shure sm57 vs sm58 ?

swervy jervy · Mar 15, 2009

Hi. I could use guidance from someone with a little experience in this matter, por favor. I need to upgrade my janky microphone and I'm willing to spend a little extra for something that will work well for a long time.

This is to be used as a single mic to pick up both voice and uke, sometimes concurrently, sometimes not.

Should I go with the sm57 or sm58? Something else people like?

At this point this is for direct recording into my pc. Are Shure microphones overkill for this?

Am I a super noob at recording technology? Oh, hell yes.

Thanks!

BUGOY · Mar 15, 2009

if you need a mic strictly for recording then i would get a condenser mic. especially if you want to record the uke and voice at the same time. for the price of the 58 you can get this http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXL-990USB-USB-Powered-Condenser-Microphone?sku=271009

NukeDOC · Mar 16, 2009

BUGOY said:
if you need a mic strictly for recording then i would get a condenser mic. especially if you want to record the uke and voice at the same time. for the price of the 58 you can get this http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXL-990USB-USB-Powered-Condenser-Microphone?sku=271009

+1. i have the 9v battery powered version of that mic (no need for phantom power). for what you are looking to do, a condenser mic is exactly what you want.

the sm57 is more unidirectional. both the 57 & 58 are great for use as an amp/instrument mic. 58 is preferred by vocalists. using either for vocal and instrument simultaneous wouldnt have very good results. you could buy one of each, but that would be overkill.

ricdoug · Mar 16, 2009

Bugoy and Arvin are right. With the 57 or 58 you'd have to hold your uke under your chin to mic both your voice and instrument. The 57 and 58 are both cardiod, or very directional. A condensor mic with onboard battery is the best way for recording. Ric

uber_goober · Mar 16, 2009

Just concurring with everyone else, a condenser is the way to go. You can really get a nice sound with the $100 variety. I used to use an Audio Technica AT2020 with good results. They now have a USB version of it (which is $150), so you can just plug it in to your computer and go (no batteries needed).

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/AudioTechnica-AT2020USB-USB-Condenser-Microphone?sku=272999

The USB MXL would also be a good way to go (I just haven't personally used one).

-John

swervy jervy · Mar 16, 2009

Excellent!

Looking at the mxl 990 and they seem to be going for about $50 lightly used on ebay including a shock mount and (sometimes) tabletop stand.

Thank you all very much, love the UU.

Ukulele JJ · Mar 16, 2009

I'm assuming that you've already got the mic pre/interface already, right?

If not... I've been very pleased with the Blue Snowball I bought a couple of weeks ago. It's a dual-capsule condenser mic with a built-in usb interface. No muss, no fuss, sounds good, and is under 100 clams.

JJ

swervy jervy · Mar 16, 2009

Ukulele JJ said:
I'm assuming that you've already got the mic pre/interface already, right?

If not... I've been very pleased with the Blue Snowball I bought a couple of weeks ago. It's a dual-capsule condenser mic with a built-in usb interface. No muss, no fuss, sounds good, and is under 100 clams.

JJ

I was looking at the mxl 990 usb model. Assumed this would be plug and play without the need for the pre/interface... no?

In the meantime I'll check out the Blue Snowball, too.

Thanks.

Pippin · Mar 16, 2009

Ukulele JJ said:
I'm assuming that you've already got the mic pre/interface already, right?

If not... I've been very pleased with the Blue Snowball I bought a couple of weeks ago. It's a dual-capsule condenser mic with a built-in usb interface. No muss, no fuss, sounds good, and is under 100 clams.

JJ

My wife is a marketing/communications guru in a computer security company and they use the Snowball for podcasts and webinars (hate that term)...

For recording, I prefer a mixing board and condenser microphones. The Behringer UB1202 is about $100 and CAD mics are excellent quality and value. The mixer gives you more control and helps filter out unwanted background noise without picking up cooling fans and other humming and such from the computer.

Aldrine Guerrero · Mar 16, 2009

For recording I would recommend the condenser.
But as far as the two shure's go, I'd pick the 58.
For me, I've used this mic for everything. Vocals, instruments, etc. It's definitely a must-own for any performing musician.

Howlin Hobbit · Mar 16, 2009

Those USB mikes are great if you're only going to record into your computer with them. If you're ever going to play out live, you can't use 'em and you'll have to buy an additional mike.

Same thing goes for the battery powered condensers. Batteries die, and in my experience they usually do that mid-song.

Upshot is... if you're going to want to get both kinds of usage go for a regular ol' microphone and mixer (w/phantom power if you go condenser).

Ukulele JJ · Mar 16, 2009

Aldrine Guerrero said:
But as far as the two shure's go, I'd pick the 58.
For me, I've used this mic for everything. Vocals, instruments, etc. It's definitely a must-own for any performing musician.

Ditto. For live gigs, it's tough to beat a 58 or 57. Built like freakin' tanks, they are.

I've heard that the only difference is that the 58 has a built-in windscreen and the 57 doesn't. In my experience, onstage, people tend to use the 58 for vocals and the 57 for amps.

But yeah, you almost never see a 57 or 58 used for vocals or acoustic instruments in the studio.

JJ

lacerveza · Mar 18, 2009

sm57 and 58 are mean't purely as live vocal mics, as stated before you want a condenser and if your recording uke a uni directional small diaphragm (small diaphragm are better for high frequencies) as with a large diaphragm you are more likely to get pops(large diaphragm are more sensitive), the rode m3 is an excellent bit of kit for the price or the akg c1000s, not as good as the rode but good for the price range.

cpatch · Mar 18, 2009

For the record, the SM57 is designed for use as an instrument mic and the SM58 is designed for use as a vocal mic. Both are great for live gigs but as others have pointed out neither should be your first choice for recording.

aggie182 · Mar 18, 2009

cpatch said:
For the record, the SM57 is designed for use as an instrument mic and the SM58 is designed for use as a vocal mic. Both are great for live gigs but as others have pointed out neither should be your first choice for recording.

While I tend to agree with you here, I think the 57 has some applications in recording. The best drum sound I have ever produced from my not-so-advanced home studio has utilized SM57s. They're great instrument mics, but, as said earlier, they are directional.

Edit - wanted to add, I know the OP isn't recording drums or anything like that, but the 57 can be utilized in the studio, in my opinion, as an instrument mic.

Howlin Hobbit · Mar 19, 2009

aggie182 said:
While I tend to agree with you here, I think the 57 has some applications in recording. The best drum sound I have ever produced from my not-so-advanced home studio has utilized SM57s.

Tiny bit further off topic but here's a great trick for recording drums using only two mikes.

shure sm57 vs sm58 ?

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