Bad SM57????

[GLMrScary]

Anyone ever have a SM57 go bad? No matter WHAT I do, it sounds fake and hollow and VERY week. I can crank my amp, put it RIGHT ON the speaker and get almost NO signal. I have changed cables, settings and everything else I can think of. Anyone else have this? If so, how did you fix it? Thanks

Eric

[Anfontan]

Originally Posted by GLMrScary

Anyone ever have a SM57 go bad? No matter WHAT I do, it sounds fake and hollow and VERY week. I can crank my amp, put it RIGHT ON the speaker and get almost NO signal. I have changed cables, settings and everything else I can think of. Anyone else have this? If so, how did you fix it? Thanks

Eric

Those thing usually last forever-check that there isn't corrosion or something on the input of the mic where you plug in the mic cable. If one of the pins isn't making connections it cancels out half the phase of the signal.

[Mc'guyversen]

If you've substituted a known good mic, to confirm everything else is
working, I'd say you got a defective mic.
I've heard stories of people sending Shure out of warranty 57s and getting
free replacements or low cost repairs.

[travelin travis]

What are you running the mic thru?

[kojdogg]

By any chance did you get it in a three pack for a ridiculous price and have it show up via EMS from China (I'm serious)?

[NTK88]

That happened to me once, then I realized I was holding mic #4 and was turning the gain on input 2 up instead of #4

[amra]

Yea, try a different mic, and you should be able to tell if the 57 is the problem...

[Sloan]

all 57's are bad. they suck.

[GLMrScary]

Well, I bought this used at a music store for $30. I have been checking out some of your suggestions. I am running this directly into my Tascam 2488. Here is what I have found. Perhaps it is not the mic after all. I put it in front of the speaker (I have tried all speakers and in every possible config...off axis, on axis, back a foot, right on the cloth...etc) and plug it in to the recorder. Then I adjust my input signal (trim on the recorder). I turn it up until it just starts to clip...then I back it off a hair. All of my recordings sound fake and FAR FAR away if you know what I mean. Vocals don't do this...what's the deal? I have even tried to use a BBE sonic maximizer and it only helps a little.

Sorry this might have turned out not to be the mic. Should we move this posting out of the mic category?

Eric

[GLMrScary]

Doubling doesn't help either. It only sounds more fake. I tried another mic (my vocal condenser) just now too and it still does it. What the crap?

Eric

[amra]

What kind of amp/pedal are you using and how much gain?

[GLMrScary]

Randal RH150 head...no pedals...almost no gain. I like my crunch almost clean. I even tried compressors...no help



Eric