Shure Handheld Vocal Mics Compared: SM58 vs. Beta 58A vs. Beta 87A vs. SM86

[@sweetwater]

You Shure can't go wrong with any of these exceptional handheld mics! If you enjoy videos like this, let us know in the comments and by hitting those like and subscribe buttons!

[@youssefkasim7556]

I see what you did there.

[@SJRogers0786]

@@youssefkasim7556 I’m Shure you did.

[@LorneVignettes]

@@SJRogers0786 Shure.

[@PetraKann]

Are you sure?

[@ParadNorthProd]

The 87 had the most detail and could then be mixed to sound awesome. But the 86 was almost final pop mix ready.

[@markbuzard]

I keep going back to the 86

[@scottzellner2382]

I love our 86s. Nice and airy but not too bright.

[@GrandNebSmada]

A bunch of the guys I work with have always told me the SM86 was a bad sounding mic and so I just also believed it since it was more than one of them. After watching this I can confirm they have no idea what they are talking about that is easily the best sounding mic out the of bunch. I've now also watched about 10 other videos with that mic and it truly is a hidden gem that people seem to overlook.

[@pjmuck]

I've owned 3 of the 4 mics here. The SM86 is arguably Shure's best kept secret. As great a vocalist as he is, you can hear his comfort level on this mic. The Beta 87 was my main mic for years, but I found it accentuates the throatiness and detail of my voice which often made me sound hoarser than I really was. I'm liking the SM86 a lot. (Beta 58a is a great mic too).

[@ninjabluewings]

Yes I have the 86 myself and I agree TOTALLY!! it's certainly Shure's "best kept secret" not seen very often and highly over looked too

[@FVDaudio]

Man... The Beta58 captured it all ... The Beta87 sounds like the high end was purposely boosted and that, I don't liked, but the trusty old sm86 sounds like the concert. Man 👏🏻🎶

[@StarQueenEstrella]

If it was up to me, I’d use the Beta 58A. It captures the most satisfactory mix of Marcus Scott’s high notes, the grit in his voice, and the emotion within his singing. But it’s like Mitch Gallagher said: it has to be the right mic for the right singer.

[@ericman4096]

Beta58 and SM86 both are great !!!

[@jandersilva9895]

58A sounds like tape, amazing voice

[@mediocreman2]

Wow that SM-86 was so great. Clear winner for his voice.

[@Mr_A_Mia]

Great voice...great video. Thx Sweetwater.

[@يمانيواليمناصلالعروبهوالعرب]

I wish y'all would make more videos like this with vocal mics!!!

[@amfla3787]

Me too!

[@AdamGotheridge]

I think Mr. Scott made them all sound great.

[@rv7641]

All sound great but that 58A Beta is amazing

[@markallen381]

An exceptional singer, Marcus Scott, Soul Man, who was captured best on the Shure Betas! My favorite is the Shure Beta 87A!

[@starcraft5379]

I still have both the SM86 and Beta 87A. Superb microphones!! But I traded my Beta58A for the Sennheiser E935 as I find it clearer and more crisp. SM58 is a reliable mic that fits on certain types of music and situations but for me, it's the least favourite.

[@JMMinistries]

I Love The Highs & Clarity Of The Beta 87A. It's The One We Use For Singing. We use the SM58 For Talking & Podcast Since It's More Richer and pronounced in the lows. But To Be Honest. Its A Shure, They All Sound Great @ The End Of The Day!

[@FirebrandVOCALS]

The sm86 was perfect for his voice 🎤💯💯👌

[@jasonbodden8816]

The SM86 sounded the best here on Marcus's voice. Only found out that mic even existed maybe a year ago but I'm only now looking into maybe getting one. Great comparison. Marcus has a great voice!

[@dannyho6786]

58a is one with most presence tome. But this dude would sound great thru anything even a radio shack mic !

[@HorstAlex]

Thanks so much for taking and sharing with others and me ❤

[@patrickcarroll1754]

I'm in. Please tell me where I can pick up Marcus's record. Great way to distinguish what each of these tools capture, Sweetwater. Much love. And Mitch continues to kick ass

[@guitarest3]

Overall the sm86 got my vote

[@SoMyungJung]

The Beta 58A has more boxiness in the low mids. Didn't like that much the sibilances with the SM86 SM58 is pretty well balanced but the Beta 87A suited best for his voice. Warm and defined lows, good presence and the sibilance is kinda manageable.

[@AlvesterGarnett]

Came for the mic comparison but got a great tune and performance too!

[@LorneVignettes]

This is a great microphone 🎤 comparison. This guy from Sweetwater is super knowledgeable. They were smart hiring him.

[@salthedrummer1]

Way to go Marcus, you sound great...!

[@NLongleng]

I love the SM 86....

[@TheSoulsandRevive]

Great video as per usual. Big fan of Shure mics, cheers

[@hadleymanmusic]

Ive always l8ked the 87a.

[@wckoek]

SM86 in my opinion sounded more natural and better with vocal alone, however in the mix with instruments the Beta 58a stands out the most. The latter would be more ideal for live band performance.

[@johnwade7430]

Lovely performances - thanks you.

[@jehovahuponyou]

SM86 HAS IT ALL - THAT IS MY CHOICE!!!!!!!

[@billesposito2112]

I like the 86 Wow . I have the 58. beta 58 and beta 87a . Now I'm getting an 86. Nice shootout.

[@UnleashDLion]

honestly, maybe in person it wouldve been more obvious but when you add youtube audio compression to it, it's very subtle.

[@alexmdrful]

In general i like beta 87 on female vocal and beta 58 on male vocal. But for the price the sm86 is definitely worthy

[@thomas9469]

I agree with you. Female voice will suite better on 87.

[@theiammike123]

came for the test. stayed for the singer. 😁

[@ForteeTwoTwenty]

For his voice both SM’s are the better match! Sm86 is perfect as is, and im shure the SM58 could be slightly EQ’d and be very close to as good :)

[@Makta972]

Beta58A And Sm86 for me.

[@EddieInzauto]

Came for a mic comparison; not familiar with Marcus…but diggin the sweet Terrence Trent D’Arby vibes!

[@maomao180]

SM86 is so underrated.

[@justinTime077]

I think I must agree. I just took the plunge on one, and I am very much in love with it. Hearing this, I don’t regret deciding to not be upsold to the beta 87

[@marioCazares]

What an amazing voice!

[@iamantoniofernandez]

fantastic review. Thank you

[@SM57]

Great performance 👏

[@1loveMusic2003]

He's crazy good!

[@eskimophoto]

wonderful comparisons.

[@WilliamLunas07]

SM 86 i love the high pitch

[@alvinhoang1800]

Great Video! Can you please do a comparison between Sennheiser e865 vs e945? Thank you.

[@0305theo]

Usually the vocalists prefer beta 58a, than 86, when I give them a choice

[@mementomori7207]

Where can I find this song…. It’s so good

[@thecurdge5934]

Shout out to Marcus Scott he killed his takes !

[@sweetwater]

😎🤟

[@hadleymanmusic]

My dogs in the hallway singin along

[@JcSontinou]

Prices for these 4 mics please?

[@nightowl-dz3sm]

A real singer!

[@jerryadams5487]

Be advised u cant hear the difference just by watching video, u really has 2 be directly involved in the studio 2 capture any difference especially $99 mic sounds just as good 1 that cost about $200

[@keisaboru1155]

i dont prefer the sm 58 . However it its super good for low class mics . 58A propably bruh

[@philvorobets]

Thanks 👍

[@DanielFerreira-hz4cc]

Which of these mics would be best for a baritone to sing along with a Boss VE-2 pedal? I'm not sure which one I should buy.

[@sweetwater]

Hey Daniel, great question! I love recommending Condenser mics for vocalists as they give a much more detail to the voice! The Beta 87A would be my choice as it has a tighter polar pattern than the 86 and should be more focused and isolated for you. If you want to talk in more detail, please give me a ring! Drake Sobehrad, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 3271, [e-mail]

[@elvega1244]

Detalle- en vivo con percusión detrás más amplificadores cual responderá mejor a la retroalimentscion? Dejo esto por aquí y me iré en silencio

[@hadleymanmusic]

Isnt the 87a the later of the 86?

[@QuicksilverSG]

The differences in microphone on-axis frequency response are not nearly as significant as a mic's low-frequency proximity effect and its variations in off-axis sensitivity and frequency response. To test a mic you need to listen to a vocalist who really knows how to work the mic rather than just sing up close to it.

[@davidgeorge1294]

Not have problems with feedback? Did he just say that? On what planet does this occur?. Otherwise great video.

[@vadimmartynyuk]

You just gotta add low end with EQ to sm86 or 87a

[@moon-lf5le]

Nice voice

[@sheireland3737]

Ooo Nice singer. Great song.

[@blueckaym]

So which Shure mic would be best for deep bass vocals? I ask because all of these start from 50Hz, and in addition they fall-off quite in the low end (lets say below 200Hz which is around G3, which about half my range C2-G3) ?

[@sweetwater]

Hey, Blueckaym. Thank you for reaching out. My preferences for low bass vocals in the Shure line are the beta 87 capsule and the KSM9 capsule. I have worked with a lot of quartets and vocal groups, and they picked up the extended low end range extremely well. You do have to work the proximity effect on them, but they will cover the range very well. Depending on what exactly you are looking for, you may have to add a booster and some plug ins, like a lot of the a capella groups do. Reach out if there is anything else we can help with. Thanks, Grant Embury, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1647, [e-mail]

[@blueckaym]

@@sweetwater , Hey thank you for the quick response! I've actually been wondering between the beta 58a & beta 87a as both are compatible with the SLX-D wireless system and being super-cardioids have the proximity effect boosting low tones (currently with some warmup I reach C2, and rarely have problem with D2 /except low volume/ on a good day can reach B1, and hopefully I'll crack that subharmonics technique to get few lower tones ... eventually). I see that KSM8 & KSM9 have both SLX-D compatible capsules and are cardioid or both cardio-& super-cardio ... which I would expect to have similar proximity effect, but strangely their freq.resp.charts don't show such things :/ Btw do you know if capsules are replaceable? For example if I get SLX-D/beta58a and only a capsule beta87a, can I change capsules on the same handheld transmitter or are there hidden quirks?

[@beejetay]

@@sweetwater I use the Beta 87a, but I always need to EQ out a lot of mid-range honk because my slight nasal vocal tone seems more pronounced with the 87a. Would you suggest a different mic that is better for "slightly nasal" tone singers?

[@sweetwater]

​@@beejetay Hey, Bill. Thanks for reaching out! The Shure 87A is a great mic, but definitely more sensitive and a bit brighter than most out there because it’s an Electret Condenser Microphone. If you want to stay in the Shure Family try a Beta 58 or even and SM58. My wife is a Soprano vocalist and sounds great on both of those mics. A dynamic mic in general should help you with any kind of “slightly nasal” tones. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out. Thanks and have a great day! Jack Wellington, Sweetwater Sale Engineer, [phone] ext. 3240, [e-mail]

[@enrix00]

58A is amazing

[@Neil-Aspinall]

Yeah Yeah Yeah, kids, any mic over $80 will do ya fine. The thing about big ol' condenser mics is they look good and make anyone seeing them think that you must be professional. Don't waste your money on expensive mics it's a bit like buying a really expensive audio interface when a $100 jobby will do you fine in the home recording situation.

[@michaeln2902]

FINAL WHICH MIC IS THE BEST? THE MORE MONEY IS NOT GOOD.WHY? BECAUSE WHEN YOU SELL YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHICH IS THE MORE EXPENSIVE,,,OK...AND THE QUALITY MUST LOOK COMBTABLE

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Beta 58a - all day.

[@ITOLDUDA]

SM86 sounded the best to me. The 87a was... disappointing. 58a was definitely respectable.

[@randomrandy3059]

Can you use these like reporter mics

[@jerryadams5487]

How many times I told yall the ONLY different I'm hearing is the different in prices in other words if u didnt put up on the screen which mic being used the difference is NOT $100 to $200 better sounding NOT to me

[@riszetriple8697]

🎤👏👏👏👏👏👏☝

[@leobardobivianomedia]

Where is the Shure Beta 87C?

[@karstenpe]

It's the same as the 87A - except for the polar pattern. And since he isn't moving around the mic and there is no PA it probably wouldn't be relevant to test it out.

[@Sagepeh]

Recently I bought the microphone shure KSM8 in Singapore but I feel that is 👎

[@samirbedelli]

Beta 87A

[@blueckaym]

Why instead of singing the same song 4 different times (and do subtle changes unintentionally), just put all the mics next to each other and record single performance. Then we'll know that the differences are from the mics

[@jonathanvenegas7543]

Because then you would need four mic cables and stands, and a four channel input, and more work. You wouldn’t be able to compare gain either since you aren’t sharing the same pre. The way they did it is the best way to do it (go figure they do things the right way). Not to mention there’s a sweet spot with all cardiod dynamic microphones, and having to move further back than you would normally use the mic would remove the actual functionality of it being a HANDHELD microphone

[@BurningBushPedagogy]

They were mostly bad, they were too crude, the 86 was a little okay

[@DiosDragon1111]

2:20 2:40

[@bennettshapiro7711]

This is kind of a badly executed test/comparison. These are all supposed to be live mics. In a live situation, there would be a band playing around the vocalist. So part of what we would want to hear in a test/comparison of these microphones would be how they reject other sounds on stage. Also, how they do rejecting stage monitor sound, giving you gain before feedback. This demonstration showed us none of that. This is much more how these mics would perform in the studio. But no one would ever probably use these mics in the studio. I love the idea of comparing these mics. It’s too bad that this particular execution isn’t particularly helpful. Marcus Scott, sounds absolutely fantastic though.

[@bagel7080]

Another thing is, that different voice types need different mics. I wish they would've said which mic they would recommend for different voice types.

[@ledheavy26]

No one would ever use these in a studio? Why not? I guess Bono from U2 is just a nobody..... These kind of statements are ridiculous. If you think you can't use "live" mics in the studio you might also believe you can't use a "guitar" mic on a snare drum, or a "vocal" mic on a piano. This test wasn't for their live sound characteristics aside from how they sound, which is the most important quality. And yes, I've used the beta58a for vocals live and recorded, they sound great in a mix in both scenarios.

[@tearitloosetearitloose4670]

What are you talking about? These mics have been used in recording studios the world over.

[@bennettshapiro7711]

@@tearitloosetearitloose4670 as vocal mics? I can think of literally 20 mics I would choose for vocals in the studio over these.

[@bennettshapiro7711]

@@ledheavy26 Yes Bono used a 58 on his first two records, UNTIL HE LEARNED THERE WERE BETTER MICS. Lmao! I had the privilege of working with Steve Lilywhite on a record, and he explained that in the early days, Bono thought he knew everything.