lollington Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Hello folks Does anyone have experience using both the SM58 and SM58 Beta microphones from Shure? This will be my first stage mic and I wonder if there is much benefit in splashing out a few extra $$$ for the beta. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskimoBassist Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 The beta is a bit brighter and is a bit hotter. You can't really go wrong with a standard 58, great mic. I've used both live, as an engineer and as a performer, didn't make much difference to me either way really. I've heard some say that the beta is a little less prone to feeding back but I couldn't really tell the difference to be honest. Whichever you get you won't be disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 [quote name='EskimoBassist' timestamp='1336660250' post='1649089'] Whichever you get you won't be disappointed. [/quote] Yep! They're industry standard for a reason. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 (edited) The other important difference between the SM58 and the Beta 58A is the polar pattern. The SM58 is cardioid and the Beta 58A is supercardioid. The Beta 58A has superior side rejection at the cost of some pickup directly behind it. To quote Wikipedia's page about the Beta 58A - "As with any supercardioid pattern microphone, stage monitors should be placed between 30 and 60 degrees to one side of the microphone rather than directly on axis to its rear." It is also apparently less sensitive to proximity effect (the increase in low frequency response when sound source is close to the microphone) because frequencies below 500Hz are attenuated in some way. Edited May 11, 2012 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cupples Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 As a sound guy using Beta 58's - the singer needs to be right on that mic - any lateral movement and it drops away completely. It doesn't work for our keyboard player, as the moment she looks down or reaches up or down the keyboard, it doesn't pick her up nearly as well. That's the supercardioid pattern. It's a great mic otherwise, but unless you're eating the mic all the time, the 58 might be be a better bet. If feedback from monitors is a problem, it would also work well (I've never had any bother with feedback with them). Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I use a Beta 57 on stage (the 57 suits my voice better than the 58) and I tend to sing with my lips more-or-less touching the basket. The Beta is definitely less prone to feedback, and it's built like a tank, but I have to second the point above about turning your head away. If I glance down at the frets while playing, my voice disappears for a beat/note/syllable apparently. This not something you tend to notice when testing a mic (in a shop, say) before deciding to buy. I really like my mic and I don't plan to ditch it, but realistically if I was starting again I would buy a standard 57. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollington Posted May 12, 2012 Author Share Posted May 12, 2012 Thanks for the advice everyone. I think given that I'll be playing and singing at the same time, I may go for the standard 58 on the basis that the pickup pattern would be more forgiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 My old band had a 'standard' set of 58's for all 5 singers but one day the female lead turned up with a Beta. Sounded great in rehearsal but we had real problems with it live, prone to dropping out (must have been the pattern issues mentioned above) but also gave us some feedback problems. I'm sure it's a fine mic but we definitely found it less 'forgiving' to work with than a standard 58. It went back the next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinman Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I'd say try and borrow anything you're considering and try before you buy. I don't disagree with any of the other comments but mics can be quite a personal choice in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Try before buying, when we bought singer (female) mic we started of thinking shure sm58 etc. Guy in store spent much time suggesting various ones and set them up to try. There is a difference, some mics seemed to suit her voice much better. We bought AKG D5 and are very pleased. As ever try before handing loot over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mybass Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 [quote name='lollington' timestamp='1336659503' post='1649068'] Hello folks Does anyone have experience using both the SM58 and SM58 Beta microphones from Shure? This will be my first stage mic and I wonder if there is much benefit in splashing out a few extra $$$ for the beta. Cheers [/quote] The 58 is just a little 'muddier' in the lows compared to the cleaner and crisper Beta. They are industry 'standard' because although very good, I think their advertising helps sell more than anyone else. We can tend to forget a few other makes.....Electrovoice N/Ds (758??) as used by a singer I work with, an excellent mic for 'his' voice which is bluesy deep and growly. There is also a Beyer model quoted to me just yesterday that was used by many singers that was considered a top mic. I recently bought a Rode M1which is also very good that I prefer for BVs over the 58 as it is just that little cleaner in the lows. Be wary that Shure is probably the most 'pirated/copied' mic on the planet. Shure say they regularly close 'fake' factories in China with the help of the Chinese authorities. Their website can help you ascertain a real and a fake but even Shure's mic weight specifications seem not to be correct and I think this is to confuse the fakers (sic!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) [quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1336727140' post='1649948'] Yep! They're industry standard for a reason. [/quote] Because they've been around a long time and don't break. Edited May 16, 2012 by stevie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 [quote name='stevie' timestamp='1337095685' post='1655365'] Because they've been around a long time and don't break. [/quote] I have my dads one still, that must be about 20years old at least. Still works perfectly to. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 +1 for the AKG D5. I'm with Stevie on this one Shure's are popular because we all know them and they don't break (nothing wrong with that of course) Would you buy a car because it was the best available in the 1960's or has technology moved on? EV ND767a worth a look too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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