Noob Question

[Ostinato Rubato]

someone answer him, cause I also don't know.

[BroSlinger]

Good question.

no idea.

[nightflameauto]

A 57 gives zero fucks. Turn it on. I've used a 57, a 58 and a 609 all with phantom power on and it really doesn't matter (similar situation to yours). Just don't flick back and forth between on and off and you should be fine.

[Telephant]

A 57 gives zero fucks. .

So true.

[Ostinato Rubato]

I hear variable impedance box is crucial for a 57. I need to get on that.

[ajaxlepinski]

I hear variable impedance box is crucial for a 57. I need to get on that.

What choo talkin bout, son?
Sounds like "left handed smoke shifter" stuff

[Ostinato Rubato]

I hear variable impedance box is crucial for a 57. I need to get on that.

What choo talkin bout, son?

yeah hommie. you don't be knowin'?

Dat you dial back the impedance on an SM57 and it sounds moar better. More open and "in the room" sounding.

[ajaxlepinski]

I gotta get out more...
Living under a rock is effectin my tone!

If you find some info, let us know. I gotsta look into this variable impedance voodoo box you speak of

[Markdude]

I've heard that phantom power won't harm dynamic mics, but can harm ribbon mics. Not sure how true that is though and I'm sure it varies from mic to mic.

[Ostinato Rubato]

I gotta get out more...
Living under a rock is effectin my tone!

If you find some info, let us know. I gotsta look into this variable impedance voodoo box you speak of

Raf built one. He sent me the youtube vid on how. Apparently it's super easy. But after searching it this constantly pops up in my GAB banners now.

[url]http://www.guitarcenter.com/Rapco-Horizon-CVPBLOX-Variable-Pad-Microphone-Volume-Control-100568187-i1534359.gc?country=us&currency=usd&isfullsite=1&source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=CjwKEAjw5J6sBRDp3ty_17KZyWsSJABgp-OaKpCvT4JYSkGKfIeCjrp5UBIZPP0QSMtFNYVE50eCqRoCUKLw_wcB&kwid=productads-plaid^123359101722-sku^100568187@ADL4GC-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^57619015002[/url]

[nightflameauto]

I hear variable impedance box is crucial for a 57. I need to get on that.

Yes, true-truisms. The 609, the 57, the 58, and about any other dynamic I've used all sound better with the impedance cranked back a ton.

[ajaxlepinski]

I've heard that phantom power won't harm dynamic mics, but can harm ribbon mics. Not sure how true that is though and I'm sure it varies from mic to mic.

Yes, I've heard this as well.

[ajaxlepinski]

I gotta get out more...
Living under a rock is effectin my tone!

If you find some info, let us know. I gotsta look into this variable impedance voodoo box you speak of

Raf built one. He sent me the youtube vid on how. Apparently it's super easy. But after searching it this constantly pops up in my GAB banners now.

[url]http://www.guitarcenter.com/Rapco-Horizon-CVPBLOX-Variable-Pad-Microphone-Volume-Control-100568187-i1534359.gc?country=us&currency=usd&isfullsite=1&source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=CjwKEAjw5J6sBRDp3ty_17KZyWsSJABgp-OaKpCvT4JYSkGKfIeCjrp5UBIZPP0QSMtFNYVE50eCqRoCUKLw_wcB&kwid=productads-plaid^123359101722-sku^100568187@ADL4GC-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^57619015002[/url]

So, now we know Raf's secret for his awesome guitar recordings!
Sweet!!!!

[Telephant]

I hear variable impedance box is crucial for a 57. I need to get on that.

Yes, true-truisms. The 609, the 57, the 58, and about any other dynamic I've used all sound better with the impedance cranked back a ton.

Interesting. Though I might say and if you can't stick a 57 on your grill and get passable tone you're doing it wrong.

[Ostinato Rubato]

Ajax: Raf was getting killer tones long before he did this trick. It probably helped him reach that, "ok dude... we get it, your tone destroys on the reg" status he's enjoyed around here for over a year or so.


Shea: you're right, but the impedance box helps get the mic to pick up the "in room" tone 28% more accurately.

[Ostinato Rubato]

So without an impedance box, am I right in my thinking I can use the 57 on the speaker, and then the condenser in omnidirectional mode to pick up the "room sound"? Or am I way off base on how this shit works?

It sounds like the right way to do things. Ultimately you gotta just push record and see how you like it.

[EugeneTheJeep]

So I've obtained a bit of recording gear recently to try and get better clips that what my cell phone is capable of. Right now, I have a Shure SM57 and a Behringer C3 condenser, running into a Presonus Mobile Pre Mk II into Reaper. My questions is, if I have the SM57 on a speaker, and want to use the condenser to mic the room, will I mess up the 57 by having Phantom power on? There is just one switch for both channels, so I imagine both mics would be receiving 48v.

No problem, I use 57 and 58 mics along with phantom powered mics all the time.

[Ostinato Rubato]

compression?

[Telephant]

So I tried recording the superbass dimed the other day. I had the SM57 about an inch from the grill cloth. Even with the gain all the way down on my interface, and the levels super low in reaper, I couldn't get it to not clip. Any ideas?

Something weird is happening. I've put a 57 right up on the grill of my cab with the Superbass and never had this problem. Was phantom power on? Trying turning it off. I mean it shouldn't make a difference but I would try narrowing down all the variables.

[Dickarms]

i mean, it IS a dimed superbass...

but in all seriousness, a dynamic mic should handle that fine.

[Telephant]

i mean, it IS a dimed superbass...

Ya but I've recorded multiple JMP's fully wound up with a 57 and was able to get a tolerable signal level.

[Dickarms]

im thinking something isnt turned down correctly on the mic pre

[BroSlinger]

You need a pad or a mic preamp with more controls.

The inputs on my Scarlett 2i2 interface are super hot.

[Markdude]

You need a pad or a mic preamp with more controls.

The inputs on my Scarlett 2i2 interface are super hot.

Even in microphone mode? In my experience, most cheaper interfaces actually have too LITTLE gain when it comes to mics (since a common complaint is needing more gain for ribbon mics), but Hi-Z mode is when they have too much.

[Cirrus]

I've heard that phantom power won't harm dynamic mics, but can harm ribbon mics. Not sure how true that is though and I'm sure it varies from mic to mic.

Generally it's not a problem because the transformer in most dynamic/ribbon mics blocks DC (ie phantom power) from getting to the capsule. Where it is a problem;

- If the mic doesn't have a transformer

- If the mic is plugged in while phantom power is applied in such a way that voltage is present on one pin before the other - either because the XLR connections happen at different points as you push the male/ female connectors together, or because you're plugging through a jack connector where the tip touches the socket before the ring or sleeve. So it won't always be a problem when hot swapping, but you need to be aware and careful. Ribbon mics are much more susceptible to being damaged in this way.

In the olden days though many pieces of equipment were hard wired with +48v and no way to turn it off in studios filled with Ribbon mics, so it's very much about just being sensible with how you connect things.

So I tried recording the superbass dimed the other day. I had the SM57 about an inch from the grill cloth. Even with the gain all the way down on my interface, and the levels super low in reaper, I couldn't get it to not clip. Any ideas?

Often on mic preamps the gain knob turned all the way down is still adding gain - often the range is something like +10 to +45dB or something which can mean that you can't get the gain low enough for loud sources while still not having the gain on tap for low output mics/ quiet sources. I can easily see a cranked Marshall clipping with a '57. The levels in the software won't help you, because that won't stop the real voltage coming into the interface from clipping the digital converters. The only solution is to get an inline pad as someone already suggested above ^, or move the mic back a bit, or turn the amp down.

Of course, the amp might be so loud that the '57 capsule itself is splatting out. Just like a speaker cranked up too high, the mic can start to overdrive and sound splatty and horrible at really high volume.