All user reviews for the Shure SM57

This is small diaphragm dynamic microphone used for live and studio applications which is useful for many different instruments, including guitars, horn instruments and snare drums.

This mic is small and rugged and I've had no problems with it during the time I've owned it.

Specs include:

- Uniform cardioid pickup pattern to ensure it only picks sound from the source and not background noise

- Frequency response of 40Hz to 15,000Hz

- Pneumatic shock mount system to reduce handling noise

- Three pin XLR connection

- Die cast steel case which is very strong, despite dropping my SM57 a few times I've barely even scratched it

OVERALL OPINION

I've only used this microphone in a studio setting (Home recording and university studio) so I can't comment on how well it works in a live environment. I routinely use this microphone for two things, that is for recording guitar cabinets and snare drums. I really enjoy the sound produced when using a pair of these microphones to mic the top and bottom of a snare.

I think this is a great microphone to add to a collection as it's useful for lots of different things and is relatively cheap and will last for years. I don't think this microphone is the best choice as your only microphone as I have a cheap dynamic microphone in the style of a SM58 which is much better at capturing the sound of my acoustic guitar and voice accurately.

This microphone is well renowned for being rugged and being able to withstand years of use and abuse. I've accidently dropped mine lots of times and it's worked perfectly since the day I got it. I've seen a few videos on the youtube website with experiments to see how strong these microphones are, I'd recommend having a look at these videos as they're very interesting.

Dynamics. I did not know masses microphones, this is my first purchase of this type, and my thing is just part and plays. For the technically-sound caractristiques, are my friends, and your opinions!

OVERALL OPINION

Use for several months, I stuff myself! To dub or record my MG50 dfx my guitar gypsy (and amplify it through a loopstation), didgeridoo, mlodica ... yes, sick of the dictates of snares, this microphone is versatile, so enjoy it!
For the home studio, connected to a usb presonus AudioBox (including the reputation is more to do), it's fabulous!
To beef or live, I plug in my loopstation, I ask myself with my gypsy before, and go!
The little less, was missing a few colors and medium rather trslgrement sound, which can turn the advantage to Deutsche scratching, pushing a little level of between the instrument loop, gave a Lger its jazzy ...
Voil not bother to add, the sm57 is simply gnial! I want another!

The shure sm 57 doubles as an excellent choice for live as well as recording situations for a variety of uses such as miking drums, guitar amplifies, percussion, vocals, and even bass instruments.  It is a dynamic style microphone.

OVERALL OPINION

What I like most about this microphone is its versatility.  It can be used for just about anything you can imagine.  Its definitely a staple for me on drums and guitar amplifiers.  It provides good clean sound and is also considered by many as the "studio standard" in recording situations.  Other things I like about this microphone is what I like about all Shure products, they are very well built, can take a serious beating and still perform the same as the day you bought them and come with one of the best warranty (and out of warranty for that matter) plans I have ever heard of.  Even if you bought this used, had it for 5 years and one day dropped it off a side of a building, you can send it in to Shure for a nominal fee (usually less than half of what it cost brand new) and get a brand spanking new microphone with a brand new warranty, amazing!!!!  The only thing I don't like about this microphone is when you use it for vocals, it is too easy to make the dreaded "pop" noise when you push to much air on to the built in "wind screen" top.  I own a couple of these and I never paid more than $60 used and $90 new.  That is a great price for such a quality product.  The Precision and sound quality is superb.  That is why these are found in probably every serious studio in the world.  I own or have used a few different dynamic mics including Audix and EV.  Both of those companies make great mics (my EV's are old 40's era silver bullets) but I do find myself using the Shures more often.  Yes, infact I intend to buy some more as I am starting a mobile recording business and want to make sure I have enough to cover all the needs of any band I record.

This dynamic mic can be used for both studio and live settings, both with ease and great variety. They are arguably the most widely used mics out there right now. If you've used microphones before, chances are you've used one of these. While one might think that this makes it seem less special or somehow worse, you'd be surprised. While they are rarely,if ever, the best choice for recording any instrument, they're never the worst. For bands who play live, these are invaluable. I don't know of anyone who'd disagree. You can use them on horns, guitar amps, bass amps, keyboard amps, some percussion, and all vocals, and pretty much anything else that can be miked and played live. All of these uses will sound pretty good with these mics. As far as studio use, I've seen someone use them in the studio on an acoustic guitar and vocals as well, since they were in a punk rock band looking for a raw, unpolished sound. The results were pretty impressive in that respect.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, as I said, the mic is never the best choice for recording, but if you're a college student like me on a shoestring budget, you can make do with these. Considering that I tend to record a lot of my own music in a pretty lo-fi manner, I think that having a few of these is a great thing, especially if most of what you do is rock music. The raw sound helps give rock recording the raw edge they need. Save buying Royers and Neumanns for when you have the money to spend on quality gear. Again, if you're in a band and you don't play shows using these mics, I don't know what you're doing. They're hands down the most versatile, and for the price, you can't beat them at all. I've tried everything in the price range and haven't had anything that comes close in terms of sound quality of durability. They're virtually indestructible. I've had mine for almost 7 years and they haven't gotten any worse or broken or anything. There's a reason people continue to buy them. I'd highly recommend buying them a hundred times over.

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.

This is a dynamic cardioid microphone. This is probably one the most, if not THE most, popular mic for both recording and live situations. It is a dynamic, so it doesn't have the best transient response and high frequency response, but even considering that it still sounds good on a lot of things. It is a cardioid mic, so sound from everywhere except right in front of it gets rejected, and this obviously comes in handy.

OVERALL OPINION

I have been using these since I started with music. They have been around for a long time and are still in wide use. They are very versatile and cheap to buy, so they are everywhere. Some common applications are guitar cabinets, drums, vocals, bass cabinets, and almost anything else. They have a presence peak which can help things be more clear and audible. There is also a roll off in the lower frequencies, which can help proximity effect and add to clarity. These things are like a rock, you could throw it at the wall and it would work fine. I have used a lot of other microphones. From beginners to seasoned pros, almost everyone uses these in some capacity. They are the go to mic for most people on guitar cabs and snare drums especially. They usually come with a soft case and a clip, so that cuts down on other costs too. If you have a very delicate instrument that you want to record, like a violin or maybe a soft female voice, this obviously is not a good choice. But for hard loud sources like drums and guitars, this will do the job and you don't have to worry about blowing out a capsule like on a condenser. For the price, it's hard to beat them. Many people own several of them. If you are looking for your first microphone, this is probably the one to get. I would definitely get it again, and probably will.

This small diaphragm dynamic microphone is the pinnacle of modern recording technology. It has a high-mid frequency boost which can make it difficult to control in terms of harshness but has heavy off-axis coloration to dampen the highest of frequencies.

OVERALL OPINION

This is the swiss army knife of your studio. You can use it on any source in the studio from Accordion to Xylophone. Keep in mind that this microphone is heavily influenced by the type of preamp that you pair it with. The better quality preamp, the better reproduction of sound you can expect. Currently in 2008, they are easily had for $100 new and anywhere from $50 and up used.
This microphone is also built like a tank. I've never been able to break one and I have hung pictures with it. This is originally intended to be used as a live microphone for sound reinforcement though the large polar pattern makes it less than suitable for fighting feedback. It is now most suitable in a recording situation.
To sum it up, if you put this microphone in front of your source, it'll pretty much sound just like you heard it in the room. Highly recommended.

I've used the Shure SM57 both in the studio and live, but primarily in the studio. I've used it mostly on guitars and snare drum, but have also used it on tom toms, kick drum, as well as other applications and for vocals in a live. To me the midrange response is great, but it definitely lacks some low end definition. For these reasons I stick to using them on guitars mostly. These are classic dynamic mics that every studio should have handy.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had my 57s for 3 or 4 years now and no studio should be without them. I've never gone into a studio that hasn't had at least a few 57s. They are great because they are cheap and since they are dynamic mics they can take some abuse, which is great if a drummer accidentally hits it with their stick, or if you are using them in a live setting. They are just so versatile and can really handle a beating. For the price, you can't really justify not having a few of these in your studio.