Is Shure SM58 Good Enough?

[osXsan]

58s can outlive you

Jay,

I'd say keep that SM58. I carry 58s with me as a trustee backup when all else fails. (I dare say) millions of engineers swear by it. You can throw it against a concrete wall, and it will still work. Try that with an AKG or Sennheiser or Neumann or Røde or... ok I'll stop. The sponged grill is plainly to save the mic from contracting vocalists bacteria. Without it (you can unscrew it) you get the SM57. 57s for direct audio injections from speakers but since we human breathe like mad when singing, its Shure's effort to stop the pops and clicks.

What makes those stagesound (or recordings) sounds good is what is placed after the mic and before the final speakers. Plus hours of mastering before you hear it on radio or CD. If you think buying a new mic will make you sound better - think again.

Bacteria thing was a joke. Grill acts as a popsicle.

 

[mafia]

as the saying goes, you must always compare apple to apple, orange to orange. compared to the mics in kbox, i believe that sm58 is much better. compared to a neumann u47, can't fight larz.

but the microphone has to match the voice. there will definately be voice that are better matched to the sm58 rather than more expensive options from B&K, neumann, rode etc...

sm58 requires a very strong voice to drive the mic, and not everyone has that strong a voice. being a dynamic mic, more energy is required to move the mic's diaphram as compared to mics like the beta87 as mentioned by someone. a beta 87 may not be suitable for someone whose voice is scratchy and grainy. so everything is down to matching, matching the person's voice and matching to the genre of the music.

real professional artist are known to go through mic trials in order to pick out the best matching mic for the artist, and it's in the order or tens of mics....

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

You can throw it against a concrete wall, and it will still work. Try that with an AKG or Sennheiser or Neumann or Røde or... ok I'll stop.

Oh, I see... So you are saying a made in China Shure SM58 can withstand more bashing than a made in Germany Sennheiser... That's news...