What are the best mics for rock and metal guitars??

[fps]

Hi guys,
We're going to do full band recordings, have got 4 drum mics, want 3 for micing bass and guitar cabs, samples of the band in the sig or at http://signmeto.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/death-ape-disco
the mics could ideally double up to do something for drums as well. want a full, thick, heavy sound
cheers!!!

 

[ibanezman93]

The industry standard and my personal preferred mic for death metal is a Shure SM57, which can also be used for your snare and toms.

 

[ExhumedKarcass]

The sm57 has my vote too, and they are relatively affordable and extremely durable(much like the sm58 is in live situations for vocals) Pre amps are what separates some tones from others. We use a Presonus Eureka, no where near the best but adequate for where we are in our studio setup. It's relatively inexpensive at only around $350 to $450

 

[++Morgue++]

Try an AKG 414, it's a condenser mic, with adjustable Polar Pattern and a PAD of -20dB, wouldn't use it live, but it'll give you a nice clean sound, pretty expensive, but worth it.

Try experimenting with other mic anyway, there's no reason not to try it with EVERY mic you have, just to see which you prefer.

 

[fps]

Try an AKG 414, it's a condenser mic, with adjustable Polar Pattern and a PAD of -20dB, wouldn't use it live, but it'll give you a nice clean sound, pretty expensive, but worth it.

Try experimenting with other mic anyway, there's no reason not to try it with EVERY mic you have, just to see which you prefer.

hi, now i don't understand polar pattern could you explain that to me please? all my experience of recording has been using direct tech like PODs and drum machines, so some parts of my knowledge, like compression, eqing etc are, while not far along in the grand scheme, far in advance of others. i have only recorded live vocals before so i've got an SM58 and an SM57 lying around. I've recorded whole bands live but not using my own microphones, always making use of what was available and never being too worried about what it was, just how it came through.

 

[fps]

also audix i5 vs shure sm57? they appear very similar, i5 is cheaper.

 

[++Morgue++]

Well, imagine when you hold a 58 or 57, if you talk directly into it, you'll get a signal through your monitors, but if you talk into the side of the head of the mic, you'd get much less.
This is because of Polar patterns, mics "fire" in different ways, some pick up wide amounts of sound, other can be used to single out individual sounds in a noisy enviroment.
The 414 has three settings; omni(all directions) bi (front and back) and cardioid (out of the front of the mic in an upside down heart-like shape)
But there are several other types as well, ill see if i can find any pages online that explain it better if you like

 

[fps]

wow thank you for the reply, very interesting, i'm so looking forward to the world of full band recording and all these new pieces of equipment and opportunities to experiment!