All user reviews of 4/5 for the Shure SM81

The Shure SM81 is a small diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone. The price tag is on the high end for a small condenser microphone but it is well worth the 350 dollars spent. The new design of the SM81 is very slim and sleek. This is the perfect microphone for your overhead cymbals. It has an unidirectional design to it which makes it perfect for your over head microphone and it will capture the full dynamic sound of your cymbals. It can also be used to capture a full sound of a choir or a group of singers at the same time because it does a great job of picking up the sound coming from all directions of the microphone. The Shure SM81 comes with a nice hard case to carry your SM81 in so it doesn’t get damaged. These microphones are a lot more fragile than the average Shure small diaphragm microphones are. You will need to take care of this microphone and protect it where ever you are. The Shure SM81 can be used on a number of different instruments in either a live or studio setting. This microphone is a multi purpose microphone that can do it all.


OVERALL OPINION

I plan on picking up a couple more of the Shure SM81’s to have has over head microphones in the near future. If you use this microphone as an over head microphone you may need to roll of some of the lower frequencies when you go to do your mixing, or put a high shelf filter on it. This will make the recording sound complete and give you a clean mix.

Overall , it is a great microphone that can be used in many situations and with many different instruments. Just keep a good eye on it and take care of it. They are pretty fragile and one bad drop could waste your 350 dollars.

The SM81 has been a small diaphragm condenser "old standby" for a while now. In my opinion it is one of the best small condenser's on the market, even though it's not one of the most expensive. You need to hook this up with an XLR cable to a mixer or preamp that can give it phantom power. This mic has a switchable low-end roll-off filter. You can set it to bypass, have a gradual roll-off starting at about 120Hz, or a sharper, faster roll-off that seems to start around 70Hz. This mic has a cardioid pickup pattern, which is great for isolating your sound source without too much ambience if you are close miking something. One of the best things about this mic is how totally even the frequency response is. Usually with small diaphragms you tend to get hyped highs and upper mids, which can sometimes sound kind of harsh. On top of that, the bass end tends to not be very well established. Not so with the SM81! For some reason the bass comes through really great on this mic, and the highs don't really seem to get tinny. That's great news since you are still getting the very fast transients and sensitivity of most other small condensers. One thing about this mic I don't like is the relatively low SPL it can handle before breaking up a little bit. Just don't stick it too close to a drum head!

OVERALL OPINION

I have been using this mic for years now. Some of my favorite applications are background vocals, small string ensembles and choirs, and snare drum bottoms. The SM81 is often my first choice mic for those applications. At less than $500, this mic is definitely a fantastic value. Add to that the fact that Shure mics are built like tanks (I've dropped mine more than once and it still works great), and you have a great mic and a great deal. I recommend it.