SM57 vs SM58 for vocals....

[LBS-bass]

That is the exact AKG I still use. Also a great mic for acoustic guitar, mandolin.

I think it's a great mic all around. Crisp, bright, and clean. When I bought mine I was still working at the music store and I A/Bd every single mic in that PA room against a 58 to find the one I liked the best that I could afford.

They don't make them any more, and I'm not sure what I would replace it with if I ever needed to replace it.

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

SM58 is pretty much the standard for live purposes; but in the studio, I would prefer a Rode NT1 any day - assuming a similar price segment.

 

[Pops OB]

Without any doubt, THIS is the best mic ever for a LOT of singers I’ve heard over the years...

 

[Wasnex]

I prefer the pattern of a 57, and use one of these:
View attachment 4108000

I also use the Betas in 58a and 57a more often.

 

[Wasnex]

SM58 has been the industry standard for live vocals for decades, SM58 is a similar mic but it's not intended for vocals, so lacks the internal windscreen and ball. I know people who want to sing into a 57, but it never made any sense to me, we always used them for micing cabinets and whatnot.

That said, either will do but it's harder to avoid pops and such with the 57.

As far as personal preference, I have one of these:

C535 EB (discontinued) | Reference condenser vocal microphone

but lots of sound engineers don't want to deal with a condenser, so I always have an SM58 with me and usually that's what gets used.

You might try a Heil PR35 if you want a dynamic that is more condenser-like. It won't be quite as flat in the upper mids as your C535 though.

 

[BAG]

Without any doubt, THIS is the best mic ever for a LOT of singers I’ve heard over the years...View attachment 4108023

So, you've heard me sing?

To answer the OP's question, if they are the only two choices then the 58 hands down...... but there are so many very good vocal mics out there to choose from. If you can't try different mics out then getting a 58 is a very safe option. If you have the opportunity to try others out properly you might find something you like better. Although I don't think too many of the other brands could still work after being shot 6 times with a .22

There is a reason that it's the industry standard. It is quite flattering to most singers, is quite decent at rejecting feedback, is reasonably priced and almost indestructible.

 

[smo]

Title sez it all. Which is your preference and why?

If it's between those two only?
For vocals, only the 58. It's designed for vocals.
I love the 57 aimed at guitar speakers & snare drums. I wouldn't use the 57 for vocals unless you wear sunglasses at night.

 

[trevcda]

58 for the pop filter. Not my first choice vocal mic, but I have several of each in the mic locker. They as durable as they are predictable. Unfortunately, they are equally as counterfiltable these days. But new and from a reputable dealer.

When purchased an entire PA, monitor system circa 1989 I went with all EV ndym 7xx ( whichever was their " flagship" )

My favorite work horse mic, the EV 767a. All my vocal mics are currently these. Great off axis rejection means awesome monitors. Also means that if a singer habitually turns their head to the side to hit high notes, it will lose them. They are getting a little long in the tooth and that sku has been discontinued. With COVID going on the past year, I have had a chance to try their replacement line. They don't look as good on paper.

 

[Evildrwallace]

One thing that no one has really mentioned is that there can be quite a variance between even brand new 58s (same for 57s). These are great mics and you will never be questioned if you turn up at a gig with a 58 but they are a relatively cheap, mass produced mic (in pro equipment terms) so tolerances are not that tight. What I'm getting at is that you might like one 57 more than one 58 but less than another 58. These differences are small enough to not be that apparent in a live situation but might show up if you're also using the mic to record. That being said, as others have posted, while the Shures are ok for vocal recording they are never going to be as good as a decent condenser mic.

 

[Outbush]

I have a pop filter for an SM57 and I sing (and whistle when need be) through that. I have an ordinary voice, a very narrow range and too many low mids and I simply cant get the power out of a 58 that I get out of a 57. If you are dealing with lesser voices better quality mics like the Betas and my Sennheiser are far more likely to show up the singers short-comings IMHO. I personally believe that SM58s work great for half the singers on the planet - maybe more - because they don't show up too many flaws when used live; but for inexperienced singers, kids and the more challenged weekend warriors I'll put up an SM57 every time because it is a little (for want of a better word) shrill.

 

[Ooba Tooba]

Submitter doesn’t specify vocal mic for singing live or recording. I was raised on 58s for vocals and 57s for acoustics/guitar cabs/drums...
But I haven’t seen the Shure SM7B mentioned yet even though it’s considered a go to for vocals in the studio. That will be my next mic for my home studio (use 58s now). I’ve read the 58s are best suited for live vocals but there are much better vocal studio mics (and I realize there are high dollar ones better than the 7B as well) I have 7 or 8 mics now and would also mention I use the Shure 52a for the bass cabinet and for my kick drum. It handles air and delivers those low frequencies. All of you Sennheiser users...is the 835 your go to for live and recorded vocals?

 

[Deleted member 271037]

If it's ONLY between these two mics I would choose the SM58 for live vocals (more robust construction + built in pop filter) and the SM57 for studio vocals (SLIGHTLY more "open" sound but it will need an external pop filter). The "intended" use for these two mics is of course SM58 for vocals and SM57 for instruments/amps but the 57 can be just as good for vocals IMO, if you add a popfilter or a windscreen.

I know a lot of people will say you need a condenser mic for studio vocals. In most cases I agree. A top quality condenser mic (which will cost significantly more than a 57) will usually give great results with studio vocals. But the 57 can be a surprisingly good vocal mic for recording too if you process it right. On some voices it can be pure magic and actually beat the most expensive condenser mics.

And that's the thing here: Every voice is different. There's no way of knowing without actually trying different mics on the same voice.

I agree with everyone saying the Sennheisers and even the Beta58 are superior mics to the SM58/57 from a TECHNICAL perspective. That doesn't mean every voice will sound better through them. I've seen LOTS of real life examples of the opposite. For example, a voice with a lot of air/hiss around 8kHz will probably sound better on an SM58 than a Beta58 because the Beta has a bit more "air" going on up there and can be a bit harsh on some voices.

Part of the attraction with the SM58/57 is that they have such a recognisable sound. They're not particularly great mics by today's standards but it's the sound we've heard on classic albums/songs for over 50 years now. They have been industry standards to the point where they've defined how certain things are "supposed" to sound, like a 57 on a snare. It's not the "best" choice but it's the sound we've heard on most albums since the 60s. Every engineer will know how to deal with them. No surprises.

Vocals are a bit different though. Every voice is different and you can NEVER know which mic will sound best on a particular voice without actually trying. There's no guarantee that the most expensive and supposedly "best" mic will sound best on a specific voice. And there's certainly no-one on an internet forum who can give you a definitive answer about this.

The SM58 and the SM57 have the same capsule but like others have said, the ball grille and internal pop filter on the 58 will color the sound and make it sound slightly different to the 57. In the studio I've usually preferred the 57 over the 58 for vocals, obviously using an external pop filter. For live vocals I wouldn't use the 57 without the A2WS windscreen (which will add to the cost). This will of course change the sound so it won't sound like a 57 without the windscreen anymore. And it won't sound like a 58 either. It will sound like a 57 with a windscreen. And a 57 with a windscreen will be considerably less robust than a 58.

 

[cnltb]

I like the 57 and do most things with itand eq as required.
My principle on this one is that the best tool is the tool you know.

 

[Ooba Tooba]

I recently picked up the early 60s EV664 for $20 locally stand cord and cool cloth cover included! Gearslutz will tell you all about this legendary precursor to the Shure 58. It helps with vocals for certain voice types like mine (midboost) and is a great inside the kick mic and guitar mic. Think blues and garage rock sound

 

[Deleted member 271037]

I might add to my post above that if you're looking into mics like Sennheisers for a technically superior alternative to the 58 you might also want to check out Beyerdynamic's range of handheld vocal mics. They are some of the best out there IMO. At least from a technical perspective. Whether they will sound better on a specific voice.. you'll never know without trying. There's a reason the SM58 is still around after all these years. It's cheap and it just WORKS. Which is usually more than adequate for most live sound scenarios. There's no need for high end vocal mics for a typical bar/club gig. Feedback rejection is the most important quality in those scenarios IMO.

Come to think of it, Electro-Voice had a classic handheld mic with almost legendary status for it's feedback rejection... I can't remember the model number. Anyone...? I think it went out of production but was re-launched because of demand from engineers.

 

[Geddaric]

IME the mic that does best for me is the Sennheiser 835, but I do have a couple sm58`s for backup/spares. It seems that the 835 is more articulate with my weak voice but it could also be due to the fact that the 835 is "new" technology vs my older 58`s.

 

[Honkey tonk]

57 for vox is punk rock, 58 is the same mic the big difference is the capsule has space between the basket
As long as the person using it understands the diaphragm is like right there and not to swallow it

 

[Wesley R]

View attachment 4108080 I recently picked up the early 60s EV664 for $20 locally stand cord and cool cloth cover included! Gearslutz will tell you all about this legendary precursor to the Shure 58. It helps with vocals for certain voice types like mine (midboost) and is a great inside the kick mic and guitar mic. Think blues and garage rock sound

When I was younger the EV664 was referred to as the hammer.

 

[micguy]

SM58 is pretty much the standard for live purposes

In clubs, sure. Most tours nowadays use Shure’s condensers - Beta 87C’s or KSM9’s.

 

[Stewie]

The 58 was good enough for Grandpa, by golly, it's good enough for me