The PG57 is pretty much supposed to be a low cost other option instead of getting a real Shure SM57. The mic is a little bit different on the outside, but I actually thought they sounded very similar. There are a few key differences, first of all this mic has an on/off switch right on the handle. Seeing as this is an instrument mic and not meant for vocals really, the on/off switch is kind of useless. If you are setting this up to record something, you won't have any need to go over and switch the mic on and off. Second is the grill. This mic has a large wire mesh grill over the top, whereas the original SM57 just has a tiny wire mesh grill on the very tip of it and plastic lines on the side. I don't think it really affects the sound, but this mic would actually stand up better if you dropped it on the head of the mic. It is a dynamic cardioid mic just like the SM57, and seems to have a very similar frequency response. There is a low roll-off, and there is definitely a hyped upper mid area that is around 3khz. My brother bought this mic and I was curious to how it stacked up against the SM57 so I tried it on a guitar amp and a snare drum. Honestly, I thought it performed almost exactly as the SM57 did. I might even encourage people to just get this mic instead, and save $50.

OVERALL OPINION

I only used this for a day when I was borrowing it, but it was long enough to recognize that this mic is basically just a discounted SM57. It sounds extremely similar and is about half the price. Those on a budget should definitely consider picking this up instead of the more expensive 57. You will find it difficult to tell the difference. It's a very good value.