SM 57 or 58 for home studio?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tbear2500
  • Start date Start date
tbear2500 said:
I'm usually pretty good with DIY, but I've never worked with microphones before and I don't want to risk wasting money right off the bat. What kind of mod are you suggesting?
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I'm sorta fond of this mod ........

*The best mic for rap vocals is one that's unplugged.* :D
 
Actually, I was planning on doing the mod where you don't let rap vocals near your mic.
 
You could upgrade the capsule on a MCA SP1 (mic - US$45-50) capsule (various at various price points, an AK47 for US$95 from aamicrophones. (I also am arranging a group buy on groupdiy at hte moment for $US55 for a 47 style capsule) You can also make some minor adjustments to the circuitry (which is also found on e.g. the mxl 2006,990 and others. )

There is the RoyerMod, a bit more money, but converts a fet mic into a tube mic. That mod depends on the parts you decide to use. I've done one on the cheap some parts recycled, but you could realistically get by for about $50-100 in parts, not including the donor mic ((MXL 2001) which go in the US$40 range used,) I used a knockoff bv11 transformer, which was appr $15 on ebay. The recommended top of hte line jensen is about $100, and the cinemag i think runs in the $40-50. aamicrophones also has a suitable transfomer int he US$50 range.

Another shameless plug, I have PCB's on the groupdiy free market for a version of the royermod.
 
The only thing different between a 57 and a 58 is the grill. The 58 has a breath filter and a round top made more for vocals. I feel the 58 has a more durable grill. The 57 has no breath filter and is flat, made for instruments esp guitar cabs and snare mics but works well on just about everything. You can even buy an external windscreen for it. Inside, they're both the same.
 
Flagg Audio said:
The only thing different between a 57 and a 58 is the grill. The 58 has a breath filter and a round top made more for vocals. I feel the 58 has a more durable grill. The 57 has no breath filter and is flat, made for instruments esp guitar cabs and snare mics but works well on just about everything. You can even buy an external windscreen for it. Inside, they're both the same.
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Not quite. The SM57 uses a cartridge with the Shure part number R57. The SM58 replacement cartridge is an R59. You can view photos of the two parts on the Shure site HERE. As you can see, there are physical differences.

I agree that, with the covers removed, the mics are very similar sounding but identical? No. Every little physical change affects the sound to some extent.

FYI, the "they're the same mic on the inside" story was once true. Back in the 1960s when they were first released they did indeed use the same replacement cartridge with the same part number. I can't remember for sure when this changed--from memory it was the mid/late 1970s but my brain is getting a bit senile these days.
 
Are you sure Bob? The difference in the pictures shown is in the housing. I looked for more info but couldn't find any at the moment.
 
I'm sure.

Even if the only difference is the housing (and that's entirely possible), that's enough to cause subtle differences in the sound. In mic design, it all matters: housing, how a diaphragm is mounted, case design, grill design can all make tiny differences. Look at how many makers of cheap condensers use the same Chinese diaphragms inside but how different the mics can sound based on how they're mounted, the case and grill, the electronics, etc.

I'm not saying the differences are big (they're not) just that the 57 and 58 (even without the grills) are no longer identical.
 
True Bob. Housing can make all of the difference in the world.

In fact, come to think of it, the 57 has a resonance disk over the membrane where as the 58 doesn't.

We have to knock the cobwebs out of our old senile minds once and awhile! ;)
 
If you get a SM57, get a realer one, one that says "Unidyne" on the band.

But when you try to record your first flute and acoustic guitar, that 57 will leave you hanging. Then you'll wish you woulda got the AT2020202020202020.
 
Okay, just to clarify for myself and everyone else, isn't a 57 best for instruments and a 58 best for vocals? And then to take it further, isn't a condenser mic better for recording studio vocals and a 58 better for live performance? Generically speaking, of course... (This is a real question, by the way. I actually don't know for sure and would like to know.)
 
Basically, yes--except there's nothing wrong with the 57 for vocals if you can add a separate wind sock or pop screen. Despite me arguing that they're not identical, they're pretty similar--the main difference being that big ball shaped screen on the 58 that allows you to get your mouth right up close when doing vocals.

And, yes, the 58 is designed more for live work than use in the studio. It's good at feedback rejection (not an issue in the studio) and has a frequency response tailored to help vocals cut through a live mix at the expense of accuracy. That said, some people deliberately use this feature to emulate their live sound in the studio--I'm not a fan but different strokes and all that!
 
SM 57/58 are good robust mics good for vocals or loud instruments, but if you want a sensitive low-noise mic for quiet instruments a capacitor mic is the best choice. I have an AT4022 which has incredibly low hiss and a very flat response, and I love it.
 
Keep in mind I have a very tight budget and cannot spend more than $100. It's nice to know that those mics are better but I really cannot afford them. Is it not better to start with a less expensive setup as I'm getting into recording, since I won't have the money to throw at something more expensive for a considerable amount of time? And if I do have to buy a microphone for $100, is the SM57 not a good choice?
 
For the uses outlined in your original post, the 57 is a decent choice. It's probably not the best mic for anything but it's a versatile jack of all trades and, even as you add more mics as time goes on, will always be useful for something.
 
deragoku said:
I think 58 has a more lasting barbecue. 57 have respiratory filter is a flat
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??????????????????????

I'd never actually thought of throwing a 58 on the grill.

I think someone is either A) smoking something funny, B) using an astonishingly bad translation engine, or C) ...
 
Final question: is it really worth my time and money to get one of the old American made Shures?
 
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