Sm57 Poll

[Golden]

I need to do this. Let's try and set the record straight! I'm hoping that everyone participates...

Vote on the mic...

Personally, I think this mic is complete shit. I can't understand why people like it, and why it is recommended to beginners... Maybe you have your reasons for using it...Snare drum...Whatever... But for god's sake...

The insanity must stop!

Enough is enough!

 

[laststartoshine]

personally, i think the mic sounds HORRRIBLE. the only reason it's popular, is because it was better than a lot of options when it came out, established an "industry standard" title, and when it was time to move on, people stuck to their guns. i think it's recommended to beginners often, because it's one of the few, all around mics. that sounds, well "ok" on almost anything. you can mic vox, kick, snare, guitar, anything...and it won't sound terrible.


did any of that make sense?

 

[Blue Groove]

...

When mixed with other mics, like a HD421 on toms, it's a great mic. Alone though it's good for live drums and amps in large places where it doesn't matter what mic you have.

 

[Treeline]

Don't try and sing into it! Other than that its the most useful live sound mic I have. If a mic is "great" only in one small area and is more or less useless everywhere else, it'll be unlikely to carry its weight. It's not "great" - it's a prima donna. The SM57 carries its own weight, is nearly indestructible, and is reliable. That makes for a great mic.

 

[Track Rat]

It's a decent mic. It's a poor craftsman that blames the tools. It's not a condensor, it's a dynamic. It is what it is.

 

[funckyfinger]

Don't try and sing into it!

Hmmm. I find I like this quite a bit on my voice. Not a first choice but certainly does a good job.... for me that is.

 

[EddieRay]

I like and trust my 57s. But I feel the same about peanut butter, so there ya go.

 

[MadAudio]

It's a poor craftsman that blames the tools.

Well said, sir!

My 57s are great on my rack toms.

 

[leddy]

Don't forget that a lot of its reputation probably comes from guys who find them reliable for live sound. I've used them on every conceivable instrument with acceptable results for sound reinforcement.

 

[ofajen]

I used to have seven, now I have two: a pair of the old Unidyne IIIs. I still occasionally find a use for one. But over the last 25 years, my music, recording methods, technical understanding, and family situation have evolved. If I still close miked drums, I might have more use for them. Of course, there are probably other mikes I'd now choose over them for that purpose, if I could afford it. Still, I'm OK with keeping a pair in the mike collection.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[flamin-gitaur]

I really like the SM57 for my vocals, but I prefer somthing like a MD421 on my cab's.

 

[NL5]

While I own a pair, they only get used for band practice. You can get good results with them, but they never seem to be the best choice for anything. I use condensers/ribbons on just about everything - except maybe inside kick, and snare top - so it's not so much that 57's aren't great, I'm just not too big of a fan of dynamic mics in general.

 

[Doug H]

I say, great mic.

I have a few other mics in a similar price range but I really think it does what it does better than the others. Although Msst of the time I'm more interested in what the others do.

I'm not sure it's really the most usefull mic when starting out, but I can't see owning one ever being a mistake, which is probably why it's so highly recommended.

 

[joel77]

I think like any mic, the Sm57 has it's place. Just don't expect it to always sound the best.

Joel

 

[chessrock]

Never understood the fascination.

I say total crap.

.

 

[TragikRemix]

for what it is, it is one of the best mics i think.

sure, its not great on everything, and that sm57 tone we all know is rather annoying, but it is a good microphone if used correctly.

if its a POS mic, then what do you recommend better, considering its wide uses, price and durability? what else is there, the i5? OK, i have them both, and i like them both.

 

[marvkan]

I consider the sm57..........

the NS 10's of mics. I have always thought both of them to be pieces of shit that somehow "infiltrated" the industry and became "standards". Wierd anomoly that i have never been able to comprehend. The omnipresent NS 10's with the "goofy" tissue trick and they still sounded "honky and hyped". Always had so much better results with a slew of other mics on my snare when I did session work. I always felt that the SM 57 gave the signal that "spike", but another mic needed to accompany it to add the actual "tone and sound" of the drum. That being said, "ocassionally" an SM 57 would surprise us on a "certain" vocal or whatever, this too was an anomoly-----anyways----I still think that they're both over-rated crap!!

 

[danny.guitar]

My friend records a lot of classic rock music with big marshall amps and he's got about 5 or 6 57's that we used when we recorded over there. The sound was nothing short of great. Of course the amps were good too.

I don't have any other experience with those mics though, but what I heard definitely wasn't "Pure shit".

 

[Micter]

It has it's place in any studio.

 

[RWhite]

personally, i think the mic sounds HORRRIBLE. the only reason it's popular, is because it was better than a lot of options when it came out, established an "industry standard" title, and when it was time to move on, people stuck to their guns. i think it's recommended to beginners often, because it's one of the few, all around mics. that sounds, well "ok" on almost anything. you can mic vox, kick, snare, guitar, anything...and it won't sound terrible.

did any of that make sense?

No.

It "sounds horrible"... but "it sounds OK on almost anything"?

I'm in the "sounds OK on anything" camp. A great LIVE mic, decent live instrument recording mic, a great deal for the money, the best "first" mic for almost anyone.