Advice on first seriously cheap microphone to mess around and figure stuff out with. WARNING: The first person to say sm57 gets vapourised!

[ArtDecade]

Damn it man we almost had him.

... fixed it.

 

[Drew]

That Mic Which Should Not Be Named isn't really "pre-eq'd" for guitars - it's designed for any "instrument" and happens to be complimentary to guitars in particular. It's the same capsule as the 58, which should suggest it's fine for voices. Also good for snares. Also good for just about anything you throw it in front of.

Fun fact, the SM57 was originally engineered for live sound reinforcement, recording dialogue and live instrument performances, for television use. The mic's designer was a classical music lover, and hated that the mic went on to be the sound of rock guitar.

But, a 57/58 is tough to beat, for good reason - they're damned near indestructible, and while they're spectacular for a few things (snares, close micing cabs), they're "good enough" on a whole slew of other things too. I've never myself used one on an acoustic guitar, but I've heard some recordings that I know were done with one that i actually rather liked the sound of.

I'd worry about proximity effect of a cardioid condenser on a guitar cab, for one, and with the far higher sensitivity, you also do tend to get a lot more background noise unless your amp is absolutely blasting. I've tried using condensers here and while I could see maybe doing it as a second mic supporting someting like a 57, it wouldn't be my first choice for a single mic on an electric guitar.

 

[STRHelvete]

I'm using a Shure SM7B, but I do have a used 58 I bought some time ago.
Seriously, just save a little money and get a 57/58. They're the same thing and they're good for recording and live. If you don't have a lot of experience with mics and whatnot, then there's no reason spending extra money on something you won't notice a difference to because you have no experience and nothing to compare it to. 80 bucks should be hard to come by. Save the money, get a 57/58, use it for a while and when you develop an ear for it you can shop for other mics

 

[Turd Ferguson]

These things here are real similar to the 57 and I've seen them on the stupid deal of the day pretty cheap. I have one around here somewhere and I think it was $19.99.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro...dri100-dynamic-instrument-mic/430559000000000

 

[nightflameauto]

I grabbed a couple of these on clearance as stocking stuffers and ended up keeping them they were so cool. They're a touch more now, but you can still get 'em cheaper than a 57. And they're drum mics so they're made to be beat on and take it.
MXL A5S
MXL A5T

HA! Just looked them up. Apparently the A5T I bought was super clearanced. They're going for more than the 57 now. I bought mine at $23. LOL A5S is still pretty cheap on Musician's Friend if you want though.

 

[randomas]

So basically get a 58 cause it already has a pop filter?
No to condensers in an untreated room because they'd pick up too much noise?
Anyone tried the AKG P5S?

BTW I could afford more, I just think it would be wrong to do so for my level of ability/aptitude. I guess I'm just morally challenged, that and I decend from the Scottish and the Genovese so I'm genetically programmed to be a cheapskate. 😜

 

[TedEH]

So basically get a 58 cause it already has a pop filter?

If you're talking about being able to use it as a live vocal mic - yes. For all the other stated purposes - including vocal recording, no. I don't think I'd rely on the filter on a 58 to do a good enough job to get a clean recording. It's meant to make it reliable enough in a live setting. It wouldn't be a bad choice, but if I could only own a single 57 or 58, I'd take the 57 - unless it was only ever going to be used for live vocals.

 

[Grindspine]

PGA57 - Cardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone - Shure USA

The PGA57 clearly reproduces sound sources in amplified instrument and acoustic drum performance and recording. Available with and without a cable.

www.shure.com

Shure has a cheaper version, the PGA. But after getting it, you'll realize you just want a 57.

I have used 57s from the seventies that were still working. I used them in broadcast situations working as a radio station tech. I have seen them used in countless scenarios, abused, and survived.

Everyone recommends the 57 because they just do exactly what they are supposed to do. It's like a hammer. You don't use a hammer for everything, but you COULD use a hammer for about anything. And a 57 can actually be used as a physical hammer too.

Seriously, at a time when I didn't own a 57, I was borrowing 57s or using them at work. They have always been part of me doing anything in music.

 

[CTID]

i understand being broke or just not wanting to spend the extra cash because you feel it'd be "less responsible" to spend an extra what, £20 bc you have a kid. on the other hand, it'll probably just end up being more expensive in the long run to get a shitty mic and then decide down the road to just get an sm57 because it's the sound you wanted in the first place.

just save and get an sm57, it's not that much money in the grand scheme of things. not sure what £20 gets you these days but i can't imagine it's much more or less than going out to eat for lunch

 

[Sylim]

i get the idea of not wanting to go with industry standards. a lot of times there´s better stuff out there and for cheaper. but time and time again the SM57 and 58 have proven themselves to be THE mic. the first mic i got me was the PG58, a cheap version of the SM58. it was ok, but harsh in the upper mid range and it was always annoying to deal with. some time later i got me the SM58 and regretted ever getting the PG58. it just works. guitars sound great, vocals sound great. now i also have an SM57 for my cab, that just stays in the same position, my SM58 is always ready to set up for vocals. at first it also hurt a little spending 100 bucks on something that´s not a big priority for me, but it made the process of making music much more enjoyable, so bottom line it´s worth it.

 

[SamSam]

Just get the SM 57, you'll have a useful tool that will be of value for as long as you are involved with music. I keep one in our gig kit bag just to keep one at hand, can't go wrong with it!

 

[thraxil]

There's good reason that everyone just recommends a 57. I have one that I bought in the mid 90's (my high school drummer friend and I pooled our lawn mowing money for a couple mics and a 4-track to record our shitty jams). It's been through hell and back for decades now abused in every possible way you could abuse a mic and is still the first mic that I'll pull out unless I want something very specific. It's the only piece of gear I have from that era that's survived.

 

[cindarkness]

We've tried mixing the SM57 with my cheap T.bone RB500 ribbon microphone. Although we have almost no knowledge of microphone placement or processing the signals afterwards, the sounds from a Mesa oversized that we captured that day were pretty sweet.

 

[randomas]

i understand being broke or just not wanting to spend the extra cash because you feel it'd be "less responsible" to spend an extra what, £20 bc you have a kid. on the other hand, it'll probably just end up being more expensive in the long run to get a shitty mic and then decide down the road to just get an sm57 because it's the sound you wanted in the first place.

just save and get an sm57, it's not that much money in the grand scheme of things. not sure what £20 gets you these days but i can't imagine it's much more or less than going out to eat for lunch

It's an issue of priorities, I'd rather spend the 20 on a Lego kit to build with my kid and have that moment, than spending it on my hobbies any day. That said I do get what everyone is saying, I tried to swoop in for a good deal on an sm57, but was too late. I'm trying for a really beat sm58 (they come from a club so I'm going to ask who used them), which is very probably going to need sanitising!

 

[randomas]

While I scour and lurk the classifieds in my area for the SM5Xs, are there any other microphones you'd consider in the 100 €/$ dollar range new to look out for used?

 

[budda]

Buy once cry once.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

I don't think the modern sm57s are so fantastic.

Anyway, if you really want to save money, I would just start by looking at classifieds for used dynamics. Then when you see one, look it up online, check reviews listen to clips etc. and determine if it's a good idea. That's probably easier and faster than first figuring out what you want and THEN trying to find that thing for 60€.

Because here's the problem: Being hellbent on saving money AND picky at the same time is usually a recipe for added frustration, wasted time and potentially wasted money when you realize that the cheap thing you bought was cheap for a reason.

 

[nightflameauto]

If you want the same price range as the 57, I have experience with the Audix i5 (flatter than a 57, in a not unpleasant way) and a Senn. e609 (brighter/grittier than a 57 in some contexts) that both work well. Granted, I'd drop my 609 for a 906 any day of the week. I also have a 906, and the two can compliment each other well depending on the overall mix.

 

[bostjan]

Senn. e609

Forgot about those, I can vouch for them, great mic's for the money. Personally, I'd use one along with an SM57 to give me two different tonal options in a mix, but I've used them live and they kick ass. I've never tried one for vocals, though.

 

[randomas]

I don't think the modern sm57s are so fantastic.

Anyway, if you really want to save money, I would just start by looking at classifieds for used dynamics. Then when you see one, look it up online, check reviews listen to clips etc. and determine if it's a good idea. That's probably easier and faster than first figuring out what you want and THEN trying to find that thing for 60€.

Because here's the problem: Being hellbent on saving money AND picky at the same time is usually a recipe for added frustration, wasted time and potentially wasted money when you realize that the cheap thing you bought was cheap for a reason.

It's kind of what I'm trying to do, I've got a list of stuff in the price range some new and some used, and I'm trying to figure out where to go with this. So why iseveryone going with dynamic? Is it because the sm5X happen to be dynamic, are "decent" condeser mics just super expensive period, or are they hard to work with?