While Shure SM57 and Shure SM58 are both very popular choices in the field of professional audio equipment, some people are still wondering if they should choose Shure SM57 or Shure SM58. These two products are made by the same manufacturer that has been trusted since a very long time ago, and these two products are also being priced quite similarly. Well, you can find on the Internet that Shure SM57 is a microphone for musical instruments while Shure SM58 is a microphone for vocals. But, why, you may ask. If you want to know the differences between Shure SM57 and Shure SM58, read on to find out! (Take a look: Shure SM58 Vs Beta58)
Design
The first noticeable difference between Shure SM57 and Shure SM58 is certainly the design. You don’t have to really put the two side by side in order to see the distinctions. Shure SM57 has a small black grille, while Shure SM58 has a spherical silver filter. Each model comes in several variants; some variants have the on/off switches and the cables while the others don’t, so you can pick one that suits your needs and requirements best. Nevertheless, the difference in design brings very different effects in usage.
Shure SM57 is designed to be used for musical instruments, where wind and breath sounds are less likely to become a problem. Thus, it does not really need a pop filter. In addition, its design has the distance between the top of the grille and the diaphragm shorter, so that it allows a closer miking position in order to generate a more pronounced proximity effect. On the other hand, Shure SM58 has a ball grille that also acts very well as a pop filter. Shure SM58 works very well in reducing wind and breath sounds, as well as some ambient noise, making it very good for vocals.
Output
Due to the assembly design, Shure SM57 is able to produce more powerful output than Shure SM58. Worth a note, Shure SM57 has a frequency response range of 40 Hz – 15 kHz, while Shure SM58 has a frequency response range of 50 Hz – 15 kHz. As you can see, Shure SM57 is able to reach lower frequencies, which is once again excellent for instruments. For vocals, Shure SM58 is usually sufficient.
Shure SM58 Vs SM57
| Shure SM58 | Shure SM57 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Shure | Shure |
| Key features | - Frequency response tailored for vocals, with brightened midrange and bass rolloff to control proximity effect - Effective built-in spherical wind and pop filter. Frequency response: 50 to 15,000 Hz - Pneumatic shock-mount system cuts down handling noise. - Uniform cardioid pickup pattern isolates the main sound source and minimizes background noise | - Contoured frequency response is clean, instrumental reproduction and rich vocal pickup - Professional-quality reproduction for drum, precussion, and instrument amplifier miking - Uniform cardioid pickup pattern isolates the main source while reducing background noise - Extremely durable under heaviest use - Frequency response 40 to 15,000 Hz |
| Price | ||
| Customer Ratings* | 4.6 out of 5 stars | 4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Deal* | Save Money Please click here | Save 32% Please click here |
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Decision
As the rule of thumb, if you plan to use your mic for instruments, Shure SM57 is the way. Shure SM57 can be a good choice, too, for bass vocals. Otherwise, Shure SM58’s built-in pop filter is a very good feature to have for most vocals.