OT: Vocal Studio Microphone Suggestion

[Joe Muscara]

Hmmm. I thought they used the same cartridge, but according to this Shure page, they do not.

[Joe Muscara]

Even if they are the same cartridge, the way the housing and porting is designed will change the characteristics of the mics.

 

Watch the video at this link and learn how.

[steadyb]

I've been using the Blue Kiwi lately and it is awesome.

[Dave Bryce]

Even if they are the same cartridge, the way the housing and porting is designed will change the characteristics of the mics.

 

dB

[zapper]

SM57 and SM58 are not the same, below i found great review of those mikes and how they differ by David L. Vasser:

 

The first rule of microphones is that, "No one microphone is perfect for every purpose." Rule two is, "Experiment with different mics in different applications to find your signature sound." I've used Shure SM58's along with their ancestors and relatives back to 1968. I primarily used them for broadcasting and recording spoken word content but I have used (and still do use) them for singing some back up vocals.

 

The SM58 does one thing well and that is vocal performance when used very close to the mouth for public address use. Some people, me included, actually sound better and more comfortable in a live performance setting when using another mic, the Shure SM-57. The SM-58 is a very good vocal mic and for some people probably the best choice. For example, anyone who can not resist putting the mic right up against their lips while singing will probably want the SM-58. People with softer or weaker voices will want the SM-58.

 

The SM-58 is highly directional and has a noticeable yet manageable proximity effect (which means the bass increases the closer you get.) This mic does not pick up well from much over 8 inches away. The reason so many singers think you are supposed to shove microphones practically inside your mouth is because the ball type Shure vocal mics require you to get them very close or they don't sound right. On the other hand, the SM-57 sounds best several inches away from the user's mouth and works fine up to 12 inches away. While the SM-58 is certainly the number one professional PA vocal mic, there are precious few other uses for it because it has a colored sound with a prominent frequency response boost in the upper midrange plus a sound source has to be very close before it is picked up clearly. It works ok for conga drums and the like, but the SM-58 is about the last thing you'd want to use to mic a sax or guitar. Personally these mics are not the best for my mic technique or the basic nature my voice, but for some people they sound great. The live vocal mic that works best for me is the Shure SM-57 with a windscreen. However for other people the SM-58 works better. It depends on your voice and what you want the mic to do. If you have a very deep voice, the SM-58 might be the second best choice after the SM-57 which has a better low frequency response.

 

One certain advantage of the SM-58 is the excellent gain before feedback capability. This mic can be turned up louder than almost any other mic without that annoying PA squeal. Another advantage of the SM-58 is that it is still available (at a slight extra cost) with a built-in on/off switch. The SM-58's ball shaped grills are very sturdy and even if you should dent one you can get a replacement which screws right on for about ten dollars. I've seen SM-58's dented, rusty, dusty, smoked up, spit into, with pieces missing and slammed into a hardwood stage with the full weight of a boom stand adding mass to the fall and yet I've never seen but one stop working and that malfunction was due to an on/off switch that got dirt in it.

 

All the pro-line Shure mics are top quality. The pro line Shures also hold their value well. If you buy one and decide you don't like it, you can get about what you paid for it on eBay. I would compare as many mics as possible before buying one. Senneheiser's EVOLUTION mics sound really good too and are worth a look. The SM-58 will be the number one on-stage vocal mic for the foreseeable future because most people follow the crowd instead of actually trying out different mics and picking the one that works best for their particular voice. These things are so durable that even if they stopped making them today they'd still be around for another 20 years at least.

[Joe Muscara]

Nobody said they were the same. One person said "essentially the same" but then noted at least one difference.

[Bucktunes]

I'm a little surprised nobody's mentioned the Studio Projects C1 yet. I got mine about 12 years ago after reading all the rave reviews about it - comparing it favorably to mics costing many times more. I paid $200 for it, which included a spider shock mount, foam pop filter and a hard case. Inflation now has the price at $250, but it's still quite the bargain for as good as it is. I'm happy with it.