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Forum Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 22/09/2008 14:33:09
Posts: 191, Visits: 562 |
| While many microphones can lay claim to being the perfect live mic, the Beta 57A is the closest I've heard (and I've tried a lot) to achieving this title. It's typical Shure stuff, indestructible body, hardened steel grille (that's a lot more compact than most of their other mics), XLR connector, lame breakable stand clip (do yourself a favour and invest in some Beyer MKV8 clips, which all the pro's use and which will last a lifetime), with the standard Shure "pencil case" pouch.
Billed as an instrument mic, it's particularly designed for snare drum (which it's awesome for, and having the hardened grille, it doesn't matter if you hit it with a drumstick), guitar amps, etc. Much like the older Shure SM57. But it's a different beast - the pickup pattern is hypercardioid, so a much narrower angle of pickup, and it's quite a bit more sensitive. You can even get away with recording acoustic guitars with one of these, although a condenser will do a better job.
What Shure don't tell you, however, is that it's also one of the best vocal mics available, even more so than their (more expensive) Beta 58A. The smaller grille lets you get closer, so gives you more flexibility when using mic control to vary your tone. It's pretty much impossible to get this mic to feedback, in my experience, which is exactly what you want. And in particular if you're a singing drummer, like myself, there's no better choice.
Shure mics will stand the test of time, sound reliably great (they're as consistent as they come). I have 2 Beta 57A's, 5 SM57's, 3 SM58's and a Beta 58A, and they all see regular use. Oh, and a Beta 52A in my kick drum, which is the perfect mic for this application. The Shure Beta series microphones are possibly the best dynamic mics available, and with recent price drops are more affordable than ever.
Gripes? Well, the mic clip, which has blighted Shure mics since the get-go - I ended up giving all mine to my village church to replace their battered ones. Plus, it's blue... I don't mind the blue strip around the grille, but the blue body doesn't look very rock'n'roll - I wish they'd make these in black! Still, a fantastic mic for vocals and instruments, and a must-have for me... even back when they were going for £120 or more! At today's pricing, you really can't refuse. As soon as I can afford it, I'll pick up another couple from iMuso for my guitar amps.
Voyager Project - Christian Progressive Metal |
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