Which mic? SM58 or cheap condenser?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mikeon
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Just to shed a little light on th 57 vs 58 debate i asked about on antoher forum a while back:

While we're on the SM58 subject.. I've read that the 57 and 58 are the same mic. true or false?? I have a 57. will this do the job as wellas a 58 for vocal.

My Question: Are the 57 an d58 the same mic???

The short answer "True" and "yes".

Wait for it...

But....


These Shure mics will give you a vocal with a lot of "color". That "color" will not be "transparency" to say the least!! I believe the basic capsule of the 57 and 58 are the same, but they are tuned quite differently. Both mics have been used on some famous vocal recordings that you might know if you study this kind of thing. I'm afraid I've forgotten. (Again.) I suggest that starting out with either of these mics is an ok idea. Get great vocal tracks, write great songs. When you have some of that going on, then you'll know why you might want to use other microphones... or, stick with a good 'ol 58.

Yes the 57 and the 58 are basically the same except for the screen.
 
I would rather go with the 58 if you are going just for vocals. Another mic you might wanna check out is the SM7. I have heard it used on rap vocals before, and it sounded really nice.
 
Another mic you might wanna check out is the SM7. I have heard it used on rap vocals before, and it sounded really nice.
I can defineatly vouch for this. I have not owned one myself but a studio my friend uses has one and it really sounds great on him.
 
you oculd also look into the heil pr20, pr-30 or pr 40 if u want a dynamic. EV re-20 is also supposedly very good. Havnt used them though have just heeaerd very good reviews

I myself jumped to an mxl v67. i have a fairly quiet place to record. Neighbours just got a dog that doesn't stop barking!!.. it shits me off coz i somtimes get a great take and i have barking in the mix.. lol. i was quite amazed at the v67 (cheap condencer) at first. NOw after about a year i find i get the shits alot at it. it doesnt seem to pic up the detail i want it too and it sounds harsh.. could also be user error...perhaps a blend of both. The other thing is cheap condencers are very sibilant. I have to deess every time.

so if u want a condenser, save up for a good one... i wish i had now.
 
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The SM7 is a great mic, it just costs $350 new and it gets used for a lot of vocals in Nashville.

I had a Rode NT1a and I really liked it except for the noise factor. I could literally hear the dog's collar jingle on the other side of the house, trucks going by, birds chirping..... It also picked up the reflections off the wall, flutter echo, which did not help the sound.

The SM58 and SM57 definitely color the vocal in a very midrange boost kind of way, but for some voices that is really flattering. The SM57 works well on my voice, especially through a good preamp like the RNP. My very first recordings were done with an SM58 into a Behringer board into the DAW and to my ear, they still hold up well for a home recording.

The SM57 is not as veiled sounding as the SM58, but then again it is really prone to Ps popping. You can either get around that with a windscreen or by placing the mic at about nose level and off to one side or the other of your mouth, pointed down at your mouth, kind of like getting an Xray on your side incisors.

You can go the cheap condenser route, just pick something and work with it for a long time and learn what it's strengths and weaknesses are. Don't waste 3 years trading, buying, selling, reading about mics and preamps, but not writing or actually recording, like I have. The gear lust trap is a HUGE time killer. I used to get way more writing and recording done when I had a really cheap microphone and a Portastudio and there weren't all these alternatives to debate about. It really comes down to having great songs and a great performance of that song first.

bilco
 
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