Are these good for mic'ing cabs?

[KeithBMI]

Would a condenser mic (I assume that's the best kind for recording instruments) such as this be good for recording instruments? Our direct sound is a little cold and leaves a lot to be desired, so we think we might try mic'ing the cabs.

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Our price is $50.00, so we can't afford anything great.

 

[hyperlitem]

the AT2020 at $100 is about the cheapest id go with a condensor period. Ive never heard of that mic so i cant say much but ive not see many acceptable condensors at a price that low.

 

[mattm0805]

For mic'ing cabs I would use a dynamic mic and not a condenser. The sound volume is too loud for a condenser mic when doing close range mic'ing. If you budget is $50, then get a used Shure sm57 and start there. Later, if you want, get a condenser and use it as a "room mic", when mic'ing cabs. I hear that mic'ing with a condenser about 5 feet back from the cab is pretty cool when you add it with a sm57. or a Senn 609. A Condenser mic is good for micing acoustic instruments, vocals, etc. If you are looking for a good cheap condenser, I have a AT 3035 and its pretty good.

 

[KeithBMI]

So a dynamic mic is better for the cabs? Cool, I'll look into that.

 

[HighwayOneJazz]

the Sure SM-57 is excellent for recording guitar cabs, but i've never tried it on my bass. i believe that requires a kick drum mic. Sure makes a PG52-XLR mic, for around $100.
Nady makes a kick mic for $59. good luck!

Edit: i love learning new things. my '57 can record my bass, woohoo! thanks!

 

[Lowtonejoe]

So a dynamic mic is better for the cabs? Cool, I'll look into that.

Look into this.

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As previously mentioned, an excellent all-around mic.

Look at the description for different applications.



Joe.

 

[Denyle Guitars]

I've used a 57 on a vintage B-15 with excellent results. Don't worry about capturing the entire frequency spectrum and don't get hung up on the mic specs. You just want to add a little extra to your direct signal. A 57 will always be useful too, while a $50 kick mic will likely just muddy up your tone.

 

[mattm0805]

while a $50 kick mic will likely just muddy up your tone.

+1

yeah, you need to be careful with the cheap kick mics. I also use a 57 on my vintage b-15 and its amazing! I normally drive the b-15 just a little, and I use a tube DI and blend the two in mix down.

Hands down, the 57 is the most diverse mic you can own, for studio and live purposes.

 

[JacksonsMen]

+1 for the sm57, we have a few of em for my band, two are always used for the guitars, and ill put on on my cab if were playing outdoors

 

[Son of Bovril]

you can definitely use a good condensor - if you put a pad on it - for close mic'ing - sounds great to me... even better than an sm57 IMO

 

[jumbosilverette]

The MCA mics seem to be copies of the MXL (also a inexspensive condenser mic line) but no one I know has used them. Go over to www.homerecording.com and search for posts by Harvey Gerst (on the mic forum) (he's a respected engineer). He has a lot of useful information about micing cabinets on the cheap.

Goof luck.

 

[msquared]

I've used both condensers and dynamics. Which you should use depends on whether you're using it as the main signal (which you plan to augment with the DI/preamp track) or whether you plan to use it to make the DI/preamp track sound better.

You also haven't mentioned what you're doing to get your direct sound. Are you plugging your bass straight into the board? Using an actual DI? Bass preamp? These things also effect whether a condenser or dynamic is more appropriate, as well as which type of mic you're going to use.

I'd also like to mention that the sound of the bass through a direct box or whatever on its own might sound cold to you on its own but you might be far better off fixing things with the EQ and then seeing how it sits in the mix. I've found that just like playing live vs playing in a bedroom, a bass track that doesn't necessarily work on its own often sounds really good once the rest of the channels are brought up in the mix.

Oh, and +1 on the price thing. $50 isn't going to get you much. I don't know that I'd use an SM57 by itself, but in a lot of situations it's going to be a better sound than the mic you linked and you can always use it for guitars and drums as well.