The KSM44 is a large diaphragm condenser mic from Shure. This one represents the height of Shure's entrance into the studio vocal mic market. It has a couple of bells and whistles included with the package, such as a nice shock mount and an aluminum flight case that looks very nice. They also give you a normal hard mic clip if the shock mount is getting in the way, and a fancy velvet sleeve for the mic as well. Very nice! As for the mic's features, there is a switchable polar pattern, a switchable pad, and a switchable low frequency roll-off. All of these features contribute to mic this mic potentially very versatile in the studio with the ability to cover a lot of roles, so this mic might be good for someone just starting off their mic collection.

OVERALL OPINION

I have had one of these in my studio for about 2 years. The versatility of this mic is great, and its ability to capture high frequency content and transients rivals small diaphragm mics that usually are the winners in that category. However, I think that fact makes a bit less suited for lead vocals, which is ironic since that was their purpose in design. I think vocals tend to sound a little sterile and brittle through this mic, where is other large diaphragm condensers will tend to warm up or smooth over the vocal, making for a more pleasant sound. This mic does sound very good on most acoustic instruments though. I use it frequently for string instruments like violin and cello, and also acoustic guitars and hand percussion. You can get these for only around 700 dollars, so the value there is pretty great. I wouldn't get this mic again for vocal purposes, but I do use it a lot for acoustic instruments, so I would get it again for that purpose.