What the SM57 wishes it was

T

Tomm Williams

New member
HA made you look !!!!!!!!!!!!!! anyway, been giving some thought (and experimenting) to a couple of mics that IMO out perform the 57 as that "swiss army mic" that it is regarded as by so many. Now before anyone goes "Jerry Springer" on me realize I DO recognize that every mic has it's place.

Given that, I believe these two mics can do anything a 57 can do but better.

Beyer M201
EV N/D308

Can anyone add to that list ? keep in mind, flexibility /durability is key.
 
I'm not gona shout and scream about it but it's a useful, durable mic.
I have four that I think I paid about £100 for all in.
 
This is silly. Lots of mics are "better" than a 57. But how many better mics can you list for the same price? A good chunk of the 57's appeal is it's bang-for-the-buck.
 
I'll answer my own challenge - the Audix i5. Same price, same basic design and characteristics, maybe better than a 57 at all the same stuff.
 
Greg_L said:
This is silly. Lots of mics are "better" than a 57. But how many better mics can you list for the same price? A good chunk of the 57's appeal is it's bang-for-the-buck.
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Well, the EV is discontinued so of course cam only be found used. All six of mine were found for under $100 each. My Beyer 201 was found used for $145 which is pretty close to the price of a 57. The 635 was mentioned, commonly found under $100.
 
Tomm Williams said:
Well, the EV is discontinued so of course cam only be found used. All six of mine were found for under $100 each. My Beyer 201 was found used for $145 which is pretty close to the price of a 57. The 635 was mentioned, commonly found under $100.
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Oh, we can talk used mics too? Okay then, 57s are 50 bucks used. So, my point still stands.
 
moresound said:
The whole reason for me having over 40 of them. ;)
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Lol. Damn! That's a lot of 57s.

I'm not really trying to defend the 57 here. I know there's tons of quality mics out there and they all do different things very well. I just think that cost is a factor for almost everyone, and it's really damn hard to beat the 57 for versatility vs price.
 
moresound said:
True that Greg. I find the i5 reveals a bit more sparkle though.
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At times I've wished the 57 was brighter. Lately I've been hooking one up to a Meek TwinQ and simply adjusting the EQ a little bit. The two go together nicely. In the past I've used a 58 on amps when the 57 was too dark. Seemed to help.
 
If you can find an AKG D1000E on eBay in good condition for about the same price as a 57....get it, it will give you much more to work with than a 57 can. It has a 3-way Bass/Mid/Treble kind of switch, so you can make some adjustments to the tone at the mic.
I got one to try out awhile ago, then went out nad grabbed 3 more on eBay....it's been getting a lot of use on guitar tracks lately, and someo other things too. I keep one on a stand wired up and ready to go all the time.

For awile I was using the Cascade Fat Head ribbons on all my guitar tracks. I still use the Fat Head, but I now use the AKG D1000E more, since it's better for when I want that focused punch close to the cab, whereas I'll use the Fat Head about 181-24" back from the cab.

Yes, I also find the 57 too dark/murky unless you want to stick it right up against the grill and amied at the center of the cone.
 
Yep, D1000E. I have two ove them and zero SM57s (though I have a non-A Beta57 and a PG57 I use for talkback because it has a switch). I also have a pair of ATM21s that I sometimes use like 57s.
 
And that quality is what brought me to use a lot of EV 308's in place of 57's. Much easier to position and a sound I found more like a beta57 than an sm57. Not hard to find around $75.00 which puts it price wise between a new and used sm57
 
The i5 has a bit more high end than the 57. My snare sounds a little 'crisper' with an i5 than the 57. For practical applications, its used on the same things, just slightly different sounding.
 
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