Radio Shack Mics

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kikling

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I'm an ameture recorder at my house using Cool Edit pro and nothing to fancy. I was going to buy a shure sm57 for my amp and i was looking at cheaper Radio Shack mics. Some looked pretty good, they even almost matched the same specs as the sm57. I was wondering if theres any good instrument mic at Radio Shack that is amost as good as the Shure. I'm just a kid and price is an issue for me. Thanks Alot
 
I had the same issue - need mics, no budget. I bought an SM57 and a Sure Access 1, a budget dynamic from Musicians Friend. It was a mistake. The Access 1 was cheap ($50) but you do get what you pay for.

Spring loose a few extra bucks for a pair of SM57s, or an SM 57 and an SM 58 to start off with. It really seems to be the floor; a decent one at that, and I wish I had done it that way.
 
You can say radio, as in "I like to listen to the radio"

And you can say shack, as in "Someday when I make more money, I will move out of this shack.

But never, I repeat never use those two words together in the same sentence on this site!!!!
 
Hey dude. I was in the same boat as you a while ago...lookin into SM57's and findin those ____ (as instructed by GT) mics cheap and relitavely similar in specs....

DO NOT BE FOOLED. I have since purchased one of each, an SM57 and one of those ___ mics. Dude, trust me, the SM57 kicks the living hell out of the other one.
 
Sorry to not have a useful comment before, but my experience is that the Shures are really tops in that range and category. I remember my ex-girlfriend bought an EV mic that was a little less, but similarly priced to the Shure, and the Shure was MUCH better. Spec's don't mean much. Sound does. Save the extra $50 and get the Shure.
 
Hey Thanks for the last couple of replies that actually helped me. I know now not to take a chance with Radio Whack! Hey Also read my little useful idea called "Cutting Corners with mic stands."
 
Kikling
Also, with the Shure 58 make sure you buy the one without the on/off switch if $$'s are a problem. The price difference is substantial if you're on a tight budget.
 
What..........they make reasonably decent mics with an on / off switch? :D

[This message has been edited by omnipotent (edited 06-16-2000).]
 
I'm gonna be the killjoy here...
While i agree no recording musician should buy a mic from Radio Shack, I dare any recording musician to honestly tell me the shack has not saved their behind on emergency trips for connectors & cables..

Long live The Shack, baby! (:
 
Yeah, RS comes in handy during that ONE HOUR when the Big Boys are closed and RS is still open. I've always wondered: for a business that revolves around people with their days and nights turned around, why do most (if not all) music and sight/sound shops keep daytime hours? And wouldn't it be great to BUY PICKS AT THE LOCAL STOP N' ROB? They could charge a dollar each and make a killing! If any of you out there own or help operate a music/audio store, consider flipping your hours around. Having 35% of your consumer base coming to YOUR STORE is better than trying to divy-up the remaining 65% of the day-time business!

'course, you'll need to give up your night life. I think it would be worth it. Then again, I'm not running a store, now, am I?
 
I considered a job at GC and Sam Asch. Problem is you work until 10pm. If you are a musician out working you cant work those hours. If you are a gear expert you dont work those hours.
I have trouble taking the sales peaple seriously, couse they don't have the opportunity to take gear into real applications.
drum sticks, Guitar strings, and picks though should be at the local convenient, if not K mart.
I have had luck using RS stuff that I borrowed from my dad for odd situations.
My dad can make any piece of gear sound good.
He is from old school radio. but as for standerds 57s and 58s will save you money in the long run.
If you buy a RS mic now, assume that you will want to upgrade after the first playback.
Big music stores will haggle, they will often part with a staple like an sm 58 at cost in hopes that you return in a month for the sanhiesser and Roland, and taylor, and you know the story, we keep buying.
you are at an age where you are deciding what is cool and what is not. you will soon enter collage, and get big loan checks that you will inevitably blow on gear. you will be given credit cards that you will be unable to pay off, but you will max them out anyhow.
Who is going to be the lucky chain store?
Make sure they knowyou haven't made up your mind yet.
 
here in the land of OZ we here all sorts of rumours - one was that shure test their mikes off the assembly line and the ones that don't pass go to radio shack!!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by John Sayers:
here in the land of OZ we here all sorts of rumours - one was that shure test their mikes off the assembly line and the ones that don't pass go to radio shack!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's not a Rumour!
Radio Shack's microphones were indeed made by Shure. They have been for a few years, but about 2 years ago-they supposedly switched to Audio Technica.
They also no longer carry the "Crown Licensed" PZM, but a "Zone Microphone" made by ATM.(Definitely NOT the same! )

How many of you guys have used a Radio Shack PZM microphone?
I use one regularly as an overhead for my Drumkit, and it's killer.
I have it mounted to the ceiling directly over my Drum Throne.

Radio Shack has a mic that LOOKS somewhat like a Sennheiser MD431 handheld; It's not a bad mic at all.
 
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