Audix i5 Cardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone Reviews

Ive been using this mic on a variety of snare drums. I prefer this to the sm 57/58, more presence and a bit fuller.

Recently purchased the DP7 drum microphone pack and the Zildjian k country cymbal pack, what a great move, I asked my Sweetwater salesperson Jonathan for some advice on both items and guys he was rite, loved my purchase. I thought I would try the i5 on vocals and it hit a really sweet spot, very easy to EQ so I called Jonathan back and purchased 4 more I5 mics, we truly love em,but best yet is Sweetwater as a company, the salespeople, the service, the packaging and all the Way to my little bag of candy, folks if you can wait 2 or 3 days to get your order, nobody can do a better job than Sweetwater, I trust them completely and my salesperson Jonathan,they sell the real deal. And Audix is a true Value.

I've never liked 57's tbh. Buy this instead of that one.

I've got about a dozen dynamic mics in my studio used for everything from guitar/bass cabs, toms, kick, snare, vocals, horns, and various other things. This one packs some serious capability as a great "all-rounder". It sounds thick, realistic with great transient response on everything I've thrown at it. It works VERY well as a vocal mic for both critical recording and live performance. It has a more full and less "honky" response than the "industry standard" in this category. Though I won't reach for this mic on every instance, I was very happy with the tone and it handles female vocals very well, keeping the high mids in typical vocals ranges while adding depth.

Worth every penny.

This is a great instrument microphone, and can handle serious SPLs. I bought it as part of a bundle with a K&M stand and ProCo cable. My hat's off to Sweetwater for putting together a realistic package. They could have gone with an el cheapo stand and cable and hit a more competitive price point, but I wanted a serious stand for a heavy(ish) microphone, and a cheap cable would negate the purpose of buying a quality microphone.

Just got this mic on Friday and used it on snare drum over the weekend. The mic had a very nice color to it, and the polar pattern was effective in knocking out off-axis sound. Up to this point I had been using Shure SM57s. This microphone was a huge improvement.

You can use this in a similar manner to an SM57. It sounds great for recording guitars, however it has a very different set of characteristics than the "workhorse of the industry." The SM57 colors the sound a bit and depending on the situation, may make the guitar jump out a little in the mix or make the guitar sound a bit harsh. I'm finding that it is less necessary to ad a bunch of EQ afterwords to tame the guitar sound. Maybe not a replacement for the 57, just another option to change things up a bit.

Audix makes the best gear, durable, great sound, and great price!

I really don’t understand why this hasn’t 100% replaced the 57 for snare and guitar amp duties. You get MUCH better detail, no honk, and its built just as tough if not tougher. For the money I don’t think you could do any better. I don’t usually write reviews for stuff this cheap, but I’m sick of 57’s being the default pick. Especially new production ones, which don’t sound anywhere near the vintage ones with the better transformers. Thats it. Get one. Your snare will thank you.

Used a couple i5s recently at a jazz club to mic soprano and alto sax, and flute. Great feedback rejection, and full sound. No need to blow directly into it. Off axis is the way to go with these when using for horns.

i had these mic on electric guitar cabinets and its awesome! fuller detailed and sits well with live mix. preferred this i5 over sm57 on E.guitar cabinets.

These mics are great for drums and guitars, live and in studio, very durable construction. I've been using an i5 for about 10 years on snare drum at a local venue that has been home to a lot of hard hitting drummers. I still have the same one from the beginning and it still sounds great with minimal signs of wear. I use i5's exclusively on snare drum and guitars now. You could really use them on everything, but there are definitely better choices for other instruments like kick drums, vocals and cymbals. If you need a microphone that can handle some abuse and still sound great, get an i5.

Amazing mic! Sounds great.... Very versatile. Super sound quality.

best instrument mic I have ever used.

I have been a professional mixing and recording engineer at several different music and broadcast studios over the years, so of corse I have my own home studio. I am always hearing engineers and clients comparing the sm57 with the i5 and which "is better". I own two i5's, five sm57's, a beta 57, two e906's, and an e609, as far as multipurpose dynamic microphones (not counting kick and bass mics). What it really comes down to is what sound I want, the instrument, the mic placement, and the outboard gear I'm mixing with.

As far as drums, I love the i5 on the bottom of the snare with a 57 or sometimes e906 on the top (depending on the drum kit and the sound the client wants). The i5 really captures the high end transients of the snare, while the sm57 captures the body. I also love the i5 on most rack toms, while for some reason I like the sm57s on the floor toms (with an MD 421 II also well sometimes). I've even used the i5 on a high hat before and got a nice sound (with a pencil condenser at the same distance with the -db pad on and with overheads of corse).

On several different guitar amps I've A/Bed the i5 and the sm57, on and off axis, in several different parts of the speaker cone. It really depends on the cabinet and the amp. Sometimes I like the i5 on vintage tweed style amp if it's lacking high-end, and sometimes I like the 57 on tweed amp because of the ways the 57 makes very subte even harmonic distortion on the high end. But for the most part, I use the i5 on modern amps especially for lead guitar and the sm57 on vintage style amps. But I always have at least a ribbon mic, a condenser, and a room mic on the amps as well.

The i5 has great upper mid range that stays clean and clear, and it also has a lot of body. I think if you have the money and you're recording guitar, drums, or whatever, you should get an i5, an SM57, and an e906. I have no personal favorite they all are great tools. And you can't have too many multipurpose dynamic mics.

This mic sounds great. Using them drum mics. They handle the drums well. Got these for acoustic guitars but have not actually used the for that yet.

After searching for many years have finally found the perfect flute mic for the stage.This mic is like a 57 on steroids....a big clear full bodied sound without the sometimes muddy thin hollow sound of a 57. Is music to my ears which makes my playing on the stage so much better.
Have used it to mic snares also and will never use a 57 again.

I use this to mic guitar cabs, snare, even used it as overheads before. In a pinch, I have used it as a kick mic. as well. It works for pretty much everything. I have since traded off, or sold all of my 57's, and use i5's. I love this mic!!

Micing a guitar cab with this will make you use your sm 57 as a back up. No joking, it's that much better. Very full and clear sounding. Plus, it's shorter which comes in handy if you use a cab shield.
Not sure how it works on vocals. A sound guy at church wants me to
buy a couple more for drums, etc.

I recently picked up the Audix DP 5A kit and was amazed at the quality of the mics. This works great on SNR. I prefer it to a sm57. Also works great on Guitar Amps. Since I've used it in miking stereo ac30s with an audix i5 and an sm57 and once again I preferred the tone of the audix i5 so much so that I'm definitely gonna be picking up a few more of these.

Great buy!

Clean, dynamic and realistic. My shure 57 and 58's could never do what these have done for my system. The industry standard has been de-throned. I has replaced my Pa System serveral times thinking that was the problem. Guess what? it was the mics. Before you invest in new equipment try a set of i5's

If you think an SM57 sounds good on snare, you're right...but who wants to settle for good when you can get great! Scrap that SM57 and try an Audix i5 instead and hear the life and presence come back into your drums. Plus these things are built like tanks.

I mix for a lot of live bluegrass/blues/folk musicians. Many of which use washboards, stomp boxes, acoustic guitars without pickup's, etc. I use to use 57's to mic these items all the time, but then bought a used i5.......now, the 57's stay in the box, and I just buy these. This mic. sounds better by far. I put these on a low stand in front of stompboxes, or in front of a washboard, or soundhole on an acoustic and they always sound great! Great all around mic, and everyone should have several of these in the mic box!!

I love this mic. We use it for whatever we need it for in our demos. While the Shure mics are also great, we find it easier to find a particular instruments sweet spot with this mic (especially when searching for the ideal tone while micing a guitar amp). And just like the Shures, this little beast can take a beating. I have dropped it a number of times and it still sounds perfect. It even works great for vocals. We use it as a background mic live.

We all know how to get a great snare recording...stick a 57 on it and add a little 100Hz. Not anymore! The i5 is like a 57 with some booty! I just tried it on a snare in my last session and my suspicions were confirmed -it sounded incredible. My 57 has been demoted to the bottom of the snare (where it really shines). Do yourself a favor and buy one of these little guys...you will not regret it!

The i5 is a fantastic recording microphone for guitar amplifiers. I have found it to be sort of like using a Shure SM57 for the highs and a Sennheiser 421 for the lows, only with the i5 you don't have the phase issues plaguing you that would be present when using two mics. While it has sufficient presence, it doesn't come off as bitey.

Smooth without being dark, present without biting, and lots of body without spilling out of the spandex; all appropriate descriptors of this mic's character.

When using this mic on guitar amps in a live sound application, I have found it to work so much better than the SM57 when I am using a proper system. The bitey flavor of the 57 sometimes helps cut through the character of a cloudy old mixer when something more balanced just doesn't do it. Also, so much of live guitar sounds is so subjective to the system, the guitarist, their equipment, and tone (not to mention the rest of the band) that to report on any particular experience that I have had with this mic in a live setting in the short time I have owned it, just wouldn't be fair. My feeling is, that if all the variables aligned into a "perfect" live sound situation, then the i5 would be found to be "the perfect dynamic mic" for that situation.

Another MAJOR plus is the i5's build quality. Nothing about this mic says, "flimsy" or "this piece of plastic will split some day". It's a little monster built for the road and drunk drummers lacking proper aim.

Speaking of drummers... this really is one of the best mics to come along for snare drums. While Audix makes some of the best available dynamic tom mics as well, a handfull i5's can handle the job nicely.

To me, this mic is the new "standard" and it's only earned it's stature with me because it corrected the deficiencies of the old standard to sound and perform the way that it does. You won't be disappointed.

This is a great workhorse of a microphone. Lots of pros and weekend warriors are using it for good reason. My sole complaint is with the stand adapter. Unlike other Audix mic "clips" this requires TWO flathead screwdrivers to snug up the rotation of the clip. This proved to be a big issue on a gig last week. Sound man kept fussing because the mic kept dropping under its own weight. This could be better. The mic; it's great!

Bought the I5 a couple years ago to add some variety to my amp cabinet mic collection. I frequently use 2 mics on one amp, and pan or blend both into the mix. The I5 has a noticeable scooped mid section, and I find it great for contrast against a brighter mic. Solid construction and impressive performance, considering the price. The Audix I5 is a great addition to your mic arsenal.

This is my new standard for snare and guitar cabs. I'm upset at myself for not discovering this sooner. It adds a nice body that the competition lacks.

After using the standard 57's for so long, this mic surprised me in a good way. Nice body & depth. Good, balanced sound throughout. Gotta experiment with it more, but first impressions are that at this price range, it's a 57 killer.

I read the other reviews on this mic and thought I'd give it try. It's now our standard snare mic. It sounds amazing. It's has a little larger head on it so you have to place it carefully, but the sound is great. It sounds so good on our snare I haven't tried it on anything else yet, but like a 57, I'm sure it's great almost everywhere.

People who compare this to a 57 are overlooking a significant difference between these mics:
An I5 has a wide pattern for a dynamic mic. This makes for a natural, full, open sound. However, the I5 is a terrible snare or tom mic because it's wide pattern makes it pick up the entire kit! An sm 57 has a tight pattern that has excellent side and rear rejection. It is ideal for close micing when isolation from other sources is desired.
The I5 sounds better than an sm 57, but can't mic a guitar amp on a loud stage without lots of bleed from drums, etc.
Get it?

I bought this mic with the express purpose of plugging into my vox amp and jammin on the harmonica. I have no recording experiance but I have played the harp with other exceptionally good mics and I am happy to report that for dirty or clean harmonica playing I am very pleased with this mic. I don't want to get into comparisons because when you are playing the harmonica different mics and amps are different things to different people. I just wanted to say that I like jammin with this mic.

I bought this microphone as a more quality alternative option to micing my guitar cab. Although SM57 may work in a live situation, I was less than impreesed with the results I got from it recording in my home. So when I first tried micing my guitar cab with Audix i5, I was blown away. Just imagine an SM57 of greater quality and detail, and without its muddiness or boxiness! It was also much easier to find a sweet spot ("sweet spotS" I should say).
Paired with a decent condenser microphone, it produced reecordings which were hard to believe that they were "home-made".
A few days ago, I also used it to record some vocals, "just to see", and the results were equally (if more) satisfying with the ones I got with budget-md prized "vocal" microphones!
If you want the best microphone for recording ONLY guitar amps, then get a Sennheiser e-906. If you want a damn good microphone for recording guitar amps AND other possible sources, then get the Audix i5.
I seriously cannot of any sound source this microphone cannot handle well. Oh... great built quality, too!

I bought my Audix i5 a couple of months ago and have fallen in love with it. It is by no means my most expensive microphone, but it is one of my favorites, and is my best sounding dynamic insturment microphone. I have used it on live and recorded drums, acoustic guitar, guitar amps, bass amps, piano and vocals, and in every situation it has given me sound quality that will put any SM57 to shame. It's a great dynamic mike, and rejects most feedback, but is still not as good as my good condensers.

Don't get me wrong the 57 is great, when you pair it with something else or set it way off-center. The i5 though? If you could afford only one mic for your guitar cab, this would be the better choice for a few reasons.

1) It's more articulate than a 57, due to where the high-mids are placed. Even when the mic is placed off center, heck, towards the FLOOR, you still get great pick attack with it. It has way more usability in different positions.
2) even on the center of the cap, it's not harsh (I'm using a 412 w/greenbacks and my presence dialed @ 25%). It actually just mildly accentuates the articulation and the scooped frequency inherent to the mic.
3) It's a much better choice for tracking heavy rhythm guitars, due to the scooped frequency.
4) It's got a louder signal-to-noise ratio than a 57.
5) sounds cleaner and more "finished" than a 57.

I was looking for a mic for record and live playing Due to the accordions wide range it was difficult to get a clear sound but I think I found one with the i5

"The perfect universal dynamic microphone."

I got this as a bundle with an Auralex Gramma and Audix cab-grabber, and I must say it's a very nice microphone! It's got a nice weight, good connector on the bottom, and very good tone.

It's got much more presence than an SM57, as well as low end, and the scooped midrange works well on balancing out a midrange focused tone, or blending with an SM57 for the best of both worlds. Not the best choice for particularly bright guitar tones, but if you want a mic that won't kill your high end like a 57 can sometimes, then this is a great choice.

4- 6 inches from the f hole. Deep and smooth through subwoofer (K12 tops and K-Sub- monitored through Bose L1 compact). Outdoors in a large corporate tent.

The subwoofer was loud and "rocking" with the acoustic bass. Acoustic Hawaiian music. Everyone happy and impressed. Pro player (day job).

I was ready to switch to condenser but didn't need too. i5 was deep, smooth and articulate. With authority. Could have gone louder if I wanted to.

Good surprise.

A really great multi purpose mic. One of the most useful mics in the cabinet. Bulletproof design. A little more clarity than a 57. Even works as overhead in a pinch!

Reading and listening online, I convinced myself that this would be an upgrade over the SM57 for snare drum mic'ing. Very quickly, I realized this was just more foolish dream chasing, put the SM57 back in place, and sold the i5 at a $ loss. I found this microphone to produce a very boxy and, quite frankly, lousy sound that robbed the snare of everything good the SM57 provides. There seems to be alot of people hyping this microphone as the SM57 killer for snare drum mic'ing. If you want to see for yourself, go for it, but don't buy into this claim. People will always try to to dethrone The King.

Too hyped for much except some guitar uses and perhaps snare - has a strange sibilance I can't unhype. Bad news - broke after 2nd use. Was under warranty, which Audix honored. Customer service was a little moody - not real friendly, not super unfriendly either.

I run a pro recording studio and rely on a wide variety of mics for daily use. I have never liked that Shure makes the SM-57 with a plastic diaphragm cap. One whack from a heavy metal drummer and it just breaks right off. However, the SM-57 is a stage and studio standard for a reason. The frequency range and pickup pattern of the SM57 are absolutely perfect for making snare drums and guitar amps sit perfectly in the mix. I bought an i5 about a year ago and at first listen I noticed that, by itself, it sounds much fuller and crisper than the SM57. This is not necessarily a good thing when trying to fit an instrument into a dense mix. However, every mic has a time and place. My main gripe with this mic is the way it sounds on snare drum (which is why I bought it). It is so unreasonably DYNAMIC that the snare hits are either lost or right in your face from hit to hit with a relatively steady drummer playing (I also had an SM57 on the bottom snare head). I literally had to use 3 compressors in a row on the i5 to catch all of the crazy peaks in order to make it listenable, When the dynamics were finally under control, the sound was not nearly what a snare should sound like. It was very thin and a bit tinny sounding. Far beyond the capability of any corrective EQ-ing. Obvoiusly the necessary overcompression doesn't help this. Not a fan of this mic on distorted guitar amps either. I would say that it sounds far too sizzly for my taste. Either way, all I'm saying is that this mic is DEFINITELY not for me. SM57s are time-tested and well-loved for a reason and I'm sure as heck not parting with mine any time soon.

This mic works wonders for snare. Paired with a condenser mic, on guitar the i5 rules. ALlthough it really helps to have a 70hz, 80hz or 100hz rolloff on a preamp, this mic is beefy and the proximity effect is not subtle. If you aren't careful, you can get some bass buildup. So proximity effect aside, proper mic technique and a good preamp make this mic a real nice addition to my mic locker.

This mic is amazing. I have used it on vocals (female and Male), acoustic guitar, my mesa boogie F50. Gives me a great sound, all the time. On female vocals, I got this beatles like sound (live studio track), vintage like. Very smooth sounding.
This mic always seems to fit into the mix well, with anything I record with it. Assuming you know about compression and mic techinque, you can achieve awsome results with this dynamic mic.