Shure SM57 vs SM58 (Versus Series)

In which I pit the Shure SM57 against the Shure SM58. The first video in my vs series! Which mic should you choose? I'll give you my definitive answer in this video.

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Feel free to skip to your desired chapters!

00:00 - Intro
02:05 - SM58
03:44 - SM57
05:28 - Guitar Cab Tests
07:19 - Acoustic Guitar Tests
07:52 - A/B Reveal
08:26 - Analysis
11:29 - Final Word

#Shure #shuresm57 #shuresm58 #ShureBattle #ShureDynamicMic #ShureVsShure #versusseries #WhichShureMic #dynamicmicrophone #Shootout

Gear Used in this video:
-Shure SM58 Dynamic Microphone
-Shure SM57 Dynamic Microphone
-Stedman PS101 & PS101-Custom Pop Filters
-Universal Audio Apollo Twin X Interface
-Godin Session HT Electric Guitar
-Crate Blue Voodoo 50 Head
-Budda 2x12 Guitar Cabinet
-Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive MOD Drive Pedal
-Some Cheap-ass Acoustic Guitar that sucks
-Canon M50
-Sigma 30mm 1.4 EF-M Lens
-Godox ML60 Continuous Light
-Godox 32" Softbox with Grid
-GVM LED light panel (backlight)
-Pixel GS1 RGB Light
-Godox VL49 RGB Light
-Canadian Studio 5-in-1 Reflector

Links to purchase all my gear below! Please use them, I could really use the bones to help make more videos!

My film Kit:

My Music Recording Kit:

All of my kits:

If you'd like to see more or less of anything in my examinations, let me know!

My TIP BOX!

[chrisose]

The 57 and 58 have exactly the same capsule and transformer. The extra brightness in the 57 is because of the absence of any windscreen. With the A2WS windscreen attached you need an oscilloscope to tell the difference in frequency response between the two.
It should also be noted that the SM7, until the latest revision, used the same Unidyne-3 capsule as the 57 and 58.

[isaacdust]

I have both mics, but the SM57 was my very first piece of gear, purchased sometime in the 90s and it’s still going strong. With the A2WS windscreen (which costs about 15 bucks) attached, it works great for spoken word and vocals, and it looks cool as well.

[gcprost]

When I was the technical director of a 650 seat theatre, I had a bunch of SM58’s. They were a workhorse for live presentations.

[milesian]

I love your videos and this one was no exception. Since starting a podcast I did what I did as a photographer years ago and became infected with G.A.S., but this time with microphones. After recording my first episode with myself on the SM57 and my guest on a Behringer XM8500 I ended up acquiring a ton of mics, ranging from 20 to 300 bucks. I've also tested my wife's Neumann TLM102. Recently, I did my own massive comparison test with all my mics, including the gorgeous Shure Super 55 Deluxe, Electro-Voice RE320, as well as cheap sensations like the FiFine K669D and Donner P-08, and the SM57 was right up there with the RE320 as the best for my voice and purposes. I also do quite a bit of singing (not for public consumption), and the SM57 with A2WS is my favorite mic of all.

[azechu]

this was so enjoyable to watch, you are so underrated what a gem!

[floresfive]

Dude, you are awesome! This was so entertaining all the way through!

[joshuamathews]

A-Sm58, B-Sm57. This is based on hearing more bass in B

— Surprised, I would have expected that there would be more of a bass response on the 57, but in retrospect the pop filter would cut the high end, which is what caused the deeper bass response in the 58.

[fanmike]

love the voice / knowledge / editing / and humor. Subscribed!

[ilblues]

My acoustic duo during college years ('74-76) used SM57 mics with foam balls on the vocal mics. When we parted ways 10 years later, we sold everything. Needing a couple of mics for recording and solo work, I bought the original EV N/DYM 257 and 457 mics (cardioid and super) ... several more dynamic mic acquisitions over the years were also neodymium mics. Just recently deciding to narrate my blog posts to create a "Listen" link, I borrowed an SM57 and 58 from the neighbor who runs a studio and tested them head to head with my box of ND mics. Even blindfolded, I liked the SM58 best on my bassy voice, spoken or singing, and next the SM57. In fact those neodymium mics all sounded harsh to me - which to my ears add a noticeable sizzle to everything. Man, I hate sizzle! So 40 years later, I'm back on the Shure mics for most of my recording and put the ND mics up for sale. Can't say I know what magnets are used in the Shures - whether ceramic or alnico I don't know - but they darn sure (shure) sound better to my ears than the NDs - just for the more pleasant, warm mid-rangey sound.

[Woot-Zee]

LOL... the "measuring tape" jokes got me! Thank you for the laugh! :)

[geesonnit]

Brilliant comparison many thanks! I’ve subbed too 🤙🏼😊

[jacobangel]

Dude you're hilarious and this demo was great, not only that but now I know which pop filter I'm going with AND I would have never found the song Romulus without your recommendation which brought me to tears, so thank you for that, stay awesome

[RichLunaMusic]

Hahaha dude, you're hilarious! I don't know why you remind me of if Zach Galifianakis was a Rockstar. I got the SM58 for my work room and the stage if I ever do but the SM57 is prolly gonna be my next mic for acoustic geetar and amp when I'm doing electric. It was hard to choose, there's so many great mics for a great price in this world.

Keep doing what you're doing. Also, is the intro ring inspired by Doctor Strange? :)

[DanielSRosehill]

Thanks for this comparison. Liked the SM57 a bit better for its brightness on the high end of your vocals!

[suisiruy]

I loved this video from the beginning.
The end surprised me in a grotesque but joyful way!

[TomasWatchReviews]

Wonderful video. For youtube SM58 silver ball catches eyes too much, black would be perfect. SM57 looks slim and so cool. I think SM57 with small pop foam would still look better than SM58 with foam, because of the smaller cooler size.

[WhatTheHeckOffiziell]

Man you are great! Love the Quality of your Videos! You deserve so much more Followers! Greetings from Germany

[JR-lxnn]

You failed to mention the most important factoid about these two microphones - The SM57 and SM58 microphones are based on the same cartridge design. The main difference is in the grille design. The SM58 was designed for vocal application and it uses a ball grille that acts as an effective pop filter. The SM57 was designed as an instrument microphone where a smaller grille size is preferred. In this application, pop and wind are not usually a concern.

The SM57 uses an integral resonator/grille assembly, where grille is actually a part of the cartridge. These two grille designs place the diaphragm of each microphone in a different acoustical environment. The distance from the top of the grille to the diaphragm is shorter on the SM57 compared to that of the SM58. This allows for a closer miking position with a more pronounced proximity effect. The different resonator/grille assembly design of the SM57 is also responsible for its slightly higher output above 5 kHz.

The commenter below is mistaken - it is not "exactly the same capsule and transformor" because it is a cartridge not a capsule (condensers are capsules, dynamics are cartridges) and it should be spelled "transformer." Moreover, as noted above, the grille is an integral part of the cartridge, and the whole point is they are not the same grille assembly. The above two paragraphs are more accurate and were written by SHURE, itself.

Just saying - JHT

[KarlBertyn]

I love this video. Great sense of humor. I didnt know you measured at 6 inches at the base. lol

[oldoutsider]

Outstanding review. Maximum info, minimum gab. Well done sir.