SM57's and SM58's

[Bobby Brite]

Just wanting to hear some reviews on these mics. Concerned with feedback and gain. My band has used 12 dollar mics for the past two years and now we are upgrading. With the cheaper ones we are getting feedback with little gain. Thanks, Bobby

[John Flynn]

I am not an expert, but that what my band uses, as do a lot of bands and sound people for hire around town. They work well and are a good value for the money. The "conventional wisdom" seems to be to use the 57s for voice and the 58s for instruments.

[John Flynn]

BTW, here is an online review of the 57:

http://www.musicgearreview.com/revie...microphone.htm

[Michael H Geimer]

"The "conventional wisdom" seems to be to use the 57s for voice and the 58s for instruments."

I do believe that should be the other way around. The SM-58 has a tighter cardioid pattern that will better resist feedback issues, making it a common choice for vocals. While the 57's are good at handling really loud sources like tom toms, and amps, etc. and are a staple for mic'ing instruments.

That being said, In the past I've used a 58 for everything, nowadays I use a 57 for everything. Overall, I think I prefer the 57. But, I'm only recording with it, not using it for sound reinforcement where the 58 might offer better feedback resistance.

That's my $.02 They're such popular mics, I'm sure someone around here is using them live, and might offer their real world experience.

- Benignus

... I had an afterthought while getting cleaned up this morning. All of the vocalist I've worked with owned their own mic, and would carry that around. That mic was an SM-58 BETA. There certainly *is* a difference between those stock versions and the BETA ones.

[fiddler59]

58's are good for vocals. For the money I would go with AT pro37r's or AKG C-1000's for inst. Banjo's seem to do fine with 57's. Just my 2C worth from performing for 33 yrs.
DB

[mandofiddle]

One thing I've experienced with the sm58 on vocals is that they tend to be a little muddy. At least with my voice, it makes it sound not quite so clear...

I use an Audix OM series vocal mic that I got from Guitar Center on a recommendation. It cost exactly the same as the SM58, and is not muddy at all. I'm extremely pleased with it. From my experience, vocal mics are a tricky thing. Since each persons voice is different, I would imagine that different mics would be optimal for each person depending on the mics response to their voice...

[sunburst]

I have a 57 and a 58. I'm told each has the same capsule, but the 58 has a built in pop screen that makes it impossible to get as close to the actual diaphragm, so the pick-up pattern is different and there is more potential gain with the 57 etc.
They've both been used for years, you can drop them, leave them out in the rain, spit beer into them, etc. etc.. In short, they have proven relyability.

[mrbook]

They are good, rugged performers - I've had mine for 10 years (one 58 and two 57s), and expect they will last the rest of my life. We use one condenser mic most of the time, but still use them for noisy bars. Plus, if you use someone else's system at a club or concert venue, these are the standard mics I see in use 90% of the time. You can make other choices, but these will always work.

[Christian McKee]

I'm with mandofiddle on this one, try an Audix OM model (there are several levels available.) I use the OM2, I get a *lot* more gain before feedback, and it's extremely clear and responsive. A wonderful microphone. I've heard good things about the OM1 and OM3 as well... Shure's are certainly very popular, but after comparing them to the Audix models at the same price points, I don't see that lasting forever.

Christian

[Professor PT]

I just bought a "57" and I like it quite a bit. However, I needed to buy a pre-amp to get enough gain for it to show up at all on my home recording software. Recently, I have been jamming with some people, and when I plugged it into the board, the sound guy thought that it had a pretty low volume as well. When the volume level is compensated, it sounds good on recordings. I don't know how it sounds live since I am not out front to hear it.

[mandroid]

Poop I learned is #same capsule for both 57 &58. ball screen will not allow as close a distance,(more bass the closer you can position the mic) but it won't fall out of your hand.