blackfriday The Shure SM58 has made a reputation for itself among musicians. This mic may be the whole package: it’s durable, affordable, and reliable. Actually, there’s little this vocal microphone can’t do. Time to determine if this 15-year-old little bit of hardware will keep pace with today’s competition.
Editor’s note: this review was updated on August 5, 2020, to add a microphone poll.
Who can purchase the Shure SM58?
Because the microphone doesn’t require phantom power, it pairs well with handheld recorders.
Performing musicians have already been using the Shure SM58 since its release and praise its rugged construction and vocal-emphasized frequency response.
Podcasters will take advantage of the cardioid pickup pattern which effectively reduces background noise and doesn’t require much effort once and for all placement.
Related: Which kind of microphone do I want?
What’s it prefer to utilize the Shure SM58?
The grille is simple to replace if it becomes damaged.
Two things are had a need to utilize this cardioid dynamic microphone: an XLR cable and a recording interface, be it a voice recorder or multi-input guitar amp. If you’re using this for podcast recording or YouTube, you’ll have to go one step further and download recording software like Audacity. From then on, you’re prepared to record or jam out.
As far as construction can be involved, the SM58 is a trusted little bit of hardware. Its humble design communicates the value of function before form. A removable steel grille makes cleaning and replacement easy. Beneath it lies a spherical filter which mitigates the harshness of plosives and fricatives, -p, -t, -k or -f, -th sounds, respectively. The tapered metal chassis has tested rugged, hence why it remains a must-have microphone over ten years after its release. In addition, it comes with an internal shock-mount system to lessen vibration-induced noises.
The Shure SM58 is championed by musicians because of its reliability and durability.
Accessories are sparse as you get simply a zippered carrying pouch and durable stand adapter with a 180° swivel. The adapter is made of a thick plastic that feels impervious to breakage.
Is there power requirements?
The Scarlett 2i2 Interface uses XLR inputs.
Since that is an XLR microphone, USB connection isn’t a choice: you’ll have to grab an XLR cable. As a dynamic low-impedance mic (150Ω), it doesn’t require any phantom power. This implies you don’t need something similar to the Cloudlifter pre-amp. In the event that you accidentally activate phantom power when plugging in the mic, it won’t damage it though. So that you can record directly to your personal computer, you will require an interface with an XLR input. Well known may be the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. From there you’ll desire a software-based interface to edit the audio.
What’s the very best microphone placement?
A cardioid pickup pattern can record sound from leading and sides of the machine.
The Shure SM58 is a dynamic cardioid microphone. It’s simple to get thrown off by all of the syllables but all of this means is that it’s durable, doesn’t require phantom power, and performs best when recording what’s before it.
People generally use cardioid microphones because they’re versatile and forgiving regarding placement. Off-axis rejection pays to, but an excessive amount of rejection with insufficient placement precision can bring about a disappointing recording. Cardioid recording patterns may register some ambient noise but effectively ignore quiet sounds behind the microphone.
To get the very best sound from the microphone, discuss six inches from the capsule. If you’re in a studio environment, make certain to properly treat the area to reduce any echoes or noise pollution.
Does the Shure SM58 produce good sound?
The bass roll-off is intentional as a way of combating the proximity effect.
The Shure SM58 is among the finest microphones in its class. Its frequency response (50Hz-15kHz) is tailored to highlight vocals, hence the sloping bass attenuation from 40-100Hz. That is to combat the proximity effect which is when the sound source is too near the microphone triggering bass frequencies to be exaggerated. Another benefit for the de-emphasized low notes is how you may easily edit recordings in post-production if you elect to take action.
One instance the frequency response may well not be beneficial is when recording low-frequency appears like kick drums or a bass guitar. In the event that you do try to record these sounds with the Shure SM58, you’ll notice they sound quieter in accordance with vocals, guitars, & most piano chords. You can improve the loudness when editing, nevertheless, you may come across harmonic distortion as the loudness increases.
If you’re using the microphone in a handled environment, do yourself a good and choose pop filter. The inner filter is preferable to nothing, but an external shield only costs a few bucks and can save you plenty of time editing.
Shure SM58 speaking sample:
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Shure SM58 singing sample:
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Shure SM58 classical guitar sample:
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Shure SM58 guitar with amp sample:
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How does the Shure SM58 compare to the company’s type of microphones?
Shure offers a variety of consumer and professional microphones, but let’s have a brief look at the way the SM58 compares to a few of its most popular models.
How does the Shure SM7B compare to the SM58?
You can opt for the frequency response mode from the trunk of the microphone which also depicts a graphic illustration of the result.
Comparing the company’s top-of-the-line studio microphone to its more pedestrian offering is somewhat silly, but let’s indulge. The Shure SM7B is a dynamic microphone that, despite its size, doesn’t require phantom capacity to operate. It has onboard switching, allowing users to quickly change the microphone’s frequency response on the fly. This might appear to be a gimmick but it surely works: the difference between your flat and bass rolloff profiles are stark.
For some content creators, the Shure SM58 is an improved value as the SM7B is great but cost-prohibitive.
The Shure SM58 is intended to be tossed around and made to be handheld or mounted, as the Shure SM7B is somewhat more limited in its usage. Yes, both are dynamic are well constructed, however the ergonomics on the SM58 are superior to the SM7B; again, the latter is supposed for studio use, not stage use.
Shure SM7B bass boost microphone demo:
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Shure SM7B flat microphone demo:
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Shure SM7B occurrence boost microphone demo:
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Shure has produced many of the most iconic microphones ever, and its own SM7B may be the king of the hill in terms of professional recording, but its cost-prohibitive. For some consumers, the Shure SM58 will sound sufficient and better still with just a little editing.
In the event you get the Shure SM57 or SM58?
The slim design helps it be simple to place the mic without obstructing the performer.
Musicians who spend money on the Shure SM57 usually plan to utilize the microphone for recording instruments be it in the studio or on stage. Its condition allows the recording capsule to get rather near the instrument without impeding a musican’s capability to play. The SM57 can be a dynamic microphone, meaning it could tolerate extremely high outputs before relaying any distortion. You can make utilization of it as a vocal microphones, and I’ve certainly seen some bands do so, but when you have the amount of money, you’re better off obtaining the SM58 as a vocal mic and the SM57 as an instrumental one.
Should you choose the Shure SM58?
Yes, the Shure SM58 is probably the most popular microphones once and for all reason: it just works. Anyone tough on the gear will appreciate precisely how tough this microphone is. Whether you’re an open-mic performer or touring musician, the SM58 is a superb mic to have in your arsenal.
In the event that you only record in studios, get the Blue Ember XLR
If you need something reliable, that is a must-have. However, the Blue Ember XLR is a similarly priced alternative that’s a lot more portable. Blue’s pencil-shaped microphone is a fairly easy method for professional content creators to take studio recording quality anywhere. It has its limitations, though, namely that it needs phantom power. sgreat for studio Otherwise, make certain to read through to o
