Mic for Bass Amp AND GuitarAmp

LowDown Hal · #1 01-20-2010, 07:34 AM

There are current separate threads for each topic which kead me to this question.

Is there one Mic which does a great job for both? It sounds like maybe the md421 would fit this.

But am I sacrificing quality of one or the other by going with this "combo" solution?

THANKS,

WalterBush · #2 01-20-2010, 07:36 AM

No, you aren't. You can't go wrong with an MD421 on guitar, bass, drums, sax, vocals, or probably even kazoo.

Charling · #3 01-20-2010, 07:15 PM

agreed muchly.

The 421 will really do a LOT of things very well. Guitars and bass not excluded. There are a few mics that will work great on one of the two, pretty good on the other (like a 57). but a 421 is really a go to for both sources even in studios with many many choices.

I can't off hand think of any other mic that works with both quite that confidently, or as famously, on both sources apart from a super pricey neumann U47.

projectMalamute · #4 01-20-2010, 07:59 PM

Beyer 88

sonic assassin · #5 01-20-2010, 08:02 PM

+1 to the 421

ive used mine for bass, guitar, kick drum, toms, snare, and vocals with no problem. ive also seen them used live on a sax. very nice. i dont think theres much it CANT do.

also the re-20. as far as i can tell, very extended range.

same with the heil pr 40 and shure sm-7

those are the dynamic mics anyway. i dont much care for condensers on amps.

Charling · #6 01-20-2010, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonic assassin

+1 to the 421

ive used mine for bass, guitar, kick drum, toms, snare, and vocals with no problem. ive also seen them used live on a sax. very nice. i dont think theres much it CANT do.

also the re-20. as far as i can tell, very extended range.

same with the heil pr 40 and shure sm-7

those are the dynamic mics anyway. i dont much care for condensers on amps.

yeah good call, I almost mentioned the RE-20 but thought I hadn't used it on guitar amps enough to say for sure. and the SM-7, theres a mic which really CAN do EVERYHING!

Never used the heil pr40 though..

it seems amongst a certain price range of dynamic mics you can get the REAL workhorses. they are far from expensive compared to a lot of mics but still hit the wallet a bit, however you get some of the most versatile and useful mics you can buy, with the added bonus that they are all built like tanks and rarely go wrong. I fully expect that after some sort of nuclear war and global collapse there will still be a few re-20's, 421's and sm7's working fine

LowDown Hal · #7 01-20-2010, 08:55 PM

How does the SM-7b compare to the md421 and/or the re-20 ???

If you were going to buy one for a home studio

Nick Kay · #8 01-20-2010, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowDown Hal

How does the SM-7b compare to the md421 and/or the re-20 ???

If you were going to buy one for a home studio

7B: Fairly flat, low sibilance, noticeable proximity effect, great on male vox. Bass roll off and presence switches serve some utility, though I usually leave it flat unless I have a vocalist eating it.

RE-20: Fairly flat, low proximity effect, airy top end. Good all-around, doesn't sound bad on any source. Similar bass roll-off to 7B, no top-boost, usually gets left flat.

MD421: Bright with a big boost starting at 1.5k, noticeable proximity effect, great on dark sources. Wide bass roll off, rolling everything from 1k down. Watch out for that 3.5k peak on electric guitars.

If I needed one mic to serve a LOT of purposes, I'd go with the 7B or RE-20 before the MD421. Between those two, the RE-20 gets a "let's try it on that" for everything, while the 7B gets a "oh, that's definitely the right mic" on a handful of sources. If I had to choose one to expand a home studio's dynamic collection beyond the trusty SM57, the RE-20 would be my go-to.

secombs · #9 01-21-2010, 01:53 PM

Agree with previous posts.. Can't go wrong with a RE20 or SM7b for sure. They are classic mics and will always have a place in any pro recording studio. Great to have in your collection.

Ephi82 · #10 02-04-2010, 08:43 AM

No one has mentioned a LDC?

A good one can be used on more than bass and guitars as well

sonic assassin · #11 02-07-2010, 02:51 AM

because any LDC under 500 dollars seems to have a screechy high end. i tried to like my bluebird on amps.. but i just cant. maybe as a room mic.

those 3 LDD mics will work on almost anything, as stated. of course, one needs a good condenser as a balance.

a mic locker needs at LEAST

1 good dynamic mic
1 great condenser
1 stereo pair of condensers

and then you're pretty well ready for anything.

Charling · #12 02-07-2010, 06:56 AM

I agree with the above, the lower priced condensers just never end up working for me on guitar cabs, or bass cabs for that matter.

I did mention a neumann u47, which is an LDC and great on both, but the price tag is pretty much as high as you can get for a mic!

Good call on the mic locker as well, though personally I'd add a cheap ribbon to that as well, though it would probably be unused for some types of music!

pasta4lnch · #13 02-07-2010, 01:30 PM

421 or a 57'll do just fine!

that is, w/ a DI too

#14 02-07-2010, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Kay

RE-20: Fairly flat, low proximity effect, airy top end. Good all-around, doesn't sound bad on any source.

If I needed one mic to serve a LOT of purposes, I'd go with ... the RE-20 gets a "let's try it on that" for everything... If I had to choose one to expand a home studio's dynamic collection beyond the trusty SM57, the RE-20 would be my go-to.

+1

E-V's RE27 is a neodymium version of the RE20, and has slightly better highs, and is my "go-to" mic for everything. Haven't found anything I don't like through it yet - including vocals!

sonic assassin · #15 02-07-2010, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charling

Good call on the mic locker as well, though personally I'd add a cheap ribbon to that as well, though it would probably be unused for some types of music!

oh dont worry.. ive got one of those too haha.

ive got a pretty minimalist setup, but its never failed me.