Shure SM57 - pocket money peak performance! (Shure SM57)

Member Name: McBeer

Product:	Shure SM57
Date:	19/05/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very cheap, very versatile, almost unbreakable

Disadvantages: Not quite high enough to do more resonant instruments such as cymbols

Shure SM57. One of the most used microphones around the world!

There are microphones ranging from price which are used all over the globe in the most professional recording studios produced. Some being the Neumann U87 and U67. These range in prices from £1,500 - £2,000.

Ofcourse, if your a student or semi professional who wants to record in their home these prices are unrealistic.

"How can I get even a half decent recording with microphones being so expensive?"

Well not all microphones have to be in their thousands. The Shure SM range show this.

The Shure SM57 is one of the most recognised microphones around the world. Almost every studio you will walk in will have if not many, atleast one of these microphones. Even Abbey Road have 7! Even colleges, schools and even homes can have these microphones. Whys this thought? While being one of the greatest mikes invented, theyre only £70-80 to purchase. What a bargain!

These small, but rugged microphones are great for all situations. This is one of the main reasons they can be found everywhere! They are so reliable that they can be used for almost anything!

In the studio situation, these are used by the masses for snare drums, tom-toms, bass guitar amplifiers, eletric guitar amplifiers, acoustic guitar and even vocals! You could infact probably record a whole band with just this microphone because of its capabilites. This isnt reccommended however if you wish to get the best quality recording, but for anyone low on funds, its the perfect idea.

Ive had many situations myself when it comes to choosing a selection of microphones. Ive tried AKG C414s paired, these coming to a cost of £1000 mark. Ive tried Sennheisers along with other mixtures of Shures and AKGs and for some things you just cant get a better sound than the raw SM57.

So what exactly is the Shure SM57? Its a dynamic cardiod microphone. With a cardioid polar pattern, it picks up very little background noise when used. This makes it great for snare drums as there can be much noise from the tom-toms, cymbols and especially hi-hats which are regularly placed next to it. With the right positioning its very easy to get a defined sound without any bleed through from the rest.

It has a frequency response from 40Hz to 15,000Hz. With such a wide frequency range it can even be used on the bass instruments such as maybe picking up a more clickier kick drum or even on the bass guitar. When going upto 15KHz its perfect for the bright sounds in vocals, acoustic guitar necks and guitar amplifiers. However, it is not reccommended for cymbols and hi-hats as these can give frequencies over 15KHz, therefore using the SM57 on these may dull the sound as it misses out some vital frequencies.

The reliability of the microphone is outstanding. It has been dropped hundreds of times in the studio simply by accident and despite maybe the slightest of dents, its still in perfect condition. I have not come across one that has actually broken and stopped working yet.

At such a great price, these microphones should defiantely be in any studio no matter what. In fact at these prices, why not get a few? I did!

Summary: This is a must have for any musician or sound enginner. I repeat, a MUST have!