Shure SM57 swivel head makes noise when moved

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dreamer733

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Hi, I'm a newbie here so I hope i'm posting in the right place. I saw a similar article on "Shure SM57 swivel head" but it did not make mention to any noise caused when it swivvels.

Just bought the SM 57 today. Industry standard so u can't go wrong right? Plugged it in. Any movement i.e. rocking it from side to side, it picks up mechanical knocking. It's not the cable. Tested my other mic with the same cable and no knocking.

I figured it was a dud, so the music shop I bought it from are ok that I take it back and get a replacement. However, before running back to the shop without doing a bit of research, i thought i'd do some investigation on the web first and see if this is a "feature" of the SM 57. Weird feature!

When I spin the swivel head, it picks up the movement and hence the knocking. I can't see how this mic could ever be used for live vocals or mic-ing up drums. Yet, it's one of it's main functions. Any movement on mine and it knocks. On the Shure site demo vid for the SM 57, there's a kit mic'd up and the mic is bouncing all over the place.

So i can't see how the knocking that would come through, mic'd up to a drum kit, bouncing around, could be a 'feature' of the mic. A very unwanted feature maybe.

Anyway, if someone can let me know. I'll be taking it back, as I don't want a mic that is that sensitive to any movement of the microphone cap. I'm going to be using it to amp up my Guitar. The sound waves would probably move the cap anyway (loud amp) so I'm thinking i've got a dud.

Anyone else experience this? I read on the other thread that some guy taped his up to prevent it swivveling. If i hold the cap so that it doesn't move, then there is no knocking. So why the swivvel head? And why the knocking when it swivvels?

Thanks,
Cheers

Any responses would be great. steveDotsyrettAtgmailDotcom
 
IDK, I used a lotta 57's and never experienced that. Yeah it swivels, but not while it's stuck in front of a drum or guitar amp. Does it make this noise while it's sitting in a stand? Or on a drum clip moving around a lot when you bang the drums? Maybe the head is looser than it's supposed to be, if you can hear it in the track it's definitely a bad mic. If it's making ANY weird noise I'd take it back. Maybe try a stand instead of a drum clip so it stays more stationary, altho you shouldnt have to. Even if that works I'd take it back cuz thats not normal.
 
Yeah, my 57 does that also. The wierder part is that if I push the grille little bit more inside it picks up less low frequencies and if I pull the grille out it picks up more lows. Anybody else noticed this?
Anyway tapeing the grill is not very good idea since it changes the frequency response. And if I remeber correctly somebody somewhere did a mod, so the head will not swivvel not anymore (gearslutz forums maybe?).
 
Many thanks suprstar. I kind of thought it was weird. I haven't even tried it on a stand yet. I wouldn't be mic-ing it up to a drum kit either, as we use an electronic kit. I was just trying to figure out, if it was used to mic up kits, it couldn't be very effective, if it knocks like that when moved. I'm sure if it was on a stationary stand, it wouldn't knock. However, the swivvel head is so sensitive on the one i've go, that any little movement would be picked up in the track as knocking. I think you have answered my question. I'm going to take it back. 7 day return and replace policy so i'll do that. Thanks for such a quick response. These forums are great :D
 
Thanks Seidy. If you shake the mic does it knock? I know probably not a good idea to shake any mic. Still it doesn't make sense. If a vocalist wanted to use the mic, he/she'd have to tape the swivvel head up so that it wouldn't knock. And from what you are saying, that kills the frequency response. I doubt they'd make a mic that u'd first have to tape up out of the box... :cursing:

I know the SM57's primary use, is to mic up guitar amps but it does not make it a very versatile mic if you can not move it at all. And as i said in my previous thread, the Shure web site shows it mic'd up to a drumkit. The guys bashing away at the snare or the tom and the sm 57's bouncing up and down with it. If the movement of the swivvel head is supposed to be heard, then you wouldn't be able to mic up a drum kit. You'd have it knocking away as the guy drums. You would only be able to use it as a very stationary mic. I think the one I have is probably faulty, in line with what suprstar said. If yours is doing that too, then that's also odd.
 
HI mjbphotos. Swivel head SM57 is probably the wrong description. I am referring to the cap (the grille and mesh) on the end of the mic that spins. When i spin it, the movement of spinning it (or turning it, twisting it) gets picked up. I'm trying to work out if that is normal.
 
Mine takes a little effort to turn it. Why would you turn it on purpose while using it?
 
Could you please be a bit more descriptive?
I need to know if it is "knocking" like knocking on a door, or combustion engine type knocking (or pinging).
An SM57 can be used to drive nails, so shaking it isn't going to do anything to hurt it.

Is is possible that the screen is just loose and needs to be tightened?
Remember: It's "lefty loosey, righty tighty."

If you are still in doubt, take it back where you bought it and have someone with
Public Address System experience have a look at it.

Lastly, I've never even heard of a defective SM57, if yours truly is,
it is a great rarity and you may want to consider setting it aside for posterity.
 
HI mjbphotos's. Not to be rude but i think you are missing the point. Read from the top of the thread to see what I am talking about/asking. Tx
 
Hi Telegram Sam. Ok, maybe knocking is a bad description. Take a normal mic and tap it on the mesh. It picks up that you are tapping it. That's normal. I'm calling that knocking. So basically, if I turn the cap of the SM57 or swivvel it, the mic picks up the sound of the cap's movement,similar to the sound explained in the previous sentence.

The cap is very loose. It doesn't tighten turning it left or right. So when you shake the mic or even tilt it slightly from side to side, the sound of the cap moving, is picked up. So you can see, from the thread above, what i was asking is, how could u ever have a mic like this amped up to a drumkit jumping up and down? The sound the moving cap would make against the body of the mic when it moves would be heard in the playback.

I reckon my mic is faulty and i'll take it back to have it looked at. If it is, then they can frame it for posterity and give me a new one ;-)
As for hammering in nails with it :laughings:
 
Hi Telegram Sam. Ok, maybe knocking is a bad description. Take a normal mic and tap it on the mesh. It picks up that you are tapping it. That's normal. I'm calling that knocking. So basically, if I turn the cap of the SM57 or swivvel it, the mic picks up the sound of the cap's movement,similar to the sound explained in the previous sentence.

The cap is very loose. It doesn't tighten turning it left or right. So when you shake the mic or even tilt it slightly from side to side, the sound of the cap moving, is picked up. So you can see, from the thread above, what i was asking is, how could u ever have a mic like this amped up to a drumkit jumping up and down? The sound the moving cap would make against the body of the mic when it moves would be heard in the playback.

I reckon my mic is faulty and i'll take it back to have it looked at. If it is, then they can frame it for posterity and give me a new one ;-)
As for hammering in nails with it :laughings:
 
dreamer733 said:
HI mjbphotos's. Not to be rude but i think you are missing the point. Read from the top of the thread to see what I am talking about/asking. Tx
Click to expand...

Like others have said 'knocking' is just not right. Turning the head on my mic will make noise, but I would not describe it as knocking, and it's not going to turn just from vibration. I assume you are sure you didn't get a counterfeit SM57.
 
Hi mjbphotos. I probably should have said turning the head on my mic, makes noise. The reason I described it as 'knocking' is because, if shaken, the mic cap 'knocks' against the body, causing noise. Sorry. Really bad description. I've just come back from my mates place, who also bought an SM57. His is the same. Maybe not as loose as mine but it still makes a noise when you turn the head. If a stage is moving about a lot (people jumping up and down), won't the mic, mounted on a stand, vibrate enough to cause the same affect? It's effectively the same sound it makes, when you shake it. Mine is so loose, that even when you tilt it say 30 degrees, it makes that noise. It would definately make this same noise if its mounted on a drum clip, as is shown on the Shure website video. However, i must be completely missing something because the SM57 is an industry standard mic. Weird. I'll take it back and get the sales guy to explain. Thanks for all the assists.
 
If someone jumps up and down near the mic on a stand, ANY mic will pick that up (microphonics telegraphing through the stand). All 57's have the capsule that "moves" but that isn't a problem.
 
Take it back.
Report back here on your findings.
Inquiring minds want to know. :cool:
 
Hi Track Rat. I disagree. I think it is a problem but it might just be mine. It wouldn't just be the noise of microphonics telegraphing through the stand. It would also be the noise of the loose cap moving against the body.
 
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