All user reviews for the Shure BETA 52A

This is microphone is ideal for studio use as well as live use.  I see this mic in studios and on stage almost everywhere I look. 
This is a Dynamic mic with a modified supercardioid pattern that is designed for use with Kick Drums and other Bass Instruments.



OVERALL OPINION

What I like most about this mic is its high quality sound.  It captures the Kick drum excellently.  Every recording I have made with drums I have reached for this mic.  It provides a nice thumpy warm sound while rejecting almost all other noise (sometimes the snare can get through).  I also love to use it on my bass amps.  It brings the same warmth and clarity on those as well.  It also is one solid (and heavy) mic.  I definitely feel I could drop this thing from up high and have no problems with it (not going to do that though).  I am a big fan of Shure.  All there products I own work flawlessly and should anything happen, they have an excellent return policy, even for highly damaged/out of warranty items.  Check it out on there website.  What I don't like about this mic is the same thing I don't like about all of my Shure mics.  The "protective" bag they ship it with is really nothing more than a super thin leather-like material pouch.  I don't understand why they would send out such awesome mics without a strong case to ensure the safety of the mic over the years.  Even cheap mics like behringer's come with hard plastic cases. 
Other than that one flaw that is not really related to the MIc, this is an excellent mic and one of the the most popular Kick mics on the market. 
I paid $150 brand new for this mic.  I am very happy with that price and would have paid a little more if I had too to get this classic sounding, solid piece of equipment. 
The sound Quality is superb and very precise.  While in a very nice studio doing some recording, we were juggling between the 52a and a Audix D6.  After a few comparisons, we went with the 52a.  It seemed to have more response and clarity, not buy a huge amount, but enough to decide which to use. 
If anything ever happened to this mic, I would have to get another one, no if's and's or but's. 

The Shure Beta 52A is a dynamic microphone used in both the recording studio and live setting. I have used it mostly in the recording studio, but have seen it used on a stage as well. It is an effective microphone in both situations in my opinion. The Beta 52A is one of the industry standard microphones use for kick drum. It is the perfect shape for sticking inside of or in front of a kick drum. It has a mount that makes it easy to swivel and place inside of the kick drum. While it is primarily known and marketed as a kick drum mic, it has a number of different uses beyond the kick drum.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Beta 52A for about three or four years. When I was deciding what type of kick drum microphone to buy I decided to buy both a 52A and an AKG D112 and shoot them out to see which I liked better for the sound I was trying to achieve. In the end I end up keeping the D112 and selling the 52A, but this does not mean the 52A isn't a good mic. I liked both of them, but I felt the D112 had a better sound for recording kick drum, while I liked the 52A better for micing and bass drum cabinet. I record more kick drums than I do bass cabinets (as I usually record bass direct) so I decided to keep the D112. They are around the same price, which is reasonable, so I made by decision based on what I needed more for my needs. This being said, the Beta 52A sounds great on both a kick drum and a bass cabinet and is a great all around microphone for picking up things with a real low end. If you are looking for a bass guitar amp mic or a kick drum mic I would encourage you to check out both this mic and the AKG D112.