Earthworks DM20 vs Shure SM57

[@dinkyemg]

The best way I can describe the difference is as if the drum set was inside a pot. The sm57 sounds like it has a lid on and the DM20 sounds like you have the lid off. The DM20 really opens up the sound. Just wow

[@bobdrums]

That’s a great description! Yeah it is a lot clearer, worth the extra to get those mics if you can afford it.

[@brianhernandez2119]

Wow this was such a good analogy

[@alexmcb0311]

It’s refreshing to hear a drum mic shootout where the drummer is actually talented.

[@jackbritton5082]

Love the low profile, and the DM20s just sound way more alive than the 57s do. The attack is clean and full. If there's anything that you need from a drum mic it's the pickup of the attack and these sound amazing. Just bought mine today, thanks for the comp!

[@bobdrums]

Glad to hear you’ve picked some up! I feel the same way, will be my go to snare and tom mics for some time to come!

[@joc8]

I'm a bit late to the party, as this was posted 3 years ago, but none-the-less, it was a great comparison. I'm looking at getting a DM 20 as a snare mic, and this really highlighted the clarity and neutrality of said mic. IMO a superior mic out of the box. I also like the look of them, when sitting behind the kit...though, I'm not sure what they look like from the other side of the kit, from my research, they are over 11" in length. Nice drumming by the way. Cheers.

[@MagicJonesMusic]

Wow. I typed in DM20 snare mic and this video came up. Very thorough and well done comparison (although, at the price-point, it really *shouldn't* be a comparison), but I'm glad you did it. I was hoping to hear from the DM20 exactly what I heard. Gonna go pick one up right now for my snare. Thank you for a great video!

[@bobdrums]

Hey Magic, awesome! Thanks for watching. Yeah the prices are vastly different but I had both so figured I would make a video. Very nice, they are great mics I would highly recommend. Let me know how it goes!

[@philosopheces]

Great video. I just ordered 6 sm57’s and a Beta 52 (upgrading from EAD10). But if I had the budget those DM20s would have been in the top of my list. The sound is significantly better.

[@ahchv]

I’ve been waiting for these comparisons. Great job!!! Looking forward to the next wave.

[@bobdrums]

Awesome glad you enjoyed it! Kick mic comparison is out this Saturday!

[@hillie47]

Thanks for doing this video! Yes, the Earthworks is much more expensive, but: "clearer", seems to let the transients through more (less compressed feel), it's not in the way as much as the 57, less hat-bleed on the snare. But when on a budget, the 57 stands its ground quite well I must say. And it's kind of the "gold" (rust brown?) standard, so it will be accepted easily, where you may need to "prove" the fancy new Earthworks. Thanks again, great video.

[@bobdrums]

I think you've nailed it there! Thanks for watching, I've got a video coming tomorrow featuring Earthworks SR25s as overheads!

[@courtney9162]

Omg i'm loving this DM20 mic! It just cuts through the mix so effortlessly!

[@bobdrums]

It is a fantastic mic! I'm going to be doing a few more mic comparisons like this soon it's very interesting to hear A B comparisons to really hear the difference. Thanks for watching!

[@CyrilViXP]

Wow, really big difference. SM20 adds so much presence and nuances. Quite interesting if it is possible to compensate it on SM57 with EQ?

[@dnarecording]

A combo 57 and pencil condenser perhaps? Thoughts? I like the body of the 57 and the snap of the condenser

[@tomnaumann2104]

Very nice comparison. Looking forward to what you do in the future.

[@bobdrums]

Thanks Tom glad you enjoyed it! I just wrapped up shooting my kick mic shootout today! I’ll have one out this weekend and the kick mic shootout will be out next week. Thanks for watching!

[@johnmcquay82]

That's staggering; I was expecting there to be a difference, but the difference is surprising despite the Earthworks being 4x the cost.

[@bobdrums]

It really is an amazing mic! I think the price is worth it for the sound quality, build quality and very clean look/set up on the kit!

[@LorneVignettes]

@@bobdrums I think what he means is the DM20 sounds better but not 4 times the price better. Lol

[@MatthewBauerMusic]

Great video and side-by-side comparison. I have purchased the earthworks DM20s as well as the DK3 set as well. They sound wonderful on the drums for sure (even on my smaller breakbeats drums) as well as my conga setup. The sound difference is noticeable for sure. I used to use SM57s on my congas and now strictly the DM20s.

[@MartellAVP]

I just ordered 4 dm20. Cannot get the detail I want out of a 57 on snare and e604 on toms. The bleed on the snare is annoying with the 57 as well. Been using foam shields and it still gets in there. Hopefully DM20 bleed is better.

[@ntemples1]

Great video thanks for that!! I will be interested to see/hear the bass drum one when you do it!!

[@bobdrums]

Hey Neil, glad you enjoyed it! Yeah I'm working to have that one out within a couple of weeks, I'm also going to be looking at the Earthworks Kickpad too for the bass drum!

[@enewhuis]

It would be cool to compare versus Shure BETA 98AMP/C as it had less cymbal bleed than the DM20 for me.

[@GeorgeFalconer]

Very interesting, I love these shoot outs. Wish I could afford the Earthworks, they always sound amazing. One point - I know you set them up to be almost exactly the same distance, but might there be a better "sweet spot" for each mic that differs?

[@bobdrums]

Hey George, yeah you're absolutely right each mic will have it's own sweet spot on each drum. I did it this way just to keep it fair and I didn't listen to either before recording other than to set levels. Glad you liked it! I'll have more shoot outs coming soon!

[@ZENYTH-ih7qk]

Has anyone tried the Shure Beta98amp in comparison to the earthworks. Curious because they are similar design. But still a huge price difference.

[@bobdrums]

I would love to do this comparison, it would be an expensive comparison though! 😱

[@bobdrums]

Update, video incoming!

[@EnriqueMendoza-bb4fu]

You can make the sm57s sound like the dm20s with eq right?

[@Espresso101]

To me the DM20's sound like someone lifted a thin bedsheet off the drum kit, just sounds clearer. The bleed rejection of the high hat and ride is better on the 57's though, which is important if you plan on aggressively compressing the snare.

[@ThemFuzzyMonsters]

The DM20s pickup more room, which I don’t think I like here. That said I like them better on the toms. Still prefer the SM57 on the snare.

[@mrsayang]

Great Video. I have the Dm20´s on all my toms and snare and they are amazing. I am happy that I did not buy the SM57, because I was considering to do so.

[@bobdrums]

Thanks for sharing! I also am a big fan of the DM20s for toms and snare!

[@mrsayang]

@@bobdrums Yes great!

[@MK-ln3xd]

How does the "additional" bleed from the DM20 behave in mixing? I could imagine, that it is a bit more, than in the sm57. But you have also to boost treble in the sm57, which brings up the bleed....

[@SHUTUPANDRECORD]

The bleed in the DM20 sounds great, something that more often than not will make mixing easier faster, because you can leave it alone. The 57 is soemthing you'd be fighting and trying to minimize. Bleed is your friend as long as it sounds good.

[@exitplan2]

Earthworks has become the big KZbin buzz word. There's a reason the $90 sm57 is the most used mic on any stage and every studio for the last 40 something years. Ask any world class Front of house, or studio engineer what they would use if they could only use one model to mic every source.

[@bobdrums]

True. Price is probably also a big factor as to why it's such a popular mic. And the popularity also helps keep the price down so it's a full cycle really. Thanks for watching!

[@briansrensen8204]

@@bobdrums but SM57 is used in studios and on stages where much more expensive mics are available. It s a really good mic like the SM58 is hard to beat.

[@dergreule]

Thx alot for this Video... great work...

[@bobdrums]

Glad you enjoyed it! I’ve got a few more similar in the works and coming soon!

[@jeffpollitt138]

It looks a good mic the DM20, but theres a fair few of those mini condenser mics around at a third the price, thats a better comparison, bang for buck. I use the 57 with a Lewitt 140 Air taped to it for recording. On a budget! The sound rejection properties I believe is good on this mic, especially if you will be using it for live work. I have read the clip is not universal and can be doggy working loose mid gig. Use with a band would be interesting!! Theres a challenge for a demo video? Good video though. I agree with the rest of the comments below.

[@bwest2010]

Completely agree. I don't have a lot of experience but I have noticed that to my ears condenser mics tend to pick up more highs. I think that's what we are hearing here. I also believe that the brain will interpret as "better" both louder and more highs. Not sure more highs makes a mic better per se unless of course you want a more trebly sound. I would like to see an eq analysis of the two recordings.

[@DaPhunk73]

Interesting video, very well conducted test!

[@bobdrums]

Thanks! Which mic did you prefer? And which mics do you use?

[@frateroz]

Personally I don't think it's worth the price difference. Put a little shelf around 4k and it's essentially the same tone.

[@bobdrums]

That's fair enough. You can get a similar type of sound with eq, but I personally believe if you can fix it at the source it's worth something extra!

[@marcocasarini]

Congrats for the video!! Well done!! 👍

[@bobdrums]

Thank you Marco!

[@henryle1449]

DM20 built in EQ sounds a lot better with clarity, picking up more mid and hi than SM57. But all of these can be fixed by EQ which everyone is EQ'ing nowadays. Question is is it really worth it to buy earthwork while you can EQ up SM57 and achieve pretty much the same thing. Under the full band mix, no way a difference can be told.

[@Windkind0]

If you are tight on money go for the SM57 for sure. However I like that the DM20 doesn't "compress" the transients of the sound as much. This means if I want a sharp transient on my snare, I can have it.

[@ericlemke8223]

I see this line of thinking a lot. And while buying on a budget is completely understandable, I like to think of it as cooking with better ingredients. Will everyone notice? Maybe not, but you can absolutely hear a difference even within a mix. Other things to note: eq is not the only thing that comprises a sonic character. The speed of an impulse response, the way it compresses at high spl, etc are other factors that should be considered. Having owned the DM20s for years now, I swear by them. I have used them live for countless bands and they have survived even the harshest drummers. And as far as sound quality goes, they have such a great tone and can sound huge if needed. I think they pay for themselves if you're someone who will use them on a regular basis.

[@andy80sdrums]

Not everything is fixable with EQ. Every mic has an inherent timbre to it regardless of its frequency curve.

[@SHUTUPANDRECORD]

No amount of EQ is going to make a 57 sound like a dm20. But so what? If you can't afford the Dm20's, buy 3 57's. They hold their value and are always useful on something... so a smart investment. Then, save up for the DM20. Two totally different mics and both have a place in a quality mic cabinet.

[@JasonWelchMusic]

Night and day difference. The DM20 is easily twice the mic. But 3 or 4 times the price?...proves you get what you pay for. .....Or does it? I played a session for a local artist that wanted a more natural drum tone. So I used $60 Behringer C-1 mics because they simply record so stinkin clean. One on each tom.... stereo pair for overheads, one 9 feet from the kit. Then I used an i5 on snare, a 57 on hats, a beta 52 on kick, and a Peavey pvm321 kick mic on floor tom. I couldn't believe how open, natural, and ambient the tone was. Conclusion: If budgeting limitations were of no concern, then putting a DM20 on snare and toms would be a solid choice. Unfortunately I can not afford to buy enough of them to mic a kit. The Behringer C-1 may not be ideal for every situation, but did fantastic for that recording. I was thrilled

[@pjderobot]

what clamps do you use fo the 57's⁇

[@bobdrums]

I use the standard rim mounts by Shure, the model is A56D

[@claudiowiesflecker413]

Excellent, thanks!

[@bobdrums]

Glad you enjoyed it Claudio!

[@moogman5]

Sounds nearly identical, just a slight boost in the highs and you're there...Nowhere near enough difference in tone to justify the huge difference in price

[@dannykihoalu]

Nice comparison! Echos my experience with the two as well. Would you use the Air feature on the Clarett on the DM20s if you were doing a cover rather than a comparison?

[@bobdrums]

Thanks Danny! I absolutely would use the air feature all the time! On snare and maybe small rack toms I wasn’t a big fan of it on the floor tom I think it took away some of the beefiness.

[@dannykihoalu]

@@bobdrums thanks! Love the Clarett, glad to see another artist using it!

[@Rhythmic1]

Spending as much on a drum mic pack as you would on a good kit is a hard pill to swallow but the difference from any other competitor is dramatic. In this era of home studio recording and live IEM systems where drummers are responsible for their own sound I think it's critical. I'm seriously considering selling some of my better gear to get the mic pack. I'll say this though. As dramatic a contrast that there is between the SM57 and the DM20 it's still a pretty good sounding mic for the money. Anyone just jumping into recording and/or with an extremely limited budget could do a lot worse. The fact that it's so utilitarian adds another level of usefulness. I think out of all my mics it's gotten the most use. It's no accident it's been around for 60 years.

[@jackwagg683]

Great video man! Time to try to hunt down a DM20 haha

[@bobdrums]

Go for it!

[@leeschmitz993]

Meh.. honestly, to my ear, it’s another case of a lot of musicians are buying with their wallets, instead of their ears. Hey! I’ve been guilty of this, and still am. A lot. But the fact is that the minimal difference in sound doesn’t justify over 3x the asking price, and it’s certainly not a replacement for a good sound technician. Furthermore, while the sm57 is slightly muddier, muffled/dark drum sounds have become popular as people are preferring textures that mix well with 808 & 909 samples. Even your drums are tuned relatively low, which does allow for more leeway in the “cheap mic” department. The kind of crystal clear reception the DM20 offers is much more pronounced at higher tunings. For my money, the sm57 is a much better product. Just my $0.02. But I do appreciate hearing these mics side by side!

[@louistotalcontrol]

Excellent video! How’s the bleed with the DM20 on Tom’s? Controlled or excessive? Picking up much snare?

[@bobdrums]

Thanks Louis! With my experience, I do get snare bleed on the tom mics and I get some ride bleed on the floor tom mic as well. I’m still experimenting with placement which seems to be helping the bleed, recently I’ve been using a gate on the toms which I like in my overall mix and it reduces the issue too. Hope that helps, thanks for watching!

[@louistotalcontrol]

@@bobdrums thanks for the extra info - I’ll have to download your files to see how loud the bleed is. I use Sonnox drum gate which is a real game changer - highly recommend it!

[@bobdrums]

Nice man thanks I’ll check it out!

[@louistotalcontrol]

@@bobdrums my AKG C519 M tom mics sound great but have more bleed than, say, an Audix D2. I love the small design / stealth design of the AKG C519 so maybe the EW mics are better at handling bleed.

[@HK45Mark23]

SM57 were clipping. I definitely like the sound of the DM20 better.

[@LorneVignettes]

I think the SM57 sounded better on the Snare and the DM20 sounded better on the Tom's.

[@makistza]

even to the iPad you can hear a massive deference

[@bobdrums]

That's good to hear! Almost a night and day difference to me. Thanks for watching!

[@timepaintertunebird8160]

The 57 is really a magnet for big punchy snare hits. It makes anything you mic with it sound like a rock snare, even a tom. It's not even good for a ghost-note style nuanced snare playing. It only knows how to rock out.

[@giuliocarmassi]

punchy vintage warm vs bright open modern. 70s vs 2010s.

[@bobdrums]

This is true, you can still buy both today though and I had both so wanted to do the comparison!

[@jevannoble1]

4x the price of SM7 vs adjusting the EQ knobs...hmmm...

[@bobdrums]

Not quite the same result, but you can get close to the sound of the DM20s through eying an SM57

[@garyjohnson4988]

What you’re not addressing is what The Earthworks don’t pick up. There is way more rejection with The Earthworks.

[@bobdrums]

This is very true!

[@skeetabomb]

Definitely Earthworks...difference is very obvious. Shame about the price...especially when you play a very large kit....

[@Itsallawesome]

I don't think people realize how bad the SM57 actually sounds lol

[@andy80sdrums]

If yout think this then you can't actually handle a SM57.

[@Itsallawesome]

@@andy80sdrums Your logic is totally flawed. That’s like saying because I hate apples I will starve forever - if I hate apples I can still eat them and not starve. Just because I think the 57 sounds like hot dog shit doesn’t mean I couldn’t make great music with it.

[@thatguy8206]

Based on this, there's no comparison to me. EW wins the challenge, hands down.

[@bobdrums]

I think so too! Especially on that floor tom, the 57 was not liking something there. With the EW it does sound like it’s been lifted out the mud, crystal clear.

[@briansrensen8204]

Almost no difference and impossible to say one is better than the other. They both do the job well and neither of them will be the limiting factor for the end-result.

[@ClayMcClain]

The DM20 and SM57 are completely different microphones types. It's like comparing an apple to an orange. Why not do an apple to apple comparison like DM20 vs Beta 98amp unless of course, there is something to hide.

[@bobdrums]

Hi Clay, nothing to hide! I upgraded my mics from the Shure drum mic kit to the Earthworks drum mic kit and thought I would make a comparison on what I already own to show the difference

[@ClayMcClain]

@@bobdrums Understood

[@SONORSQ2guy]

The so-called better sound of the earthworks microphones is not worth the asking price. I prefer the Shure Beta 98 Amp’s.

[@bobdrums]

I haven’t had a chance to try the beta 98s but they seem great!

[@bobdrums]

Update, video comparing BETA 98 and DM20 incoming!