Mic Check: Microphone Shootout Audix OM2 vs Shure SM58

[@roberttjohnson]

Thanks for that review and demonstration, following your suggestion I purchased the Shure SM58.

[@cpcohen1945]

Thanks for the review! You're focussed, and you do a good demonstration of each mic's strengths and weaknesses. I tried a bunch of mics against a Shure SM58, and quickly realized why it was such a popular mic -- it's hard to make it sound bad! No pops, no hisses, low handling noise -- very forgiving.

[@maxnicks4661]

Thanks, well done. The SM58 is a lot warmer sounding.

[@Music-Tech-Life]

Wish you could have just used the PA and it's speakers for sound. You seem to be plugged to your computer. Hard to tell differences. Good review though. Thanks.

[@cellulosefdr]

The boost is so apparent in the OM2 which is my vocal mic of choice...I like the SM57 as a back up for my vocals over the 58, but the 58 is brighter, which I use on my darker guitar cabs to cut thru

[@chocloditelensman]

Good review. Om2 for clarity.

[@deovid]

Have an OM2 and love it bc of its voice clarity but it’s very low output is a bit of a bummer and means you need more pricey recorders with very low preamp noise.

[@wildhorsestudios1421]

Another great review. I might add that plosives are not necessarily a bad thing. One thing good about Condensor mics is just that. The ability to pickup breathy sounds when recording.

[@piscatorialphd]

Great comparison! As a singer, I find that the SM58 smooths out subtle inconsistencies in my voice, and even mitigates fatigue issues. The OM2 is a little more sensitive and tends to bring out these issues. I move around the mic as I look to other band members and my voice drops out with the hypercardioid OM2, but remains strong with the SM58 from any angle. For very technical singers w/ great control the scale might tip toward the OM2, but for good singers like me the SM58 wins.

[@Tazthewonderdog]

Hey man, love the review! My question is, which would you recommend for hardcore vocals? Like screaming. I'd have the mic between 1/2 and 1-1/2 inches from my mouth, and directly in front (so no worries about picking up vocals). I have the choice between these two and an Apex 870B, which I can find no info on. Any feedback would be great! Thanks!

[@coachcleats13]

Thanks dude you helped me make up my mind 2 Shure SM-58 for me

[@TimKaseyMythHealer]

SM 58 is thicker. Not a good test if you don't try different distances. Proximity effect may be reduced on the 58 if you just backup 1 inch. The Audix will need a tube/NLS/thickener plugin to make up for the lack of thickness you get when using the SM58.

[@MBAentertainmentbd]

58 is much better than OM 2.. The depth of sound is missing in OM 2.. But I think AKG D5 is better than 58..

[@stefankessels]

A better preamp might reveal more of the qualities and differences between the two. Preamps on most interfaces are ok, but an external preamp like the Presonus TubePre can bring a mic to life! My fav is definitely the UA Solo610 - an SM58 with a pop screen sounds much more decent than most sub-200$ condenser mics: powerful, punchy yet very natural sounding. If it sounds too muddy, it helps to just take off the grille basket - the foam in there really kills the all-over clarity of the SM58!!

[@CrankCase08]

Maybe you, or someone else, should consider doing these kind of comparison shoot-outs with condenser microphones too?

[@paulh_]

We have both and I go back and forth. Prefer the om2 for amps, cajons and such for sure- beats dropping a c-notes on sm57's. Love the HC polar pattern. Anyone tried to just add a little piece of thin foam to the audix??? My experience is that the Audix needs just a tiny bit less gain to match the output of the 58. Would be nice to see the shootout with unused mics muted and gains a little higher. Live I don't recommend my singers running their lips all over the grill. cheers

[@paulymofo]

I like the way you do things. Best mic shootout vid I've seen. I'd like to see/hear you shootout a Sennheiser MD431-II with an equivalent mic.

[@michaelangelomusic]

Good review, thanks!

[@cameronproaudio]

There's one potential flaw in this testing. You're not muting the unused test mic when you switch between them. Since the 58 has more pickup off axis, you're blending it's out of phase sound in this case with the OM2. The OM2 with it's tighter pattern will contribute less to the mix between the two when you're speaking into the 58. I'd recommend muting the unused mic in any case to ensure you're not coloring the individual mic performances from inadvertent blending.

[@bobbyolson110]

One thing I would like to put out there, folks............The OM2 is the BOTTOM of the OM series. It is the cheapest of them. I have a Beta58 and an OM3xb. The OM3xb BLOWS away the Beta, IMHO. It is clearer, cleaner, and just has a better all around sound. BTW, it is better than the OM2, also.

[@manifestgtr]

I could never connect with the audix vocal mics, for some reason...the frequency response doesn't really work with my voice and the pattern just isn't useful for the way I sing...I haven't used one in 10 years or so but what always sticks out in my memory is that when I would back off the mic a bit to try and blend a harmony or something like that, the vocal would quickly disappear into the mix...the concept for these mics is a cool one but the execution just doesn't work for my style

[@christopherbarton4490]

Why are you so close to the mic? Proximity effect. Dynamic microphones are designed to be used a couple of inches away from the source.

[@ttwiss1583]

I have both Mics, and still can't decide which one I like better. I've used a shure sm58 for years a wireless and a corded one, and had great results Giging with them. I haven't Giged with the Audix om2 yet just in practice with the band, maybe after I've used it live I can make up my mind. Thanks for the review on them.

[@Dandelion560]

great review man,thank you

[@ahurasim4566]

Picked up an OM3 after testing them as it had a clear sound to it that didn't retard my voice, If you're buying a mic go to a music store and test them, I could probably see someone use an SM58 when doing Hard Rock, Screamo, Metal etc but not for Pop, Rap etc Personally I dislike it and the bs hype about it being industry standard is so irrelevant right now.

[@MrS270asg]

Is your om3 still working?

[@Freamon]

hmm beatboxing is great on both mics, if u want bass go for sm 58 if u want clear kick snare and high hats u go for the audix..... because of the hyper cardioid u can fade things in and out with ease.

[@andx4024]

very good test

[@mhoffman98]

this is great. right now I have a co1 Samson condenser which I record vocals with. im trying to decide which dynamic to get next and the OM2 seems good

[@DebErney]

very accurate review.

[@InHouseMaterial]

this is great dude. thank you

[@elmelmon]

I think that the sm58 is a much more all around capable microphone. The audix has a more specific application. If your recording voice for a podcast or KZbin and there's talking in the background; you can get away with using the audix. The sm58 is a much nicer sounding mic for sure, no bun intended. Every major studio has sm58s at least as back ups when things go wrong.

[@tonysinatra5128]

Working that close to any mic is going to yield alot of pops, mud, and undesireable low-mid mush. I never work ANY mic closer than 1 inch.

[@aaronshadow567]

Great review

[@paulymofo]

I would like to hear you using a higher quality mixer though.

[@DavidNRoses]

Great, thank you for a vid,guy. So could you recomand OM2 to me to a little test room?I have Shure Beta 58A, but when we play, I have a big back coupling with this one. But I wanna try to buy OM2, I hope,it'll be better in a little testing room. Thank you for answer

[@sanchariBahubali]

which is good to record vocal..

[@MrStubat]

@CaioIzel Yeh thats why in 99 out of 100 live clips you'll see an SM58...Ive been doing this for a living for 30+ years and the 58 has always been the most accepted and versatile mic out there...come back in 5 years and see how the Audix is going....how many times have I seen the new mic thats "better" than a 58 sink like a stone 6 months later and anyone who bought one left with a doorstop...eg AT41m, Sennheiser 419 Beyer M88....yawn is all I say evertime I hear the "better than a 58"

[@mikehunt3237]

Why so close to the mics? It would sound better further away, atleast an inch

[@DRUMOCDP4LIFE]

Speak the truth my friend

[@shurevoice1]

how about a review on the lampifier mics cant find one anywhere be the first

[@civilfieldengineer]

Hello Sir, I am a complete beginner. I want to record my written poetry professionally. Suggest me audio interface and dynamic mic. Which gives me professional level quality. Because my room is not sound proof. My total budget is 300 dollars. Tell me such a setup that I will not have to regret buying. Because I have added money very hard.

[@rockybalboa2526]

Hi. i had a question.. what if in a live or home recording situation, we pu the shure through a clean boost pedal? would that boost all the frequencies going into the mic?

[@larrytate1657]

I'm thinking about getting the om7. Ever try it?

[@ferguscahillane1993]

does singing with the pop filter on the audix have any drawbacks? I'm looking to take away some of the 's' sounds mentions. any help would be great

[@PJemus]

after this video i went and bought the audix om2

[@skyph0s582]

"Sir, this is the MTP... Please raise your hands and back away from those mics, slowly..." ~ Mic Technique Police

[@aarvin1]

What you mean about the SSSSSS sounds = it's called sibilance

[@DRUMOCDP4LIFE]

Audix always

[@Tazthewonderdog]

@Tazthewonderdog Oh, also I'd be very easy on it, probably use a mic stand, as that's how I scream.

[@stuhughes877]

I have just bought a om3xb is it similar to the 0m2

[@bobbyolson110]

I have the OM3XB. I LOVE it. It isn't as poppy as the OM2, it seems. It has a good clean bass response, and it seems to have better gain than the OM2. I have used Shures, Sennheisers, and a few others, including the OM5. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the OM3xb. The next one I MUST try is the OM6.

[@preinfinity]

Shure SM58 sounds sooo much better

[@gregorioganesh4551]

Even with the pop filter he puts on at around the 6 minute mark, I still think the SM58 is better. First off, you can come at the sm58 from any angle and get pretty much the same level of volume through the mic. Whereas with the om2, you have to have your vocals coming directly straight into it and you can't be too close or too far either. I would say the om2 is TERRIBLE for recording because of this. Let's say you record a great vocal and really get into it, but you bobbed your head a little side to side during the recording. If you did this with the om2 you'd have to re-record your vocal because you didn't perfectly situate yourself behind the mic and some parts of your performance would be recorded very weak when you "bobbed and weaved". Whereas with the SM58 (and the same vocal performance), you would notice very little variance upon playback. Additionally, the mic doesn't have to be trebly ITSELF in order to get crisp vocals. You just turn up the treble on the mixing board (if live) or turn it up upon mixdown (if it's a recording). I'll take the SM58 any day, and they're both the same price anyway!

[@synholiday]

It only takes one actual use to determine what is better for you individually. Years of acceptability is really irrelevant. "Try them both for yourself" is all I say.

[@BirdFluJapan]

recently - its 99 out of 100 live clips in stadiums that the whole band are using Audix's. Better watch some newer material, buddy! ;-)

[@THYRDEYE]

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[@Assendum]

It's ok, usefull, but you are speaking, not singing. So I guess you should sing to test them working for this application, don't you?

[@damianacuna7884]

Sm 58 is better

[@clive6641]

Get rid of the “S” sounds.....are you kidding me? If I like a singer.....I want to hear them breathe.....I want o hear the “S” s when they sing