Shure SM 57 Reviews

[brandondrury]

Shure SM 57 @ Musiciansfriend


Shure SM 57 @ Zzounds

One of the most popular professional instrument/vocal microphones of all time. This dynamic mic is a reliable, natural-sounding performer, night after night. Its durable, bulletproof design stands up to road travel and abuse. Perfectly at home in the studio too. Its wide frequency response (40Hz-15kHz) and tight cardioid polar pattern are ideal for close-in miking of speakers.

[brandondrury]

Quality: 10
Both in terms of quality construction and in the ability to do it's job in capturing musical ruckus in the room, I consider the Shure SM57 to be bulletproof.

From a construction standpoint, I know of no one who has ever broken one...EVEN ME (and I break lots of stuff!)!!!!!

The Shure SM 57 is a "character mic". It won't sound pretty on everything. However, I find it to be one of the most versatile mics I own. I can't think of an instrument I haven't used it on.

While the SM 57 is famous for use on snare drum top and electric guitar amps, I've had great luck with it on everything from vocals to acoustic guitar. (Note: The I'm talking about the kind of acoustic guitar that needs to cut through a dense mix. A SM 57 is not my favorite "pretty" acoustic guitar sound microphone).

Reliability: 10
I don't know if a more reliable product has ever been produced. The Panzer tank was destroyed more often than the SM 57. Then again, I've never tried firing missles or bullets at a Shure SM 57. Then again, if I had to shoot any of my mics, I'd be most confident the 57 would live through it.

I can't recall on a single occassion ever once having a problem with the a 57.

Overall Rating: 10
Is the SM 57 the best mic in the world? Probably not. However what it does well, it does really well. You can't break them and you can't beat the cost.

I consider the Shure SM 57 a must have for anyone doing any recording where they need the slightest hind of versatility. A Shure SM57 is a great starter mic that you probably won't over outgrow regardless of how big your studio gets.

[RobDanger]

The only gripe I have with the mic is that the treble is slightly rolled off.

[ric822]

Quality: 7
Built well, very good quality.

Reliability: 8
Never had a problem using mine in the last two years.

Overall Rating: 8
Great all around Mic. Simly put, if I could only own one Mic to use in my studio, this would be it.

[dgc25624]

Quality: 10
Excellent. I can not speak for what is being manufactured today. I bought both of mine in 1978, and they are still going strong in my studio.

Reliability: 10
As I mentioned under the "Quality" section, I've had them for 30 years now and for 20 some years they were on the road with me. For the past 10 years they have been in the studio. I only wish ALL things we purchase could be so reliable (musical instruments and non-musical items we need and use daily)

Overall Rating: 10
Typical SM57 with windscreen. Lot's of scratches from years of action on the road and in smoke filled bars. One other thing, it is odd that I paid pretty much the same price 30 years ago as I would if I purchased a new one off the shelf today. I may have even spent a few dollars more on them back then. Oh, well, no matter what, I really made a great investment on those suckers. BTW, when I see all TENs, I question the reply, however, I don't see how anything that performed the job it was designed to do every single second it was plugged in over a period of 3 decades can be rated anything but a big fat 10.

[bilco]

Quality: 9
After renting several high dollar condensor mics and struggling to find the magic missing sound on my vocal, I came to the conclusion that aside from dealing with "P"s popping and not wanting to use a pop filter, there is no mic that sounds better on my vocal. Plug it into an RNP and try it on a vocal. Pretty amazing...... Works great on guitar amps and snare drum. Works okay even on acoustic guitar. Not my first choice on acoustic, but it will do the job.

Reliability: 10
Absolutely bulletproof. I have had SM57s (and SM58s) roll of the top of a 5 foot tall bass cabinet too many times to count and they still work fine. It is reliable also in the aspect of aim and shoot. If nothing else sounds right on a source, put an SM57 on it, play with the placement and record. It may not be the "best" mic you could have used on that source, but it will provide a usable tone that you can EQ to taste.

Overall Rating: 10
This is my desert island mic really. If I could only have one mic, I really think this would be it. Simple, no bells or whistles, but very reliable and predicatable. Every newbie should at least try to record something with one of these to see if they should buy it.

[Ryan D]

Quality: 10
Sleek, streamlined, and a studio icon. Who could resist the SM57?

There's no secret to this microphone. Just point and shoot at a snare drum and you're set. However, it also proves its worth in basically every application you can think of. Even vocals - the secret here is a powerful preamp. From that point, you can get some amazing sounds.

Reliability: 10
Dropped it, spilled an entire 8oz. can of ginger ale on it, and even had an untrimmed string on my guitar that was partially stripped (and VERY sharp, easily punctured me and made my hand bleed) swing around and drive 2 inches into the windscreen when I swiveled around in a chair after recording an acoustic guitar part.

Works fine, always will.

Overall Rating: 10
Honestly. Is it even worth reviewing anymore? This thing is great. The fact that the price has always been at what it is now is just mindblowing. It demonstrates the real value of this microphone.

[polly.ledvina@gmail.com]

What is your favorite "pretty" acoustic guitar sound microphone? I'm looking for a setup to record harp, which I figure is comparable to acoustic guitar.

[brandondrury]

For pretty acoustic guitar sounds, I grativate towards condensers. I've used many with success. I use my AKG 414 the most, but the Oktava MK012 is cool. I like my MXL V69s A LOT on acoustic guitar but both of them are dead at the moment.

Brandon

[DLuz]

Does anyone have any dry voice sample recordings of this mic?

[drago]

Quality: 10
For $100, you get a mic that simply can't be beat for certain snare and guitar amp sounds. Its also usable for just about everything as Brandon mentioned earlier.

Reliability: 10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33QPLbQi9FI

The microphone is an SM58 which is just a 57 with a windscreen on it. The shit's indestructable.

Overall Rating: 10
Best $100 I ever spent. I attached a sample of a dry vocal using my 57 since someone asked for it.

[Calc]

I know that this is an old thread but I just wanted to share a little story.
After reading this post I went to the local music store to buy the SM 57.
The guy working there asked me what I was going to use it for..I told him; recording voice and maybe some guitar.
He said that the mic was useless for voice recording, and that without using some diapraghm(sp?) mic I would get craaaaapppy sound...

Well I told him to just give me the SM57 since I was pretty confident after reading this thread.

Thank you

[brandondrury]

I'm glad you didn't get suckered in. Did you tell him that Anthony Keddis sang through a Shure SM57 for the Chili Peppers Blook Sugar Sex Magik album? I think they may have won a Grammy for that one. I'm not sure.

I'd literally like to smash that salesman in the face. I'm not kidding. I not joking. I literally want to watch him die.

From time to time I get wound up about politics and the direction the country is going. I've decided that I need to quit worrying about politicians and start focusing on music store salesman. They are the root of the problem.

I couldn't imagine flat out lieing to people just for the hope of making an extra $3 in commission.

Brandon

[Calc]

He was telling me that if I sang through the sm57 it would sound like I was holding my nose and singing
I would have been suckered in had I not spent some time reading...phew!

[greybeard]

I've used 57's for everything from live vocals to recording my concert band. They are not the best choice for everything but, they will sound the way that they sound FOR EVER.