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Wurly Girl
Published on 08/25/08 at 19:56
The Shure SM57 is a dynamic microphone well suited for instrument amplification, both live and in the studio.
OVERALL OPINION
I'm very loyal to my microphones, once I find a model that does the job - and this is one mic that I cannot have enough of in my collection. I've owned one SM57 for five years, and found so many uses for it that I invested in another pair 18 months ago. This is an excellent mic to add to your collection if you play in a band and mic your instruments, or if you'd like to record yourself playing an instrument in a studio situation. This is such a gracious, put-me-where-you-need-me addition to your mic locker or bag.
I've used these mics in live shows to amplify guitar cabinets, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, hand drums, snare drum, and on occasion, voices. (Although, for vocal applications, vocalists will practically need to swallow the grill to be amplified well - not much of a pickup range on this mic for vocals, so stay close to it while singing.) No matter which instrument's being played into the SM57, it produces clear, clean signal; especially when used for a live horn application these mics refuse to "fert." Almost any instrumental application is easily handled by this versatile workhorse.
In the studio, our house sound engineer lined up a Neumann mic alongside an SM57 and had a tenor sax player lay down a take. On playback, we decided the signal recorded by the more expensive, large-diaphragm Neumann mic was going to be unusable. Put to the Pepsi Challenge against a studio mic costing several times more, the Shure mic produced the punchier, more cutting sound necessary for the track.
For the price, this mic just can't be beat. Selling for under $100 in most retail stores and online, anyone investing in a good microphone can afford to consider the SM57. Shure has long been working men's gear, available and affordable for working local musicians, yet used and respected by international touring professionals.
Given the choice to do it all over again, I'd invest my money in the exact same three SM57's I have now. Whenever I'm micing up a stage I always run out of 57's before I'm ready, so I guess I should go get another pair of them. I own other instrumental mics designed for live and studio applications, and I'm just really pleased with the 57's.
OVERALL OPINION
I'm very loyal to my microphones, once I find a model that does the job - and this is one mic that I cannot have enough of in my collection. I've owned one SM57 for five years, and found so many uses for it that I invested in another pair 18 months ago. This is an excellent mic to add to your collection if you play in a band and mic your instruments, or if you'd like to record yourself playing an instrument in a studio situation. This is such a gracious, put-me-where-you-need-me addition to your mic locker or bag.
I've used these mics in live shows to amplify guitar cabinets, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, hand drums, snare drum, and on occasion, voices. (Although, for vocal applications, vocalists will practically need to swallow the grill to be amplified well - not much of a pickup range on this mic for vocals, so stay close to it while singing.) No matter which instrument's being played into the SM57, it produces clear, clean signal; especially when used for a live horn application these mics refuse to "fert." Almost any instrumental application is easily handled by this versatile workhorse.
In the studio, our house sound engineer lined up a Neumann mic alongside an SM57 and had a tenor sax player lay down a take. On playback, we decided the signal recorded by the more expensive, large-diaphragm Neumann mic was going to be unusable. Put to the Pepsi Challenge against a studio mic costing several times more, the Shure mic produced the punchier, more cutting sound necessary for the track.
For the price, this mic just can't be beat. Selling for under $100 in most retail stores and online, anyone investing in a good microphone can afford to consider the SM57. Shure has long been working men's gear, available and affordable for working local musicians, yet used and respected by international touring professionals.
Given the choice to do it all over again, I'd invest my money in the exact same three SM57's I have now. Whenever I'm micing up a stage I always run out of 57's before I'm ready, so I guess I should go get another pair of them. I own other instrumental mics designed for live and studio applications, and I'm just really pleased with the 57's.