Members jbr Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Are these mics the same with aesthetic differences only or are the components quite different for capturing different sources? I'm considering a 58, but if it performs the same as a 57, why bother? Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members where02190 Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 They have different response curves, due to the difference in the housings. Which is "better" depends on what the intended puprose is. Both are good mics for vocals, instruments, etc, but not what would be considered "high end" for live, and evel less so for studio. Both however are certainly leaders in pro audio, the sm57 is a standard for guitars and snare drums both live and in the studio, and the SM58 is the definitive live vocal standard for decades. Are they "the best"? IMHO no, but they are very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kiwiburger Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 I would grab a 57 if you don't have one. The are very useful, and practically the standard that you compare everything else against. You could in theory screw the cap off a 58 and practically have an 57, but that's a bit primitive. You can basically put a pop shield on a 57 and practically have a 58. The 57's are cheaper, so why not. Be wary of these bloody chinese fakes. If you deal seems too good to be true, make some inquiries via Shure. You will be the loser otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eric Dahlberg Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 In addition to what's already been said: The 58 & 57 are the same mic. Screw off the ball end of a 58 & you'll have a 57. Both mics sound great through a Neve or similar quality preamp but you'd be better off with an Audix i-5 or one of their OM vocal mics otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scodiddly Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 We just had this out over in the Live Sound forum - how exactly do you guys know that the 57 and 58 use the same exact capsule? From Shure the replacement capsules are even different part numbers, and they don't look exactly the same either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kiwiburger Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 lifted from Shures FAQ site: Question: "What are the real reasons an SM58 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scodiddly Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 Thanks, though it really doesn't say that they use the exact same capsule. "Based on" usually means slightly different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kiwiburger Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 I don't believe it's the exact same capsule either - which is why I only said "practically" the same. I've often seen the statement that they are the same, but I think it's one of those urban legends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eric Dahlberg Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 The guy who designed both mics works at Audio Technica now. Our Audio Technica rep heard it straight from the horse's mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scodiddly Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 Originally posted by Eric Dahlberg The guy who designed both mics works at Audio Technica now. Our Audio Technica rep heard it straight from the horse's mouth. I don't normally get this pedantic about this kind of subject, but since we did have a big argument about it I'm interested in really nailing down the true answer. That being said... The AT rep reporting what the designer said is a classic example of what the urban legend people (Jan Harold Brunvand has written several books on the topic) call a "Friend of a Friend", or a "FOAF". Basically all urban legends seem to happen to a FOAF, making them hard or impossible to confirm. I'd add the question of "when did this person design the 57 and 58?". How many times have either mic been redesigned or tweaked? There's at least the transition from the Unisphere product to the SM product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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