first basic sax mic - sm57 or....?

**swperry1** · 02-29-2012, 01:41 PM

I use the Sennheiser e835 and e935 microphones for sax, vocals and congas. Every bit the equal of a 57 or 58 in sound quality and durability. They are usually about $30 cheaper than the 57 and 58 microphones. For a while you could get Sennheiser packaged 3 packs of the e835 for around $200. You can usually find singles for around $100 new.

With all of these Sennheiser and Shure microphones, there are a lot of copies on eBay that are dogs wrapped in sheep's clothing. I got a bad 57 on eBay that was allegedly new with the warranty still valid from the factory. When it died after just a couple uses I sent it to Shure and they said it was a fake, and sent me pictures of the inside wiring compared side to side with a real 57...**** poor! They actually bought the microphone from me at what I paid! I guess companies do this for good forgeries so they can keep an eye on things...Like anything else on eBay: If the price is too good to be true, steer clear.

You really can't go wrong with any of the options listed on this thread. Unfortunately, when you are playing through a PA with a sound engineer that you don't know, he/ she will likely not know how to properly reinforce your sound. Not a knock on ALL sound guys, but most of "the good ones" seem to be failed drummers. I went to a show last week and the sound guy was supposed to be "the best in town," and talked all night about who he had worked with. When the band started, the alto player sounded like a harmonica! I heard him warming up and he was a good player. At set break I talked to the player and he snuck over to the board and adjusted himself...Second set was much better. Being a sound engineer is a lot more than just making sure everyone can be heard in the mix.

JL · 02-29-2012, 01:58 PM

You can get a brand new SM57 for $99. I wouldn't bother with ebay for something like this.

**swperry1** · 02-29-2012, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by JL

You can get a brand new SM57 for $99. I wouldn't bother with ebay for something like this.

Wow, I swear they were about $120 when I last looked a few years ago. Now they are about the same price as the Sennheiser e835.

**EsbSpecial** · 02-29-2012, 02:41 PM

A Beta 57a is basically a live mic stand by for me. You can drive nails with the damn thing and it will still keep working. Really live, especially in comparison to the SM57/58 or an Audix SM2. I've been using one with most of my bands for the last 10 years or so for shows. Just do yourself a favor and try to forget it when you walk into a studio.

**notes_norton** · 02-29-2012, 10:02 PM

I've been using the Sennheiser 421 for over 30 years - and I gig for a living. I also sing and play guitar or keyboards (sax is my main ax). The mic is on a boom stand, so when I solo, I just point it down at the sax. In all 30 years it has never fallen off the stand, and if it is going to fall, that would be the condition for it to fall.

Here's a picture of that - I'm playing at the marina that is the birthplace of the US Navy SEALS - and all that stuff on the wall was left by SEALS - the retired SEALS come there every year for an annual muster.

That's my funky 'outdoor' sax.

As soon as you can afford it, I highly recommend it.

Sounds ten times better than the Sure I used before it.