The BEST Microphone for high gain guitar tones?! 25 Dynamic Mics Compared!

Get the mics available at SWEETWATER below (Affiliate Links):
Shure SM57 - sweetwater.sjv...
Shure SM58 - sweetwater.sjv...
Shure PGA48 - sweetwater.sjv...
Shure Beta 57a - sweetwater.sjv...
Shure Beta 58a - sweetwater.sjv...
Shure SM7B - sweetwater.sjv...
Shure/Unidyne III 545 - sweetwater.sjv...
Sennheiser e609 - sweetwater.sjv...
Sennheiser e906 - sweetwater.sjv...
Sennheiser e835 - sweetwater.sjv...
Audix i5 - sweetwater.sjv...
Sennheiser MD421 - sweetwater.sjv...
Lewitt MTP 440 DM - sweetwater.sjv...
Lewitt MTP 550 DM - sweetwater.sjv...
sE Electronics V7x - sweetwater.sjv...
sE Electronics V7 - sweetwater.sjv...
sE Electronics DCM-6 - sweetwater.sjv...
Universal Audio SD-1 - sweetwater.sjv...
Electro-Voice RE20 - sweetwater.sjv...
Beyerdynamic M201TG - sweetwater.sjv...
Behringer XM8500 - sweetwater.sjv...
Mackie EM-89D - sweetwater.sjv...
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[@ronnymilianowicz5228]

A tip I learned from Jens Bogren when he was in my studio. We used 57 and Royer 121 on each speaker right in the center. EVH amp and Mesa oversized cab. Crank the amp so u hear à LOT of noise. Phase shift one of the two pre amps. With headphones move the Royer in/out so it cancel out all noice. Then flip back the phase button on the same pre amp. Now u have a killer tone 100% in phase.

[@lordgraga]

This is funny, because the Fredman technique does this kind of phasing in the 2-3 khz area, just with a static position. I wanna try that technique though!

[@DirkDjently]

Shure SM57 5:45 Shure SM58 6:20 Vintage USA Unidyne III 545 sd 6:56 Shure Beta 57A 7:31 Shure Beta 58A 8:08 Audix i5 8:41 sE V7x 9:16 sE V7 9:50 Lewitt MTP 440 DM 10:24 Lewitt MTP 550 DM 10:58 Beyerdynamic M201TG 11:33 Prodipe MC-1 12:07 Shure PGA 48 12:42 Sterling P20 13:15 Sterling P10 13:50 Behringer XM8500 14:24 Amazon Basics Vocal Mic 14:58 Digital Reference DRI 100 15:32 Mackie EM-89D 16:07 Sennheiser e835 16:41 Sennheiser e609 17:15 Sennheiser MD421 17:49 Heil PR30 18:23 Maono PD400X 18:57 Shure SM7B 19:30 Universal Audio SD-1 20:04 Electro-Voice RE20 20:38 sE DCM-6 21:11

[@TomMcCormickGuitar]

Legend

[@FatSoundStudio]

Both the behringer and amazon mics shocked me. You could easily record not only usable tones with either but really good tones.

[@resington]

Well amazon basics make an undeniable contender

[@charlesrocks]

100%

[@oRizho]

You’re the GOAT for this. This is imo the most underrated part of shaping/finding your tone.

[@drewwebsteraudio]

Volume matching to properly AB is a pain in the ass. I've found that matching them to the same LUFS gives me the best results, probably still not perfect but I feel it gets me closer than other methods such as matching RMS, Peaks, Waveforms, etc. But I think the volumes here are close enough to get the point.

[@cornfilledscreamer614]

I've been a recording engineer/producer for almost 40 years now (yes - I'm fucking old). On your tests here, I really think the Sennheiser's sounded best. Each had their own sound, and each was good, too! That being said, I've used god knows how many mics over the years, and no matter what is said or done - we all keep coming back to the 57. Maybe it's because that's what the majority of us are used to hearing, or maybe it's just really that good. If I had to use ONE mic to mic everything with (drums, guitars & all else), I know good and well it would be a 57. There might be haters, but IMO, it's still the best mic ever made - certainly for the money! Btw - I'm REALLY digging this new channel, KB! Love the main channel, but you've got a good variety of stuff on this one. Love it, dude!

[@Durkhead]

What do you think about the Amazon mic?

[@cornfilledscreamer614]

@@Durkhead Not too bad - but it seemed to lack a bit of presence. It's subjective, but I just like to hear a little more high end. Then again - a quick fix for that might be just moving it a 1/2" closer to the cone and/or just EQ'ing it a little bit...

[@Anshul1614]

That UA and 58 really surprised me. Sounded the best

[@Jurrysnow]

hard to beat the 57 and the 421. the 58 actually had its own thing and was really cool. the lows the sm7b picked up was crazy

[@Killall12]

Perfect timing! Thank you! Been using a 57 and Lewitt 240 ATM and they sound good but I'd like to get a different flavor of dynamic and condenser and at least 1 ribbon mic. Also, don't have much of anything I think would make a good room mic. Took notes on what I liked (besides the 57) and came up with this: Unidyne III 545 (this would be perfect as a secondary to a mic that's slightly muted in the highs) Mackie EM89d Maono PD400x (Never heard of 'em, but it didn't sound half bad. Would like to check this mic out more but it's my least favorite out of these four in terms of tone) UA SD-1 (This was maybe the best sounding one on the list.) Honorable mention: Amazon Basics. If you're recording Black Metal using an Amazon Basics microphone that would be perfectly ironic, and the sound fits too.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Altighty. SM57, 545SD Unidyne III, sE V7X, Heil PR30, SM7B and the UA were my faves

[@aheadofmetal]

This is the type of stuff Ive been hoping to see more of on your channel. Keep it up!

[@ilikepotatoes1345]

I think it'd be nice to see a PR20 on here, it's my personal favourite. As for the mics featured I really liked the Sennheiser e835, seemed like one of the few here that doesn't have that weird fizz in the super high treble frequencies.

[@user-jq4fz6co8b]

The Mackie and the Amazon mic though! I've got both in my Amazon basket right now; they were so good! I also gotta add a recommendation for the AKG D112 on guitar cabs, especially if you have speakers with a dark or fat midrange, like a Greenback. You can aim it dead-center of the cap and it'll sit right in a mix. Every time I flip between my IRs and the D112, I get all smiley at how good the D112 sounds on it's own, without any need for processing outside of a low cut. It's become one of my desert island mics.

[@zakaroonetwork777]

Thank you For this: The One Mic to Rule them all would be the Sure 545sd; But for - Two Mics Blended the Low end form a 421 and the Top mids from a Sm57, Is a Classic Golden Duo. For my New Dream Team Tough I'm a have to Pick up a 545sd and the MTP 440.

[@PrinceArcanaXD]

That Lewitt 440 is a beast

[@PippPriss]

Man, there were a few mics which I really dug: Shure SM57 Sennheiser e835 Sennheiser MD421 Shure SM7B (for blending with maybe the Sterling P10) Awesome video! But man, SM57 is where it's at. It's just "DA TONEZ!"

[@christopherward4671]

I really liked the UA SD-1, the 545SD, the XM8500, the 440 DM, the Amazon basics, the DCM6, and the trusty 57. I feel like maybe the DCM-6 and the UA would go really well together.

[@deepend69]

The most balanced and natural sounding one I hear is the sm58 and surprisingly, the amazon basics in a close second.

[@jaredmestas]

Unidyne iii for the win for me

[@smeemusic]

I’ve been interested in se electronics mics for a long time but never tried one. This video just kinda set it in stone for me. I have been sleeping on these guys for way too long.

[@pjmtry7]

That Sterling P20 is perfect!!

[@rickard9294]

I have a M201TG and I have never tried it on a cabinet/speaker. Thank you for this shootout!

[@wezrubmag]

Unbelievable how the Amazon Basic mic is close to the sm57 for a third of the price

[@K707OR30]

Shit was legit. In a mix with post processing if you told everyone it was a 57 or whatever or just didn’t say what it was, no one would ever guess “that’s that Amazon mic isn’t it?!”

[@codycreepcore]

I was also surprised by that. I was expecting it to sounds like trash

[@braunsonlalonde3546]

Thanks for putting in the hardwork on this very helpful comparison. It sealed the deal that i need a heil pr30 and 2 x md421’s in my near future!

[@BillHesse]

I really like this format on your second channel! I’m a big gear nerd and like to head multi sampling of gear in various situations.

[@DarkHorizonsMusic]

Excellent video dude!! I love nerding out over this stuff!

[@eygerywazzup]

Hello Kyle, I would've added the Austrian Audio OD5 to this comparison. Austrian Audio, formerly known as the original AKG builds kickass mics. Thanks for the excellent content. Greetings from Austria haha 😛

[@atticuscrowley]

kyle bull 2 is my new favorite channel on all of youtube also was not expecting to like the 58 more than the 57 but i definitely did

[@Greg25815]

Really impressive difference in tone and taste. Nice ... please continue nerdy testing.

[@DukersPlace]

Kyle, you really do some great trials! I gotta say, Ive been thru a lot of my own.,... what I can afford, or whatever. Anyhow, I notice a discrepency in my own use. My Lewitt mtp 440 doesnt sound like yours! Mine seems much smoother, even, and more accurate than the 57. I went from a 57, to an e906, and then ultimately to the Lewitt, which basically, I cant seem to beat!

[@colelewis9940]

Mic position, room, etc all effect the end result

[@MashaT22]

Only 25?! Damn, I don’t think you compared enough mics, dude . . . . 😉😂🤘🏻🎸🎤🎙️

[@MFKitten]

V7X and MTD 550 DM both sounded great here. I'mma need condensers and ribbons next! Especially non-standard condensers like measurement mics and omni pattern ones and stuff!

[@milkpossumsound8935]

Sm57 and MD421 still just do the thing.

[@dustinstelly6518]

It's between the SM57 and the e835 for me.

[@stevemcgarvey9478]

I thought the UA mic was the best but that DR100 for a budget mic was pretty amazing. Great shootout, bruh, love it.

[@youztuber5000]

I know you said you didn't change any settings but was preamp gain adjusted at all for the mics? The 57 sounded the most dialed in. I think I'll have to try the Lewitt mics together. Could be a refreshing change from the 57. I have the mtp440 already but it's so bassy and kind of a sloppy sounding bass (especially in this comparison). Not sure I love it. From all the clips I've heard, I thought the mtp550 was too thin and trebly on its own but maybe they're good mixed. Hard to beat the 57... Definitely appreciate this vid, huge help for deciding what mics to try next! Thanks as always, Kyle!

[@thatguyinaband6341]

the lewitt 550, sterling p20 where my favorites, that amazon basics blew me away, that was the most brutal/dynamic haha seriously!

[@davidjoel111]

Mics are so important, I wish I had the resources to work with actual amps/cabs/mics. In the digital realm I've been really enjoying the M160 ribbon blended with an SM57. Would be fun to hear a comparison of the M160 vs a R121.

[@ZonMeister]

Hey @kylebull2, I appreciate your reviews. Never heard such a good mic comparison! Always a very good stuff \m/ The only thing I wish you could also do is a in-the-mix context just to hear more of chugs and see how it could be! :) Thanks!

[@eds4754]

Love the first 57. Unidyne was cool but I just like the particular 57, all luck of the draw with those mics. Didn’t expect the UA mic to sound as good as it did. sm7 is way better on guitars than without the foam windshield on IMO. m201 is a solid mic

[@CaptainFrugalReviews]

I have been telling a lot of people to not skip on the Maono PD400X, it is a great mic for the price!

[@mixingmetal]

SM57 is the best for high-gain guitars as usual, also I like Sennheiser e835 and Universal Audio SD-1. Shure SM58 (surprisingly), Sennheiser e609, MD421 and Shure SM7B will be good as secondary mics.

[@christianboddum8783]

Best 57 I've come across was a Unidyne 3, very hard to find. On the Dream Police EP Cold winds I used that and a Sennheiser 421 very fitting for that band!

[@colelewis9940]

It is not hard to find, the link for it is literally in the video description

[@charlesrocks]

These videos are super useful. Honorable mention is the Amazon mic. Shure 57 Sennheiser 421 Sennheiser e609 Heil PR30 Shure sm7b The rest were kinda meh

[@amplifex4134]

A lot of really good tools there! Great video!

[@lysdexiar31]

i was listening to this in the background while scrolling on my phone. at one point i was like 'wow that one sounds sick, what mic is this?' and i looked up. 'amazon basics vocal mic' was the last thing i was expecting to see on my screen. what a killer budget option!

[@TransientAggressionSound]

V7x sounds dope! Little bit smoother than the 57. SM7B and MD421 sound great for a little more heft. Love the PR30 but it’s definitely the most unhinged sounding of the group haha.

I love testing mics and making new IRs and stuff. Awesome Video! Have you tried the Beyerdynamic tg153 (super bright), Audio Technica mb2k (cheap sm57 alternativ but such a good alternative that i use mine since 17years now, it works so good for some tones) or the Beyerdynamic mm1 (a measurement mic ) ? I use more mics even some special ones like a speaker converted to a mic that boosts only low mids and is amazing to combine to other mics

[@ThematicDevelopment]

I'm pretty much the same kind of nerd regarding speakers and mics and am curious about the Beyer M201 so nice timing :) have you also went down into the micpre rabbithole yet? Oh and MD441 is also a very nice mic for this purpose.

[@wfd666]

i liked the sm57, sm58, Heil pr30

[@GearBoxTy]

It has probably been mentioned, but try a Sennheiser e906. However, the SM57 is an industry standard for a reason! haha

[@libi.abimanyu]

Gosh Universal Audio SD1 sounds superb, how about SD1 vs sE Electronics Voodoo VR2 💥💥💥

[@zyxwfish]

The berhinger mic mixed with an sm57 would probably sound great

[@christopherward4671]

I will also say that the Behringer B906 is surprisingly good, if anyone here is looking for another cheap pick. It’s a sennheiser clone obviously.

[@davidjoel111]

Anybody has any thoughts on how guitar tone can change thru the production of an album? I'm in the process of recording an album for my band and when we initially started to brainstorm and decided on a guitar tone we were pretty stoked about it, but as the production advanced and we recorder vocals and bass and everything, suddenly that guitar tone did not work at all with the whole production. When do you guys make decisions on guitar tone? at the beginning of production or towards the end?

[@luca4352]

Whatever you start with, you have to build around that thing. So when you decided 'let's start with the guitar tone', it brings you in the situation of having to build the hole mix around the guitar tone you chose, which may be not the best thing to start with. It's hard to troubleshoot your specific problem, maybe the tone is working when you apply EQ to place it slightly differently, that would not be optimal though. You will eventually develop an ear for what tones will work, and what tones sound only good in isolated format. I would sonically always start with drums, then bass, than guitars, then vocals. And having a demo is crucial before starting to dive into anything that's supposed to be refined. Also don't use too much gain on guitars, no matter the genre, it makes things sound washy and makes it lose it's cut.

[@davidjoel111]

@@luca4352 I agree, I’m in a situation where I’m working with direct guitars only, I think if I was in a studio situation I would record guitar DI and reamp after everything else is done. But I might be thinking as a guitarist 😂

[@themodernguitarist]

Yeah I'm checking out the SE V7X now. Also the Amazon mic had no right to sound that good.

[@piptyson5512]

Awesome stuff Kyle 👍👍

[@chugbawamba]

These are so good and nerdy... they need to be on main channel imho :)

[@kingpriapatius5832]

SM57 and MD421 win for me.

[@johnyang799]

v7x sounds pretty good

[@lowtonezf104]

You mean to tell me everything in the signal chain matters? I would’ve never guessed.

[@BaritoneGoatStudio]

Next up! Condenser mics! The UA mic with the similar form factor to the SM7B was better hands down. But it is still hard to beat an SM57 for price, sound and durability.

[@Luancwav]

Great video man 🔥

[@kimseniorb]

v7x sounds nice

[@catalyzed8457]

The Amazon one is really good and one of my favourites on here lol wtf?!

[@stephenchow5161]

great. thanks for this

[@bong-skot6706]

fuggin killer

[@zap7759]

Classic Lead 80 with e906 🧐

[@johnyang799]

SM57 SE V7X SM7B for me

[@sheriewart8100]

A smile any mother could love

[@ShadovvV]

You mean Marion Ross ? lol

[@michaelgriffin5304]

This man here is going the extra mile. Can't wait til he nerds out about NOS tubes and we get to hear some tube rolling :P

[@cornholy69]

Excellent 🤙🏻

[@bong-skot6706]

im shure from the shure

[@jhs564]

Did he say he's not seeing people doing mic shootouts on youtube.....???

[@edwardcullenhotass]

As much as we're all trying to find our own sound, it's hard to argue with the fact that the 57 just sounds like recorded guitars should, LOL.

[@K707OR30]

There’s a ton of these I thought sounded as good or better than the 57. Not that the 57 sounds bad. But I think your statement is just bias confirmation, not that guitars recorded with a 57 objectively sound like they “should.” That’s just framing something subjective in an objective context.

[@edwardcullenhotass]

​@@K707OR30 I didn't intend to pass it off as anything but my opinion. Maybe I worded it wrong because I said "fact" or "should", you're right. I was just attempting hyperbole, and I'm just some random guy commenting on a KZbin vid after all. But for me, personally, I would keep on falling onto the plain old 57, especially if I'm trying to grow my amp review channel like Kyle is. What is objective is that the 57 sound is something most recognize as the de facto recorded guitar tone because, well, it is. It's undoubtedly the most recorded mic for guitars, especially for Metal.

[@milkandmeat]

You still gonna make that SE McCarty review video? I have one in my Sweetwater cart, I just want to see your review before I pull the trigger.

[@kylebull2]

I am, but honestly man, I have zero bad things to say about it. I've been playing mine constantly and I love it, even the stock pickups. Maybe the only weak point is the tuners but for under $1k, they do the job just fine. Do your boy a solid and use that affiliate link if you order! 😎

[@milkandmeat]

​@@kylebull2no problem, I definitely will

[@bong-skot6706]

make your own ir packs while your doing this

[@KillaFXZ]

You should of spoke through all the microphones at once that would have been funny!

[@bong-skot6706]

shure is good dont go down the rabbit hole ....next!

[@bong-skot6706]

keep the nerd shit going!!!!]