Members J.R.1 Posted March 10, 2007 Members Share Posted March 10, 2007 Been looking at both, and quite honestly can't decide. It looks like the SM 57 is the more versatile of the two. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jguitarguy27 Posted March 10, 2007 Members Share Posted March 10, 2007 The SM58 is supposedly tailored to vocal use. I'm pretty sure they both share the same capsule...someone else can verify this. Honestly, just because the SM58 is a "vocal microphone" doesn't mean it's any better for your voice than the 57. What you might want to do is try out both and see which one fits your voice better. One advantage the 58 has is the built-in windscreen. The 57 has some kind of windscreen...but I wouldn't really call it that. It doesn't do anything for the "P"s and "S"s, so you'd probably want to get a windscreen to slide on top of it. As far as sound, the 57 is definitely one of the most popular mics in the world, and this is because of it's usability in many different applications; vocals, instruments, percussion, etc. If you're looking specifically for a vocal mic, check out the Audix mics as well (OM-2, OM-5, etc). I'm personally quite fond of the sound of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted March 10, 2007 Members Share Posted March 10, 2007 There are a ton of microphones in the 57/58 class. The Shure mics have a reputation of being bullet proof and are the "industry standard" because of that. Audix, Sennheiser, AKG, AT, Samson, even GLS audio and many others all make vocal mics for less money than the Shure mics that work just fine for vocals. I replaced all the SM 57/58 vocal mics in my band with Samson S11 mics. I had ordered three of them (for $75) as rental mics and when comparing them to my Shure mics, the Samson mics simply sounded better. After two years of using them nearly every weekend, I have never had one fail. I also had Audix OM-2 mics and sold them all.. They simply sounded terrible. But Sennheiser E835's, AKG D880, Samsons, etc. are all good sounding mics that cost less than Shure 57/58's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jguitarguy27 Posted March 10, 2007 Members Share Posted March 10, 2007 That's interesting you had a bad experience with the OM-2s. In my band, I use a Beta 58a, and my bass player uses the OM-2. It seems to work out great for his voice. He tried singing through my Beta once, but his particular voice just sounded better through the Audix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AndyLoud Posted March 10, 2007 Members Share Posted March 10, 2007 hte 58 betas are supposed to be better, but it depends on the room and the singer really. try them both out and see what you think. or buy both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rbts Posted March 10, 2007 Members Share Posted March 10, 2007 You might as well buy the shure SM 58. At least then you will know what all the hub-bub is about. In the end, there are a bazillion vocal mics each with a personality of it's own, even if the differences are sometimes minor, and which is exactly best suited to your specific voice is always going to be a bit of a question. This actually happened to President Bush.... they were at a high level white house meeting, and he asked for a report on Iraq, and was told that three Brazians were killed that day in a bombing. He went totally off, screaming and ranting for about ten minutes before VP Chaney and Connie Rice got him settled down, and finally he just ask them simply... "well how many is a Bazillion anyhow?". But back to your question... there are two old school work horse mics by Shure, the SM 58 for vocals, and the SM 57 for micing instruments and everything else. Nobody getting paid less than $ 1,000 per night will ever object to being given either of these to work with. Those getting paid more than $ 1,000 per night will bring their own mics, or spec something specific. By the way, my dentist told me that joke when my mouth was all full of dental equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 11, 2007 Members Share Posted March 11, 2007 The 58 is generally better suited for vocals if not for one reason. The spit is more easily cleaned from the foam lining and grille of a 58 than a 57. It's possible to clean a 57, but it's very difficult and the diaphram is pretty close to the foam backed mesh. Nothing sounds quite as bad as a spit crusted mic. There's a good reason why the 57/58 are still the best selling mics... they wor very well, are consistent, and durable. Compared to the Samson, I would expect a lot less "artist" issues with the Shure products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted March 11, 2007 Members Share Posted March 11, 2007 That's interesting you had a bad experience with the OM-2s. In my band, I use a Beta 58a, and my bass player uses the OM-2. It seems to work out great for his voice. He tried singing through my Beta once, but his particular voice just sounded better through the Audix. Well... I tried the mic on a whole bunch of different singers and instruments and it just never floated my boat. I had recieved it for free from a guy wanting to trade for some studio time anyway, so I wasn't really out much.. I sold it after keeping it for about a year when I realized I actually avoided using it. Now some junior high school music program has it. Whatever works best is actually the best mic so be happy you found something that works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted March 11, 2007 Members Share Posted March 11, 2007 The 58 is generally better suited for vocals if not for one reason. The spit is more easily cleaned from the foam lining and grille of a 58 than a 57. It's possible to clean a 57, but it's very difficult and the diaphram is pretty close to the foam backed mesh. Nothing sounds quite as bad as a spit crusted mic.There's a good reason why the 57/58 are still the best selling mics... they wor very well, are consistent, and durable. Compared to the Samson, I would expect a lot less "artist" issues with the Shure products. I agree with the "artist" issues... They never complain when I stick a 58 up for a vocal mic when running live sound. However, I have run sound for some national acts and recieved multiple compliments on how good my vocal mics sound.. And I used my Samson S11. I gave up on simply using name brand or "industry standard" anything. I go with whatever sounds best. I have ten 57's and ten 58's and they still get used from time to time, especially on instruments and drums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 11, 2007 Members Share Posted March 11, 2007 I gave up on simply using name brand or "industry standard" anything. I go with whatever sounds best. I have ten 57's and ten 58's and they still get used from time to time, especially on instruments and drums. Sometimes it works but often it makes you less competative. There is generally a good reason why many components become industry standard, and it's a harder (or in many cases impossible) sell otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted March 12, 2007 Members Share Posted March 12, 2007 Sometimes it works but often it makes you less competative. There is generally a good reason why many components become industry standard, and it's a harder (or in many cases impossible) sell otherwise. That may be, but in running live sound for the last thirty years or so, I have only had someone ask me what kinds of mics I use maybe twice.. and those questions had to do with which large condenser mics I would be using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 12, 2007 Members Share Posted March 12, 2007 That may be, but in running live sound for the last thirty years or so, I have only had someone ask me what kinds of mics I use maybe twice.. and those questions had to do with which large condenser mics I would be using. Don't you ever have to contend with filling rider requirements? Maybe your idea of national acts is different than mine, but I would say I routinely have to deal with this on shows I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted March 12, 2007 Members Share Posted March 12, 2007 Don't you ever have to contend with filling rider requirements? Maybe your idea of national acts is different than mine, but I would say I routinely have to deal with this on shows I do. That's a good point.. No, I rarely have to deal with rider requirements. Most of the national acts I work with are in the Bluegrass world and are not anywhere near the same as rock acts in their demands. They simply demand good sound and on occasion they even carry their own mics. The last group I did sound for that had a multi page rider was a Christian rock band and some of their requirements were simply silly. At the end of the gig they were happy, and as I said, I have quantities of 57's and 58's in case an artist demands them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Majoria Posted March 12, 2007 Members Share Posted March 12, 2007 I've been using an S11 for vocals for about a decade, received many compliments on the superior sound. A few times people recognized that it wasn't a 58 during a performance and were curious as to what made that great sound and how much it cost. I got them to admit it sound as good if not better than a 58 before I told them what it was. But yes, many times judge sound quality by the brand and model on the outside and not the sound from the speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 12, 2007 Members Share Posted March 12, 2007 This is an example of a genre where the act is often pleased to find a working PA, and to find a good one with an operator is iceing on the cake! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted March 12, 2007 CMS Author Share Posted March 12, 2007 I've been using an S11 for vocals for about a decade, received many compliments on the superior sound. A few times people recognized that it wasn't a 58 during a performance and were curious as to what made that great sound and how much it cost. I got them to admit it sound as good if not better than a 58 before I told them what it was.But yes, many times judge sound quality by the brand and model on the outside and not the sound from the speakers. I'm frequently mystified that so many people look at the SM-57 and -58 as a target, and are proud or happy if they find something they like better, as if they've outsmarted the system or something. The Shure mics are tools. They are a known quantity, and can be counted on to perform well for a reasonable cost. Are there "better" mics out there. Certainly. Some cost more, some less. Does everyone have the time and money to invest in buying and trying other mics to find a better one? Does everyone have the willingness to discover whether the 'better' mic will last as long as an SM? Probably not. That's why the SM's are popular year in and year out. They aren't always the best, but often they turn out to be the best choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DunedinDoug Posted March 14, 2007 Members Share Posted March 14, 2007 They aren't always the best, but often they turn out to be the best choice. VERY well put! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deltaleader Posted March 14, 2007 Members Share Posted March 14, 2007 I'm frequently mystified that so many people look at the SM-57 and -58 as a target, and are proud or happy if they find something they like better, as if they've outsmarted the system or something. The Shure mics are tools. They are a known quantity, and can be counted on to perform well for a reasonable cost. Are there "better" mics out there. Certainly. Some cost more, some less. Does everyone have the time and money to invest in buying and trying other mics to find a better one? Does everyone have the willingness to discover whether the 'better' mic will last as long as an SM? Probably not. That's why the SM's are popular year in and year out. They aren't always the best, but often they turn out to be the best choice. Good points. As I read this, I was thinking it would be cool to have a poll on what people here use as there top rated mics for vocal performance. I know a lot of people tend to use the SM58's but I am wondering what other mics have proven good for vocals for some of the folks using this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted March 14, 2007 CMS Author Share Posted March 14, 2007 Good points. As I read this, I was thinking it would be cool to have a poll on what people here use as there top rated mics for vocal performance. I know a lot of people tend to use the SM58's but I am wondering what other mics have proven good for vocals for some of the folks using this forum. You're more than welcome to post a poll for this. Would be interesting to see what everyone uses. You might want to start a survey thread first to see what models shoudl go in the poll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Real MC Posted March 14, 2007 Members Share Posted March 14, 2007 The only way to tell which mic is better is to audition them with your own voice. Some singers sound good with 58s, some don't. I had a female singer who wasn't happy with the 58 so I gave her a Sennheiser e835 and she liked it much better. I used to sing with 57s and AKGs, settled on the 58. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deltaleader Posted March 14, 2007 Members Share Posted March 14, 2007 The only way to tell which mic is better is to audition them with your own voice. I absolutely agree. However, I think a lot of people would be interested seeing based on this forum of users, what they use based on there experience. I am a firm believer and in learning from others experience in just about anything...I mean why try to reinvent the wheel when we already have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members witesol Posted March 14, 2007 Members Share Posted March 14, 2007 I usually bring at least 5 different LV mic choices to the gigs. Often there isn't any time to soundcheck and try something else out. In that case it's always a 58 or an AT41a that I put up. If it's a quiet stage and sensitive vocals I'll put up a condensor, typically an AT AE3300. On my own voice I prefer the SM57 and the Shure-made windscreen. Lately I've really liked the Heil PE20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yinger Posted March 15, 2007 Members Share Posted March 15, 2007 Anyone tried the Audio-Technica AE5400? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members witesol Posted March 15, 2007 Members Share Posted March 15, 2007 Anyone tried the Audio-Technica AE5400? sure, it's basically the 4050 studio mic, cardioid only in a handheld. Very nice mic. Not so good for loud stages with lots of stage wash. Like any condensor it's off-axis response isn't as discreet as a dynamic. That's a very common mic at the Grammy awards, good for the studio too. But you can buy 3 58s for that price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Majoria Posted March 15, 2007 Members Share Posted March 15, 2007 I'm frequently mystified that so many people look at the SM-57 and -58 as a target, and are proud or happy if they find something they like better, as if they've outsmarted the system or something. The Shure mics are tools. They are a known quantity, and can be counted on to perform well for a reasonable cost. Are there "better" mics out there. Certainly. Some cost more, some less. Does everyone have the time and money to invest in buying and trying other mics to find a better one? Does everyone have the willingness to discover whether the 'better' mic will last as long as an SM? Probably not. That's why the SM's are popular year in and year out. They aren't always the best, but often they turn out to be the best choice. Hard to argue against the SM57 for instrument applications but there is a large argument against the SM58. These mics have been given the tag of "industry standard" and for good reason but that was yesterday. Today, there is a large competition in the 58's target market. While I don't feel that the 58 has dropped in quality, other companies have caught or even passed Shure in a few categories and the SM58 is among them. Kinda like Volvo, their cars are much safer today than when they earned their safety reputation but other companies have caught up to them and they are no longer considered the benchmark in automotive safety. Think if it this way: who buys the most new SM58's? Easy answer is those who aren't highly knowledgeable in sound reinforcement but know the reputation of the 58. Who's the second biggest purchaser of new 58's? Pro sound guys who are only trying to please a client. Years ago the pros bought 58's due to their bang for the buck and/or quality, nowadays some pro still do but many more will go elsewhere as they find better suited mics from other companies. Especially the newer folks that aren't interested in history as they are in the present. My first vocal mic was the S11 since I didn't have the money for a 58. I didn't know much at the time and was simply looking for the label and reputation. Shortly thereafter I had the opportunity to compare it with a 58 and I was pleasantly surprised, hence I've never bought a new 58. While the SM58 is still the benchmark to which most of us compare a dynamic vocal mic, it's not nearly the default purchase that it was years ago. Sorry in advance to the tenured sound engineers who will disagree. Again, the 58 is still a great mic but to me it's able to be beaten. As far as the 57, I've always said that it's not the number one mic for much but it's in the top 3-5 for about everything live and one of the best for having to mic the unknown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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