Shure SM57 Professional Microphone

I've been a recording engineer, mixer and mastering engineer for the past 30 years and I always tell people that when they are in doubt about what mic to use and they have 57's around, that you really can't go wrong using this mic. It will almost always make something sound the way it sounds in the room. People tend to get swayed by the latest boutique or "flavor of the month" mic but as the old standby of 90% of live and studio engineers worldwide...............well, I think that says it all!!!
Bob Pucci
Metropolis Masters
Chicago

I've got a number of these and they are possibly the most useful microphone ever. Consistent performance no matter what you are using it for. Killer on guitar, drums, vocals, and really everything and anything that makes sound.

A necessary item for any musicians toolkit.

don't get the SM57 confused w/ the pg57, they are totally different. the pg57 sounds like a cloud is hovering in front of everything. I tried one before getting the real deal sm57. blown away.

Everyone should have at least one or two SM57 microphones. They are the "standard" sound of many hit records.

A good mic to get for your first flat dynamic, and it will stay with you your entire career. It's really hard to outgrow this mic because there will always be a day that you can find something to use it on. It is called the workhorse because of its sheer versatility, just place your 57 in front of your source (make sure you are using proper micing technique for the instrument you are recording) and play away!

I still use mine on my guitar cabs every now and then. A good micing technique for cabs is to aim the mic straight at the dome of the speaker, and then pan it a little to the left or right. Will give you good tone for pretty much any style of music!

Merchandise delivered promptly and in great shape. Everything went smoothly, I would definitely repeat with this seller.

Upon the notification of another fellow ebayer it has been brought to my attention that the microphone that I just purchased from the seller is in fact a fake. By unscrewing the microphone I found that there were two red wires instead of the green and yellow wires that our used in the real thing. Please stay away and save your money for the real thing!

Sincerely,

Brandon

I've been recording drums for a few months now in my home studio (using the Presonus D8). I'm using the Audix Fusion 7 piece package and overall I'm pretty please with the sound. The only exception is the snare sound. I just couldn't seem to get that nice pop I wanted. It seemed like the snare just wasn't standing out in the mix like it was supposed to. Of course, I tried a couple of different snares, different tunings, all with the same result. So, I decided it was time to step up to the SM57. So, I got it set up, and boy am I pleased. I can finally feel the snare in the mix. It has just the right amount of pop without being harsh. It is sensitive enough to pick up all the different nuances of my snare drum (I hit the snare in different places when I want certain sounds and for certain songs). The SM57 is the most widely used snare mic in the industry (at least that's what I've read while researching what to buy), and I see why. It's excellent. And since the snare and kick are probably the most important aspect of your overall sound, it's really cleared up the drum sound as a whole. Hopefully, I can pick up a few more. I recommend it without hesitation, it is the sure thing!

I've been recording artists for 25 years. This microphone is: 1) WAY under priced and 2)is miles beyond any of its competition. For recording acoustic toms and snares, I will use NOTHING else! Oh, I've tried...but these mics outperform anything and also allow the engineer to work with tone, post-recording, than any other mic. It is excellent in rejecting bleed, provides a great flat response and also has a great LF cut-off that is just right. It handles high SPL's without giving out and is one rugged design. I also use it on guitars and high SPL brass. It's ok for vocals but not intended for that purpose.

The Shure SM57 is widely recognized as an essential live/studio microphone. The mic can be used for guitars, drums, bass etc...It is almost indestructible. I use them as a mic of choice for drum toms and snare drums.

I love my sm57's, they work perfectly and look great, one of the best mic's ever created, so glad that i got the two, which i could have purchased more of them

These mic are the industry standard for a reason. Everyone has there own way of mic'ing things and these allow you to do that. Drums amps what ever. You want to stick it right up in the grill of a cab...NO PROBLEM, they can take it. I like how the lower end is boosted when mic'ing very close. Every guitarist should have one if your gig'ing cause who knows what the sound guy is going to try and use. Though most sound guys will have a bunch of these on hand. The only thin i wouldn't use them for is vocals. Shure makes a beeter mic for that.

This thing is rugged and does the job whenever you need it. It's not extremely pretty, but it's also very affordable and has great versatility/quality for the price range. Every studio ought to have at least one!

This microphone is simply required for all suitable studios or live situations. There are some comments giving this microphone a 3/5 and those people are idiots and have no clue what they're talking about.

Yes the AKG perception is a decent microphone, so when you're miking a guitar cabinet use BOTH and blend the tones.

The other idiot talked about how the frequency response wasn't flat. That's called flavor. If you listen to the way that a nice valve influences tone, it always (even in the most transparent of cases) distorts the flat frequency response.

This is texture and flavor that is pleasing the human ear... why do you think its 50-120k USD to purchase a 7.1 home theater tube amp? It creates more realistic sound.

No the sm57 isn't tube but the frequency response sounds great for guitar and some drum applications.

Buy 2 of these so you can play with different miking techniques.

The Shure SM57 is a tank. They can take a ton of abuse and still sound great, which is why they've been a staple in live audio for decades. Versatile and roadworthy - a great combination.

I bought this microphone because of past experience using it for use on guitar cabinets. I have a live sound production company and use these for that purpose as well as in the studio.

Allthough there are better microphones for the money out there, I own a sound company, and musicians expect the SM57. I would prefer a AKG D770, D22, Senheiser E602, or even a condenser AKG perception 150 which are simmilar in price. The high frequency response of a SM57 isn't smooth at all, and there is a peak at arround 120Hz on the low end that can add muddiness if you're not careful. They aren't very rugged, as there is no real protection for the element (no wire mesh dome). That being said, this mic is what most contract riders specify, and most musicians expect, so her I am buying more of them.

the microphones I received were fakes... luckily I was able to get a full refund through paypal...
so just make sure you review the mics before buying them.

i bought these shure mics.because shure is #1 in mics.my opinion,great performance .the only mics i would use for my dj system....

Nice quality, clean and warm for acoustic guitar or vocals. Has switch for different levels of bass cut and decibles. Sturdy construction, doesn't feel cheap.

Great mic. Very sturdy. Can be used for instruments as well as vocals. I use it for live shows as well as recordings. I have used it already on snares, high-hats and guitar amps. I wouldn't reccomend it for live vocals because of how directional it is. You're vocals may not be heard if you move more than 2 inches to the left or right of the mic. Otherwise strong mic. It will easily last a few years of your normal gig wear and tear. I've dropped plenty of SM57s and SM58s and have never had one fail me.

SM57 mics are a standard of the industry. They are solid and function for decades. I purchased the SM 57 because it is flexible to be used for drums, vocals, wind instruments and to mic guitar amps.

I recently bought three of these mics from someone that was selling them for $45 each. They were supposedly located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. These were 'Buy It Now' transactions. I don't know if E-bay will allow me to specify their 'name', so I won't bother with that. As far as the review for the mic itself goes, they work excellent for what I use them for and have had other of the same mics in the past. I could not buy all three in one transaction, so I had to place three separate orders for one mic each. After not receiving them in the specified amount of time, I e-mailed the seller and got no response. I then initiated a claim against them thru PayPal. Shortly thereafter, I received a package from China which had two of the mics in it. The package was partially crushed which damaged one of the mics. They were packaged poorly, just in the manufacturers flimsy cardboard box. I have never received the third mic. These items never appeared in 'My E-Bay', so I can't even leave these people VERY negative feedback. Apparently, because we signed for one package, PayPal is unable to help us in resolving this issue. Although, the seller has graciously offered to refund our money on the damaged one if we send it back to China. Please be wary of anyone selling these mics for $45 and possibly located in Arkansas. This has been a very frustrating E-bay experience.

I really can't compare much because I'm just getting started in doing some recording. I haven't gotten much of a studio set up yet, but this is my first quality mic. A lot of people recommend this as a good one to start with. I can say that it has a nice solid construction to it and in a couple tests it seems to handle a wide range well. I'm looking forward to finding out just what it can do.

This mic was really good. I used it in the studio to a 4x12 guitar cab and the sound was great !!!! This was a nice investment . Thanks