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Post by PistolPete on Aug 14, 2019 15:12:59 GMT
They aren't that good right? I mean they're indestructible, and very feedback resistant, and they'll do an adequate job of almost any task you put them to, but sound-wise they aren't all that special?
Only last night, having sung through my usual set-up of a beta-58, someone complained to me that it "wasn't even a proper SM58". Which had me a little taken aback on the basis that they cost £50 more and sound better...
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Post by scorpiodog on Aug 14, 2019 15:45:04 GMT
Armchair experts. Don't you just love 'em?
I don't believe any mic can make me sound better. I wish that was the problem!
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SM58s
Aug 14, 2019 16:06:22 GMT
Post by dreadnought28 on Aug 14, 2019 16:06:22 GMT
I’ve used a 58 and a beta for many years. Just watch live shows and broadcasts to see just how many are in use after all these decades. That speaks for itself.
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Aug 14, 2019 17:38:20 GMT
What's an SM58?
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Post by Onechordtrick on Aug 14, 2019 17:53:04 GMT
I think it’s a microphone.
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SM58s
Aug 15, 2019 1:13:22 GMT
Post by dreadnought28 on Aug 15, 2019 1:13:22 GMT
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Wild Violet
Artist / Performer
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My main instrument is: Symonds OM-14
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SM58s
Aug 15, 2019 8:23:08 GMT
Post by Wild Violet on Aug 15, 2019 8:23:08 GMT
I think it very much depends on the frequency of your voice. SM58s are known for being a bit bassy and not that great for female vocalists. I find it makes makes my voice very muddy and flat, and needs a lot of mixer tweaking to get a decent sound. The Beta 58A on the other hand is cleaner and clearer, more of a plug-and-play mic for me.
The SM58 was the industry standard for decades, as they are indestructible and extremely reliable. If you have a good soundman they will know how to get the best from it. I rarely have my own soundman and think there are much better mics out there nowadays. I'd pick a Beta 58A over a straight 58 every time if I had the choice.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Aug 15, 2019 8:58:43 GMT
I used to use a Shure Unidyne, can't remember which model number, but it had a hi-lo impedance switch which was really handy at the time. Replaced that with an SM58, and yes, I'd probably replace that with something but for 25 years or so it has refused to break or even get nicked, so it looks like we're stuck with each other.
Keith
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Post by andyhowell on Aug 15, 2019 15:01:46 GMT
The Betas are voiced differently. I have one but never use it myself - I uses Sennheiser 935. - but the Beta always sound better on female voices !
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SM58s
Aug 16, 2019 8:54:40 GMT
Post by PistolPete on Aug 16, 2019 8:54:40 GMT
The Betas are voiced differently. I have one but never use it myself - I uses Sennheiser 935. - but the Beta always sound better on female voices ! I'm very much of the opinion they are better on male voices too - with the original SM58 I feel like I am constantly fighting the mud to be able to hear the words in an open mic type environment. I rather got the impression a Sennheiser, or a Neumann, or an AKG would have been not-even-a-proper-SM58 for this person too. That their reaction to not seeing the mic they expected there was that it must be that I was too cheap to get the 'proper' mic, as opposed to me making an educated choice about which vocal mic in my budget range best suited my needs.
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SM58s
Aug 16, 2019 9:12:27 GMT
Post by andyhowell on Aug 16, 2019 9:12:27 GMT
I'm very much of the opinion they are better on male voices too - with the original SM58 I feel like I am constantly fighting the mud to be able to hear the words in an open mic type environment. I agree. The Beta is an all-round better mic than the standard. My Sennheiser is better balanced on a male vocal I think and I've never enjoyed it with higher register female vocals. Just tell any moaners that they are singing through a better (and more revealing) mic :-)
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SM58s
Aug 24, 2019 23:37:38 GMT
Post by curmudgeon on Aug 24, 2019 23:37:38 GMT
I've got a couple but never use them now. When I had to add some amplification for my "Acoustic Music club" - I decided to use an old Rode Nt1 that I used on an old album I made (when we were all younger)and everyone said how good the sound is - I've stayed with that.
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Post by NikGnashers on Aug 25, 2019 8:17:58 GMT
Just to say : If the SM58 suits your voice, and you are not gigging 5 nights a week in hot & sweaty enviroments, there is a much cheaper almost identical (in frequency response) alternative. The BEHRINGER Ultravoice XM8500 can be bought from £15 - £20 and as a long time user I can recommend these. They are not built quite as sturdy as the Shure, but they are actually very well made for the price, and the actual sound they reproduce is almost identical to the SM58. I use one at home for singing into, when practising with my amp, but I also have another which I use on my Amateur Radio 'station' (Ham radio), and it has been doing sterling service for a few years now. I have no connections with BEHRINGER at all, so no reason for me to plug this item, other than I am impressed and happy with the two mics. If you are on a budget, these are great.
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Wild Violet
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Post by Wild Violet on Aug 25, 2019 16:09:37 GMT
Just to say : If the SM58 suits your voice, and you are not gigging 5 nights a week in hot & sweaty enviroments, there is a much cheaper almost identical (in frequency response) alternative. The BEHRINGER Ultravoice XM8500 can be bought from £15 - £20 and as a long time user I can recommend these. I agree - I used an XM8500 for both busking and gigging for a couple of years - it's been knocked around a lot and is still going strong. It did sound very SM58ish to me, which meant my voice sounded a bit flat and muddy. They are currently £13.55 at Amazon in case anyone is interested, they are hard to beat for that price! XM8500I switched over to a Samson Q8X for busking when they were on sale at GAK for something like £39. It sounds to me quite similar to the Shure Beta 58A, clearer and mud-free. I always use my 58A for gigging, but I don't know if there is any real difference in the quality of the sound over the Q8X.
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Post by PistolPete on Aug 25, 2019 22:07:58 GMT
I actually have three XM8500s I bought to use as vocal mics at an open mic about ten years back. They run much hotter than an SM58, so are a bit less feedback resistant, but they are very solid mics, and all three are still going strong. One of them still does nightly duties inside my stompbox.
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