Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good for vocals only!, May 16, 2006
The first rule of microphones is that, "No one microphone is perfect for every purpose." Rule two is, "Experiment with different mics in different applications to find your signature sound." I've used Shure SM58's along with their ancestors and relatives back to 1968. I primarily used them for broadcasting and recording spoken word content but I have used (and still do use) them for singing some back up vocals. The SM58 does one thing well and that is vocal performance when used very close to the mouth for public address use. Some people, me included, actually sound better and more comfortable in a live performance setting when using another mic, the Shure SM-57. The SM-58 is a very good vocal mic and for some people probably the best choice. For example, anyone who can not resist putting the mic right up against their lips while singing will probably want the SM-58. People with softer or weaker voices will want the SM-58. The SM-58 is highly directional and has a noticable yet manageable proximity effect (which means the bass increases the closer you get.) This mic does not pick up well from much over 8 inches away. The reason so many singers think you are supposed to shove microphones practically inside your mouth is because the ball type Shure vocal mics require you to get them very close or they don't sound right. On the other hand, the SM-57 sounds best several inches away from the user's mouth and works fine up to 12 inches away. While the SM-58 is certainly the number one professional PA vocal mic, there are precious few other uses for it because it has a colored sound with a prominent frequency response boost in the upper midrange plus a sound source has to be very close before it is picked up clearly. It works ok for conga drums and the like, but the SM-58 is about the last thing you'd want to use to mic a sax or guitar. Personally these mics are not the best for my mic technique or the basic nature my voice, but for some people they sound great. The live vocal mic that works best for me is the Shure SM-57 with a windscreen. However for other people the SM-58 works better. It depends on your voice and what you want the mic to do. If you have a very deep voice, the SM-58 might be the second best choice after the SM-57 which has a better low frequency response. One certain advantage of the SM-58 is the excellent gain before feedback capability. This mic can be turned up louder than almost any other mic without that annoying PA squeal. Another advantage of the SM-58 is that it is still available (at a slight extra cost) with a built-in on/off switch. The SM-58's ball shaped grills are very sturdy and even if you should dent one you can get a replacement which screws right on for about ten dollars. I've seen SM-58's dented, rusty, dusty, smoked up, spit into, with pieces missing and slammed into a hardwood stage with the full weight of a boom stand adding mass to the fall and yet I've never seen but one stop working and that malfunction was due to an on/off switch that got dirt in it. All the pro-line Shure mics are top quality. The pro line Shures also hold their value well. If you buy one and decide you don't like it, you can get about what you paid for it on eBay. I would compare as many mics as possible before buying one. Senneheiser's EVOLUTION mics sound really good too and are worth a look. The SM-58 will be the number one on-stage vocal mic for the forseeable future because most people follow the crowd instead of actually trying out different mics and picking the one that works best for their particular voice. These things are so durable that even if they stopped making them today they'd still be around for another 20 years at least.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A rehearsal workhorse, August 14, 2004
This is an excellent, general purpose microphone at a reasonable price. I'm a classically trained vocalist, and I use the SM58 for rehearsal and "scratch" recordings. It delivers clear, true, and warm sound under all standard conditions and requires essentially no fine tuning or signal processing. I still prefer the crisp detail of a condenser microphone for formal demo recordings (my favorite is the Studio Projects C1), but it's hard to beat the simplicity and reliability of the SM58 for everyday use.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SM58 - buy a few for live use, February 20, 2006
The Shure SM58 is one of the most recognisable microphones in the world - and for good reason. It is the main stay of many a hire companies microphone hire stock, including mine (pa2hire.co.uk). Practically unbreakable, and if you do manage to drop it from a high stage / skyscraper, you can also buy a replacement pop shield. Very suited to rock, or other musical styles that need powerful vocals. Make sure your singers lips are touching the pop shield to get the best results, though, unless they have very good mic technique. The proximity effect (increase in bass when you sing or talk close to the mic) makes this important. If the singer is a foot away from an SM58, the chances are they will sound thin, and you will also have gain before feedback issues....
Sonically the response has a nice presence peak in the upper mid range, but the top end rolls off quickly after that. Opinion is split about whether that is a good or a bad thing - it helps keep a lid on feedback, but it doesnt sound as hi-fi as some other mics. I have had some singers complain that their vocal top end is not quite right - sometimes asking for more top end. I guess they are used to the sound of expensive condenser mics on their recordings. My solution is normally to give them another mic, like a Beta 58, or Beta 87a maybe, rather than use EQ. If you A/B test an SM58 verses these mics it will always lose. But it can still be a better mic in some cases, such as when you are looking for a cardioid rather than hyper-cardioid response (the SM58 has a cardioid response, which means it has a wider pickup pattern at the front). But most vocalists will be more than happy with the sound the SM58 gives.
The SM58 also does a pretty good job on drums (not really bass drum), and other loud things like guitar cabs. It uses the same capsule as the SM57, one of the best mics for guitar cabs.
In conclusion, yes there are a lot of mics that sound better, and some of these are quite a bit cheaper - but ask yourself the question are they as durable as an SM58, and if you are a professional, will your clients want to use a mic they have never heard of?
Take care,
Justin Miller
pa2hire.co.uk
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