• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Anyone not like Shure.

#41
I had one problem with my 58, the ground clip where the cable plugs in stopped making solid contact and it stopped working properly. I took the screw out and spread the clips a bit more put it back together and have never had a problem since. That was about 6 months after I bought it and I've had it for 3 years now. It's been knocked over on the mic stand more times than I remember now and has never failed.

I also use Shure for my inner ears and they have been flawless.
I might have to try one of those Beta58's.
 
#42
Like many of us, I have gigged for 40+ years and have primarily used Shure mics, dating back to the old Unidyne and Unisphere models. I have lots of stories of abuse, dented windscreens, etc. and the stellar reliability of all the Shure dynamic and small condenser mics I have used over the years.

I have used the same Beta 58A for over 15 years now. It has hit the floor several times and the windscreen hasn't even dented. About 2 years ago it fell, on the boom stand, off a raised stage and hit the concrete floor ball end first. That was a drop of about 12 feet. The blue rubber band thingie around the windscreen flew off and I didn't take the time to go looking for it after the gig. (Still no dents in the windscreen!)

This summer I was at an international engineering symposium and happened to be talking to a guy named Boris Libo, who it turned out was the quality engineering manager at Shure. He told me some interesting stories about Roger Daltry's mics, and I told him about my 12-foot drop, missing rubber band, no dent Shure Beta 58A. About a week later I received a letter from Boris. We had exchanged business cards when we met. Inside the envelope was a nice note and a few replacement Beta 58A rubber bands!

Do you think I'll ever buy anything else but Shure mics? But then again, I will probably never need to replace any Shure mics!!!
 
#43
Here's my feeling on Shure. They are like the Fender of the microphone world. They are easy to find, easy to work with, sound great, and tons of people love them. However, there are other manufacturers that, IMO, sound a little better and are just as easy to work with. They also might be a little more expensive and not as easy to find.

I've used 58's (Beta 58A) and 57's for my vocals for years, and 57's on my guitar cabs (back in my guitar days). These days I'm using a Sennheiser e935 on my vocals. I just made the switch figuring I'd try something different and I couldn't be happier. It fits my voice better, which is the bottom line on all mics.

I still want to try out a Heil PR35, a Neumann KMS-105, and a few other mics too...but those are way more money.
 
#44
My favorite mic since the late 60s has been a Unisphere, which is quite like a 57. I still have (and use) one I bought in the mid 70's and have an older one. Back in the day, one simply got used to muting sibilance and consonants when singing into a 57. (Windscreens were for untrained wimps.)

I used EV mics for quite a while, but I've had problems with the neo EV's where they start to get thin, and lose their low end. Since I liked a 57 type mic, I tried a beta 57 and it's been my mic since. The proximity effect of a beta 58 is too exaggerated for me.

My best friend worked sound at the Opryland Hotel for decades. They tried so many mics, but seemed to always return to 58's. The response has become quite the standard and most successful vocal mics for live use cop the response curve.
 
#46
I think I've heard the most grumbling about the Beta 87a sounding harsh and picking up too much stage sound. Second has been the SM58 being 'muddy'. Then there are the ones who complain the Beta 58a is harsh sounding... I never have an issue with any of them. I own several models. I'm happy with all of them.
 
#47
Stone Soup said:
I think I've heard the most grumbling about the Beta 87a sounding harsh and picking up too much stage sound. Second has been the SM58 being 'muddy'. Then there are the ones who complain the Beta 58a is harsh sounding... I never have an issue with any of them. I own several models. I'm happy with all of them.
Click to expand...

What i've found, with a 10 year run I did as an in house engineer with shure microphones, is that people think they last forever (especially the guy doing the budget). They do not. Microphones are moving parts, diaphragms wear out and get mucked up/ dirty, vocal microphones much quicker for obvious reasons. Regular cleaning is key, but we got our 58's refurbished between 1-2 years ,and the difference in sound quality was apparent.
 
#48
bassgod0dmw said:
Here's my feeling on Shure. They are like the Fender of the microphone world. They are easy to find, easy to work with, sound great, and tons of people love them. However, there are other manufacturers that, IMO, sound a little better and are just as easy to work with. They also might be a little more expensive and not as easy to find.

I've used 58's (Beta 58A) and 57's for my vocals for years, and 57's on my guitar cabs (back in my guitar days). These days I'm using a Sennheiser e935 on my vocals. I just made the switch figuring I'd try something different and I couldn't be happier. It fits my voice better, which is the bottom line on all mics.

I still want to try out a Heil PR35, a Neumann KMS-105, and a few other mics too...but those are way more money.
Click to expand...

I had a Neumann KMS-105 and found it a bit harsh on the high end and prone to some HF feedback. I sold it and bought a Shure KSM9 and am very happy with it.
 
#52
One thing I've noticed about the SM57 is that while it is not the best sounding snare mic I've ever heard (others may have a smoother top end, greater low end extension or a cleaner midrange), the difference between the 57 and those is that it makes a snare sound just like a snare. No frills, no "hype", just a straight up snare drum. Which is what I prefer.
 
#53
Munjibunga said:
I'm very surprised that the usual gang of Shure bashers hasn't shown up yet. They'll come in and proselytize about some mics that are far superior in every way, and they'd never sing through an SM58 because it's dull, bland, tinny, boomy, shrieky and can't compare to the _______ that they use.

Yet if you watch a concert of A-list bands either live or on TV, what mic shows up more more often than all other mics combined? Have you ever seen a Heil mic on stage?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. There are a lot of good mics on the market, and while there are often arguments and "professional" opinions on internet forums about what is "best" or "better", there is NO argument about who the king is in the big league pro world.

Just read almost any A list production rider; you know, the artists who can specify absolutely ANY gear they want on their stage.

Maybe they are just to busy touring for a living to read internet forums... :D
 
#55
redwookie said:
What exactly gets cleaned and refurbished? I can only guess the diaphragm gets removed and cleaned with something like using isopropyl alcohol with qtips. (worked for old tape heads).
Click to expand...

You clean the ball ends on 58's (alcohol and a tooth brush, wash out the screen and dry. For the diaphragms we just had the factory refurb done- pretty much guts the mic and new diaphragm is installed, and any other necessary parts.
Rarely did we need to do refurbs for condensers, just once or twice but no one is screaming/ spitting into those or throwing them around (usually anyway).
 
#56
D.A.R.K. said:
we got our 58's refurbished between 1-2 years ,and the difference in sound quality was apparent.
Click to expand...
At that point, you may as well buy new ones and sell the old ones on eBay. Your budget would end up better for it.

I think it's a bit much refurbishing a mic after one or two years. I'm not an engineer, though. I've just been using shure mics for a long long time.
 
#57
Stone Soup said:
At that point, you may as well buy new ones and sell the old ones on eBay. Your budget would end up better for it.

I think it's a bit much refurbishing a mic after one or two years. I'm not an engineer, though. I've just been using shure mics for a long long time.
Click to expand...

We got them refurbed for 50 bucks a pop, which is a tax deduction for the venue. and 2 years meant at least 500-600 shows per mic. The venue has 2 live rooms, shows pretty much every night. Plenty of use and abuse…. the quality of the provided gear for touring acts and the music is (was) worth it. Venue is still open to this day, but hosts more dj events unfortunately.
 
#58
D.A.R.K. said:
We got them refurbed for 50 bucks a pop, which is a tax deduction for the venue.
Click to expand...
So repair is deductible and purchase is not? I'm asking.

I knew it was around $50.00 per mic to refurb. It's $100.00 a mic to buy. Maybe less if you buy several from a dealer. You could probably sell them--if they're not completely beat--for $70.00 +/- on eBay, without much effort listing them. With 10 mics, you could save around $200.00. That's all I'm getting at.

Either way...
 
#59
Stone Soup said:
So repair is deductible and purchase is not? I'm asking.

I knew it was around $50.00 per mic to refurb. It's $100.00 a mic to buy. Maybe less if you buy several from a dealer. You could probably sell them--if they're not completely beat--for $70.00 +/- on eBay, without much effort listing them. With 10 mics, you could save around $200.00. That's all I'm getting at.

Either way...
Click to expand...

You can write off purchase and repair for businesses.
We had a deal with shure to provide quality microphones for touring acts at a professional venue, not to sell beat microphones second hand.
The whole point of my post was microphone care, and normal degradation over time, anyway.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back