is it good idea to get an sm57 even if i already own an sm7b?

[ohmicide]

if not then what other cheap dynamic mic would compliment the sm7b on cabs but would also be useful for other things?

[MusEsq]

SHURE!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. For $100.00 the 57 is a great mic. Most studios have many of them.

[Stevil]

Originally Posted by MusEsq

SHURE!

i have both & find them useful on different applications which sometimes overlap.
Audix i5 is very similar to the 57 in function, some prefer it, others dont. i have a bunch of old AT 58 style mic's i use interchangeably with 57's on things like amp's, drums, backing vocals, ect. all depends on what exactly you're trying to accomplish.

[dysenterygary]

I like the i5 a lot from Audix. But I will agree w/lots of people here that you NEED to own at least one 57. And its nothing like the SM7B. Well, it's a microphone, but beyond that similarity they are completely different mics.

[trickg]

I'm really a noob, so take anything I say with a lump of salt, but I would say that the Shure SM57 currently has legendary status for a reason. I've read that the Audix i5 is a great mic too, but I can't tell you the number of articles I've read about the SM57 being a good pick to use on everything from guitar cabs, vocals, horns, snare drums, etc - it can be used for almost anything and it will get you where you need to go. The very first microphone I ever bought was an SM57 for that very reason.

[svart]

57, yes. Make sure you read about the mods for it and how you need to load it properly to get good sound out of it.

Also try some of the cheap knock-offs like:

Orange County Speaker Repair - GLS Audio Wholesale: GLS Audio ES-57 ES57 Professional Microphone Mic

It truly isn't that bad of a mic. I bought a few on a whim and Now I use one on the guitar cab all the time. It sounds similar enough to a 57 that loud guitars are pretty much identical between the two mics.

[Gracehoper]

A 57 is good to have but I'd say there are other mics that are used on the same things that I'd rather get. Like an MD421.
I got a 57 (somewhere) but I almost always reach for the 421 instead.

[sleep over jack]

If you already own an SM7, then a 57 is sort of redundant. It does, however, fit places that an SM7 would be obtrusive in. Or if you just need another dynamic to use at the same time. Sonically though, a 57 would be more or less redundant.

[recordinghopkins]

Originally Posted by svart

57, yes. Make sure you read about the mods for it and how you need to load it properly to get good sound out of it.

Here is how I did a non destructive mod to load dynamic mics and not have to take them apart.... Copied my comment from the drum mixing thread.

Here's the math to figure out how much resistance you need across pins 2 and 3 on a mic cable to achieve the impedance you desire:
(1/desired Ω) - (1/SCA Ω) = (1/x)
Mine looked like this: (1/500Ω) - (1/1300Ω) = .0012333 (1/.0012333)≈811Ω of resistance. The nearest standard value within 1% tolerance is an 806Ω. That's what I used. Easy as pie. You can do this out of the parts drawers at Radioshack although they don't have that value, but a combination of resisters can easily achieve the value you want. Just remember, when combining series resisters ADD their values (R=r1+r2+r3, etc.). When parallel, the total value is (1/R=r1+r2+r3, etc.)

Make it on a little pigtail XLR patch so you can easily connect or disconnect it at your pre, in the control room.

[CoreyL]

421 thumbsup. Get one of each.

[rty5150]

sure, a 57 is never a bad thing to have in the locker. me personally, i'd rather have an i5 over a 57, but i still own 2 sm57's and 3 i5's. all this and i still own an sm7b. the sm7b sounds different than an sm57 anyway.

[trickg]

Sometimes I wonder if the status of the SM57 is simply due to longevity - according to Wikipedia, the SM57 and SM58 were released in 1965 and 1966, respectively. That's almost 45 years of steady, proven use, and it has been used from the studio to the stage to the US Presidential Podium.

So is it still "the best" mic of it's type in that price range, or is it riding on the coatails that were established in the 60s and 70s, with people hearing its name more than its sound?

[ohmicide]

Originally Posted by CoreyL

421 thumbsup. Get one of each.

i'd get one if i could get it for $100

[sleeper1400]

you can NEVER have to many 57's laying around.

they are build like hammers, and sound good on pretty much everything.

if there is an unwritten book, of unwritten law on professional audio.

it state all studios should have 3.

[enroper]

would you rather a sloppy drummer wack your sm7 full force with a stick, or a sm57. your choice

[Came2rck]

yes. get one.

[trickg]

Originally Posted by alehoe

i'd get one if i could get it for $100

See, and that's just the thing. Certainly there are "better" microphones, but how many are "better" when you put the price threshold at around $100? You can almost buy three SM57s for the cost of one Sennheiser MD421. For someone like me, I'm not going to be able to define or make use of the extra money spent - I'd be better off with the SM57.

Likewise, there are other mics that are available that are even more budget minded than the SM57, but for my money and my uses, the SM57 and SM58 are about perfect.

[Hammer Mark]

Originally Posted by enroper

would you rather a sloppy drummer wack your sm7 full force with a stick, or a sm57. your choice

excellent point!

[aclarson]

Originally Posted by sleep over jack

If you already own an SM7, then a 57 is sort of redundant. It does, however, fit places that an SM7 would be obtrusive in. Or if you just need another dynamic to use at the same time. Sonically though, a 57 would be more or less redundant.

No more redundant than any other two unique dynamics, which are not redundant at all. I never use them for the same thing, and they don't sound the same. I would heartily recommend owning both, especially the 57. I have 3, and I use them all the time. I have compared my SM7 and 57s on guitar cab, and the 57 wins almost every time. On vocals, the SM7 pretty much always wins. I like 57 on snare, SM7 more on toms. The difference in proximity effect between them is gigantic. I don't know why people continue to make this claim that they're the same, not even close to my ears.

EDIT: To elaborate on proximity effect, its very steep for the 57 when close miking, and plays a big part in the sound of a miked guitar cab. It's very good in this circumstance, and is why people (myself included) say that a 0.1 inch movement in mic position makes a difference in sound. Because often times you are within a couple inches from the speaker. Or the snare. I think this is also the reason that the 57 can be really annoying for vocals because they are inherently so dynamic, and it's hard if not impossible to maintain a precise distance from the mic while tracking. The diminished proximity effect on the SM7 makes this much easier to deal with, which is why it's far superior for vocals in most circumstances.

[aclarson]

Originally Posted by enroper

would you rather a sloppy drummer wack your sm7 full force with a stick, or a sm57. your choice

Actually, I don't think you could damage an SM7 with a drumstick if you tried, that thing is solid as hell. I use mine on toms alot, and it's been wacked a few times. I bet you couldn't tell if you looked at the mic.

[decaren]

Definitely worth it. I have six 57s and I just started using the Audix i5 on snares. The 5k bump makes the i5 sound good on snares without EQ.

[Chrislpp]

If you're on that tight of a budget buy some food and save for rent

But yes, it's sort of like the first mic to get...bar a 58.

Plenty of shootouts such as the drum mic madness thread where IIRC you can hear it on snare against some other things

[sleep over jack]

the 57 and SM7 aren't the same mic, they're more like half-siblings. they both look a hell of a lot like their dad, but the 57 has gnarlier hair and is a bit precocious.

i own both, and both are worth owning. but if I were just starting out, I'd get an Audix i5 instead. the 57 and the SM7 are flavored very similar in the grand scheme of things. the easiest way of expanding your dynamic palette is to buy something else instead of the 57 first, if you already own an SM7.

[trickg]

Wow - I just watched a couple of gearwire shootout videos for the i5 vs the SM57 and the OM2 vs the SM58. They keep talking about the superiority of the Audix mics....sorry, but I'm not hearing it. If I had to choose based on what I heard from those vids, I'd pick the Shures every day.

To my ear, both mics had harsher highs - he kept talking about more clarity, but to me they (the audix mics) both sounded unbalanced. That's just my opinion though - you can make your own decisions.

Here's the vid for the i5 vs SM57:
Audix i5 Takes On The Shure SM57 In A Microphone Shootout (Audix) - 440TV Video


Here's the vid for the OM2 vs 58 shootout
Audix OM2 And Shure SM58: Shootout! (Audix) - 440TV Video

It should be noted that it was a 20 year old beat up 58 being compared to a new Audix - not exactly fair, although since I thought the 58 was better I suppose it doesn't matter.

[rty5150]

Originally Posted by trickg

Wow - I just watched a couple of gearwire shootout videos for the i5 vs the SM57 and the OM2 vs the SM58. They keep talking about the superiority of the Audix mics....sorry, but I'm not hearing it. If I had to choose based on what I heard from those vids, I'd pick the Shures every day.

To my ear, both mics had harsher highs - he kept talking about more clarity, but to me they both sounded unbalanced.

everyone is listening for different things.

[trickg]

Originally Posted by rty5150

everyone is listening for different things.

I understand that, but it sounded to me like this guy was trying too hard to find a reason to not go with the flow, although I suppose that for certain applications it might be ok to have a mic that was so "in-your-face" on mids. To me though there was no question, the 57 sounded better, hands down. His guitar sound was almost irritating (to me) when miked with the i5, and his voice had no body with the OM2, (again, my opinion) but hey, what do I know, right?

As a side note, my 15 year old guitarist son over here had a clear preference based on sound too. The one he picked rhymes with "nifty Evan." He may not know anything about mics, but he knows what he likes to hear.

[rty5150]

Originally Posted by trickg

I understand that, but it sounded to me like this guy was trying too hard to find a reason to not go with the flow, although I suppose that for certain applications it might be ok to have a mic that was so "in-your-face" on mids. To me though there was no question, the 57 sounded better, hands down. His guitar sound was almost irritating (to me) when miked with the i5, and his voice had no body with the OM2, (again, my opinion) but hey, what do I know, right?

As a side note, my 15 year old guitarist son over here had a clear preference based on sound too. The one he picked rhymes with "nifty Evan." He may not know anything about mics, but he knows what he likes to hear.

as an owner of both mics(and several other "guitar" mics), what it comes down to is the moment. the song, player, amp, and vibe usually dictate the mic and pre selection for me.
anymore, i like using my sm7b and fathead on a guitar cab, but i like the e609, i5, sm57, and even the v67 and apex 460 on guitar cabs. it all depends.
i usually put 4 mics on a cab, but i ONLY will use 2. it is a rule i established for myself and i listen to all the mics when positioning. so as to which is better...depends.
i agree that the gearwire guys seemed to want to go against the grain, but everyone is listening for something different.

[sleep over jack]

Originally Posted by trickg

Wow - I just watched a couple of gearwire shootout videos for the i5 vs the SM57 and the OM2 vs the SM58. They keep talking about the superiority of the Audix mics....sorry, but I'm not hearing it. If I had to choose based on what I heard from those vids, I'd pick the Shures every day.

luckily, whilst recording you have the opportunity to put the mics on your own sources. if you already have an idea about how you're going to mix the record, you can do a tremendous amount of "EQ'ing" with mics and placement, and there are definite situations where you're going to want an i5-sounding mic on some of the guitars, rather than a 57 on everything which in a video might sound more "pleasing", due to a relative warm mid bump and diminished highs. in a dense mix with a bunch of 57-miced guitars, you're going to have your hands full getting them to all fit together *and* be clear with just EQ. mixing it up and also using something like an i5 or other differently-voiced mics makes one's work easier down the road.

[BOWIE]

Though they have some similarities, they're still very different sounds. The SM7b is a "nicer" mic, but I get far more use out of a 57. In fact, I've owned SM7s twice and sold them because they just didn't get a lot of use whereas I always need a 57 for certain aggressive sounds.
The SM7b have become the darling of the gearslutz low-end forum in the past year (and rightfully so) but don't overlook the old workhorse 57'.

[aclarson]

Originally Posted by trickg

Wow - I just watched a couple of gearwire shootout videos for the i5 vs the SM57 and the OM2 vs the SM58. They keep talking about the superiority of the Audix mics....sorry, but I'm not hearing it. If I had to choose based on what I heard from those vids, I'd pick the Shures every day.

To my ear, both mics had harsher highs - he kept talking about more clarity, but to me they (the audix mics) both sounded unbalanced. That's just my opinion though - you can make your own decisions.

I used to own some OM2s, but for the life of me I couldn't ever find anything I liked them on. I used them as live vocal mics for a while, but I was always underwhelmed by them in the studio. I tried them on guitar, drums, voice, and all seemed pretty...meh.