Recording - January 2016 - 50

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

Shure PGA98D
An affordable condenser mic for snare and toms

Almost a year ago at the 2015
NAMM show, Shure revamped its beginner mic line, formerly known as the PG
mics and now known as the PG ALTA™
line. The goal of the PGA line is to offer
Shure quality at an ultra-affordable entrylevel price point. There are 14 models in
the PGA line, many of them inspired by
the company's well-known classics.
We looked at the top two largediaphragm condensers in the series, the
PGA27 and PGA181, in our October
2015 issue. In our December 2015
Buyer's Guide, we took a look at the
PGADRUMKIT7 drum mic package,
which contains the PGA52 kick mic,
PGA57 snare mic, 3 PGA56 tom mics
and a pair of PGA81 pencil condensers,
all in a compact carrying case complete
with drum clips and cables.
This month we look at the step-up
tom/snare mic of the line, the PGA98D.
Similar to the company's current Beta
98AMP microphone, the PGA98D features
a miniature small-diaphragm condenser
head perched atop a gooseneck arm
attached to an XLR amplifier body. Note that
both mics are descendants of the classic
Shure SM98, which was a miniature condenser head that could be attached to an
included gooseneck assembly, and connected to its amplifier via a special mic cable.
The mic: size and specs
The capsule assembly is just shy of
3
/4" x 11/8", the goose neck measures
37/8", and the body is 33/4" x 3/4" in
diameter. The mic is finished entirely in
black and includes a custom clip-style
drum mount, windscreen, a zipper
pouch, and an XLR cable. The company
also includes a detailed setup and user
guide. The mic is well-built, the gooseneck is pliable but firm, and the drum
clip, once you snap it on the rim, is tight
and should stay locked in place even
with the most aggressive playing.
The PGA98D is a cardioid pattern
electret condenser with a 60 Hz to 20
kHz frequency response, a sensitivity of
-52 dBV/Pa (2.51mV), a Max SPL of
50

RECORDING January 2016

130 dB, and a 27 dB self-noise. It is not
an overly bass-heavy mic; the low end
does start tapering off below 60 Hz, in
keeping with the quoted frequency spec.
The mic is fairly flat in the mids with a 5
dB peak around 10 kHz.
Sound and use
Sonically the PGA98D is best
described as tight, fast, and
focused, with a touch of crispness. The mic has a very tight
pattern yet has little proximity
effect.
This mic is designed for both
snare and tom use. Snare drum is
where its crisp, fast nature is most
noticeable. Its constrained low
end helps the microphone ignore
the low-end boom and ring found
in many snares. It is quite the
antithesis of a dynamic mic in
every way; it makes a Shure SM57 or an
Audix i5 sound almost "loose" in comparison, although it pairs well with either
when used as an under-snare mic. In that
position, it excels at picking up the snare
wires with much control and little afterring. I should note that for many engineers
the original SM98 is considered one of
the great snare bottom mics of all time.
Back on top of the snare, stylistically this
mic is better suited to gospel, R&B, reggae,
jazz fusion, and even prog metal, where
the snare needs to be controlled and cut
through the mix. If classic rock, country, or
traditional jazz is on offer, then I would go
back to a traditional dynamic mic.
As well suited as it to the abovementioned styles on snare, the PGA98D
makes an even better tom mic. In fact, I
feel I have to emphasize how impressed
I was with its tom sound, despite its
entry-level price tag.
On toms, both rack and floor, it has
the same controlled sound as it did on
snare. Here, by rolling off the sub 60 Hz
boom and mud, it gives the toms a nice
forward punch, with just enough highend smack that they still sound lively and
not too rounded.

It's a very produced sound that works
great with every little EQ, as long as the
toms are tuned well. If you like your
floor tom to thunder at sub-level frequencies, this may not be the mic for you, but
if you like your toms punchy and dimensional the PGA98D works well.
Final thoughts
These are not only a good entry-level
studio mic, I have been using them live
without hesitation. Beyond sounding
round and punchy, in a live setting they
are super-fast to put up and tear down.
If you are a sound man working in a
club with multiple bands on the bill,
where you need to swap out drums after
each set, you will love them.
The best part is their price tag. Grab
two or three of these, appropriate
dynamic mics for snare and kick, and
your choice of overhead condenser
mics, and you can have a very nice
setup indeed!
Price: $124
More from: Shure, www.shure.com
http://www.shure.com
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