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Shure sm57 question.

fuzzy beard

fuzzy beard

Mar 8, 2011
2,747
31
Aurora, Indiana
#1
Looking at maybe trying to mic one of my smaller tube amps for a small summer party later this year.

I do not gig! And have never needed to be any louder than my Ampeg SB-12 can go anyway. Until now;)

So i am not looking to spend alot of money. There will be a P.A with sub at the party so just need to get a signal to the board.

I have read alot about the shure sm-57. I understand it is a workhorse. I also understand it is not great at any one thing but good at a LOT of things.

So what downfalls does it have as a bass cab mic?

Is there a better 100 dollar option?

What mics were commonly used on bass cabs with back in the day?
 
#2
Its main downfall is this:

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Frequency response is pretty rubbish when you're in bass territory. Live, I've always gone DI for the PA rather than mic my cabinet. If the PA has DI boxes and you have a post-EQ line out on your amp, you're golden. Don't need to spend any money at all.

As a disclaimer, I've never mic'd up my cab for anything other than recording. It's a glorified fifteen inch stage monitor to be honest.
 
#6
Back in the day I used to mic my high end cabinet when I bi-amped with a 57. But I also was going DI and the soundguy liked to be able to add some definition if he needed. I'm not sure if it was needed or not, but it didn't effect my on stage sound so I didn't care. But there were no lows going through that cab. We also did vocals, all drums except the kick and electric guitar with 57's at one time or another. Seemed to work fine, but I wasn't the soundguy so I just hooked things up before gigs.
 
#8
onosson said:
I agree on the DI, especially for a pretty basic PA that should do the job, and you can keep it well under $100 that way.

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that many decades ago bass rigs weren't pushing out the low end frequencies that we are now.
Click to expand...

Under stood. But i am dealing with vintage amps. My Ampeg Sb-12 is from 1965 and is only 25 watts. My Bassman 20 is from 83 and is 18 watts. Neither have a Direct out!
 
#10
A 57 will work fine. It's the Swiss Army Knife of mics and is by far the most useful mic you can buy for $100. If you gigged a lot I would recommend a more expensive mic to capture all the nuances of your vintage SB12 but for a summer party the 57 will get the job done and can be used for self defense in case things get out of hand.
 
#11
I understand your dilemma. You want the tone from your tube amp rather than the signal from your bass going to the board. Fact is, the SM57 does most things well, including vocals, guitar (when close-mic'd), drums, etc. While bass is not one of it's forte's, it will definitely get the job done. If your amp isn't throwing too much SPL, close mic it and call it a day. Great thing about the 57 is that it does hold more resale value than most any other mic on the market, so you can always unload it without too great a loss if you decide to do so.

Personally, I would pick up a cheap DI box. It has an input for your bass, a 1/4" out that goes to your amp so you can still use your amp as a stage monitor, and a Direct Out that the sound engineer will love.

Information is power. Now you have a decision to make....:D
 
#12
I would have to agree that using a DI on the bass is the best way to go. If your only using it for one gig you could probably go to your local dealer and either borrow or rent one. But DI is your best option.
 
#18
I'm assuming you're getting a lot of your tone from the amp if you're using those low wattage tube amps.

IME in those cases a SM57 will get you by since those amps aren't churning out loads of low end, but if possible get one used and then get a cheap DI so you can route some signal to the PA for more low end/presence.

Plus you can use the SM57 to hammer in nails to build the stage if needed, those things are tough :cool: You'll always find a use for those down the road anyway, very handy and versatile mic.
 
#19
John D said:
Just trying to learn here, but if that is so, why do most people like to take the DI signal post preamp and EQ? This seems to be the consensus from what I've read on TB. Also, what does the "I" in DI represent.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that most people go post, at least not in my experience. I have a built-in DI in my head, but I generally go pre-eq with it.

I believe the I is for Input, though I've also heard Injection.
 
#20
If you're thinking of buying a 57, buy a Heil PR20ut instead. Then you'll have a great vocal mic when all is said and done. The Heil mics sound much nicer than the Shures in the same price range. I know this for a fact.

I put a PR22ut up against my Beta 87a and was completely amazed at how well it stood up. I have never sung through a clearer sounding microphone.
 

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