Repair Shure SM57 & Beta58a Mics

[@pauljohnson4590]

Dave - been fixing 57's for years and releasing the spring clip from inside - takes ages and fiddly. Your method from outside, is so much better - never too old to learn something!!!!

[@DaveRat]

How do you release it from the inside?

[@pauljohnson4590]

@@DaveRat when you have the capsule with the shroud pulled off, you can stick a craft knife into the gap and flip the ends out, then lever it out - but your way is more elegant. The perforated grill reveals the two ends and the centre bit and it works. Yours however goes back together more easily than my old way.

[@pauljohnson4590]

@@DaveRat this is how I killed one trying to fix it kzbin.info/www/bejne/haLLfoKBds5mkLs

[@DaveRat]

Interesting and thank you

[@mickeyscott1054]

Old technicians never die. They just get stronger magnifier glasses. Oh Oh, my hearing aid is feeding back like Hendrix.😅😅😅

[@MrMikeX]

Same exact issue with my Beta 58a. Shure wants $123.00 for the repair. THANK YOU for this instructional video. Humongous help!

[@DaveRat]

Awesome!!!

[@simondanielssonmusic]

I learn so much from watching these repair videos! Please keep making them!

[@DaveRat]

🤙👍🤙

[@russell_szabados]

What a cool coincidence, the only mics I own happen to be an SM57 and Beta58a. Thanks as always for sharing your time & knowledge Dave!

[@DaveRat]

👍🤙👍

[@nnov_tech_chan7891]

The most intriguing intro animation. Love it

[@DaveRat]

🤙👍🤙

[@JonAnderhub]

Oops! The lock washer goes on top of the plate in the 57 to keep the nut from coming loose. You put it under the plate. Also to remember which side the wires should go to just a small dot with a black sharpie on the black side will help. Great video!

[@treborretlaw]

preloaded twists..that is severla level of genius! Thx a lot!

[@DaveRat]

🔧🎛️🔧🎛️🔧👍

[@clicks59]

Dave, you are a true craftsman. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@georgesnow]

As a small sound provider with mainly shure mics in stock this is useful to know

[@DIAZ_fyf]

you're great! keep up your work and thanks for posting

[@DaveRat]

Very cool and I'm getting ready to do some more mic fix videos

[@NiddNetworks]

Love the idea of having 2 mics out of polarity as in-built noise cancellation! Guess it's pretty much a balanced line, but in the free-air space! haha :D

[@DaveRat]

Yes!!

[@steveparmley]

Thanks for the video. You make putting the grille cap on the 57 seem easy. I've been struggling with it and gave up. I'll have to try your technique!

[@DaveRat]

👍🔧👍

[@steveparmley]

@@DaveRat Worked like a charm. My 57 is back in service. I was making it harder than it needed to be. Thank you.

[@DaveRat]

Awesome

[@hellopsp180]

WOW getting them out of polarity cancels the background noise :D that's really cool trick

[@DaveRat]

🤙👍🤙

[@MichaelNatrin]

Great video! Checking polarity by ear is a cool trick.

[@brucenicoll4373]

Nice to see a metcal soldering iron thanks Dave

[@DaveRat]

🤙👍🤙

[@topa1798]

Thank you Dave,we owe you a lot🙌🙌🙌

[@meistudiony]

Wow, ive never taken the head off a 57 like that. I always take the sticker off (in one piece) and depress the tabs in the holes (then put the sticker back when im done). Yours looks way easier! Love the setup with the mirror btw. Brilliant way to capture everything in one shot. Here i am sending a signal gen thru the mic to check polarity... thats so much easier lol. Thanks for a great video!

[@DaveRat]

Awesome and thank you!!

[@donm1547]

Dave, learned a few tricks on this one, thanks. Also, I literally said WOW when you explained the Grateful Dead noise cancelling tactic!

[@ryanstewart116]

I've repaired only about 3/4 mics so far. Half of them were just cheap (like Radioshack 58 knockoffs) and didn't last long but it was just a matter of replacing their wiring with mine. Diaphragms were fine. Fixed my first one back in 2009.

[@DaveRat]

Super cool and I totally support the fix everything you possibly can adventures!

[@Yerjckk]

Thanks I just fixed a borrowed mic that I broke, tell no one. Thank you again....

[@DaveRat]

Perfect!

[@richreitz5815]

Phenomenal video! Thank you!!

[@DaveRat]

👍🤙👍

[@matthewbourne6257]

Incredible that the 57, the most unbreakable mic ever comes down to a connection of a wire *that* thin...

[@rahulmenon4357]

Wire thickness is determined by expected strength of signal

[@DaveRat]

That wire is voice coil wire. The super thin wire that is used to wind the voice coil is left with extra length that is taped to the side of the capsule and soldered to the terminals. This is common for many mics but typically the terminals are located closer to the diaphragm rather than extending over an air gap like they do in the 57 and 58

[@DeadKoby]

Common on just about every dynamic mic I can think of... Although many other models have them much shorter before they tie them to "normal wire"

[@DaveRat]

👍🤙👍

[@Rompler_Rocco]

This is invaluable wisdom, thank you!!

[@DeadKoby]

Considering that Shure charges NEARLY the price of a full replacement to get a replacement capsule, I've opted to get some aftermarket capsules to repair numerous mics. I do this for a music store. I inform them of what I have done, and they are satisfied with the performance of the repaired mics. Do you have a problem with aftermarket capsules?? providing that the info about their use is disclosed to the customer?

[@DaveRat]

How do the after market capsules sound? Swapping out a mic even with the factory console can be slightly less or more feedback stable. Wonder how close the aftermarket capsules sound. I know with aftermarket JBL 2" horn diaphragms, they vary greatly from ok sounding to honky and dull depending on who makes it I serviced a night club pa A while back (Roxy in Hollywood) and one thing I did to get the sound better was get rid of the aftermarket diaphragms.

[@DeadKoby]

@@DaveRat I thought they sounded just fine. I was testing them in my home studio. I suppose the only way to find out is to get a few and test them. Aftermarket SM57 Capsules were about $15usd....compared to $89 for genuine. Considering a drummer wholloped the original mic... the guys seemed satisfied with the replacement capsule. I suppose unless you compare them A to B, it's just guess work. Also, many of the mics I fix are/were just used for talking at events... and someone dropped the mic and broke it. That's a less critical application I suppose.

[@MrAdopado]

I think in that scenario the repaired mic should be marked to indicate it does not have a Shure capsule. Later in life that mic may be bought and sold a couple of times and people need to know what they are buying. Also it should be the customer's choice whether they have a good value repair with an alternative capsule or pay higher price for the Shure capsule.

[@timhenshall2819]

Very helpful thank you so much! Helped me identify that my sm58 is rooted. The little red wires (presumably made by b…..ds inc.) are broken . One side is shot at the top and the bottom. Is that throw away or is it repairable?

[@DaveRat]

Yeah those voice coil wires are broken and you don't have a good length of it to solder it's more work and low probability of being successful or reliable.

[@Sachifu]

That looks fun, what kind of companies could I possibly apply to do stuff like that? Not gonna pay as much as a national lab position in the bay area, but I'd prospectively be a lot happier doing this than masquerading around as Jill Nye the Science Gal.

[@DaveRat]

Years ago to supplement my income I would go to various recording studios and fix all their mics in exchange for them giving me their broken mics or paying me for the fixes. It actually went surprisingly well. I also fixed amplifiers and DJ mixers and that kept my income stable between doing shows

[@capsize707]

Similar issue, but the coil wire is broken from the diaphragm. Do you have a demonstration on replacing that?

[@DaveRat]

That's a tough one and have not found a repair for that. But have tried. It's tough to solder that vc wire and heat near the diaphragm damages it.

[@jaimeleondrums]

Great video! Thanks for all the information. I have one question I just bought a sm58 Beta and when I tried to take the grill off it was hard. I realized once I took it off that the white tape around the capsule was peeling off and that was the reason why the grill was hard to take off. should I replace the tape or leave it that way? I want to know if it's safe to leave it as it is. thanks

[@DaveRat]

Maybe trim the tape and leave what's left as long as what it's taping is not loose

[@jaimeleondrums]

@@DaveRat def do that, thanks!

[@DaveRat]

👍🤙👍

[@tommykennedy7827]

Thanks again Dave! I need to follow up on 57 dust cap rattles from snare drum friendly fire :-) Wish I could get help with bad shock/vibration isolation issues with RE20 & AKG D12 mics. miss using those...

[@user-pp4lt6tb5r]

Thank you but it did not solve my problem. Would you have any suggestions what else it might be the case? everything looks perfectly in order, also the tiny wires, and I tried everything you did. Bu no sound.

[@DaveRat]

Hmmm, sometimes the voice coil ones off the diaphragm or the wire breakes inside under the diaphragm somewhere. But that's pretty rare. Did you put a meter across the diaphragm wires and measure continuity or resistance? The other issue is a wire can break on the transformer side that's in the handle or where I can break down by the connector. You can check continuity of the transformer wires by removing the capsule and measuring across those and you can check continuity of the other side of the transformer my measuring continuity between pin 2 and 3 of the XLR.

[@user-pp4lt6tb5r]

@@DaveRat Thanks man for getting back so soon. I see I have 2 problems. The first one is the thin wire is not connected to the spoil under the diaphragm (in the red dot) anymore. Is this usually glued? also a break in the same thin wire in the middle. so 2 breaks in the same thin wire. What do you think recommend?

[@DaveRat]

That baby is dust not worth fixing. I think sure has a flat rate repair maybe give that a shot. Else just buy a beat up used 58 and steal the capsule from it

[@user-pp4lt6tb5r]

@@DaveRat alright thank you very much and good luck with your channel!

[@66fitton]

Good circlip tip, sir! 🤣

[@grantbovee]

Thank You Sir

[@sergeiponomarev8316]

Amazing job! Are you planning to fix the broken 58 capsule?

[@issaccartwright736]

To everyone watching this video, buy a set of "tubular spanners" Roughly 6 local currency units for all sizes, and vastly enable tightening stuff without leaving apprentice marks everywhere or snapping more cables cause your leatherman slipped. Pedal inputs, amp inputs, guitar inputs, hard to reach inputs, anything hexagonal under 14mm you are covered. Don't mention it.

[@DaveRat]

Yes, definitely saves a a minute or so. My love of using minimal tool habits of old, die hard.

[@ak-diver843]

Hallo Dave, where can i get Parts online for Sm57? Sweetwater? Cheers Joerg

[@DJSHaKa]

Hey there! Great video. I have a Shure Beta58a and the circlip snapped in half for literally no reason. Mic barely used never dropped. Know where i can get a replacement? Shure doesnt want me to find one 🤣

[@fabricesolignat]

Hello can you make a video of the disassembly and reassembly of a Shure SM 56 now it is very important thank you.

[@jorgemellooliveira9611]

Obrigado trabalho maravilhoso

[@DaveRat]

👍🤙👍

[@tuukkatervo8760]

But ontologically speaking whose mic is that 57 now? Is it Dennis' or is it Dave's? Which part holds the essence of the microphone?

[@tuukkatervo8760]

One thing we know: it is not Grant's.

[@andyevans2336]

I recently rebuilt a switched SM58 with a Beta 58head for my guitar player. Better sounding and he can mute it when he wants.

[@DaveRat]

👍🤙👍

[@gregbear123]

Would be cool to see Sm7b and sm57 comparison. People keep telling me they are virtually the same with the same cartridge, and I disagree. Sm7b looks like a bigger diaphragm and has no transformer.

[@tvdylan]

if my voice cool has come loose, is it fixable or crazy difficuilt to fix ? : )

[@DaveRat]

I've never tried to reglue the voice coil that sounds tough. Probably need to unsutter the lead wires remove the diaphragm completely then glue The voice coil on, then re-center the diaphragm and glue it back on then resolder the lead wires. The good news is you have nothing to lose by trying!

[@tvdylan]

ohh ! -_- sounds finnikitty ! ha. thanks for the suggestion ! i might try one day but for now ive just ordered a bran new 57 !! haha !! yeah baby ! d.i.y. fixing attemps another day perhaps ! cheers ! @@DaveRat

[@DaveRat]

That is a better use of time considering the low cost and high probability of unsuccessful outcomes

[@tvdylan]

ha! indeed !! have a good day ! : ) @@DaveRat

[@nunoandradebluesdrive]

great video.

[@TechGorilla1987]

@1:20 - "We've got some potential here..." About 48 Volts, amiright. 😆

[@ladjkaoz]

I had a sm58 long time ago.. I must had drop it 10000 times, run it over with a 89 chevy pick up 3500 loaded with all the gear on. I wrap it with a cloth, clamp it on a bench vise remove the bend mesh, screw the new one and keep working. till I Lost it. I believe those mics were indestructible.

[@lpseem3770]

I know why those clips have to be there, but the are really annoying. Thank You for explaing how to deal with them. I tend to brake them end replacing with a good ones.

[@DaveRat]

👍🤙👍

[@MrAdopado]

It's certainly a strange design. I don't really see the benefit unless it's simply to discourage people from taking them apart!

[@fabricesolignat]

I like it

[@bernieasis159]

that is what happened to my 57 but mine is very unfortunate it ripped closer to the diaphragm so there is no more wire to solder. It happened because of turning the grill which is supposed to turn freely but the yellow tape got stuck with grill. SO the lesson is even so it is made to turn freely just refrain from doing it as the tape may come loose ang get stuck to the grill. Ill never buy a 57 again

[@bandslam33]

He said don't spin it, but he spins it

[@DaveRat]

Ahhh, confusion over "it" The it that is grill spins = good Because The it that is capsule spin = bad

[@mattiacenacchi726]

You know too much about everything....................think if we only we had politicians like him.....

[@price.gaines]

I have a great fix for a beta 58! Throw it in the garbage and buy an sE V7!

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

Next thing... "demonetised"

[@DaveRat]

I'm afraid I don't understand

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

@@DaveRat you know what happens to people who share information about how to fix things... it's called Louis Rossman syndrome. I joke of course, but it is getting to the point where you can have your youtube channel shut down by a manufacturer complaint about intellectual property, and showing how to maintain equipment yourself. We are deep into a slavery form of consumerism, and the prohibition on "hardware tampering" is how the mass surveillance is getting done - we don't have the legal right to publish many things learned about commercial systems, since the era of the iPhone jailbreak suppression and PlayStation court cases. I doubt shure will have you struck off but KZbin would have no hesitation in honouring such a request. This is, in my opinion, reprehensible, and shutting consumers out of the science is a dangerous game. Black box syndrome.