The Shure SM57 is a low-impedance cardioid dynamic microphone made by Shure Incorporated and commonly used in live sound reinforcement and studio recording. It is one of the best-selling microphones in the world. It is used extensively in amplified music and has been used for speeches by every U.S. president since its introduction in 1965. [1] In 2004, honoring its four decades of "solid, dependable performance", it was inducted into the first-ever TEC Awards TECnology Hall of Fame. [1]
The origin of SM57 may be traced to 1937, when Shure engineer Benjamin Bauer developed the first single-element directional microphone, the Unidyne, which had a cardioid pickup pattern. [1] In 1959, another Shure engineer, Ernie Seeler, advanced the art of microphone design significantly with the Unidyne III capsule which was later used in the SM57. [1] After three years of research and development, which encompassed various torture tests, the result was the creation of the SM series of rugged and reliable Shure microphones. [1] The "SM" stands for Studio Microphone; [2] Seeler was an aficionado of classical music and expected the SM57 to be used for orchestras. Because he "despised" rock music, the TEC Foundation said that it was ironic that the microphone has become "a mainstay of rock music." [1]
The SM57 uses the same capsule as the popular SM58. Like the SM58, the SM57 is fitted with an XLR connector and is impedance balanced, which helps to minimize electrical hum and noise pickup when connected to a balanced input. Compared to the SM58, the SM57's grille allows for closer placement to the source of sound, while the SM58 provides a pop filter to reduce plosives ("pop" sounds) and wind. According to Shure, the SM57 frequency response extends from 40 Hertz (Hz) to 15 kHz. It is manufactured in the United States, Mexico, and China.
The Shure A2WS is an accessory windscreen for the SM57 that attenuates wind noise and plosives, and protects the microphone capsule.
The SM57 is a popular choice of musicians due to its sturdy construction and ability to work well with instruments that produce high sound pressure levels, such as percussion instruments and electric guitars. The School of Audio Engineering (SAE) recommends the SM57 (along with other makes and models) for four roles in a drum kit: kick drum, snare drum, rack toms, and floor tom. [3] The cardioid pickup pattern of the microphone reduces the pickup of unwanted background sound and the generation of acoustic feedback. SM57s have also been a staple when reinforcing the sound from guitar amplifiers.
In a more unconventional fashion, the SM57 has been favored by some as a vocal mic, both live and in the studio. Notable singers known to have recorded vocals with an SM57 include Anthony Kiedis, Brandon Flowers, [4] Madonna, [5] David Bowie, [6] John Lennon, [7] Jack White, [8] Bjork, [9] Peter Gabriel, [10] Paul Rodgers, [11] Tom Waits, [12] Wayne Coyne, [13] Tom Petty [14] Alice Cooper, Erykah Badu, [15] Caleb Followill [16] and Raphael Saadiq. [17] An early model of the mic, the Unidyne 545 was used on Pet Sounds for Brian Wilson's vocal tracks.
One particularly noticeable use of the SM57 is Bon Iver's album For Emma, Forever Ago. Where Iver only used an SM57 for instrument recordings through-out. [18] This album went platinum in the US [19] and UK [20] and has over 1 billion listens on Spotify. [21]
Every U.S. president since Lyndon B. Johnson has delivered speeches through an SM57. [1] It became the lectern microphone of the White House Communications Agency in 1965, the year of its introduction, and remains so. [22]
Due to its popularity, the SM57 has been counterfeited frequently by manufacturers in China and Thailand. [23] Shure Distribution UK reports that the SM57, SM58, Beta 57A, and Beta 58A are their microphones that are most commonly counterfeited. [24] In 2006, Shure mounted a campaign against the trading of counterfeit microphones. [25]
A microphone, colloquially called a mic, or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public events, motion picture production, live and recorded audio engineering, sound recording, two-way radios, megaphones, and radio and television broadcasting. They are also used in computers and other electronic devices, such as mobile phones, for recording sounds, speech recognition, VoIP, and other purposes, such as ultrasonic sensors or knock sensors.
A DI unit is an electronic device typically used in recording studios and in sound reinforcement systems to connect a high output impedance unbalanced output signal to a low-impedance, microphone level, balanced input, usually via an XLR connector and XLR cable. DIs are frequently used to connect an electric guitar or electric bass to a mixing console's microphone input jack. The DI performs level matching, balancing, and either active buffering or passive impedance matching/impedance bridging. DI units are typically metal boxes with input and output jacks and, for more expensive units, “ground lift” and attenuator switches.
Shure Incorporated is an audio products corporation headquartered in the USA. It was founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois, in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges, discussion systems, mixers, and digital signal processing. The company also manufactures listening products, including headphones, high-end earphones, and personal monitor systems.
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The Shure SM58 is a professional cardioid dynamic microphone, commonly used in live vocal applications. Produced since 1966 by Shure Incorporated, it has built a reputation among musicians for its durability and sound, and is still the industry standard for live vocal performance microphones. The SM58 is the most popular live vocal microphone in the world. It is a development of the SM57 microphone, which is another industry standard for both live and recorded music. In both cases, SM stands for studio microphone.
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The proximity effect in audio is an increase in bass or low frequency response when a sound source is close to a directional or cardioid microphone. Proximity effect is a change in the frequency response of a directional pattern microphone that results in an emphasis on lower frequencies. It is caused by the use of ports to create directional polar pickup patterns, so omni-directional microphones do not exhibit the effect
The Shure Beta 58A is a rugged dynamic supercardioid microphone developed by Shure Incorporated specifically for live vocal performances. The microphone won a TEC Award in 1996 for outstanding microphone technology.
A Y-cable, Y cable, or splitter cable is a cable with three ends: one common end and two other ends. The Y-cable can resemble the Latin letter "Y".
In live sound mixing, gain before feedback (GBF) is a practical measure of how much a microphone can be amplified in a sound reinforcement system before causing audio feedback. In audiology, GBF is a measure of hearing aid performance. In both fields the amount of gain is measured in decibels at or just below the point at which the sound from the speaker driver re-enters the microphone and the system begins to ring or feed back. Potential acoustic gain (PAG) is a calculated figure representing gain that a system can support without feeding back.
The Shure MV7 is a cardioid dynamic microphone used for podcasting and home studio applications. The MV7 was developed in 2020 by Shure as a digital audio reworking of the classic SM7B professional broadcasting microphone. The MV7 was rated the best podcasting microphone by Rolling Stone in their 2021 Audio Awards.
The Shure SM7 is a professional cardioid dynamic microphone, commonly used in broadcasting applications since 1973. Designed by Shure, it has been described as an "iconic" industry standard microphone for its focused, directional sound and its widespread adoption in radio, television and recording studios. In 2007–2008, the SM7B model became popular for professional podcasting.
The Sennheiser MD 421 is a German cardioid dynamic microphone, widely used for speech in broadcasting and for music in live concerts and the recording studio. Introduced in 1960, the internal large-diaphragm transducer element of the MD 421 is still produced unchanged by Sennheiser. The MD 421 is considered a classic, an industry standard. More than 500,000 units have been sold.
The Electro-Voice RE20 is an American professional cardioid dynamic microphone, commonly used in broadcasting applications since 1968. Designed by Electro-Voice using the company's patented Variable-D technology and a large-diaphragm element, it has been described as an industry standard "iconic" microphone for its natural sound and its wide usage in radio, television and recording studios. In 2015, the RE20 was inducted into the TEC Awards Technology Hall of Fame.
The Shure 55SH is a professional cardioid dynamic microphone that has been commonly used in broadcast applications since 1939. Designed by American audio products company Shure, it has been described as "iconic" in pamphlets and reviews, after the Elvis stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 1993. It was widely adopted in radio, television, and recording studios. From the 1940s until the end of the 20th century, it maintained its popularity in the professional environment. Shure designed the Unidyne transducer in 1939 and then greatly improved it in 1959, based on research and development by Shure engineer Ernie Seeler.
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