Shure SM57-LC Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

• Contoured frequency response is clean, instrumental reproduction and rich vocal pickup
• Professional-quality reproduction for drum, precussion, and instrument amplifier miking
• Uniform cardioid pickup pattern isolates the main source while reducing background noise
• Extremely durable under heaviest use
• Frequency response 40 to 15,000 Hz

This is a great all-purpose dynamic microphone for everything from amps and instruments to vocals, and it's far and away one of the best mics out there in terms of durability (they don't call them the industry workhorses for nothing)/sound/value. This'll blow the socks off those $30 mics.

But what's the difference between the SM-57 and the SM-58? Besides the grill, the main difference is Frequency response. Take a look at the charts in the manuals for both, and you'll note that in the slice of spectrum normally associated with the human voice, there's a boost with the SM-58. This may make your voice sparkle a little more on the SM-58, but if you were planning on possibly micing anything else, it's going to also have a boost in the same range, distorting the original sound slightly.

Plus, if you've got a decent equalizer, you can probably achieve close to the same vocal sound the SM-58 provides with just a little tweaking after the fact.

So, if you plan on using your mic for anything beyond singing, I'd suggest the SM-57 over the SM-58 (even though you may not look as cool holding it). And I'd definitely recommend this little baby over those cheaper models. Unless you need a condensor mic, this is the way to go.

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Although this mic is now considered primarily an instrument mic, that was not always the case and I've actually preferred this same basic design for live vocal use since 1970 when I bought my first one which was then known as a "Shure Model 545 Unidyne III." That mic got stolen about 2 years ago, but remarkably was still working at the time it got boosted and I was still using it when I needed one with an on/off switch function. I've owned or used countless modern day SM-58's and SM-57's along with dozens of other mics over the years from all manufacturers. I have a fairly deep baritone to bass type voice and I don't need to get closer than about 7 or 8 inches to a SM-57. To me the SM-57 sounds similar to the $469 Shure SM-7 studio vocal mic if you put a windscreen on it and get about 2 inches away. I'd only use an SM-7 in a studio environment though because they are slightly more fragile and over four times as expensive. By design the SM-58's require you to get much closer to the mic to get a full range sound than with the SM-57's. I prefer the SM-57's over the SM-58's for vocal use because they sound crisper on the highs and they sound fuller on the low end. The SM-57 sounds more natural on vocals and never sounds muddy or muffled. The SM-57 has one of the most pronounced proximity effects of any mic I've ever used. If you tend to shove the mic down your throat you may benefit from the less dramatic proximity effect of the SM-58. If you are ever going to use an SM-57 for vocals I'd recommend buying the Shure A2WS windscreen with it. That genuine Shure windscreen fits precisely and locks securely onto the SM-57. The SM-57 will pop like mad without one. The only possible drawback to the SM57 as a vocal mic is that there is no model available with an on/off switch these days. I can't find a modern SM-57 with a switch anywhere. However, if you've ever tried using a mic when you forgot that the switch was in the off position it probably just became a liability. For my money, the SM-57 is the best all around microphone of the past two generations for stage use and some recording purposes. For studio vocals I'd use an SM-7, which really doesn't sound all that much different from the SM-57 when the built-in variable EQ on the SM-7 is set the way I like. The SM-57 and it's predecessors are to me the best all around microphone since 1970 and certainly the most enduring and durable. You can not go wrong unless you get too close with no windscreen.

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The Shure SM-57 is a work horse microphone that is built solid and very easy to use in various music recording and live performance environments. It's best funtion is to mike a guitar amp and send that signal to the Public Address system if you want to phatten up your instumental signal to a wider audience.

It can be utilized as a vocal microphone. Yet, it does not look as prominant as the famous Shure SM-58.

To mike up the drum set means that you have to buy a quantity of the SM-57s'. Mike stands for the Shure SM-57's come in various dimensions of height.

As a dependable low profile microphone used for speech it is unsurpassed.

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This is my preferred vocal mic for live performances. I've been using it for decades. (The Neuman KMS 105 might sound a bit better, at 6 times the price. Then again, it might not!) And the 57 is a surprisingly good performer for vocals in the studio. I like my large diaphragm condensers for some things, but when I want to wail, the 57 is still among the best I've found. Maybe THE best. The special Shure A2Ws windscreen is the reason for my new appreciation of the 57. With the windscreen in place, breath noise and plosives are gone (unless I get really sloppy). I a/b'd the 57 with the windscreen against a Shure SM58. The 58's a great mic, but the 57 sounds more open in the top end (as other reviewers have noted.) Generic windscreens don't sound as good with this mic. They tend to be too thick and dense, blocking a lot of the high frequencies. Spend the $15 and get the A2WS. It has a set screw that enables you to lock the screen in place, leaving a small air space between the foam and the mic's grill. Gives it a nice, open, airy sound. The 57's not a high output mic, so you'll need a bit more gain in the preamp compared to some mics, but that's a very minor drawback.

For mic-ing guitar amp cabinets, this is an industry standard. Also good for snares, toms, even kick drums. (Take the windscreen off for these applications, of course.) It's probably the most versatile microphone ever made. At around $100, there is no better bargain.

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First, let me say up front that this is a 5-star product. An excellent microphone priced perfectly for the beginner to the advanced artist. The purpose for this review is to state exactly what another reviewer mentioned regarding fake\counterfiet Shure microphones. I purchased one here from a third party merchant named MASON35. Upon receipt of the product, it was very evident i had been scammed, and sure enough after research, concluded i wasted $70.

Shame on me for not keying in on the fact it was listed as NEW for $29 dollars less, but i honestly did not realize what a market there is out there for this model microphone in terms of counterfeiters and fakes until you google it. Seriously folks, DO NOT buy this product from ANYONE here on Amazon that is NOT an authorized dealer or reputable online retailer. Take a look at the list of merchants selling this product. You can pretty much tell who are legitimate stores and which ones are just someone posting an item.