking for Huge sounds. Then I watched your M/S video and thought I’ll give it a try. It doesn’t look that much different from what I’ve been doing (boy was I ever wrong). You were using a center channel, and I never did that. I may have reduced the panning to 70/30 to get some cross channel blend, but never tried a mono center. To a friend, I remarked ‘I’ve finally found my center’. Almost like a statement on Zen... because I had never tried that mono center but it is a wonderful method that doesn’t come to mind when someone says Hard Panned Dual Pass. No wonder I was having a hollow sound. There was no center. Most of my troubles would have been solved by a competent mixer. The recordings are there, they’re just panned wrong. Plus, on 5.1 surround speakers as well as a mono cell phone speaker, Hard Panned Dual Passed is lacking any mono channel information so playback will suffer, even phase accurate recordings will suffer without mono signal. It helped. When listening in my vehicle, it’s not that much different having a mono center. It sounds similar to Hard Panned Dual Pass, but outside of that, in 5.1 and on single speaker, your M/S technique is the missing link, for me. Lesson learned. Then I lost your channel. I didn’t even 👍 the video (I’m an IDIOT). So when you came back through recommended I am happy to subscribe and thought you should know how much you have helped me, I am very grateful. All of that said, I don’t appreciate the bottom end from the 906, I would go with one of the brighter options, personally. Wishing you the best, sincere gratitude. -Jim (SGS)
Thanks for your message, this was interesting to read. When you say Hard Panned Dual Passed do you mean two recordings, panned hard? Or simply copying the track - or something else? I'm glad the M/S video was helpful - and glad you found your way back!
@@JonWrightMusicTV I feel terrible for my lengthy comments, yes two recordings. I always panned them 100% LR. No center. But now with a mono center and two pans, things are improved. Mono Compatibility. 5.1 Surround Sound. Formats that rely on Mono information have benefited from your M/S approach. I was even able to balance that center channel with the rear satellite speakers by reducing the Mono center mix, allowing me to balance the position of a 5.1 Surround Sound mix. When I do a single recording, I capture two different speakers. So two passes yields 4 mono recordings. This allows me to select favorites. I’m developing some recordings now, I like the mix and I’ll have something soon. Thanks again good man. -Jim
Hi Jon. Nice channel. Very professional. Congrats! Could you tell us more about your actual recording gear? What Daw controller are you using with Logic Pro? All the best!
Thanks Will! Appreciate that. It's a bit of a lengthy rundown but this recording was the Clarett - and the controller is a pair of Avid Artist Mixes (which half the time I forget to use). There's a Neve in there and some of the Klark Teknik compressors, an Avalon EQ, some Warm Audio... in the interests of keeping this test that's relevant to most people, this one was just mic/Clarett/Logic comp/Space Designer.
Ha ha, I was rather excited as it sounded like you were personally answering my last question. 😉 Unfortunately my NT1a didn't come out too favourably, oh well. But as that's the mic I have and I'm playing finger style, are there any more tips you could offer to get the best out of what I have and maybe say a little more about placement and EQ etc? Great video, many thanks Jon. 🙏😎
Partly inspired by your question! It's just my opinion - if you like it that's all that matters! For quiet fingerstyle you might struggle with the dynamic mics without a really good preamp with lots of clean gain - so don't despair if it's working for you. I wouldn't want to guess at eq/placement tips - all I'd really suggest is starting with the mic where I indicated in this vid, and experimenting from there. Good luck Jeremy!
@@JonWrightMusicTV Btw, I think a video comparing these and some more expensive mics would be really interesting. It would be useful to know what the next price bracket up gets you for your money. Thanks again. 🙏😎
Thank you for taking the time to do this comparison! I decided to subscribe to your channel. A rather interesting turn of events I’d say! I would have thought that the little condenser-type microphone would be the preferred choice but I actually preferred the Shure SM58 (and SM57 which sounded a bit clearer to me). I am looking for my first mic to use for singing, acoustic guitar and mandolin, or rather, a variation of. So far, the SM58 really does look like the most universal mic for my needs. My only concern is that the Yamaha synth I have will not have enough gain for it. I am quite fond of it as it already has a built-in DSP for both vocals and instruments as well as a mic preamp. It doesn’t have phantom power though so I am kind of limited to dynamic mics. I will have to investigate this further. Cheers!
Thanks for subscribing! Yeah exactly - you think a little pencil condenser will be the choice but it's so easy to overlook the easy tone of the dynamic mics. Good luck with figuring out the right mic for your situation - did you decide on something?
@@JonWrightMusicTV Hello and thank you for replying! No, I am still looking. The choice is overwhelming and one of the things that’s making things more difficult is that most audio samples I’ve come across are just vocals. Very few people bother to record an acoustic instrument with a dynamic microphone. I guess there is a reason for that even if, for the time being, it is beyond me. So far, the Shure SM58 seems like a good choice but I am also interested in AKG D5 and Sontronics Solo. One person says the Shure is old-fashioned and therefore obsolete (which I do not subscribe to) and the the other person says you need to be an experienced singer to use the Shure because it’s very sensitive and you have to be still while singing. I just wish I could try them out myself, using the gear that I have. But your comparison has been invaluable, thank you!
Hey! Can you please do a video on how you mixed guitar in this video? They sound beautiful and I would love my guitar recordings to sound close to this and make songs.
It's literally mic, preamp (whatever I said in the video) and maybe a touch of reverb. There's no mixing, really - it's an expensive guitar in a reasonable room and I'm playing it with a half-decent touch (mostly). No secrets!
Hey Jon! Super great video. I got a Clarett not too long ago, and really like the sound of the SM57/58 for acoustic. I was just wondering, how much gain were you using on your Clarett for those mics, and if you remember, around what db were you hitting? I'm struggling to average -18db at times with my acoustic, Clarett, SM57 combo.
Fethead is the solution for quiet microphones. It is powered by phantom power and brings 27 dB of clean gain. I couldn't get anything out of the SM57 before I had one, then realised how much you can do with it.
I have a shure sm7b and cloudlifter with my Scarlett solo and I get so much hiss when recording guitar. No idea if I'm doing something wrong but I actually will be able to try the shure sm58. Can't wait.
They all sound great, albeit a little different to each other. The SM58 sounded surprisingly good but the SM57 had a little more in the way of clarity - little bit better highs and mids. The e-835 did a good job. It had more detail and shimmer in the mids and highs than the SM58 but not quite as much body to the sound. The Rode nT1a sounds great and better overall than all the dynamic mics. But the e-906 is the clear winner for me and sounds VERY different to the other 5. It had a sparkle in the high end that I love, crystal clear mids and very controlled lows. The e-906 is my choice but honestly, any one of these would work if it was the only mic you had to mic your acoustic. If you want a very full sound with not that much top end and mid presence, the SM58 fares really well. Nothing wrong with it at all. If you want something with enough detail for fingerstyle playing but a medium amount of sparkle in the top end with controlled mids, I think the e-835 would be great for you (more detailed than the SM58). It sounded great, a lot better than I thought it would have. I wonder what an e-935 would sound like. But yeah, that's my take.
I think it's a Rode NTG3 but I can't recall for sure. I actually had an issue with the dialogue recording with it clipping into the camera preamps but usually it sounds very nice.
On my speakers the small condensor Se1a sounded better than the sm 57/58. Maybe different on headphines tho,which is often the case,too bright on headpjones ,to dull on speakers.
Thanks for a great video. I am a newbie to recording and learning a lot from your videos. Would your thoughts here change if you were recording vocals with the acoustic (playing / singing)? Thank you!
Oh, good question, without a simple answer. Adding a vocal mic in does introduce other variables such as phase and how it otherwise blends with the guitar mic. You've got to consider whether the guitar is lightly picked and the singing is super loud, or you're hammering the acoustic but singing in a light falsetto, or whatever combination, because those factors will contribute to how you blend them and therefore what impact the vocal will have on the guitar recording. That will affect your choice of mic and mic technique to an extent and it would be trial and error to see what works, plus any experience you have in doing this before. You could make a basic case for the more directional mics to be preferable, but I think on balance I'd choose the mic that sounds best on the specific guitar and performance, and only deviate if it really solves another problem. Hope that helps!
@@JonWrightMusicTV Awesome. Thank you for the thoughtful and logical reply. I have a Shure beta 57a, for vocals, and I have a SM58, SM57, an E 906, and an inexpensive small diaphragm condenser mic so I have a few things to play around with and experiment. Thanks very much!
So really to me it seems any of these mics can work adequately as long as your room is good, your playing is clean and you have a nice instrument. How is your room treated?
I think that’s about right. My room treatment is ten thick rockwool bass trap panels - just propped up around the place. I sometimes move a couple around to dry up the sound.
Hi, Love your style and playing and your tips about mics. I have a question I am sure your are the best person to ask. When I record my acoustic Guitar via mic max in put I get is around -16db I measure via MV meter2. Is it enough. I got sm57 and audiotecnica condensor and bheringer C1. All give me same input when placed at 12th fret 1 feet away. I do mainly fingerstyle. Any tips I head your recording they were great. I know you have mixed and mastered them or they are your raw recording. Please help❤
Great video. It would be really good to see a tutorial of how you setup/mixed this in the DAW. Sounds fantastic. Off-topic, can you share the vocal chain you used to record this video? The timber brought out in your voice sounds great. Subbed. Cheers.
Listening on my Macbook's speakers, not headphones, but... I really liked the Sennheiser e906 and the Rode NT1a in particular. I like dynamic mics on acoustic guitars in general, especially if they're going into a louder band mix rather than solo. I sometimes use a Stedman N90 or a Shure Beta 57 for that reason. (And I concur that the SE pencil mic was the worst... flat-sounding and harsh. Cheap pencil mics aren't great.)
Thanks for the feedback, I'm genuinely interested in this. Yes, I didn't say a huge amount about the e906 but it's definitely one of my favourites and right up there - just a good solid sound. I agree that in a band situation dynamics are often a really good choice... Cheers for watching!
@@JonWrightMusicTV I think I'm with other viewers in wanting to see another round with the winners here compared to a few really highly-regarded acoustic guitar mics. It might also be interesting to compare that dreadful SE pencil mic to a high quality pencil condenser mic, just because I thought that was a place where good quality really made a difference.
I just got the SM57 recently and tried recording acoustic with it but the recording is so quiet, did you have the same issue and if so how did you fix that
Hmm. Assuming you don't kill it with the level, I'd think the extended top end response of the NT1a might be slightly unhelpful in terms of picking up unwanted stuff from the other drums - but there's only one way to find out!
very interesting comparison. I have the e906 and never thought of using it on acoustic as I've been using a neuman tlm 103 which I like but is picks up a lot of other background noise in my house so trying out a dynamic is a good option. I have an sm57 so might try that also. I also have an EV ND76 which I'll test. cheers
I hope these tests were fruitful... the TLM is nice, especially if the room is good, but these budget dynamic mics are a lot more forgiving and tend not to ever really sound bad. Thanks for watching!
E906 sounded nicest to me. On par with nt1a. Again I dont really know how big the difference is. Whichever mic you used it still sounds like a freaking guitar LOL. Tbh some of the cheaper ones made jt sound brighter but then again you can always EQ anything these days.
Please promise us to genuine like all time.....because youtube will come to you and ask you not to give so much of info rather you create your course and etc but please don't change. We cannot afford it. Thanks a lot 🙏
Hi I recently bought the sm57 to record acoustic guitar and it does not pick up sound from my acoustic. I have tried playing around with the distance and positioning of the mic and nothing seems to work. It does pick up my voice perfectly. Could you help me solve this issue?
I recorded my first ever youtube video on an old camcorder stood in the corner of the room, with just the internal mics. Listening back, it's awful, but at least I got something out there :)
Many of us tend to use a 58 with our first guitar and first recorder, and it leads to mediocre (but not terrible) results. When I use a live vocal mic (the 58 is the best sounding one here) on a fine acoustic with good preamps, the results are pretty good. A great mic on a budget guitar gives worse results in my experience. As for live vocal mics on acoustic, I usually blend it with another mic. The Sennheiser e906 does well on gained up electric guitar, but I thought it was a bit muddy on acoustic. That could be a result of my room acoustics or me projecting how it might sound in a mix. I didn't like any of the cheap condensers. More importantly, when you start mixing an acoustic recorded with a live vocal mic (57, 58), use your EQ before trashing the mic for something more expensive.
@@JonWrightMusicTV i know untreated room is never gonna sound like a treated room but I'm in a situation where I cannot get my room to treat so which one do you think gonna capture sound well
Completely detached from the topic of the video. Your intro, you mentioned you were having some winter blues. It's been a while since then, but I hope you're doing alright these days. I hope things are perkier, better and more consistent
Hi everyone, I have an SM57 running through a focusrite Scarlett solo but I’m struggling with getting a decent amount of decibels, because if I turn the gain up to much, noise starts to appear… does anyone has a solution ? Edit : maybe I need to use a pre amp in Logic ? Any idea ?
Can we clear up an age-old debate? Is the SM58 really nothing but an SM57 with a basket? I'm hearing this a lot, and then I'm hearing a lot of people say it's not that simple ... ? Also, wow, I think your conclusions are the opposite of what I've heard elsewhere. Most people would say that a condenser is absolutely the way to go, and a small diaphragm one is THE choice for acoustic guitar. I guess it depends how much material you want to gather so you can manipulate it after the fact? Also, it totally depends on the context. If you listen to acoustic guitars isolated on classic tracks where there's a full band, you'll be shocked how much of the guitar's personality gets EQ-ed out to avoid conflicts with other instruments. The guitar becomes a tuned percussion instrument at that point. However, if you have a singer-songwriter situation with just one voice and one guitar, you want the full richness of the instrument and a condenser is the way to go ...
I’m not an authority on mic design at all but I think there’s more to it than the capsule. The SDC ‘requirement’ is one of those non-binary things - it really does depend on the aim. I take it quite cautiously when anyone is dishing out absolutes with regards to music.
With the SM58 i agree that best result is abt 5-10cm directed on the joint neck and body but that's it. With Rode nt1a is absolutely non-comparable. SM58 is not detailed, low gained...really useless to use for guitar in studio. In your video all the mics sounds much more the same and it is really misleading couse it is not true.
3:20 Shure SM58
3:41 Shure SM57
4:01 SE Electronics SE1a
4:22 Sennheiser e835
4:47 Sennheiser e906
5:09 Rode nT1a
Nice
I really like how less cuts are in your videos. It makes them really natural and makes your already high value contet extra good to watch/listen. Thank you! :)
Thanks for taking the time to say that. I do feel the pressure to speed through things for TH-cam, which is not really my natural pace, so I appreciate you saying that. 😊
@@JonWrightMusicTV I know, I'm a musician too and I try to make more educational content on YT and I feel what you are saying. But you helped me a lot with technical stuff, keep up the good work!
100% agree. Too many cuts makes my crazy.
Was about to buy a new mic to record acoustic and you've convinced me to use my trusty SM58 instead. Thank you!
Glad I could help! Hope it works out
Recently, I’ve been thinking about getting a new microphone, so I’ve been wandering aimlessly around TH-cam. It’s been, what, at least a decade since I last dabbled in recording. Your video instantly transported me back to two very vivid memories: one, the good old days, about twenty years ago, when I thought I was unstoppable with an SM58 and SM57 in my hands; and two, the quarantine days, stuck at home during the pandemic. Honestly, I have to say, the feelings are oddly similar. Like, when your thumb hesitated for a split second between the 3rd fret and the 2nd fret on the 6th string, I thought, “Oh my God, I’ve been there too-I’ve made that exact choice.”
So, no matter what other mic I might end up buying, one thing’s for sure: the SM58 is making its way back into my hands. Thanks, man. You’re a master of creating moments.
Awesome comparison! Agree with you, gear is awesome and exciting but it should't stop creativity. Some cheap mics sometimes have more vibe than expensive ones. More vids please :)! x
Yes! The cheap mics can have a really nice vibe for sure! Thanks mate
Loved the honest intro. Thanks for the vid. Obviously produced with care and attention. No frills or unnecessary sections. Good stuff (:
Thank you, I feel appreciated! Glad you enjoyed
Love your style of presentation and production quality. This channel deserves to blow up. I hope the algorithm gods catch on soon!
Thanks very much, that's good to hear. I hope so too!
This is great! So amazing to actually hear that the mic I do have, the e906 actually can do this job very well!
Thank you man! Sm58 is surprisingly good. And SE.
Right?!? My pleasure as always
Very interesting video, especially as I already have the 906 on hand.
I'd love to see a similar video where you talk about acoustic guitar micing in a live context (a comparison with different pickup systems would also be very interesting).
Keep up the good work!
Thanks! That WOULD be an interesting discussion - thanks for the idea...
I think my personal experience is relevant here. A while ago I built a bowed lyre using seriously cheap materials. I mean, the soundboard is literally made from the same stuff clipboards for holding paper together are made from. The frame is all scrap pine wood and the bow hair is made of string. Yes, string. I then recorded a song with it using the built in microphone on my laptop. Just to make it sound more palatable, I went into my DAW and added some very slight compression and reverb. I uploaded it onto TH-cam thinking "Well, I'm not winning any awards for this but it's something." I then got flooded with comments all saying it sounded really brilliant. So yeah, you're absolutely right mate. Just do the projects you want to do with what you've got and if your passion is there then people will appreciate it.
Amen. Yes, musical content is king, no doubt. Sounds like a nice project and thanks for sharing here. 💪
Thanks for making this video amigo! You’ve got a really nice conversation style… I like microphone shootouts anyways…. Yesterday I purchased a Rode NT1 … should be arriving today… Can’t wait to give that a listen… spent the extra quid because on a few Mic shootouts It sounds better than the NT1A to me… cheers
Great video! The newer sE 8 small diaphragm condensers are fantastic!
Love the J40 - The most underrated guitar in their line up!
Agreed!
oh man!
these content is awesome
i have just watch maybe more than 5 vids today
but i can't beleive you only have these small followers,
you must have of maybe half a mil by the quality of these videos!
you got my subb!
Thank you so much! I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying it!
Subscribed from your mid side video! Excited to see what else you create, and will start watching through what I’ve missed 😉
Great content!
Welcome, and thanks! Don't go too far back, there's some total crap back there. 😂
@@JonWrightMusicTV Haha never you worry! I've made some crap on YT of my own, so I'd certainly not judge. I'm sure the info and opinions are still sound, no matter the window dressing!
Love the vibe of the video and personality. I see you havent poster in a while however subscribed and I hope you ll post soon
Thank you! I'll be back, just been tied up with other projects 👍
Great video! When I get to recording acoustics for my album I will have to do a shoot out of all my mics. The e906 sounded great and I just so happen to have one.
Happy days. Love the 906. Good luck with the album!
Hi Jon,
I was thinking about recording stereo AC guitar with two SM57s. Any experience on this? Cheers mate!
Similar to this, I've just picked up a cheap sm57 and looking to stereo mic with my nt1a.
Would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on stereo mic combinations.
@@jonnyb6575I tried the SM57 - NT1a combination. Pretty good result for the price mate.
Hearing the SM 57 immediately brought to memory some of the old Pentangle songs. (You know, Jacqui McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox) On TH-cam there are several songs from a live performance in Sweden, and you see these mics all over the place. Probably it’s nostalgia more than anything else, but I just love the sound. I own one, but I’m going to get another now.
I'm glad this inspired something. I'm not familiar with much of what you're referencing, but I know the sound of the SMs made me think of 'old records', so I think I know what you're saying. Never sounds bad.
Really surprised with the sm58. Wondering what mic pre you’re using for these. Love your content! Thanks for doing this!
I was too. I used the pres in the Focusrite Clarett, which I think are rather nice. Thanks for watching!
I think all of them sound pretty good. I’m curious to know what guitar you’re using?
It's a Martin J-40 - about 30 years old
I liked the SE electronics mic. But your speech recording is superb.
Cheers! I think that's actually the Bock 195
Great advice, thanks. I’m going out to record now!
Good man!
Great video, very informative! Getting a Rode NT1a soon so this helps!
a quick off topic question, what is the song called in the background, starting at around 5:45? :)
I'm afraid I have no idea at all! Glad the video was helpful though
Classic choice! Used to get a lovely glassy high on my Guild JF-55 with an SM57 on the 12th & a Rode below sound hole. EDIT: yeah, lovely room.
Very nice!
That's true about the cheaper preamps and low output mics - you get a hiss once you boost the gain enough to hear it. The cloudlifter or fethead can help.
Absolutely. This should probably be a topic for another video
thank you for this! blessings!
Right back atcha!
Hi Jon, first off Thank You. (I’ve tried to type this comment 5 times).
Trying to keep this brief... I always heard that if you want to record really big sounding guitars you will Hard Pan Dual Pass them. So I always did two recordings and panned them to extremes.
There was much to learn, about mono compatibility and phase. Not using Pro Tools, I couldn’t zoom in close enough to see those wave forms going up/down and I wired one of my speakers wrong so it was 180 degrees out.
I didn’t know. When I finally learned enough to check and discover, I thought OK now I’m good. So back to Hard Pan Dual Pass recording again, looking for Huge sounds.
Then I watched your M/S video and thought I’ll give it a try. It doesn’t look that much different from what I’ve been doing (boy was I ever wrong). You were using a center channel, and I never did that. I may have reduced the panning to 70/30 to get some cross channel blend, but never tried a mono center.
To a friend, I remarked ‘I’ve finally found my center’. Almost like a statement on Zen... because I had never tried that mono center but it is a wonderful method that doesn’t come to mind when someone says Hard Panned Dual Pass.
No wonder I was having a hollow sound. There was no center. Most of my troubles would have been solved by a competent mixer. The recordings are there, they’re just panned wrong.
Plus, on 5.1 surround speakers as well as a mono cell phone speaker, Hard Panned Dual Passed is lacking any mono channel information so playback will suffer, even phase accurate recordings will suffer without mono signal.
It helped. When listening in my vehicle, it’s not that much different having a mono center. It sounds similar to Hard Panned Dual Pass, but outside of that, in 5.1 and on single speaker, your M/S technique is the missing link, for me. Lesson learned.
Then I lost your channel. I didn’t even 👍 the video (I’m an IDIOT). So when you came back through recommended I am happy to subscribe and thought you should know how much you have helped me, I am very grateful.
All of that said, I don’t appreciate the bottom end from the 906, I would go with one of the brighter options, personally. Wishing you the best, sincere gratitude. -Jim (SGS)
Thanks for your message, this was interesting to read. When you say Hard Panned Dual Passed do you mean two recordings, panned hard? Or simply copying the track - or something else? I'm glad the M/S video was helpful - and glad you found your way back!
@@JonWrightMusicTV I feel terrible for my lengthy comments, yes two recordings. I always panned them 100% LR. No center. But now with a mono center and two pans, things are improved. Mono Compatibility. 5.1 Surround Sound. Formats that rely on Mono information have benefited from your M/S approach. I was even able to balance that center channel with the rear satellite speakers by reducing the Mono center mix, allowing me to balance the position of a 5.1 Surround Sound mix.
When I do a single recording, I capture two different speakers. So two passes yields 4 mono recordings. This allows me to select favorites. I’m developing some recordings now, I like the mix and I’ll have something soon. Thanks again good man. -Jim
Good guy. Good advice.
Hi Jon. Nice channel. Very professional. Congrats! Could you tell us more about your actual recording gear? What Daw controller are you using with Logic Pro? All the best!
Thanks Will! Appreciate that. It's a bit of a lengthy rundown but this recording was the Clarett - and the controller is a pair of Avid Artist Mixes (which half the time I forget to use). There's a Neve in there and some of the Klark Teknik compressors, an Avalon EQ, some Warm Audio... in the interests of keeping this test that's relevant to most people, this one was just mic/Clarett/Logic comp/Space Designer.
@@JonWrightMusicTV thanks for the info Jon! Great sounding videos. And very funny moments. Keep on sharing! Congratulations from Spain. ⚡️⚡️🎸🎸
Nice review mate! I cant find my AKG condenser so i may be buying a budget mic for my next TH-cam video. Tempted by the SM57 or 58.
The 57 is really not a bad option if you have the preamp to drive it
I love the shure sm58 . It has a warm, clear and full sound which is what I prefer . Other mics sound to bright and sharp .
Classic sound isn’t it
Loved the SM58, SM57 and the e906 was pleasantly surprised to see how well the SM58 & 57 did. I wasn't as crazy about the Rode, which surprised me.
I was surprised too!
@@JonWrightMusicTV have you ever used the TLM 103?
@@StephenLyonsMusic Only on vocals. I didn't love it, but have heard other people using it and it's sounded good, so 🤷♂️
@@StephenLyonsMusic I will release video comparison soon. 2 u87, 103 and s-87 from microphone parts
@@andivax awesome! Will check it out!
Great review mate!!! 🙏
Cheers, glad you liked it!
For once, here's a savvy guy who's not an anal perfectionist. Very well done!
Ha ha, I was rather excited as it sounded like you were personally answering my last question. 😉 Unfortunately my NT1a didn't come out too favourably, oh well. But as that's the mic I have and I'm playing finger style, are there any more tips you could offer to get the best out of what I have and maybe say a little more about placement and EQ etc? Great video, many thanks Jon. 🙏😎
Partly inspired by your question! It's just my opinion - if you like it that's all that matters! For quiet fingerstyle you might struggle with the dynamic mics without a really good preamp with lots of clean gain - so don't despair if it's working for you. I wouldn't want to guess at eq/placement tips - all I'd really suggest is starting with the mic where I indicated in this vid, and experimenting from there. Good luck Jeremy!
@@JonWrightMusicTV Thanks Jon, have a good one. 🙏
@@JonWrightMusicTV Btw, I think a video comparing these and some more expensive mics would be really interesting. It would be useful to know what the next price bracket up gets you for your money. Thanks again. 🙏😎
I have plans...
Topnotch analysis..good one 👏🏻
Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to do this comparison! I decided to subscribe to your channel.
A rather interesting turn of events I’d say! I would have thought that the little condenser-type microphone would be the preferred choice but I actually preferred the Shure SM58 (and SM57 which sounded a bit clearer to me).
I am looking for my first mic to use for singing, acoustic guitar and mandolin, or rather, a variation of. So far, the SM58 really does look like the most universal mic for my needs. My only concern is that the Yamaha synth I have will not have enough gain for it. I am quite fond of it as it already has a built-in DSP for both vocals and instruments as well as a mic preamp. It doesn’t have phantom power though so I am kind of limited to dynamic mics. I will have to investigate this further.
Cheers!
Thanks for subscribing! Yeah exactly - you think a little pencil condenser will be the choice but it's so easy to overlook the easy tone of the dynamic mics. Good luck with figuring out the right mic for your situation - did you decide on something?
@@JonWrightMusicTV Hello and thank you for replying! No, I am still looking. The choice is overwhelming and one of the things that’s making things more difficult is that most audio samples I’ve come across are just vocals. Very few people bother to record an acoustic instrument with a dynamic microphone. I guess there is a reason for that even if, for the time being, it is beyond me. So far, the Shure SM58 seems like a good choice but I am also interested in AKG D5 and Sontronics Solo. One person says the Shure is old-fashioned and therefore obsolete (which I do not subscribe to) and the the other person says you need to be an experienced singer to use the Shure because it’s very sensitive and you have to be still while singing. I just wish I could try them out myself, using the gear that I have.
But your comparison has been invaluable, thank you!
good video and your sound ;) do you record these in mono?
Thanks! Yes, mono for these tests
Hey! Can you please do a video on how you mixed guitar in this video? They sound beautiful and I would love my guitar recordings to sound close to this and make songs.
It's literally mic, preamp (whatever I said in the video) and maybe a touch of reverb. There's no mixing, really - it's an expensive guitar in a reasonable room and I'm playing it with a half-decent touch (mostly). No secrets!
Hey Jon! Super great video. I got a Clarett not too long ago, and really like the sound of the SM57/58 for acoustic. I was just wondering, how much gain were you using on your Clarett for those mics, and if you remember, around what db were you hitting? I'm struggling to average -18db at times with my acoustic, Clarett, SM57 combo.
I honestly can’t remember, I’m afraid!
Fethead is the solution for quiet microphones. It is powered by phantom power and brings 27 dB of clean gain. I couldn't get anything out of the SM57 before I had one, then realised how much you can do with it.
Solid advice!
Sm58 sounded amazing
I'll give a try to my sm58. 57 looked just a bit darker in my headphones. Thank you
I'd agree with that.
I don't have soundproof treatment in my room ...so any of these will workout for me?
If no treatment abs you have a decent pre maybe look at the SM58, SM57, or e906
I have a shure sm7b and cloudlifter with my Scarlett solo and I get so much hiss when recording guitar. No idea if I'm doing something wrong but I actually will be able to try the shure sm58. Can't wait.
I think you're up against the limits of that particular combination of equipment
@@JonWrightMusicTV oh, I did just get my hands on sm57 and sm58 which I will try
superhelpful man ! you helped me make my mind !
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting - JW
I liked the Rode best followed by the 57. 57 it is. Thanks :)
Excellent choice sir
Well, for me the 609 and N1a popped out on a simple Sony headphone
They all sound great, albeit a little different to each other. The SM58 sounded surprisingly good but the SM57 had a little more in the way of clarity - little bit better highs and mids. The e-835 did a good job. It had more detail and shimmer in the mids and highs than the SM58 but not quite as much body to the sound.
The Rode nT1a sounds great and better overall than all the dynamic mics. But the e-906 is the clear winner for me and sounds VERY different to the other 5. It had a sparkle in the high end that I love, crystal clear mids and very controlled lows.
The e-906 is my choice but honestly, any one of these would work if it was the only mic you had to mic your acoustic.
If you want a very full sound with not that much top end and mid presence, the SM58 fares really well. Nothing wrong with it at all. If you want something with enough detail for fingerstyle playing but a medium amount of sparkle in the top end with controlled mids, I think the e-835 would be great for you (more detailed than the SM58). It sounded great, a lot better than I thought it would have. I wonder what an e-935 would sound like. But yeah, that's my take.
I broadly agree with you and would add that the choice of ‘best’ would also depend on the guitar and style - even the rest of the production and mix.
Great vid! What mic did you use to record your vocal parts of the video (ie. at the very beginning)?
I think it's a Rode NTG3 but I can't recall for sure. I actually had an issue with the dialogue recording with it clipping into the camera preamps but usually it sounds very nice.
Great video! Subscribed!
Yay! Thanks!
which one do you use in the intro? It sounds good
I’m afraid I can’t remember at all!
what pre amp your using? for the pics
Thanks for this video. Just wondering why you’re sitting in the dark??
Ha! Because I’m so moody and cool of course 😉
On my speakers the small condensor Se1a sounded better than the sm 57/58.
Maybe different on headphines tho,which is often the case,too bright on headpjones ,to dull on speakers.
Sounds like your speakers might be a bit dull maybe?
@@JonWrightMusicTVyes probably they are pretty old by now.
@@ectoplasma5 🙂
Yo guys, would any of this mics would be good to record guitar and voice at the same time? Great vid btw 😅
It really depends on the sound you want. If you want a roomy sound, yes. But for any sort of isolation, no.
Thanks for a great video. I am a newbie to recording and learning a lot from your videos. Would your thoughts here change if you were recording vocals with the acoustic (playing / singing)? Thank you!
Oh, good question, without a simple answer. Adding a vocal mic in does introduce other variables such as phase and how it otherwise blends with the guitar mic. You've got to consider whether the guitar is lightly picked and the singing is super loud, or you're hammering the acoustic but singing in a light falsetto, or whatever combination, because those factors will contribute to how you blend them and therefore what impact the vocal will have on the guitar recording. That will affect your choice of mic and mic technique to an extent and it would be trial and error to see what works, plus any experience you have in doing this before. You could make a basic case for the more directional mics to be preferable, but I think on balance I'd choose the mic that sounds best on the specific guitar and performance, and only deviate if it really solves another problem. Hope that helps!
@@JonWrightMusicTV Awesome. Thank you for the thoughtful and logical reply. I have a Shure beta 57a, for vocals, and I have a SM58, SM57, an E 906, and an inexpensive small diaphragm condenser mic so I have a few things to play around with and experiment. Thanks very much!
@@sbrod7469 My pleasure my treasure!
It depends on the player the guitar and the room you’re in. And the song. Is it delicate moderate or aggressive
Fair comment!
So really to me it seems any of these mics can work adequately as long as your room is good, your playing is clean and you have a nice instrument. How is your room treated?
I think that’s about right. My room treatment is ten thick rockwool bass trap panels - just propped up around the place. I sometimes move a couple around to dry up the sound.
sm57 sounds really smooth
I think so too
Hi,
Love your style and playing and your tips about mics. I have a question I am sure your are the best person to ask. When I record my acoustic Guitar via mic max in put I get is around -16db I measure via MV meter2. Is it enough. I got sm57 and audiotecnica condensor and bheringer C1. All give me same input when placed at 12th fret 1 feet away. I do mainly fingerstyle.
Any tips I head your recording they were great. I know you have mixed and mastered them or they are your raw recording.
Please help❤
I'm sorry, I missed this comment. It sounds like you're doing ok, -16 is a bit low but it depends on things like noise as to whether that's ok.
I wonder if you use an active inline pre mic like a cloud lifter etc with the SM58, probably remove the preamp hiss from a Scarlett…no?
I don't use one, no, mixed experiences!
Great video. It would be really good to see a tutorial of how you setup/mixed this in the DAW. Sounds fantastic.
Off-topic, can you share the vocal chain you used to record this video? The timber brought out in your voice sounds great.
Subbed. Cheers.
I honestly can't remember! I think maybe the Rode NTG-3...
Listening on my Macbook's speakers, not headphones, but... I really liked the Sennheiser e906 and the Rode NT1a in particular. I like dynamic mics on acoustic guitars in general, especially if they're going into a louder band mix rather than solo. I sometimes use a Stedman N90 or a Shure Beta 57 for that reason. (And I concur that the SE pencil mic was the worst... flat-sounding and harsh. Cheap pencil mics aren't great.)
Thanks for the feedback, I'm genuinely interested in this. Yes, I didn't say a huge amount about the e906 but it's definitely one of my favourites and right up there - just a good solid sound. I agree that in a band situation dynamics are often a really good choice... Cheers for watching!
@@JonWrightMusicTV I think I'm with other viewers in wanting to see another round with the winners here compared to a few really highly-regarded acoustic guitar mics. It might also be interesting to compare that dreadful SE pencil mic to a high quality pencil condenser mic, just because I thought that was a place where good quality really made a difference.
Agreed, I think that would be a valuable comparison
I used a HyperX quadcast streamer microphone that is USB powered and it comes out alright
Sweet!
I think the sm57 & e906 sounded the best. I'm interested to hear them both used together, maybe in the mid/center position?
Ah, do you mean mid/side? If so that wouldn't work (one mic needs to be a figure of 8). But yes, they're not a million miles apart tonally for me!
@@JonWrightMusicTV thanks man, I'm still learning about all these Mic techniques. Love the channel and thank you for all the awesome content!!!
question lol how are you doing the camera movements? a friend or gear ?
😂 motorised slider
@@JonWrightMusicTV that’s what I figured haha
@@JonWrightMusicTV your video production is a+++ bro
Thanks man, I try!
Pitty there is not a comparison with a very good mic like a Newmann km184. To hear how close they are to that sound.
I agree, that seemed the natural next step. I’ll do something soon.
how far away are the mics from guitar and what fret they pointing at ? 12th ?
Probably about a foot, maybe a bit less, and more like the 14th x
Helpful, thx
pleasure
I just got the SM57 recently and tried recording acoustic with it but the recording is so quiet, did you have the same issue and if so how did you fix that
Cloudlifter, probably.
No cloudlifter - just enough gain on the Clarett. Less preamps/interfaces will be a problem as I mention.
A bit of an off topic question, but how do you think an nt1a or nt2a would sound on a kick drum?
Hmm. Assuming you don't kill it with the level, I'd think the extended top end response of the NT1a might be slightly unhelpful in terms of picking up unwanted stuff from the other drums - but there's only one way to find out!
very interesting comparison. I have the e906 and never thought of using it on acoustic as I've been using a neuman tlm 103 which I like but is picks up a lot of other background noise in my house so trying out a dynamic is a good option. I have an sm57 so might try that also. I also have an EV ND76 which I'll test. cheers
I hope these tests were fruitful... the TLM is nice, especially if the room is good, but these budget dynamic mics are a lot more forgiving and tend not to ever really sound bad. Thanks for watching!
I use a Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic 100 to record SM 57 in front of my acoustic guitar. It's okay👍
Sounds ok!
is Se Electronics SE7 good for struming on acosustic? thanks.
I haven't tried it I'm afraid
Supergood vid!
thanks much Huj!
E906 sounded nicest to me. On par with nt1a.
Again I dont really know how big the difference is. Whichever mic you used it still sounds like a freaking guitar LOL.
Tbh some of the cheaper ones made jt sound brighter but then again you can always EQ anything these days.
I like the 906 too. Is the difference big enough to worry about, and to stop you working? I kinda think not.
Can i buy any dynamic mic with stand? I am worried if there will be any feedback when I'm sitting in front of the studio monitors with the mic
I can't give you a proper answer on this. You might well have problems with feedback, but with a dynamic mic you may have fewer
Please promise us to genuine like all time.....because youtube will come to you and ask you not to give so much of info rather you create your course and etc but please don't change. We cannot afford it. Thanks a lot 🙏
No plans to do a course!
The 57 had the warmth I prefer.
Agree!
Hi I recently bought the sm57 to record acoustic guitar and it does not pick up sound from my acoustic. I have tried playing around with the distance and positioning of the mic and nothing seems to work. It does pick up my voice perfectly. Could you help me solve this issue?
So it picks up your voice ok, but when you point it at the guitar it doesn’t work?
I recorded my first ever youtube video on an old camcorder stood in the corner of the room, with just the internal mics. Listening back, it's awful, but at least I got something out there :)
Amen my friend!
SM57 and SM58 are the exact same mic except for the grill.
Yup. And the grill affects the sound.
e906
can't argue
Many of us tend to use a 58 with our first guitar and first recorder, and it leads to mediocre (but not terrible) results. When I use a live vocal mic (the 58 is the best sounding one here) on a fine acoustic with good preamps, the results are pretty good. A great mic on a budget guitar gives worse results in my experience. As for live vocal mics on acoustic, I usually blend it with another mic. The Sennheiser e906 does well on gained up electric guitar, but I thought it was a bit muddy on acoustic. That could be a result of my room acoustics or me projecting how it might sound in a mix. I didn't like any of the cheap condensers. More importantly, when you start mixing an acoustic recorded with a live vocal mic (57, 58), use your EQ before trashing the mic for something more expensive.
Yes, it doesn’t matter which mic it is if the guitar sounds like trash or it’s played badly! Thanks for your comment 👍
Interface makes them sound similar
Are you sure? It's relevant as lots of people are using these types of interfaces.
@@JonWrightMusicTV yes I'm sure, you can test it vs a field recorder
The real question is which one is best for recording in an untreated room
Depends if you like the sound of the untreated room!
@@JonWrightMusicTV i know untreated room is never gonna sound like a treated room but I'm in a situation where I cannot get my room to treat so which one do you think gonna capture sound well
Completely detached from the topic of the video. Your intro, you mentioned you were having some winter blues. It's been a while since then, but I hope you're doing alright these days. I hope things are perkier, better and more consistent
Thank you, that's kind! All good 👍
👍
🤟
Hi everyone, I have an SM57 running through a focusrite Scarlett solo but I’m struggling with getting a decent amount of decibels, because if I turn the gain up to much, noise starts to appear… does anyone has a solution ?
Edit : maybe I need to use a pre amp in Logic ? Any idea ?
This is a limitation of that mic with that preamp. See my video 'Focusrite Scarlett vs Clarett & SM7' - that should help you.
Can we clear up an age-old debate? Is the SM58 really nothing but an SM57 with a basket? I'm hearing this a lot, and then I'm hearing a lot of people say it's not that simple ... ?
Also, wow, I think your conclusions are the opposite of what I've heard elsewhere. Most people would say that a condenser is absolutely the way to go, and a small diaphragm one is THE choice for acoustic guitar. I guess it depends how much material you want to gather so you can manipulate it after the fact? Also, it totally depends on the context. If you listen to acoustic guitars isolated on classic tracks where there's a full band, you'll be shocked how much of the guitar's personality gets EQ-ed out to avoid conflicts with other instruments. The guitar becomes a tuned percussion instrument at that point. However, if you have a singer-songwriter situation with just one voice and one guitar, you want the full richness of the instrument and a condenser is the way to go ...
I’m not an authority on mic design at all but I think there’s more to it than the capsule.
The SDC ‘requirement’ is one of those non-binary things - it really does depend on the aim. I take it quite cautiously when anyone is dishing out absolutes with regards to music.
The 99 dollar mic sounded as good as the 230 dollar one did.
With the SM58 i agree that best result is abt 5-10cm directed on the joint neck and body but that's it. With Rode nt1a is absolutely non-comparable. SM58 is not detailed, low gained...really useless to use for guitar in studio. In your video all the mics sounds much more the same and it is really misleading couse it is not true.
That they sound similar is a useful conclusion, no?
Video starts at 3.19 at start just blabbing
Thanks for the feedback John!
I find his blabbing helpful.