Shure SM58 vs Studio Projects B1 vs Audix OM2

  • Thread starter Thread starter EleosFever
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Ronan said:
It might be silly, and my opinions are no more valid than any one else, but I demoed the B1 and had no interest in keeping it at my studio. In the last couple hundred albums I have recorded or mixed, an SM57 or 58 has probably been part of over 90% of them.
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Yes i didn't say that sm57/58 aren't great microphones
but that in 20 years from now imagine how the technology will grow ;)
 
I have to agree too...the SM57 has been used very heavy over the past 40 years and hasnt changed the design at all...because they did it right.

And Ill have to look at shure mics closer in my choices too...when it comes right down to it...all of thier research does go into microphones and nothing else...its not like they just decided to start making mics in a boardroom instead of peanut-butter.
 
EleosFever said:
Yes i didn't say that sm57/58 aren't great microphones
but that in 20 years from now imagine how the technology will grow ;)
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I am curious to see what will happen. It seems that most of the new mics coming out these days are trying to emulate mics from 40 or 50 years ago. Part of that is just nostalgia of certain sounds, but some of the pioneers really got a lot of stuff right.

I can not really think of technological advance in the last 25 years that has improved the "sound" of recorded music. There have been advances that have made things easier or more convenient but I do not know of anything that has made things better.
 
In the Studio Projects LDC lines, the top three that sounded really good on my (bartone/2nd tenor) voice, were the CS series, T3, and the B1-in that order.
The B1 was somewhat "bright" and "present" going through an Avalon 737.

Without much EQing, the B1 seemed well suited for the more current pop production style of up front vocals IMHO.

Once you add some (even cheapie!) reverb to a SM58 (or 57), those mics really come to life for me. So for uptempo stuff, they work great. For a ballad, due to low technical ability, I'd have an easier time with either an EV RE15 (have one), RE16, or RE20.
(unless I could "drench" a 58 in reverb)

BTW I have an Audix OM5 and really respect how nice it sounds too, although I prefer it in higher keys.

Chris
 
I have been curious about that CS series...I just havent been able to try them without buying one online...I think that the price of $250 is pretty good for a mic that originally went for $1200. Its just that nobody is using it.
 
Ronan said:
I can not really think of technological advance in the last 25 years that has improved the "sound" of recorded music. There have been advances that have made things easier or more convenient but I do not know of anything that has made things better.
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I think once we're over the fad of digital emulations, then developers will concentrate on tools that are really only possible as DSP, that will lead to new styles of music as those techniques are exploited. Unfortunately the only example thus far is "creative" use of pitch correction . . .

As far as strict technical improvements, for music that really does need a wide dynamic range the availability of high-quality digital recording is a definite improvement. And DSP noise reduction and restoration routines are a tremendous help in salvaging less-than-well recorded analog material. There is probably an argument for linear-phase EQ for tasks like bi-/tri-amped speaker designs, but that's more of a reproduction than recording issue.

Shure probably thought they improved on the SM57 at least twice; once with the Unidyne IV, and then with the Beta series. I wish I knew exactly what was different/better about the IV, but it died quickly so I wonder if Shure even remembers! The Beta series is well known enough to be controversial . . .
 
IIRC Bob Ohlsson (a top AE), said the IV series captured more full sound of the bottom octave vs. the 57/545's. As I understood, he also stated they were more relatively hit and miss with the source, whereas the 57/545's matched more consistantly with the sound source.

I've noticed that the neodymium mics (like the Beta 57/58), would work better for me in a denser mix (think U2 production style) vs. the various older Unidyne capsules.
For one thing, there's more risk of dealing with sibilance. Got an AKG D790 which sounds just fine, except for the bright top end, out of the box.

BTW on KLOS last night, I heard a live concert of .38 Special (guessing early-mid 90's), and the vocals sounded terrific. Most likely Donnie was singing through a SM58.

Chris
 
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