Shure BETA 57 A

Advantages: Great for instruments or vocal, pretty rugged, not too expensive
Disadvantages: it's one hell of an ugly microphone

...this 57 on the grill and give the amp full whack, it picks it up amazingly. The microphone also sounds pretty good on snare drums and bongo's congas etc. Shure also reccomend it for woodwinds however I have no experience of this. And here's another interesting fact from shure: It has been the standard microphone used on the podium for the president for the past 30 years. And on that note I should end, if it's good enough for Mr. President, It's good enough for your little home recording, your studio or your gig rig. Prices range from around 30-40 on ebay. And 60-80 in shops.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Durable, excellent sound clarity
Disadvantages: None!

...After getting sick of my musical recordings being subjected to annoying high-end hiss or low-end hums, I decided I needed a new microphone to record my acoustic instruments. The SM57 drew attention to me straight away. Aside from being one of, if not, the most popular instrument microphones around these days (as well as world wide use in pro. recording studios), it's also extremely affordable. It seemed too good to be true. I bought one straight away and the results...perfection. The frequency responce on this is between 40 and 15,000Hz. Basically, it keeps the frequencies you would want in the first place. No incommodious high end hiss or irritating low end hums that drown out the rest of the sound. This superior range also makes it perfect for recording a wide variety of instruments. Saxophone, clarinets, most tenor and alto... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Solidly made, excellent sound.
Disadvantages: Doesn't come with a record deal

...I was using Shure microphones in bands back in 1972 and they were noticeably tough and durable with their steel bodies. They had a great reputation even then although how good they sounded in the loud rock bands I was in is a matter best left to history. 'Ziggeeeeeeeee - plaaaaaaaaaaayed gui- tar-ar-arrrrrr!' Without the need for messing around with batteries like you'd get with a mike requiring an active power source or ghost power off a mixer, this is plug-and-go simplicity. It just works really well and requires no servicing or fussing about with. The SM57 is the uni-directional model shaped like a tube. This is the one shaped like a lollipop which means a lot to me because my mother was a lollipop lady. By that I mean that she had a long thin body and a big sticky head. The SM58 gives a lovely clear recording that puts... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful