Shure Sm-57 vocals?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Newbie dude
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Hmmm... the old "Bono does not record with crappy sm58s and sm57s" line.

Well, actually he does. He has recorded on occassion with LDCs (Pride on "The unforgettable fire", his "do they know it's christmas 2004" contribution...), but these cases seem to be the exception rather than the rule. There is loads of evidence and interviews by his producers/engineers, there's even pictures of him recording Achtung Baby at Dogtown studios with an Sm58. His use of it seems to be more linked to the fact that these microphones block out a lot of outside noise, which makes him able to record in the control room, with the music playback going through the monitors. It is more a vibe decision than a sound decision, but it works for him (and hey, listening to something like "Dirty day" from Zooropa, you can hear the exaggerated proximity effect of the sm58- and it sounds pretty cool).

He is also reported to have used an sm57 in earlier years, but just as an extra option. The producer Daniel Lanois however has used 57s quite often for recording (there's even a picture of him singing into two sm57s in his website, www.daniellanois.com )

In this thread you can find links to a couple of interviews that are a good example of Bono using the sm58 beta

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=50961&highlight=bono+shure

I think an sm57 or sm58 will never give the clarity of a more expensive condenser microphone, but who cares? A fender champ will never give the clarity of a roland chorus amp, and that is not really a problem. So yes, you can get a good vocal sound of an sm57 or 58, if that is the sound you want.

More importantly, you should not let "not having the right tools" get in your way of your work.

Santiago
 
So Bono uses a 58, and does it sound good or even great, or is it Bono's charism that attracks listeners?
 
Big Kenny said:
I thought Cher was a better singer than he was anyway.
Click to expand...

I read somewhere that all singers with one name use the sm57. This includes Bono, Cher, Prince, Donovan, and perhaps Dylan.
 
Nobody ever asks HOW it happens

The thing that always gets me is that, when you DO hear that some famous vocalist has recorded a track with an SM57, nobody ever asks HOW it came to be. I'm betting that it usually goes something like this:

Recording engineer to assistant engineer: "Hey dude. We have that filthy rich rock and roll start coming in today that's just impossible to get along with, right?"

Assistant engineer: "Yeah. So?"

Recording enginner: "Well, fifty bucks says that I can get him to record his vocal track with the cheapest, crappiest mic in the studio -- and get him to believe that it sounds good, too!"

Assistant engineer: "O.K. You're on."




Of course, I'm just guessing.

Brad
 
Han said:
So Bono uses a 58, and does it sound good or even great, or is it Bono's charism that attracks listeners?
Click to expand...
That's Sonny, right?
 
Sure you can get high quality vocals on any pop singer worth recording with a SM57. Just takes recording chops, along with a decent vocal recording chain etc. (M-Audio DMP2 pre/Fmr Audio RNC compressor combo on up)

A nice parametric EQ also can work wonders as the '57 responds to EQing well.

Don't take my word for it, go to one of the pro boards and ask someone like
Bob Ohlsson what they think. Or look up their advice via the "search" function. It's an interesting learning experience.

An AE like him, or Tony Visconti, would make me forget all about which vocal mic was being used! :)

Chris
 
One thing I've noticed about the 57 is that it's grown with the rest of my gear.

It sounded like CRAP on my 4-track cassette with the noise redux on or off. Sounded a bit better with the Alesis Studio 24 mixer. By contrast, when I got an AKG C1000s (back when it was the cheapest condensor mic around at $400) it SOUNDED fantastic and I started leaving the noise redux off because it dulled the sound.

Just a month or so ago I found myself recording a visiting songwriter while most of my equipment was still packed from a remote gig. I had an RNP and Soundtracs SOLO for pres, a couple 57s, and an ADAT xt-20 so that's what we used. That 57 sounded fantastic. It actually took me by surprise. Of course, the guy has a stunning deep and rich voice and knows how to use it so he did most of the work, but I was surprised at how well the lowly 57 sounded through the better equipment I've gathered over the years. The C1000s still sounds the same (worse, actually) and hasn't grown with the rest of my gear in the same way. If anything my gear has outgrown it.

The 57 is not at all a goto mic for vocals for me, except for live work. Incidentally, the C1000s is also mostly a live vocal mic now, too.

Anyway, I ramble. The 57 isn't a magic bullet, but it also isn't a crappy mic that has a large and misinformed cult following. Its a well made, cheap, dynamic mic that comes closer to being a one-size-fits-all mic than anything else in its price range.

Take care,
Chris
 
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