is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

[these_go211]

is it worth buying an sm57 to mic a guitar cabinet if i already have an sm58? i know the frequency response b/w these 2 mics is slightly different. it seems like one of the standards for micing a guitar cab is a 57. i hear that time and time again even for big time producers/engineers/artists. but i never hear anyone doing it with a 58. luckily the 57s are not that expensive but i'm curious if there is that big a difference that would warrant me getting a 57 if i already have a 58. thanks.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

Yes. There is a significant difference.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

Yes. There is a significant difference.

+1

In spite of what you may hear, they are different mics and have their own eq curves.

I defintiely prefer 57's for instrument micing

 

[Curly]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

to me there is quite a difference between the 58 being omni directional and the 57 being directional
I got both -- the 58 for vocals and the 57 for instruments, but I even prefer the sound of a 57 for vocals

be aware that because the 57 is directional, your results will vary with placement. you will probably want to read up on the best placement, then experiment for best results with your particular equipment

it's been a while since I've used a 58 for micing a cab, but it seems like it's more prone to feedback

 

[SonofaMitch]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

Fwiw, just Buy the 57.....then you'll have 2 mics...and can do either Backup..or Lead vocals as well As play!!

~Mitcj~

 

[Rich_T]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

Yeah, they do sound very different. I like the 57 better for both vocals and guitars, but the 58 is more vocal orientated.

 

[wahwah]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

to me there is quite a difference between the 58 being omni directional and the 57 being directional

That's not correct. Both the 57 and 58 are unidirectional cardioid mics. If the 58 were omni it would be a nightmare to use onstage with foldback monitoring systems, which would defeat its main purpose.

The 57 was designed for close instrument micing, and it does a great job of it. They can handle high SPL, and their inefficiencies are in just the right spots to compensate for the blasts they cop from guitar amps and snare drums. A 58 can sound cool on a guitar amp as well, but the 57 just seems to have a more direct impact, possibly partly due to getting closer to the diaphragm, as well as their different frequency curves. It's definitely worth having both. I use a Beta 57 for home recording, which has a 3dB advantage over a standard 57 and a slightly brighter curve, but a standard 57 will never go to waste.


Cheers..........................wahwah

 

[Curly]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

That's not correct. Both the 57 and 58 are unidirectional cardioid mics. If the 58 were omni it would be a nightmare to use onstage with foldback monitoring systems, which would defeat its main purpose.

thanks for correcting my bad info ... I do believe the 57 must have a narrower field though, right?

 

[sosomething]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

That's not correct. Both the 57 and 58 are unidirectional cardioid mics. If the 58 were omni it would be a nightmare to use onstage with foldback monitoring systems, which would defeat its main purpose.

The 57 was designed for close instrument micing, and it does a great job of it. They can handle high SPL, and their inefficiencies are in just the right spots to compensate for the blasts they cop from guitar amps and snare drums. A 58 can sound cool on a guitar amp as well, but the 57 just seems to have a more direct impact, possibly partly due to getting closer to the diaphragm, as well as their different frequency curves. It's definitely worth having both. I use a Beta 57 for home recording, which has a 3dB advantage over a standard 57 and a slightly brighter curve, but a standard 57 will never go to waste.


Cheers..........................wahwah

That's two threads in a row this afternoon where I've found a helpful and informative post by you.

Just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your contributions to the knowledge base of this forum. Cheers.

 

[these_go211]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

thanks for the responses! wow, very unanimous. i'm asking this question now as i've only so far used the 58 for vocals and acoustic guitar. i'd always gone direct with recording guitar using a pod xt and/or a v-stack. but now that i have my zvex tube amp and a sweet orange 2x12 i'm going to get into mic'ing that sucker. judging by the responses here maybe the 57 would do a better job of recording an acoustic guitar too. thanks again!

 

[Rich_S]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

The big difference is the 58's "proximity boost" - gives a big hump to the low mids and bass when you get in close. Great for making a screaming 70's frontman sound mannly, not so good for guitars.

I recently started doing some singing at church, using an SM58, and I now remember than I never really liked them for vocals. They are difficult to use, sinc ethe EQ changes as you move around. Back when I was playing bars, I always preferred a 57 with a foam windscreen.

Our lead singer at church is using a Sennheiser E835, which I quite like - less proximity boost than a 58.

However, I think that everybody who does any recording should have a 57 and a 58. They are the standards, and a great starting point.

 

[wahwah]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

judging by the responses here maybe the 57 would do a better job of recording an acoustic guitar too. thanks again!

Not quite. Dynamic mics like the 57 and 58 are designed to be fairly close to the sound source, dealing with high SPL, but with fairly low sensitivity and limited frequency response. Acoustic guitars generally need condenser mics, which can be placed at a distance from the guitar, but with high sensitivity and capturing the full frequency spectrum. Fortunately, we live in an age when reasonably good quality condenser mics are affordable. You would also end up using the same mic on vocals for most things, although a 58 will do a pretty good job for a loud, "live" style vocal. For now, get the 57 to mic that fantastic little amp, and then look at condenser mics for your acoustic and vocal recordings.


Cheers.................wahwah

 

[wahwah]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

That's two threads in a row this afternoon where I've found a helpful and informative post by you.

Just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your contributions to the knowledge base of this forum. Cheers.

Thank you sosomething, it's good to know that my contribution can be of some help. I really like this forum and the amount of mutual respect shown amongst its members, and I learn something nearly every time I come here.


Cheers...................wahwah

 

[wahwah]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

thanks for correcting my bad info ... I do believe the 57 must have a narrower field though, right?

No problem Curly, I can understand why it seems that way but the capsules and cardioid patterns of the two mics are very similar. It's actually the 57 that has the huge proximity effect, because without the 58's grill, you can get right up into the face of the diaphragm, which is something microphones generally don't like. I know with the Beta range, the capsules are actually interchangeable, and I know a very good singer who had a Beta 58 capsule put into a Beta 57 casing, so he gets the frequency response of the 58 but he can just about eat the thing! It actually works really well.


Cheers..........................wahwah

 

[ginormous]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

+1 to all the above, except...

Yeah, they do sound very different. I like the 57 better for both vocals and guitars, but the 58 is more vocal orientated.

(emphasis added)

...there's no such word as "orientated"! "Oriented", yes, when referring to the direction an object or person faces, points toward, or is inspired to go in.

Anyway, wahwah's got it right on the nose... and I here there's a dermatologist working on it right now.

 

[wahwah]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

+1 to all the above, except...



(emphasis added)

...there's no such word as "orientated"! "Oriented", yes, when referring to the direction an object or person faces, points toward, or is inspired to go in.

Anyway, wahwah's got it right on the nose... and I here there's a dermatologist working on it right now.

It's always fraught with danger to be the spelling and grammar police on any forum. For example;

orientate - verb another term for orient . ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: probably a back-formation from orientation .

Thus "orientated" would be an acceptable past tense of that verb.

Also, you can't "here" about anything, you would "hear" about it.

The dermatologist said it should be healed by next week.


Cheers........................wahwah

 

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

Any soundclips to educate our ears more into this? i have the same doubt about it.
Q

 

[Gamera]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

This is helpful. I'm in the market for an instrument mic and I really know nothing about them. I take it the Shure sm57 is essentially the standard for this? Any similar alternatives?

 

[wahwah]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

This is helpful. I'm in the market for an instrument mic and I really know nothing about them. I take it the Shure sm57 is essentially the standard for this? Any similar alternatives?

Yeah, you could look at the Sennheiser E609, which is also popular, especially for recording. But the 57 is a tried and true industry standard. The 609 has a more open frequency response and comes across as being a bit brighter, but can also be a little too "hi-fi" for my liking. Somehow, the original 57 just does the right stuff, but the later released Beta 57 is also excellent.


Cheers......................wahwah

 

[these_go211]

Re: is it worth getting an sm57 if i already have a 58?

wahwah, thanks for the education! that's very helpful information. greatly appreciated.