e609 vs beta56

Get that song on tape! Errr... disk?
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tdbajus
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e609 vs beta56

Post by tdbajus » Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:25 am

I have been recording for a while with a Shure Beta56 - the tom mike that was favored (maybe still is?) by Pete Townsend for guitars, and I have been very happy with the sound. However, I'm in a rehearsal space a lot now (sold my house with the garage studio in Berkeley and moved back to Brooklyn) and I've been wondering if I would get more or less the same sound from e609s, which would be a lot less trouble to set up for recording.

Anyone use both before?

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Larry Mal
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Re: e609 vs beta56

Post by Larry Mal » Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:05 am

I can't read a good review of the e609 anywhere. I gave up on the concept of it, after reading over and over how harsh the upper frequencies are.

Take what I say as nothing much, because I never used it, but I gave up on it and decided that I would probably get an e906 instead, which I haven't purchased yet.

Your mileage may vary and all that- maybe just be sure to read a lot of reviews.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: e609 vs beta56

Post by somanytoys » Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:42 pm

I don’t have as much mic experience as Larry, don’t have a B-56, and my mics are not expensive or really diverse, as mics go.

I’ve had a couple of e609s for years, and they were all I had for a long time. They worked for me and my limited needs & abilities.

I bought an e906 more recently, and its biggest difference seems to be that it has the switch to change the frequency rolloff. It may also be a better quality mic than the 609, but the frequency control alone seems like it makes it more useable, similar to the MD-421 that I have.

I'm pretty sure that I’ve read good and bad things about all 3 of those mics, or I would have sold the 609s when I got the others. Everything is subjective and mic placement is important, blah blah blah. Often similar mics of different brands can be/sound pretty much the same, until you cross a pretty high price point.

I would try to read a lot about them, but as I said I’ve read good and bad. I think that the 906 is a better choice, and they go on sale from time to time for not much more than the 609s (which is why I bought mine). I would go for the 906 on sale or used, if you do buy one, so you don’t lose much $$ if you don’t like it and sell it off.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: e609 vs beta56

Post by MechaBulletBill » Wed Feb 26, 2020 12:45 am

609 has been my gigging mic for years and no complaints there. stick it on a cab, sounds good every time.

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Re: e609 vs beta56

Post by somanytoys » Wed Mar 04, 2020 10:30 pm

It’s what my guitarist has mic’d our amps up with to record us playing for about 15 years now, without using any traditional mic preamps (straight to interface, into DAW). So it’s what I bought years ago to start recording myself with.

I’m no recording guru, so I can’t make too much of a judgement call on it vs other mics, especially in a studio setting, but they always sounded good to me.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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