OPTIONS BEYOND THE SM57 - Three Microphone Comparison (SM57 vs. e609 vs. Audix i5)

Get excited for a 3-way competition between the long-time industry standard for rock/metal (SM57) and how it stacks up against the Sennheiser e609 and the "dark horse" candidate in the Audix i5. Running through a description of each mic as well as a comparison of clean, crunch, lead and OD lead tones.
The Signal Chain:
Warmoth Strat w/JB, Seymour Duncan Five/Two and Seymour Duncan SSL-5
Abasi Pathos/Horizon Devices Precision Drive
PRS Archon 25 w/Emperor 1x12 extension cabinet
Celestion Vintage 30
Focusrite Scarlett Solo Interface
Video Guide!
0:00 Intro and Mic Description
3:52 Gear Used
4:33 Clean - Archon 25 Cab
5:59 Crunch - Archon 25 Cab
7:17 Lead - Archon 25 Cab
8:13 OD Lead - Archon 25 Cab
9:17 Clean - Emperor Cab
10:45 Crunch - Emperor Cab
12:02 Lead - Emperor Cab
13:01 OD Lead - Emperor Cab
14:01 Thoughts on SM57
16:05 Thoughts on E609
16:56 Thoughts on Audix I5
18:09 Final Thoughts

[@roybenson955]

Very informative. Thank you for doing this. Still not sure which one I'm going to get for my AC 15. The amp can be bright enough, so I guess that eliminates the Audix. I like the idea of being able to hang the mic over the amp and not need a stand,so I'm leaving towards the 609.

[@mmagoon67]

i5 is always my go to guitar mic if cost is an issue. I've used the i5, sm57, sm58, e609, e906...The i5 seems to always give the most accurate sound.

[@ricmel8008]

Which is louder and greater output?

[@GolecLuka]

e609 level is lower then other mics, not a fair comparison. But still useful if you adjust volume on the go...

[@andrewpadfield5887]

Thank you so much for making this comparison. For me and my ears I think the i5 is the best. To me the Sm57 just lacks the low frequency’s. I would be interested to hear what the Sennheiser and the i5 and the Sennheiser and the 57 sound like when blended together. I agree that the Sennheiser should be pair with another mic and I think that would make for another great video. Thanks again!

[@deltarider99]

Hey - thanks for the kind words! I've been using the 609 and i5 together for a while now, and they work fantastically together! 609 and 57 are ok too. Definitely will make a video soon that showcases the differences.

[@andrewpadfield5887]

@@deltarider99 I’m looking forward to watching it!