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Classic Gear Review: Shure SM57 Microphone - by Josh
For our inaugural weekly gear review, we thought that we’d keep it simple and pay homage to a true classic in the recording and sound reinforcement world – the Shure SM57 microphone. Everyone who is not living in a cave has at some point either used or heard music created by an SM57 – arguably the most popular and versatile microphone currently in production. If fact, if you've listened to a speech made by the president from the White House, you’ve heard the SM57 – it’s been the mic on the President’s lectern for over 30 years. There are several reasons for the SM57s popularitity:
- Price – At around $100 new, they are relatively inexpensive, and because they are in such heavy use they are easy to find used for even less
- Durability – SM57s are known for their ability to stand up to the rigors of touring and general rough treatment by musicians
- SOUND – While not quite as nuanced as a $5000 Neumann mic, the SM57
has a clean, focused sound that picks up the source while minimizing
background noisePretty much every major studio and touring rig in the country has at least several SM57s and 58s lying around (the 58 used the same capsule with different windscreen). Engineers with a full arsenal of high-end mics still often rely on the 57 as a go-to mic for snare drums, guitar amps, vocals and string instruments. The SM57 is so great at capturing these instruments and mainly because it has a capsule with a nice “presence” curve (a boost in the high-mid range frequencies that causes the sound to stand out in the mix) in addition to a tolerance for loud volumes. The windscreen on the SM58 creates a slightly different sound that makes it very desirable as a stage vocal mic. Either way, the SM57 microphone is a true studio and touring workhouse that should be part of everyone’s microphone collection. Post your thoughts and comments, or any stories you might have about the SM57.
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