Can an SM58 record guitar?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Crysiq
  • Start date Start date
C

Crysiq

New member
Or is it only for vocals? A guy working at a shop told me it can and i should go with it instead of a SM58
 
Any mic can record anything. Whether it sounds 'good' or is appropriate is another topic altogether. The only way one can determine this is to suck it and see. Do you like what you hear ? Then it worked. Do you abhor it ? Then it was the wrong choice.
 
i think your second sm58 was supposed to be 57?

the 58 can be used for guitars. It's not that a mic is specifically made for "vocals" or "Guitar" each mix is different. and i mean literally like you could have two 58's and they will both sound different.

the 57 is just a standard mic that everyone can throw on a guitar cap and have a similar sound (to an extent) the 57 is flatter than the 58 so you wont have that boost in the lower mid section that works great for vocals. You can use whatever mic you want to on anything you want to. but it's best to use the right mic for the right reasons. If lets say you are recording a lead part and the guys amp is wimpy on the low end and you throw the 58 up there just to see what it sounds like, it might work better than the 57 just because it's giving a little more of boost in the mid -lows. or it may sound stupid, or the same. you never know till you try it. mess with different positions and see what you get.

also i have a tough time with dynamics on vocals because i have to crank my pres to get a solid signal. so i'd recommend using the 57 on guitars and using a condenser for vocals.

hope that helped
 
57 and 58 have exactly the same capsule. Same frequency response with ball off the 58. You can just remove the ball for recording guitars.
 
I'm pretty sure that I have read somewhere that the mic element is the same but that the head basket is what changes the frequency response. This could be false information, but I know from consistent use, that I myself cannot hear the difference between a beheaded 58 and a 57 on guitars or drums. There is just too minimal of a difference to consider them different mic's IMO.
 
Btw, I'm not trying to be a smart ass or argue. Just trying to get the facts correct for myself as well as others. :D
 
jimmys69 said:
Btw, I'm not trying to be a smart ass or argue. Just trying to get the facts correct for myself as well as others. :D
Click to expand...

I'm not seeing that Jim.
And yes head basket, mounting and body will be an effect. That's the premiss of the OKTAVA MOD.
 
Is the SM57 the same as SM58 - The SM58 has the same capsule as the SM57, aside from mounting differences2, and the input sensitivity is the same7, but the flat grille on the SM57 allows positioning so close to a sound source that proximity effect can cause low-end boost that the SM58 cannot reproduce. Further, the grille on the SM57 causes a boost above 5kHz3.


Read more: Shure SM57 | RecordingHacks.com
It is really what you prefer occasionally I may use a 58 on a gtr amp or even a snare especially outside.
 
Cool! this is fun :]
i like the discussions cause then i learn more.

That's really interesting - it says that the flat grille of the 57 can give it a proximity effect that the 58 doesn't nifty.

I am a huge fan of the 57 over the 58 anyway maybe a down fall but oh well. Mine i can hear a difference in sound my 57 is really flat to me and my 58 seems to have a little bit higher boost in the lower mid range. strange but they are all different.

only thing i don't like about the 57 is the flat head :[ oh well.

good discussion. More if you got it.

Oh and signal from a dynamic...anyone else always have to crank that shit to get a good level?
 
They both have proximity effect but yeah I usually like the 57 over the 58 myself. And with most dynamics you have to crank it. You can get an external mic pre and really see them shine with 60+ db of gain!
 
jimmys69 said:
Not just the ball but the mounting of the capsule as well is different. Even the body of a mic will affect it's response I'm sure.
Click to expand...
yeah ...... they're basically the same mic except for the ball.
Personally I've always preferred the 57 because the ball keeps you back a little bit from the element and for live use I like to be able to get right up on top of it. And you do get a proximity effect on the 58 but you get a bit more with the 57 because you can get closer to the element.
But they sound pretty much the same except for that ...... I do feel I get a slightly better top-end outta a 57 but I mean very slight.
 
Jimmys69 said "head basket" and "beheaded" in the same post! I find that hilarious!:laughings::laughings:
 
He was an executioner in a former existence !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top