Shure-- SM57 vs SM58?

nickporter

New member
I'm looking at getting a new mic (the one I have now is a pretty awful Peavey Mic) and I'm looking at the two Shure mics listed above. I play guitar, bass, and do vocals, so my question is-- will the SM57 (listed as the "instrument" mic) do a passable job with vocals, or should I save that for the SM58? We have good line-outs in the amps we're using to record but if the SM57 will do the job, I'd prefer to get one with the most possible utility.

Thanks,
Nick
 
The sm57 is a staple in the recording industry. It can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it, and do it well. The 58 is pretty much the exact same thing. So you would be good with either. I would say go with the 57 though, being that it has no windscreen/ball hinge on the capsul.

Drew
 
I'm gonna vote 57, its a very versatile mic, works for everything really including vocals, but if your serious about recording you'll want to get a dedicated vocals mic like a røde NT1-A or something else in the LD condenser family
 
Both will work great but there is a list of just as good if not better dynamic microphones

EV RE 20 or the 27
Sennheiser MD441 or the 421
Shure SM7b

These are to name just a few but they are on the top of the list.
 
Of course those mics are better! They are all between 3 and 8x as expensive!!!! I know you are trying to inform the OP that he can expand his mic search, but maybe we should try to keep the suggestions somewhat close to the same price point.
 
Difference between the SM57 and SM58

* One.

* The SM58 has a ball windscreen, which - generally speaking - is more likely to do bad things to the sound rather than good things. The only advantage to the SM58 arises when you hand the microphone to an on-stage singer who swallows it, screams into and drools on it. If you're not going to do that, the SM57 is likely preferable.
 
Difference between the SM57 and SM58

* One.

* The SM58 has a ball windscreen, which - generally speaking - is more likely to do bad things to the sound rather than good things. The only advantage to the SM58 arises when you hand the microphone to an on-stage singer who swallows it, screams into and drools on it. If you're not going to do that, the SM57 is likely preferable.
That doesn't really tell one the difference between them.
And before you say my post didn't either, I didn't say I was going to ! ;)
 
I'm gonna vote 57, its a very versatile mic, works for everything really including vocals, but if your serious about recording you'll want to get a dedicated vocals mic like a røde NT1-A or something else in the LD condenser family

But you still might find that even after you get a nice collection of LDCs that the SM57 is still sometimes the best vocal mic for some singers.
 
The ball windscreen is the difference lol.
:laughings:

Yes.

Not sure how that wasn't clear from earlier post.

Here's an edited version, for those whose reading comprehension is limited by time or something else:

Difference between the SM57 and SM58

[small joke]

* The SM58 has a ball windscreen

[some additional information and opinion about the difference and its implications]
 
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