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 ...

dynamic 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 producti ...

applications. Produced since 1966 by Shure Incorporated, it has built a reputation among musicians for its durability and sound, and is still the industry standard for live vocal performance microphones. The SM58 is the most popular live vocal microphone in the world. It is a development of the SM57 microphone, which is another industry standard for both live and recorded music. In both cases, SM stands for studio microphone.

Overview

Like all directional microphones, the SM58 is subject to proximity effect, 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 handle ...

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 (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided transm ...

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 extern ...

through a male

XLR connector The XLR connector (also Cannon plug and Cannon connector) is a type of electrical connector primarily used in professional audio, video, and stage lighting equipment. XLR connectors are cylindrical, with three to seven connector pins, and are oft ...

. 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, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...

signal adaptor (capable of providing phantom power for condenser microphones, and offering an in-built headphone jack for monitoring). The primary difference between the SM58 and the SM57 is the grille. The SM58 is intended for live vocal performances, which tend to put the microphone much closer to

plosives In phonetics, a plosive, also known as an occlusive or simply a stop, is a pulmonic consonant in which the vocal tract is blocked so that all airflow ceases. The occlusion may be made with the tongue tip or blade (, ), tongue body (, ), lip ...

. These can stress the diaphragm and distort sound. The rounded grille of the SM58 is lined inside with a thin layer of reticulated foam (open-cell foam) to serve as a pop filter.

Specifications

Type: Dynamic (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 ...

, 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 Ω (300 Ω 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 A counterfeit is a fake or unauthorized replica of a genuine product, such as money, documents, designer items, or other valuable goods. Counterfeiting generally involves creating an imitation of a genuine item that closely resembles the original ...

ed. 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."Spotting a Fake Shure Microphone: How to tell if your mic is genuine -- or not"
About.com Home Recording

References

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External links