Beyerdynamic Dynamic Mics

I’ve been enjoying my Beyerdynamic microphones on a variety of sources ever since I started buying their mics. As of now, I have the M201TG, M69TG, M88TG, and M160. All are great on electric guitar cabinet and drums. I’ve been making IRs of these mics on my cabs to be able to access their character while playing silently. Those are in the main link at the top of the page.

For guitar cabinets, my observations are as follows:

• The M201 is a bigger and slightly darker sounding SM57 on guitar cab. If the SM57’s characteristic upper mid is too harsh, the M201 is a good substitute for me.
• The M69 and the M88 are very much related and sound similar. They have a bigger low end than the M201. The might have a flatter upper midrange than the M69, with more lows. The M88 has more output than the M69.
• The M160 has a big proximity effect. On 12” speakers, I need to bring the mic back 2-4” off the grille.

Below is an interesting comparison of the frequency response of my M160s. One of them has a bigger low end, which works well on electric guitar.

Eastman E2OM Orchestra Model Acoustic

 I recently acquired an Eastman E2OM because I wanted a small body acoustic guitar for recording. I wanted something that was not as huge sounding as a dreadnaught, but bigger sounding than a parlor acoustic.

More Weber Speakers: 12A125A and Ceramic Silver Bell

 Weber 12A125A

I bought a Weber 12A125A speaker in my chase for the ideal 5E3 tone. I originally bought a Speed Shop A12Q for Tweed tones, but it turned out to be based on an early 60s speaker. Many forum posts for the A12Q remark that it is basically a Weber 12A125S, a speaker that is an Oxford replacement. A12Q did get convincing Neil Young tones, and is likely why the speaker is popular with 5E3 players. Neil Young uses a C12N speaker with his Tweed Deluxe, so the A12Q would be closer to being period correct for that sound. The top end was a little too smooth for me.

The 12A125A is the speaker I should’ve bought in the first place. It reminds me of a thicker version of the P12Q that is in the Redwirez impulse response library, which was my reference. The bright top end works well with the dark 5E3 tone.

I can see why 5E3 user may prefer the in-room tone of the A12Q, but the 12A125A’s recorded tone is exactly what I was looking for. My experience with micing the speaker so far is that I have to back the microphone off an inch more than I would with a Celestion-style speaker. When using ribbon microphones, I have to back off to about 6” off the grille to get the low end where I want it. The sweet spot for me is typically somewhere within the dust cap. 

Weber Ceramic Silver Bell 30W

The Silver Bell was a B-Stock purchase from Weber based on my positive experience with the Ceramic Blue Dog. The Silver Bell is a take on the Celestion silver Alnico speakers used in early Marshalls. The speaker does remind me of a brighter Greenback when recorded, but the sweet spot is wider on the Silver Bell. With the Greenback, my preferred tones are around the dust cap-come junction, while I like the middle of the cone with the Silver Bell. When I was initially hunting for sweet spots, I was expecting yo find it closer to the center. I didn’t immediately gel with the speaker. However, spending more time to find balanced mic positions was a rewarding exercise. The Silver Bell works with every type of low gain front end that I’ve tried: Tweed, Voxy, Plexi.

Clips to come, and eventually IRs.