SM58 uses for recording?

[pugskank]

I've started recording about a year ago and I am using a lot of stuff that I used while I was in bands. The SM58 was perfect for live vocals but I can't find any use for it in my studio's. I don't like it for micing instruments, I much prefer the SM57 for that, and vocals I use a condencer. That leaves my perfectly good SM58 in lingo. What's a good use for this in the studio?

 

[ametth]

It could be used as a vocal mic. Instrument mic (hint: take off the windscreen). Whatever it souds good on.

 

[Tekker]

Dust off that 58 my friend....

I just went down to California to visit my grandparents and there's a guy two houses down form them that has a "very nice" home studio. I went over and talked and jammed with him for a while and "somehow" we got on the subject of microphones (gee, I wonder how that happended ) he had told me that the SM58 works best for his voice. He said that he was in a professional studio and he and the producer had lined up a bunch of mics (he didn't say which ones, but they had several of them) and he went down the line and sang into each one. Then the producer played them all back for him, but didnt' tell him which mic was which. Then he said to pick the best one, and they both agreed that for his "particular voice" the 58 worked better on his voice than all of the other "expensive condensers".

So try it out and compare it's sound to your other mics and if it doesn't work for your voice, then try it out when you record other bands too. You just might find that voice that "clicks" with it.

But other than that it can be used as an instrument mic too, (but like ameth said take off the windscreen) because other than the windscreen there is NO difference between the 57 and the 58. So whatever your using the 57 for, if you ever need more mics (like when micing individual toms) you can also use the 58 on it too.

Hope that helps at all.

-tkr

 

[pugskank]

Thanks for the feedback. I never knew that the 57 and 58's were that close is design! Learn something new everyday, that's why I love this hobby.

 

[Organ Grinder]

Question: what is the difference between the SM58 and the SM58 Beta? I thought it had something to do with live feedback, but its been so long I've forgotten. Is there anything that would prevent you from using a Beta the same way as any of the others?

 

[Tekker]

Organ Grinder,

Some one started a thread not to long ago asking that same question, check out this site.

Also check this site out to hear them (and other mics) in action.

*Hint*: When you download the songs on the 2nd link above, listen to the each clip and choose which mic you like best before you read the rest of the posts and find out which mic was which (and also what everyone else thought about each mic). It's just more fun to pick out the one you like without a bias opinion one way or the other.

-tkr

 

[Wallycleaver]

Sylvia massy shivy (affiliated with tool undertow, pm5k, system of a down) uses them for vocal alot. One good thing I've found about them is alot of vocalists use them live and know what they sound like with them. If you are recording a band who has never been in the studio and the vocalist doesn't have good technique with a condencer, give them your 58.