The Shure SM58 is a professional

cardioid In geometry, a cardioid () is a plane curve traced by a point on the perimeter of a circle that is rolling around a fixed circle of the same radius. It can also be defined as an epicycloid having a single cusp. It is also a type of sinusoidal spi ...

dynamic Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to: Physics and engineering * Dynamics (mechanics) ** Aerodynamics, the study of the motion of air ** Analytical dynam ...

microphone, commonly used in live

vocal The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production i ...

applications. Produced since 1966 by Shure Incorporated, it has built a strong reputation among musicians for its durability and sound, and is still considered the industry standard for live vocal performance microphones to this day. The SM58 is the most popular live vocal microphone in the world. It is a development of the

SM57 The Shure SM57 is a low- impedance cardioid dynamic microphone made by Shure Incorporated and commonly used in live sound reinforcement and studio recording. It is one of the best-selling microphones in the world. It is used extensively in amplif ...

microphone; in both cases, SM stands for studio microphone.History of Shure Incorporated
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Overview

Like all directional microphones, the SM58 is subject to

proximity effect Proximity effect may refer to: * Proximity effect (atomic physics) *Proximity effect (audio), an increase in bass or low frequency response when a sound source is close to a microphone * ''Proximity Effect'' (comics), a comic book series written by ...

, a low-frequency boost when used close to the source. The cardioid response reduces pickup from the side and rear, helping to avoid

feedback Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handled ...

onstage. There are wired (with and without on/off switch) and

wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

versions. The wired version provides

balanced audio Balanced audio is a method of interconnecting audio equipment using balanced interfaces. This type of connection is very important in sound recording and production because it allows the use of long cables while reducing susceptibility to external ...

through a male

XLR connector The XLR connector is a type of electrical connector primarily used in professional audio, video, and stage lighting equipment. XLR connectors are cylindical in design, and have three to seven connector pins, and are often employed for analog b ...

. The SM58 uses an internal shock mount to reduce handling noise. A distinctive feature of the SM58 is its pneumatic suspension system for the microphone capsule. The capsule, a readily replaceable component, is surrounded by a soft rubber balloon, rather than springs or solid rubber. This gives notably good isolation from handling noise; one reason for its being a popular microphone for stage vocalists. Microphones with this feature are intended primarily for hand-held use, rather than on a stand or for instrument miking. The SM58 is unswitched, while the otherwise identical SM58S has a sliding on-off switch on the body. Other suffixes refer to any accessories supplied with the microphone: when a cable is provided, the model is actually SM58-CN, while the SM58-LC has no provided cable (LC means Less Cable); the SM58-X2u kit consists of the SM58-LC and an inline X2u XLR-to-

USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply (interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A broad v ...

signal adaptor (capable of providing phantom power for condenser microphones, and offering an in-built headphone jack for monitoring).

Specifications

Type:

Dynamic Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to: Physics and engineering * Dynamics (mechanics) ** Aerodynamics, the study of the motion of air ** Analytical dynam ...

(moving coil) ;Frequency response: 50 to 15,000 Hz ;Polar pattern:

Cardioid In geometry, a cardioid () is a plane curve traced by a point on the perimeter of a circle that is rolling around a fixed circle of the same radius. It can also be defined as an epicycloid having a single cusp. It is also a type of sinusoidal spi ...

, rotationally symmetrical about microphone axis, uniform with frequency ;Sensitivity (at 1,000 Hz Open Circuit Voltage): −54.5 dBV/Pa (1.85 mV); 1 Pa = 94 dB SPL ;Impedance: Rated impedance is 150 ohms (300 ohms actual) for connection to microphone inputs rated low impedance ;Polarity: Positive pressure on diaphragm produces positive voltage on pin 2 with respect to pin 3 ;Connector: Three-pin male XLR ;Net weight:

Awards

*In 2007 and 2008, the SM58 won the MI Pro Retail Survey "Best Live Microphone" award. *In 2011, ''Acoustic Guitar'' magazine honored the SM58 with a Gold Medal in the Player's Choice Awards.

Counterfeiting

The SM58 and SM57 have been extensively

counterfeit To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...

ed."Sennheiser, Shure Team Up For Counterfeit Raid"
December 21, 2001, ''MIX''"Counterfeit Shure Microphones Destroyed"
October 9, 2002, ''MIX''"Thai-based counterfeit ring smashed", February 1, 2006, ''Music Trades''. "Among the products in this shipment was a large quantity of counterfeit SM58 microphones destined for retail outlets around Thailand.""Auction websites' threat to legitimate brands", January 1, 2007, ''Pro Sound News Europe''. "The SM57, SM58, Beta 57 and Beta 58 are among the fixities proving most attractive to counterfeiters."""Shure Seizes Counterfeit Microphones in China"
November 14, 2007, ''MIX''"Counterfeit Shure Gear Seized: Thousands of counterfeit microphones were recently confiscated in Peru and Paraguay by customs officials"
February 2, 2012, ''Broadcasting & Cable'' Most of these counterfeit microphones are at least functional, but have poorer performance and do not have the pneumatic suspension. There are many other subtle details which can reveal most of these fakes.
About.com Home Recording
5 Tips on Spotting a Fake Shure SM58"

References

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External links

SM58 official pageShure Asia SM58 official pageShure SM58 history page