Shure Beta SM 91

[brandondrury]

Here's a review I did of the Shure Beta SM 91

<a href="http://www.recordingreview.com/gearc...m91.php">Shure Beta SM 91</a>

What do you think?

Brandon

[fowler]

hey Brandon, nice site here...

Here's what I know about SM91s in general:

The farther back you go in the line, from Beta to 91A to 91 they get better. Granted, the new cable setup is good, but in my experience the Beta 91 sounds thinner than the others.

I own a 91A. My trick to keep it from walking - it's gaffed to a piece of foam, with the excess cable coiled and taped there with it.

For live work in the bigs, SM91 and a Beta 52 has been a very popular combination for a number of years now. Typically the 91 is used to get some "snap" or click, and the 52 gets the meat of the drum.

It looks like it could be a PZM (pressure zone microphone) as you suggested, but normally PZMs are omni while the 91 is not.

PZM trick: short on microphones, I hung one around the neck of a percussionist. Wherever he turns, there it is. Worked pretty well, especially given the situation. You need to make sure it doesn't get turned around :-)

Other uses:

I have taped a pair to a piano lid with "pretty good" results (the distance between makes a huge difference). For a closed lid setup, and you need some high gain before feedback (read: a loud monitor) this one works. It's also appropriate to use on a desktop for a conferencing mic.

Keep an eye out for the original 91s. Get one if you can, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

[brandondrury]

Killer dude,

Once again, an extremely valuable post.

Much appriciated. I'll keep an eye out for the 91a.

Thanks
Brandon