The Shure SM58.

A Skater

New member
Hey everybody. I was just wondering if the SM58 would be a wise choice to record vocals/acoustics/electrics. I've heard that the SM57 is the most versatile mic in it's price range however, I've also heard that the SM57 makes the vocals sound weak. Suggestions? Comments?
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

The sm57 is popular for recording guitar amps, and live vocals when the mic needs to be on a stand.

The sm58 is popular for live vocal performances, where the mic is hand-held, thus the omni shape.

With either mic, you will have issues with popping, when recording vocals. A pop filter is good to have.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

The 58 is great for live vocals, however I feel it lacks in the studio. I recommend a cardiod condenser and a board with phantom power (or a phantom power unit). You can find a decent condenser for around the same price.

If you're asking because you already have an SM58, then I'd say a pop-filter would be a good choice. They're not necessarily bad for the studio, I just prefer condensers for studio work 10:1 :banana:

hope that helped.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

The frequency response, while similar, is different between the two. Not the same mic.


SM57:

fSM57_large.gif



SM58:

fSM58_large.gif
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

Good call, Jeff.

Both mics are versatile. It depends on the quality you seek.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

Yeah, they're both awesome mic's, but the SM57 is just so damn versatile and tried/true... toms, snare, guitars, vocals... it does more than any other mic, I'd say.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

innerdreamrecords.co said:
They are the same capsules just different housings. I'd go with the 57.

Not true.

The 57 is more suited to guitar amp use than the 58, and works well with some vocal styles, not so good with others. For studio use, i would almost always use a condensor mic on vocals, much more sensitive to the nuances of someones voice.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

Stevo said:
The sm57 is popular for recording guitar amps, and live vocals when the mic needs to be on a stand.

The sm58 is popular for live vocal performances, where the mic is hand-held, thus the omni shape.

With either mic, you will have issues with popping, when recording vocals. A pop filter is good to have.

The 58 is cardoid, not omni.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

innerdreamrecords.co said:
They are the same capsules just different housings. I'd go with the 57.

Not true. The capsuls are different and the ball/filter on the 58 alters its response aswell
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

if u need a versitile mic, go with either the 57 or the 58 (by versitile i mean to record more than one thing). if u need juts for vocals, i also like some sort of condesor. i use an audio-technica 2020 and it really sounds great...
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

TheArchitect said:
Not true. The capsuls are different and the ball/filter on the 58 alters its response aswell

I'm only repeating what the manufacturer told me when I asked.

You're all right though they sound different but not extremely.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

I use an SM57 clone (ES57 on ebay). Works pretty well for mic-ing a guitar cab and for singing through. I end up adding all sorts of effects to my vocals to attempt to hide how bad they are, but the mic works fine. With the price, you could get clones of each and test both out.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

innerdreamrecords.co said:
I'm only repeating what the manufacturer told me when I asked.

You're all right though they sound different but not extremely.

+1 They do in fact have the same capsule. Somehow all the old studio hounds (and Shure) know this, and neglected to tell the rest of us. The difference actually is the windscreen design which gives the 58 the bass proximity effect that makes it good for live vocals, and not so good up close on a guitar amp.

They're both good mics and the 57 is generally considered a "must-have" for any studio, but I still hate dynamics for recording vocals. Get the 57 because you're going to need it, but you're going to need a good condenser for vocals sooner or later.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

Have microphones come a long way since the 1950's? Have studios and PA's changed since then? The SM57 and 58 are indeed standards, but certainly not "best in class" anymore. For a home studio your only "must have" is a decent condenser, which can be had for the same price as the 58. And positioning the condenser farther back (to avoid mic clipping) on a blasting guitar cabinet is possibly more useful than the 57 for today's recording anyway. The "magical 57 in front of a cabinet" was part of a much larger equation in my opinion. That equation included saturating 1" or 2" tape, which we don't do now. (At least not in our home studios) The condenser will place more of what the human ear hears straight to disk, rather than the extremely high degree of coloration of a 57 or 58. 57/8's are sonic tools nowadays, to use for coloration IMO. So they are no longer the "best in class" as general purpose mics anymore. Many makers (including shure) have one-upped the 57/8 combo, many for less money.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

frankfalbo said:
57/8's are sonic tools nowadays, to use for coloration IMO. So they are no longer the "best in class" as general purpose mics anymore.

I completely agree, I never said the 57 is "best in class" and the last thing I would ever consider it is a general purpose mic. However it is a rugged, well-priced microphone that works very well in certain applications, close up on electric guitar amplifiers being one of them. The original post is asking about recording vocals, acoustic and electric guitars.

IMO it's much better to buy the 57 for now and save up for a quality condenser later. This way you have a mic that will at least get the job done for now, and is still useful later when you get yourself an SM7 or 414 (or whatever may be your next step). Buying a cheap condenser means you have a mic that still has noticeable (and on $100 condensers, IMHO often obnoxious) coloration, and when you do move on to a better condenser you're stuck with a mic that may be a jack of all trades, but it doesn't do anything very well.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

A good dynamic vocal mic is the Shure SM7, just ask James H. of Metallica. Actually a lot of great records have been made using the SM57/58's for vocals.
 
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Re: The Shure SM58.

TheArchitect said:
The 58 is cardoid, not omni.
Yes, but the mic grill has an Omni/spherical "shape" for singing when the mic is hand-held.
Stevo said:
the mic is hand-held, thus the omni shape.
 
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Re: The Shure SM58.

I would only use the SM58 on studio vocals if the singer was an F-16 engine (i.e. VERY LOUD). In all other cases, a large diaphragm condenser with a good pre is the way to go.
 
Re: The Shure SM58.

frankfalbo said:
Have microphones come a long way since the 1950's? Have studios and PA's changed since then? The SM57 and 58 are indeed standards, but certainly not "best in class" anymore. For a home studio your only "must have" is a decent condenser, which can be had for the same price as the 58. And positioning the condenser farther back (to avoid mic clipping) on a blasting guitar cabinet is possibly more useful than the 57 for today's recording anyway. The "magical 57 in front of a cabinet" was part of a much larger equation in my opinion. That equation included saturating 1" or 2" tape, which we don't do now. (At least not in our home studios) The condenser will place more of what the human ear hears straight to disk, rather than the extremely high degree of coloration of a 57 or 58. 57/8's are sonic tools nowadays, to use for coloration IMO. So they are no longer the "best in class" as general purpose mics anymore. Many makers (including shure) have one-upped the 57/8 combo, many for less money.

Total +1 here, although nothing beats an SM57 on a snare drum IMO.
 
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