Dynamic Mic vs Condenser Mic for Recording Vocals I Shure SM58 vs Neumann U87

[@skunkproductionsMLA]

The SM58 was originally designed as a studio mic, but when it did not sell that well, they relegated it to live use and sold like pancakes.

[@oceanlovesmusic]

That is a cool and good fact to know thanks 😮

[@mattwarrensocal]

Very nice comparison. The SM58 is a true workhorse. I do believe, however that both mics would become defective if I were to sing through them. That would be my excuse.

[@JohnKenneymusic]

I always had the best vocal recordings with the SM58 always wondered thought I was the only one glad to know I'm not alone.

[@magnuseriksson8081]

I feel the same and started to think my hearing might be too bad to hear how good it should be with a more expansive mic

[@Seilent]

in the end good vocalist is what really matters

[@im0uS]

He's really good imo

[@billrobertjoe]

no, if you have bad engineering/setup it'll sound bad

[@ZALAB-to6im]

Uve missed the point here

[@callenkoa2574]

You prolly dont give a shit but does any of you know a trick to log back into an instagram account..? I was dumb lost the password. I love any help you can offer me

[@johnnyaydin4421]

@Callen Koa Instablaster :)

[@digitalkmultimedia]

Bravo! There is so much hype on condensor mics that leads to confusion. I thought I did all my research and studies etc and kept buying condensors because Dyamics were labeled as good for live performances. However, you have to factor in where you are recording, why you are recording, and how good a vocalist you are. In fact, this is more key than anything else. Yet it gets less attention in reviews. In my case, in an untreated sound room like my bedroom and with an amateur voice and intention of striving to improve with practice really meant a Dynamic mic is the way to go. I need a mic for a bit of spoken word and some singing. I just wanted to sound decent on home recorded demos etc. A condensor turned out too be too sensitive and overpriced for this. Its like deciding to drive a super car without enough experience. Of course one will end up driving badly. Not enough mic reviews talk about this. Untreated room means do not use a condensor. Especially in the home environment.

[@pasoundman]

No way can a youtube video ever give a chance for the U87 to excel and the guy's vocals will sound much the same with almost any half decent mike. The SM58 is indeed a 'half decent' mic and it shows when given half a chance.

[@zachbrady8168]

SM58 or SM57 though?

[@MrFree-vj8qj]

@@pasoundman no its an absolutely decent mic, more than enough for anything, as for your argument; KZbin videos are where people listen to music. the price is so it acts like a drug. thats all there is to it.

[@pasoundman]

@@MrFree-vj8qj The SM58 is a 52 year old ABORTION of a decent mike that's so 'low tech' that Shure now make kit in Mexico. There's simply so much better for far less. It's acceptable (but not great) for live sound use but has NO PLACE in video production.

[@skooby_doobie_doonkann3334]

Plenty of professional recording artists record vocals using dynamic mics but generally dynamic mics are favored and really only mic used for live applications. You're exactly right, its not that a dynamic microphone will not work for studio recording

[@Kizamime]

Great video! It's interesting how versatile the SM58 really is. I have used it on snare drums, electric guitar amps, vocals, and even a bass guitar cabinet. They're extremely useful and everyone should have at least 1 in their arsenal.

[@knobtechnology]

That's right! I use this like universal plug and play!

[@npc-ro6mv]

Yow dude. This is great content. No BS, concise, and straight to the point. Dont stop man

[@stringstorm]

The SM is SM58 literally stands for Studio Microphone. It was meant to be used in a studio environment.

[@miguelsalami]

Are we comparing dynamic & condenser mics here❓ I like the Shure SM58.

[@mttlsa686]

i've found that dynamic mics are very useful to home recording. They have a very low background noise and if you set the gain properly you can sing almost with your lips on the grid and it will compress the signal itself...Did anyone noticed the same thing?

[@rocknrory]

I really appreciate this comparison Daniel! I've been thinking about buying a LDC mic since I'm about to start recording vocals, but realized I should just use my SM58 since my small bedroom has bad acoustics. Plus, more time focusing on performance than a little bit extra high-end tone. Your video makes me feel better about my decision. A LDC (I'm eyeing a Mojave 201fet), can come later. Glad to discover your channel, hope you start making videos again, even if occasionally. Cheers!

[@Viddadinho]

thanks bro .. I was thinking how to buy a new expensive mic ..now i know that my old dirt sm58 will do the job !

[@damonwolf7222]

Thank you so much. As a primarily rock & metal vocalist just recording at home in an untreated room, I think I will NOT waste my money on a large diaphragm condenser mic and just buy a decent interface to record the EV 767 dynamic microphone I already own. If the Shure SM58 sounds this good, I already know my EV 767 will sound light years beyond this plus do an even better job of rejecting the negative attributes of my untreated recording environment.

[@b3naqua]

Good video! I’m always impressed at how well the SM58 performs compared to much more expensive mics

[@yigitakar6127]

Sm58 sounds more live

[@HongDaniel]

Yes, SM58 has more 2-4kHz so it sounds forward. But it can be too harsh.

[@pasoundman]

@@HongDaniel Nope, its 'presence peak' is more in the region of 5-10 kHz. Agreed that it sounds 'harsh'. I use desk EQ to mould the sound rather than importing fixed EQ from a microphone.

[@MrFree-vj8qj]

@@HongDaniel I think you just sang a bit louder tbh, its all eq'd and compressed anyway

[@Blueguitar007]

@@HongDaniel the 58 is not harsh, it's warm. Only if you get too close.

[@jamestheradioman]

Great review bro!

[@seerpou]

mariah carey said she recorded her demo tape with a cheap drum microphone, and that it sounded better than her debut album because of the sounds that the mic caught.

[@Kristoff2005]

OMG another lamb! But, now that you've mentioned it, I'm wondering what she used. I heard she liked the airy sound of it, might look into it.

[@mistersandy]

Bravo, nice voice. You've just proved that the microphone doesn't matter at all, as long as it's decent. Your voice sounded nice on both.

[@-whiskey-4134]

I use an SM58 for recording my vocals because it doesn’t feel or sound natural if I’m not moving around and changing positions. I do “metal/harsh vocals/screaming”, so depending on what I’m doing I may want to stand, hunch over, or w.e. If I stand still facing one direction the entire time I cant get into it. My buddy who does cleans is the opposite and uses his own mic as well (sorry, I don’t remember what kind).

[@MrFree-vj8qj]

damn right, thats what singing is all about. you can only get certain tones and emotions by moving the body

[@shaniell.mathur6372]

The shure sm58 is an amazing mic , Great video , thanks for posting

[@kwengamusic437]

So awesome, needed a quick fix , set up. Knew it would take some gain staging and this is a great help! Thank You bro

[@silence604]

Dude the comparison it’s cool and all, but your singing dude... your fucking singing! It moved me :) your voice is so beautiful

[@lundsweden]

Good comparison... the Shure sounds amazing IMO!

[@jamestheradioman]

Awesomeness! Great review! Totally shocked how close to sound quality of an sm58 is to a u87😲!

[@ishudshutup]

Actually heard more detail in the high end with the SM58 but sounded slightly more rough than the U87 which seems to roll off the frequencies at a smoother rate. U87 if you just want something that sounds good out of the box with minimal editing. SM58 if you want a more neutral sound and want to work it in post. For the price, no question, SM58 all the way.

[@jonaslowack]

When you can get 32 SM58s for one U87, does that mean you can record a choir? ;)

[@ChaceBonanno]

Lmao true

[@chickensnakefilms6913]

I want to know why not. What happens if one does. Sorry for being a noob but i wanna learn please.

[@pasoundman]

Blimey, you plan to close mike multitrack a choir ? What happened to the crossed pair ?

[@Blueguitar007]

Ya but 32 cables will cost you

[@MonsieurVersatile]

Great video. A lot of myths busted there! Love to see the same test but with the eq adjusted to knock out the SM58 presence lift.

[@rachel1535]

thank you for this! i've been looking for a mic i can do anything with and someone recommended the sm58. i was a little unsure of the performance because of the low pricepoint but im sold lolol.

[@psysword]

I used to wonder if vocals could ever sound weird on a U87.... Its just the intonation that's too sharp for me....I guess i like lower register vocals. this drove me up the wall.

[@dragospetrescu484]

you the best dude, looking forward to working with you in the future, PECEE

[@anamarsproductions360]

trying to decide between the shure sm58, shure sm57 and at2020 so ty for this!

[@functionform]

I'm blown away by how close they are. I randomly searched for this comparison because I happened to hear them close together by accident, and I thought they have a very similar character in certain conditions. This sort of confirms it? Also, the way you are hold the u87 makes me so nervous, please put it down carefully lol.

[@ottam]

The Neumann sounds softer in the highs without sounding rolled off. It sounds very sweet. There is more "beef" in the 58 and there is a slight resonance in the upper mids, to my ear. But for sure, the Neumann is not 40x better than the SM58.

[@MrFree-vj8qj]

"better" does not exist, all that will be EQ'd to fit the song, expensive gear is just for rich people desperate for creativity, they use it as an expensive drug to get high

[@ottam]

@@MrFree-vj8qj I don't know. I have a $350 condenser and a $110 dynamic and one sounds a great deal better than the other one. Guess which one.

[@zip7806]

This Video Proves it pays to have a Great Preamp. 10734 Makes the Sm58 sound better than the U87. Now hide a SM58 Element in the Body of a U87 and do a blind test to see if any one will notice.

[@jorgelavin]

A good comparision also would be the sm58 vs a cheaper condenser like the neewer 800

[@JamesLex]

This one is pretty close: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2amZnuslsuZqck

[@olympian3]

Bros voice is 💫 beautiful 💫 thanks for doing this review!

[@tomspiller2449]

I like the sm58 more

[@Trinergy-Livewire]

Yes! Madonna recorded vocals in the producers living room on a SM58. Better voice needs less "baby powder" on the mix needed. Men at Work singer needed only a mic.

[@valcrist7428]

For beginners I would think the SM58 would be a more practical mic.. but it can be used professionally too. It's easier to use and in the bedrooms it would not pickup much of the background noises as it is a dynamic mic. The first time I used a condenser mic.. it would pickup the slightest noise outside the bed room.. very annoying. Cheaper too and can be used live. Very good all rounder mic.

[@AmadeoKwon]

공사장에서 녹음해도 컨덴서 마이크를 쓰는 게 낫다는 말이 있지만, 이 영상 보니 확실히 다이내믹마이크도 레코딩으로 쓸 수 있는 장르와 상황이 분명히 있다는 걸 알겠네요. Sm58 구매해야겠어요. ㅎㅎ 오래 전 올리신 영상이지만 뒤늦게 감사 드립니다~

[@leonardoweigert4435]

So...the problem is my Voice 😭😭😭

[@amsedelm]

I would also notch down the SM58 to get that slight nasal tone out. Great video.

[@Anime-nl9mr]

Here's a challenge: Can you make a video in which you make a SM58 sound like a Neumann? for voice overing & voice overs? Thanks a bunch!

[@MrFree-vj8qj]

no sound can be exactly replicated, they sound already very similar, and no sound is "better"

[@recappedrelapse2614]

what the dude above me said, not even two u87s will sound the same. Two u87s will definitely have a similar flavor tho that most people who own one can tell apart from other mics. I have a u87 and I can tell when someone else is using one as long as it hasn't been mixed yet.

[@cristianbatelli5873]

Awesome review Daniel! thank you!

[@Blueguitar007]

I like the way the 58 had been the same price since the 70s as far as I remember.

[@MichaelTimbangOfficial]

Thank you. You gave me idea to use dynamic mic far from vocals.

[@thegroovegrid]

Great 👍🏾 video I’ll be grabbing one to do vocal and drum samples with. Keep doing you thing my friend

[@newcastlemusicstudios]

A sm58 is solid for rock vocals But if you can sing well... I'd stick with a condenser mic.

[@transaphonic]

Excellent video and I appreciate the comparison with actual singing 👍

[@DannyKavka]

So many videos have the vocalist just shouting/bellowing into the mic with no dynamics. This video really lets you hear the details.

[@azharmalik3703]

hey man youre great,would love some mixing with waves tutorials from you ",subscribed"

[@HongDaniel]

I will. Thanks :)

[@MechanicsDIY]

good comparisson . shows the actual diffrence is in use purpuse not so much in quality .

[@skooby_doobie_doonkann3334]

I bought an SM58 for a reason brother!

[@replaysoundproductions148]

I didnt understand a word you said . But i love it

[@theoffbeats1890]

Very well done and informative!

[@finlayfatknees]

nice video, you've given me a lot to think about. thanks.

[@navalshastri]

Thanks alot for the comparison 🙏✨💖

[@rekanlanksbd]

amazing review bro

[@吳佑佑-x8l]

Much better than expected.

[@buenbeat6181]

58. Legend. Sounds spectacular. Blows the Neumann in this situation. 99 usd! jajajaja

[@stitchmywoundz17]

that's cool and btw you have a very nice voice!

[@JunkyardSam]

First, great voice. That is a beautiful recording regardless of mic. Secondly -- I was shocked at how good the SM58 sounds compared to the Neumann. I could hear a quality difference but it's subtle compared to the price. I'm sure there are certain cases where the Neumann would outperform, being a condenser -- audio further from the mic. Quiet nuances, etc... But for singing on a normal song? SM58 sounds great. One thing for sure -- for a nice condenser mic I would probably go with an off-brand clone like a Warm Audio rather than a Neumann. I think Neumann is for wealthy/rich people bragging rights and studios that need to have it to impress customers.

[@merjaymermanph]

I MIGHT USE audio Technica at2020 for condenser and shure sm58 for dynamic,,,perfect combination

[@mikehopkins4040]

Didnt know what you were singing but sounded pretty good.

[@Hi-xs7wm]

Excellent video (and music) !

[@OutpourEast]

No clue what you were sing but dude it sounded fantastic on both mics in my opinion

[@gabemyself7522]

Thank you for the video, very informative.

[@rubygraham7476]

Great voice my g 💪🏽👌

[@lighth7h-im3gd]

really good content you deserve it all

[@I-LOG]

sm58 is a little edgier with little room sound but the u87 gives more detailed breath and more room sound

[@OssianOtt]

With my eyes closed I could not even notice when you made the switch from u87 to sm58

[@_Junkers]

After buying a counterfeit SM7b and replacing it with a SM58, I wish I had just bought the '58 in the first place. Much better value for money and to my uneducated ear and with some EQing, it's virtually indistinguishable .

[@Verbsdescribeus]

i have them both for years

[@isiahstevens8320]

This helped a lot thank you!!!

[@cole1]

Sounds amazing! What's your chain like for the sm58?

[@adonnimodeste8688]

Can you do a comparison between the Sm58 and Sennheiser e840? Or comment which is better at a flat setting.

[@sinofinance]

tracking = buy the best gear you can afford. mixing = plugins will do the trick (:

[@HongDaniel]

That’s true :)

[@EricMaffettone]

Born again here, blessed to see another believer on youtube. Maranatha. Talk to me about your experiences in heaven. See you there dear brother.

[@Traumklang_Hypnosestudio]

Thank you very much. Greetings from Germany :)

[@smokehashxuriahjahvid]

I have used both mics. The nueman mic is so sensitive it pics up everything, it's really not useable if you don't have a real studio, vocal booth. Sm58 is not so sensitive it is much better to use if you don't have a real vocal booth and studio. Most importantly what happens behind the mic is 1000% more important than the price tag or mechanics of the microphone.

[@kissapeles]

What happens if you accidentally turn on phantom power for SM58? (i have a focusrite 2i2 that doesnt individually turn on phantom power for the inputs).

[@Zinstudios1]

Nice tutorial.👍 pls what is the font you used for the comparison

[@2005Emigrant]

Great Video!!! Can I ask you which mic pream would you take for SM58?

[@adonnimodeste8688]

Best comparison vid ever...

[@cowboy7x]

Nice video. But just a suggestion. Flip back and forth more often for comparison. Too long on one mic is not great for hearing the difference. Again, it was helpful. I think I'll just keep my Beta 58A for home recording for a while.

[@SheepYT]

How much would a decent preamp for sm58 cost?

[@taliesintenerelli8510]

U need to change the settings on ur noise gate!! Other than that great vid!!

[@danielkspriggs]

I love this guy

[@taylorhamm1068]

2:06 2:55

[@anthonxs9580]

Thanks 👍👍

[@michaelzsifkovits]

Thanks man.

[@hasanahmad3420]

Amazing comparison

[@HongDaniel]

Thx !

[@mgnq]

Awesome video! i needed a lot, im new in the field of music production and i wanted to buy a mic to record my singing. After seeing a lot of mics on my price range, the one that i like the most was the shure beta 58, which is a dynamic mic, so i was no sure about it bcs of the same myth about condenser mics for studios... But since i dont have the sound treatments in my room, i think a condenser mic it might be not the best idea.. should i go then for a beta 58 from shure? i would really like to know your opinion :), and also thanks for making this video!

[@IssaAzad]

58 is great just do a great performance and look up mic placement on KZbin and mixing vocals for best sound

[@mgnq]

MeadowBrook100 thanks!🙇🏻‍♀️👌🏼

[@כמאהרון]

nice voice man

[@jasonshrestha]

1:44 2:05 2:28 2:49

[@BRUTHAWAR]

Good job.

[@crowonawirehome]

Great video

[@holywaterandgreenteamusic]

Excellent thanks

[@ShadovvV]

Why in the living hell is the U87 so expensive? For 3k, that whole damn thing should be gold plated. Total rip off.

[@chrisw5742]

Try a tube U47 ...$8k

[@ShadovvV]

@@chrisw5742 - yeah, it just doesn't make any sense to me. There aren't any electronic components going into a microphone that could possibly total 8k. It's just price gouging, plain and simple. Even the Chinese have made knock-offs for around $100. Other than that, if there's a power supply, it's not like there's solid gold plating in it either. It's just a big fricken transformer with a few more components. That said, what could it possibly be that makes it so ridiculously expensive?

[@intervalkid]

Nuemann invented the modern condenser microphone basis for the circuit if I'm not mistaken. So they get extra. Also I'm not certain how much I believe these demo's, they make almost all mics sound nearly identical. There are differences between mics of the same brand and model! You change a single resister or capacitor and your mic will sound very different even if you just change the brand of cap. the SM58 is a great mic especially for the money but I don't believe that it is nearly identical or even largely comparable with basic mid dynamic singing to a U87.

[@ShadovvV]

@@intervalkid - Actually, I think Telefunken has a longer history. I even have a vintage microphone capsule that probably proves it. It's stamped with the date 1901.

[@hINC]

Because it is a professional tool that will work for decades. Designed by real engineers for professional users. There are much more parameters than just audio quality to a product in that league. You probably won't understand much of that anyways, so buy yourself a Chinese knockoff and be happy with it. Imagine going round a race track in a Chinese knockoff car versus driving that course in a Mercedes-Benz or a Porsche. Regards from Germany. Be happy in your limited world! :-)

[@jasper_north]

Do you think a windscreen is also better for singing??

[@SLAVECO3]

Thanks so much Daniel!

[@agri2986]

컨덴서용 마이크 스탠드로 어떤 브랜드 어떤제품 넘버 사는게 좋을가요? 지금은 k&m 21090 쓰는데 좀 부족한더 같습니다