Shure KSM137 VS Rode NT5 - RECORDING Acoustic Guitar

[@tim9house]

Would love to know what you guys are using to record acoustic guitars! Comment below 👇👇

[@JaneWillowMusic]

nothing yet... using my DI. lol. hoping I'll get to endorse a new mic maybe. Or maybe you can send me the one you're not using lol :P

[@tim9house]

@@JaneWillowMusic you could use your DI with an IR or UAD Woodworks plugin and get some good results

[@JaneWillowMusic]

@@tim9house thanks for the tip Tim.

[@levijessegonzalez3629]

do you have experience with the OKTAVA MK012?

[@tim9house]

@@levijessegonzalez3629 I don’t, sorry

[@coda8640]

such a hard choice but something about the warmth from the ksm137 had me hooked from the start...great video!!!

[@tim9house]

Thanks glad you liked the video. The KSM does have more warmth to it for sure!

[@jimbotski]

The Shure sounds like it needs the least post processing

[@MrJoangles]

Both Shure and Rode are great here. Nice playing and a very good sounding guitar. The comparison is about taste, not about good or bad. I like the crisp tone and air from Rode. And the deep from Sure. Thank you

[@tim9house]

Thanks for the kind words, agree on all that. Both mics are good, just different flavors. Thanks for watching

[@joycesampsonmusic9553]

I like the Shure better; although I don't know what your AC GTR sounds like if I were listening to it in person, the Rode seems like it has a certain color-of-tone masque that shows up no matter which style (strumming, picking or finger-picking) you are using. The Shure seems to produce a cleaner sound across the EQ spectrum that might be truer to the GTR's actual sound? Would love to hear your response to this.

[@garymorrison1009]

The rode is definitely brighter to my ears.

[@tim9house]

Agreed

[@yobhsiFehT]

As long as you have both, I’d go Shure at the 12th fret and Rode at the soundhole 😄🤷🏼‍♂️ Thanks for posting!

[@gusr110]

Definitely, the KSM 137, very transparent to me

[@StratsRUs]

I only have two home studio mics.The Neumann TLM102 and the Shure KSM137.And I have had them both for a decade.They are well worth the price as I haven't needed anything else.

[@tim9house]

Great mics 👍

[@zuider77]

First, that was some very good playing! As for the mics, I found the Rode to be a tad more harsh and bight than the Shure. They would both be useful in different applications, but if I could only pick one it would be the Shure.

[@tim9house]

Thanks!

[@laurencecohn9632]

To my ears, the Rode sounded better. Greater clarity. Thanks for posting.

[@tim9house]

Thanks for watching

[@JaneWillowMusic]

I prefer the shure. sounds warmer, i don't like bright sounding guitars.

[@tim9house]

137 definitely has a warmer sound for sure. Thanks for watching

[@ToXball]

Great comparison, great playing and instrument. What soundcard/preamp you have used in this demo? I have NT5 too connected to an RME UCX and trying to record acoustic instrument I find less lows body and more highs detail in comparison to this demo, maybe youtube quality does not help?

[@tim9house]

API preamp into my UAD Apollo interface

[@ruadeil_zabelin]

I ended up going for the Rode's for my accoustic guitar after listening to a lot of comparisons

[@AndrewJames-tu6rt]

Wow both mics sound good!

[@tim9house]

👍⚡️

[@RandallWhitted]

Another "in-your-face" for how freaking awesome Larrivee guitars are. And I think I just decided to get the Rode NT5... though I'm only seeing NT5-S mics. Same thing?

[@tim9house]

Yes @larriveeguitars are amazing indeed. I’ve had this one for over 20 years.

[@mikesanders80]

Thanks man, have you tried the behringer b5 on acoustic? Sounded as good as a km184 in some shootouts...

[@tim9house]

Interesting I’ve never tried the behringer, will have to check one out. Thanks

[@thegreatsiberianitch]

Your playing and that guitar are making both those mics sound good tho 👍

[@tim9house]

Thanks!

[@SergeUnplugged]

Still learn how to record acoustic guitar, I use Line Audio CM4

[@sonysoni5079]

Fantastic video! Thank you.

[@tim9house]

Thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@donaldmacgregor2545]

As a non guitar player, please forgive the intrusion but there is a point to it. No one makes decent videos reviewing mics for my instrument so I watch/hear a lot of bad guitar recordings, and a few good ones like this one, to get my ideas. This video sounds great but in all due respect, is comparing an apple to a mango. Here in Aussie the Shure KSM137 is around $600AUD whereas homeboy Rode NT5 (made in Sydney) is about $250AUD, often available used for less and Rode's 10 year warranty make it a worthwhile purchase second hand. I use the NT5 to record flute and have to beat down the top end with EQ to get it smooth. I'm always looking for a warmer mic that doesn't cost me the rent money. For that $600 I could probably get something pretty sweet but to be honest as a performing musician enduring post-corona gig realities, I'll never have that kind of cash to spend on a microphone. I have a Rode NT1 (very warm to dark) and the NT5 bought together for under $600AUD total. What would make this VERY thoughtful review more meaningful for me would be comparing mics that cost about the same money. Otherwise, thank you for your good work.

[@mustafaunsoy]

Dude, I'm also a flute player. Go and grab an SE8, you will love it. It is as dark as NT1, but sounds better than NT1 on me.

[@guyincascade]

A comparison of side rejection would be awesome, as in a singer songwriter, voc mic and guitar mic, which mic has less blled from the vocal mic. From my research the ksm has very little pick up from the sides and basically none from the rear.

[@tim9house]

Great idea...yes ksm has great side rejection in my experience

[@lwinaus8810]

Love both. Shure is warmer and the NT5 is definitely brighter… SO…..marry the right onto the right guitar. Shure with a Maple body and the NT5 with a rosewood for example….

[@SergeUnplugged]

thanks for the comparison , those are solid mics !

[@tim9house]

Thanks for watching!

[@jerry-berry]

I now know which mic I should buy. Rode nt5 sounds great on acoustic guitar. Did you use any external preamps or anything to record with the mic? Or did you use an audio interface only?

[@tim9house]

Hey Jerry, honestly I don’t think you’d go wrong with either one. I did use an api mic preamp going straight into my computer

[@slayerbear17]

I immediately preferred the Rode not sure why, maybe because I've used them in the past.

[@tim9house]

it surprised me for sure! thanks for watching

[@adriannaylor8181]

Hi Tim, great vs video and very nice playing! Where was the Rode placed for the recording? Thanks, Adrian

[@tim9house]

Hey Adrian - it’s about 4” or so off the guitar where the neck joins body. You can see it in the video :)

[@andystrnad6194]

To cut through a mix, I would use Rode. For solo acoustic guitar, Shure. I use several mics, but currently Lewitt LCT 140 Air for detailed tone or sE Electronics 4400a for warmth and depth. Or a combination of these two for mid/sides recording. But actually, there is plenty good mics available and the critical points are mic placement and role of the guitar track in the mix. And of course a good mixing engineer.

[@tim9house]

Absolutely! Well said..Thanks for watching

[@johngerardmusic7761]

I prefer the Shure. Sounds more substantial to me.

[@tim9house]

Yeah it’s a great mic for sure

[@nightchef57]

For me, the Shure and it’s not close. The Shure sounds like a guitar; the Rode sounds like a microphone on a guitar.

[@tim9house]

Awesome, which Shure? theres 2

[@nightchef57]

@@tim9house Aren't all the Shure examples the KSM137?

[@tim9house]

@@nightchef57 sorry, I was thinking of my other video, I have a shootout with a handful of other mics. Yes the Shure ksm137 is a great mic

[@PhilipWright]

You put words to the feeling I had while listening.

[@vintagemore2000]

The Shure Ksm 137 great sounding mic.

[@rcline99]

The Shure sounds a more natural to me.

[@ianwollstein8974]

For me the fact your video audio doesn’t represent your own voice below 250hz worries me.

[@jeremyschuhmann9671]

The Shure has much better low end and allows the bass lines to be heard and appreciated. The NT5 brighter, but the Shure is more balanced and natural sounding.

[@jonathanleborgne971]

Small, Small differnce, but I prefer NT5 :)

[@orlandobacklinerentals]

Hands Down the NT5. Would loved to have heard that with the MP configuration. I was use either, but the RODE is my first choice.

[@tim9house]

NT5 is a surprisingly good mic. Thanks for watching

[@Dr-Curious]

Rode's better for busier mixes.

[@distortingjack]

The Rode sounds better for this, but that's because it's actually harsher and peakier, which shows up as transient detail on acoustic guitar. If you try it with a more delicate source such as violins or orchestral instruments, or drum kit overheads, the Shure is way smoother and more detailed.

[@tim9house]

Yes rode definitely has more top end

[@therealjrodmusic]

The RODE NT5 sounds cleaner ✌️

[@tim9house]

They are cool little mics 👍

[@therealjrodmusic]

@@tim9house ya they definitely are. Seem pretty simple

[@Marshall_EL34]

People don't talk about it ...but ...the Rode excels at fingerstyle acoustic. That is why I would add it to the locker. Otherwise I'm using SM81s all day everyday.

[@tim9house]

Thanks for the info