Hi all. I know this is a well covered topic but having gone through the archives, I still don’t know which of these mics is going to give me the versatility I need.
I play high whistles, flute and also sing backup on our worship team. Can anyone pick just one of these mics and tell me why?
Thanks for your patience!
Deb
Frankly, I was a little confused as to why people recommended SM57 or 58 for whistle. These are dynamic mics that essentially respond only to the signal that excites the inner membrane and are considered primarily voice mics even tho some folkies think that the 57 is special for instruments.
SM-57s have a breakable frame cover and its sort of typical to see the exposed head from ones that have been broken off by swinging guitars etc.
Condenser mics, the kind that require a power source, such as built in battery or phantom power, “collect” a lot more field sound and nuance of acoustic instruments as well as voices IMO (but also feedback easier). This category includes the mini or “Lavellier” style mics that people clip on their lapels, etc.
Please excuse my non-scientific lingo but I definitely notice the difference between condensers and dynamics in these ways even if I can’t accurately describe them.
In my school assembly trio, I have three SM 58s to sing into, then three condenser mics for instruments (2 are MB3000 audio-technicas, cheapies but ok, third is fancier AKG C1000S). we have used banjo, guitar, percussion, accordion so the condensers pick up whatever we hold up.
There is an improved SM58 thats about $70 (?) more (is that the Beta, Byll?) . I think that people are very loyal to the 58s for singing and they work great in high-noise situations because you have to get pretty darn close to em. For that same reason, I find them less usable for whistling as I tend to move around a bit as we direct kids to dance, clap hands etc etc. You can also “fade out” with a condenser mic by backing away, while dynamic mics drop out pretty soon as you move away.
If I had to do it over again, i would have sprung for the improved 58, because I find the regular 58 good if you have a great voice but non-responsive if you have less. I have a “character” voice unfortunately and find the 58s not very supporting.
SM-58s are the classic niteclub mic and I think their reliability is what keeps them popular. Cabaret singers and sound techs alike know what to expect from them.
I’ll bet there is something better for whistle. But you have to take a friend who can whistle, find a good shop and set up consistent comparative circumstances to know what sounds good. This is really hard to do in my experience.
[ This Message was edited by: The Weekenders on 2002-06-07 01:31 ]
To answer the original question: I find the Beta 57 to be the superior mic, for both hammer dulcimers and whistles, of the 4 mentioned. The all metal - including windscreen - casing makes it durable, and the lack of a presence hump in the frequency response makes it sound less boomy and brittle than the 58 duo, for whistles… For studio work, we use condensers…For the road, the Beta 57 is a treasure. Deb: My home computer blew up, so I am unable to answer private mail questions for a bit. If you have any direct questions, I will try to answer tomorrow, on the board.
Cheers.
Byll
Byll in my view is right on regarding his microphone assessment. My only humble postscript is that if you’re looking for a reasonably priced well regarded condenser mic, you may want to consider the Rode NT-1.