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stompboxjon « Universal »
Published on 12/04/12 at 23:35The Shure Beta 57A is a very rugged mic, the transients with the 57A are clean and very fast. This microphone will sound awesome with no matter what you put it in front of. I have used it on guitars, vocals, drums, and even horn instruments. I feel like it sounds the best with a snare drum though and toms. The frequency response is just tweaked for the snare drum to me. This microphone is beyond durable, it reminds me a lot of the SM57 because of how tough it is with the steel mesh grille.
OVERALL OPINION
You can say this microphone is a great all around microphone and it is if you need it to be. It is definitely a microphone that you need to have around because you never know when you will have a use for it but I would not use it for vocals if you do not have to. It only cost 170 dollars now brand new, it is very affordable and you can purchase it and keep it for your drums and guitars. If you can stay away from using it with vocals I would. Not that it would record you cleanly, but that you can get a much cleaner vocal with a different Shure microphone like the SM57 and that microphone can be used just for your vocals. When it comes to vocals you need to have 1 designated microphone for that.
If you must use the Beta 57A for vocals and instruments then don’t be afraid to. It will handle the task with a doubt. This microphone is one of my favorite ones that Shure has made because it is very affordable, it is built to last a long time (like most Shure mics are) and it is awesome on drums. The polar pattern is supercardioid and the frequency range is 50Hz-16kHz giving it just the right touches to be a universal microphone for your home studio.
OVERALL OPINION
You can say this microphone is a great all around microphone and it is if you need it to be. It is definitely a microphone that you need to have around because you never know when you will have a use for it but I would not use it for vocals if you do not have to. It only cost 170 dollars now brand new, it is very affordable and you can purchase it and keep it for your drums and guitars. If you can stay away from using it with vocals I would. Not that it would record you cleanly, but that you can get a much cleaner vocal with a different Shure microphone like the SM57 and that microphone can be used just for your vocals. When it comes to vocals you need to have 1 designated microphone for that.
If you must use the Beta 57A for vocals and instruments then don’t be afraid to. It will handle the task with a doubt. This microphone is one of my favorite ones that Shure has made because it is very affordable, it is built to last a long time (like most Shure mics are) and it is awesome on drums. The polar pattern is supercardioid and the frequency range is 50Hz-16kHz giving it just the right touches to be a universal microphone for your home studio.