Recording - October 2021 - 18

A Family of Microphones Compared
The Shure Unidyne... or, The SM57 & Friends
is more subdued than the SM57, offering
a 6 kHz dip vs. a spike, while being
surrounded by a broader +4dB presence
that gives the Beta 57A a slightly brighter
yet less upper-mid-focused capture.
On guitar amps and snare drums,
this shifts the tonality into a more modern
top-end focused range and gives
the Beta 57A a nice forward and open
edge on acoustic guitar, fiddle (yes fiddle),
and vocals.
The Beta 58A also has a tighter, more
controlled low-end, minus the proximity effect
of the 57 models, offering an upper
mid and treble range that extends beyond
12 kHz and thrusts the voice boldly and
clearly through a mix. The Shure Beta
58A is my vocal microphone of choice for
both live sound and live recordings.
When Jon Snyder reviewed the pair in
the October 1996 issue, he touted that
the " ...supercardioid pattern serves well
to isolate the sound you need to capture, "
especially in small studios. He also quite
liked the Beta 57A on acoustic guitar,
stating, " ...the unequalized response
gives a great start to a natural sound,
both at the soundhole and the 12th fret. "
Finally, he found that the increased output
of the neodymium magnets allowed " softer
whispers that can be heard... nuances
that are preserved. "
55SH Series II; $179 and
Shure Super 55 Deluxe; $249
Next, we look to the past with two
modern takes on the original Shure dynamic
mic that started it all, the Model 55
Unidyne, or more accurately, the 1951
Unidyne 55S. The current 55SH Series II
and Super 55 Deluxe come in the same
art deco-inspired, brushed silver metallic
body as the original 'Elvis mic'. Measuring
roughly 7.25 " x 3 " x 2 " and weighing
1.38 lbs., each mic features an attached
self-tensioning tilt-mount with a built-in XLR
adaptor and threaded mic mount. The
55SH Series II has an on/off switch like
the original, while the Super 55 Deluxe
does not. The most distinguishing feature,
the internal foam windscreen of the 55SH
Series II, is gray, while on the Super 55
Deluxe it's a bright neon blue.
18 RECORDING October 2021
55SH Series II
The 55SH Series II is sonically a perfect
blend of the SM57 and SM58. Its
lows and mids are similar to the SM58,
as is its initial wide presence boost and
high-end signature. However, it also
features a similar presence peak as the
SM57 tucked in there as well.
While its side-address appearance
usually takes center stage, the 55SH
Series II is a well-rounded studio mic
that sonically combines the best of the
SM57 and SM58 into one. I like it most
on blues-toned and clean guitar amps,
vocals, acoustic guitar, bass amp and
floor tom. The 55SH is also a classic,
smooth dynamic mic that is fun to track
every instrument on a song with.
The Super 55 Deluxe is every inch a
Super 55
Beta with a super-tight pickup pattern,
off-axis rejection and increased output.
However, one difference between it and
the Beta 57A and Beta 58A is that it
retains the SM57-style 6 kHz presence
peak. This makes it very well suited to a
tight, clean forward capture of electric
guitar amps, kick drum, and, after having
used it for the past few weeks, it is
one of my new favorite dynamic vocal
mics, not only for singing but for spoken
word. It is also a great choice as a super
compressed front-of-kit or drum room mic.
Shure SM7B; $399
One year ago, in the October 2020 issue,
Associate Editor Alex Hawley rightly
called the SM7B, the " not-so-secret weapon
of audio engineers everywhere. "
The SM7B started life as a broadcast
mic and quickly found its way into the
recording studio. Most famously, Bruce
Swedien used an original SM7 for Michael
Jackson's vocals on Thriller.
While the mics look 1950s-accurate,
internally, both feature a modern,
shock-mounted dynamic cartridge. The
55SH Series II uses the same cardioid
capsule as the SM57, while the Super
55 Deluxe uses a supercardioid capsule
similar to the Beta 57A.
While it is often considered an SM57 on
steroids, the two mics have less in common
than one might think. Yes, they both center
on the Unidyne III capsule, but the SM7B is
a transformerless design that uses a humbucking
coil to shield against electromagnetic
and radio interference. The SM7B is
this roundup's first dynamic mic with selectable
onboard filters for a 400 Hz bass
rolloff (-3dB at 200 Hz) and a midrange
presence boost (+3dB from 2-4 kHz).

Recording - October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2021

Fade In
Tech 21: Bass Fly Rig v2
A Family of Microphones Compared: The Shure Unidyne... or, The SM57 & Friends
Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio Originals Jangle Box Piano
Closer to GWAR: Recording and remixing the masters of the Slave Pit, with Ronan Chris Murphy, Pustulus Maximus and the Berserker Blöthar
Zeppelin Design Labs: Cortado MkIII Contact Microphone
Session Log: The AngelHeaded Hipster, Part 10: Bass and Percussion
Plugin Outlet: Slate Digital FG-2A and Custom Opto
Morton Microphones: KickTone Microphone
Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Nothing but the Mic
L-Acoustics: L-ISA Studio
KEMPER: PROFILER Head
Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Compression in the Box
Teegarden Audio: PPC-125 MD Condenser Microphone
Hit’n’Mix: RipX DeepAudio
Thirty-Five Years of RECORDING
Fade Out: The Right Mic for You!
Recording - October 2021 - Intro
Recording - October 2021 - Cover1
Recording - October 2021 - Cover2
Recording - October 2021 - 1
Recording - October 2021 - 2
Recording - October 2021 - 3
Recording - October 2021 - 4
Recording - October 2021 - 5
Recording - October 2021 - Fade In
Recording - October 2021 - 7
Recording - October 2021 - 8
Recording - October 2021 - 9
Recording - October 2021 - Tech 21: Bass Fly Rig v2
Recording - October 2021 - 11
Recording - October 2021 - A Family of Microphones Compared: The Shure Unidyne... or, The SM57 & Friends
Recording - October 2021 - 13
Recording - October 2021 - 14
Recording - October 2021 - 15
Recording - October 2021 - 16
Recording - October 2021 - 17
Recording - October 2021 - 18
Recording - October 2021 - 19
Recording - October 2021 - 20
Recording - October 2021 - 21
Recording - October 2021 - Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio Originals Jangle Box Piano
Recording - October 2021 - 23
Recording - October 2021 - Closer to GWAR: Recording and remixing the masters of the Slave Pit, with Ronan Chris Murphy, Pustulus Maximus and the Berserker Blöthar
Recording - October 2021 - 25
Recording - October 2021 - 26
Recording - October 2021 - 27
Recording - October 2021 - 28
Recording - October 2021 - 29
Recording - October 2021 - 30
Recording - October 2021 - 31
Recording - October 2021 - 32
Recording - October 2021 - 33
Recording - October 2021 - Zeppelin Design Labs: Cortado MkIII Contact Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 35
Recording - October 2021 - Session Log: The AngelHeaded Hipster, Part 10: Bass and Percussion
Recording - October 2021 - 37
Recording - October 2021 - 38
Recording - October 2021 - 39
Recording - October 2021 - Plugin Outlet: Slate Digital FG-2A and Custom Opto
Recording - October 2021 - 41
Recording - October 2021 - Morton Microphones: KickTone Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 43
Recording - October 2021 - Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Nothing but the Mic
Recording - October 2021 - 45
Recording - October 2021 - 46
Recording - October 2021 - 47
Recording - October 2021 - L-Acoustics: L-ISA Studio
Recording - October 2021 - 49
Recording - October 2021 - KEMPER: PROFILER Head
Recording - October 2021 - 51
Recording - October 2021 - 52
Recording - October 2021 - 53
Recording - October 2021 - Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Compression in the Box
Recording - October 2021 - 55
Recording - October 2021 - 56
Recording - October 2021 - 57
Recording - October 2021 - Teegarden Audio: PPC-125 MD Condenser Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 59
Recording - October 2021 - Hit’n’Mix: RipX DeepAudio
Recording - October 2021 - 61
Recording - October 2021 - Thirty-Five Years of RECORDING
Recording - October 2021 - 63
Recording - October 2021 - 64
Recording - October 2021 - 65
Recording - October 2021 - 66
Recording - October 2021 - 67
Recording - October 2021 - 68
Recording - October 2021 - 69
Recording - October 2021 - 70
Recording - October 2021 - 71
Recording - October 2021 - Fade Out: The Right Mic for You!
Recording - October 2021 - Cover3
Recording - October 2021 - Cover4
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