Shure SM vs. Beta Series: SM-57, SM-58, Beta 57A, Beta 58A - Beta Series worth the money?

A comparison and listening test between two prominent microphone series by Shure: the SM series and the Beta series.
Focusing on the SM58, SM57, Beta 57A, and Beta 58A models.
Whether you are an audio enthusiast or a professional, this video aims to help you make an informed decision by elucidating the nuanced distinctions between these Shure microphone models.
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Shure SM57 microphone amzn.to/3Rgf783
Shure SM58s microphone amzn.to/3GJgQ0J
Shure Beta 57A microphone amzn.to/3NJK1Fd
Shure Beta 58a microphone amzn.to/46TeE1z
Neumann U87Ai amzn.to/3Kir5MO
Shure SM86 microphone amzn.to/3u1qMgv
Audix OM7 microphone amzn.to/3OmzBZX
Audix OM6 microphone amzn.to/3mTzGZq
Audix OM5 microphone amzn.to/3OeWRsL
Audix OM3 microphone amzn.to/39qIYZA
Audix OM2 microphone amzn.to/3xwAtnR
AKG D5 microphone amzn.to/3MUr6E3
Vocal Pop Filters for the SM57:
(Most effective - largest)
Shure A81WS Gray Large Foam Windscreen for SM81/57
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(Shure recommended)
Shure A2WS Standard Shure Pop Filter for SM57
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(Budget)
SM57 Windscreen Pop Filter Cover (3-pack)
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Stedman Proscreen XL Pop Filter
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[@TheSingingDoctor325]

I liked the sound of the 57 vs 57beta - sounded more balanced to my ears. Another thing to consider is singing technique. I host an open mic and have found that the 58beta can be tough for novices because they talk to the side of the mic and then people complain they can't hear them and then it's too loud when they start singing directly into the mic.

[@Barry-Watson]

Thanks, I agree, I think the SM58 sounds more balanced than the beta version.

[@thesocialartsclub9095]

I was looking for this comparison. Great video.

[@Barry-Watson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alekp6822]

I bought Beta 57A for micing the guitar amp, sounds very different EQ wise than 57 ofcourse, they both work great on amp, 57 sounds more shrill but thats great with multimics in combo, but i preferred Beta on recording vocals ( with some EQ added on, punk-rock singer). I preferred it over Super 55 t( and Warm condenser mic)...i bought two, one turns out to be fake , and sounds as good as original that i have /weird! Thanks for the video Barry !

[@MrPaolo101]

Thanks for taking the time to make this!.

[@Barry-Watson]

My pleasure!

[@marcs3982]

I think, on shures wsbsite they say one of the differences between the beta series and regular 57s and 58s is they now use a neodymium magnet which provides a stronger magnetic field, hence slightly more output. A little hotter... love your videos! You really know your shit!

[@jasonledyard404]

Great video and nicely informative.

[@Barry-Watson]

Glad it helped

[@markallen381]

I turned to the Betas because they have 2X the output (3db more). That made a huge difference when I needed a boost over the drummer and guitar amps. I've never found Directionality to be a problem.

[@RocsAquatics]

This was worthwhile. Thanks so much!

[@Barry-Watson]

You're so welcome!

[@p1nesap]

Holy smokes that Neumann U-87 is rich. The Beatles used Neumanns & I suppose many did. Nice comparison of the Shures. I think Bono used a SM-57. I used to gig with an Electro-Voice N/D767, really nice mic. I didn't require an amp mic, small clubs mostly. I recorded at home with a Chinese MXL condenser, surprisingly good.

[@Barry-Watson]

Yeah, I think the U87 sounds really smooth, but it does seem a bit more sensitive to RF noise pickup than many of my other mics. I really like a lot of the EV mics, I worked at a club that has a nice collection of them. Thanks!

[@martianrays]

Very good explanation and demonstration of the mics. "It looks just like a Telefunken U 47... You'll love it."- Frank Zappa Your pirate radio station vid was also good. I'll know not to answer the door if the men in black knock. Liked and subbed.

[@Barry-Watson]

Fantastic! Thanks!

[@mroche747]

Great video, thanks

[@Barry-Watson]

My pleasure!

[@Fl4ppers]

I've been telling people to get the beta 57 instead of the standard since the early 2000s. I like Shure's high end condensers far better tbh.

[@paulswartz9104]

Great video!

[@Barry-Watson]

Thanks!

[@BattleAxeRX]

Very nice! I would have liked to have heard the beta 58a

[@Barry-Watson]

I think you'd find the sound near-identical to the Beta 57A.

[@BattleAxeRX]

@Barry-Watson thanks for your response, i actually ordered the beta58a last night! The shure help page claims that the shape of the grill slightly changed freq response, and, because the grill is closer the cartridge on the 57, it's capable/ susceptible of hotter signal and proximity effect (bass increase). I just figured i am bad at mic and signing so i should buy the more consistent one... 🫡👍🙂 FTR i watched a bunch of other reviews and comparisons. I also have all shure mics so far

[@Barry-Watson]

Hope that works well for you. The beta 58 has a little tighter pattern for stronger feedback control then the SM58, also has a bit more output level. Does have the cool blue ring. They're okay on some singers but for me I've never been happy with them. Some people love them, but I think they have a really exaggerated weird sounding upper mid range that just doesn't sound natural, I think the SM58 is a much better sounding mic overall. For example I have recorded some videos using the beta 58, and I just couldn't accept it... on hearing the playback during editing I thought it was so horrible sounding I erased the whole production and re-rerecorded with a different mic. It's a mic that I want to love, I keep trying it, but it never delivers for me. I think the beta 58s/57As do work well on some guitar amps where that upper edge is a benefit. Generally, I like Shure microphones a lot, but there are a couple models that don't work well for me. But, hey, that's just my opinion and opinions vary.

[@BattleAxeRX]

@Barry-Watson right on, thank you. Yea I'm running an old audio technica atr50 in a garage band setting with my drummer and we record our sessions. The bleed on that atr cardioid is ridiculous. I really considered the SE v7 supercard and figured I'll go with shure to start. Maybe it'll work for my voice... 🙏

[@Barry-Watson]

I've heard really good things about the SE7, but I haven't used one myself. I've had good results from the audit's OM series, and I think the AKG D5 is a nice upgrade to the SM58 (for about the same price). I've also had really good results with the EV vocal mics.

[@gillihansmobilewelding]

The president doesn't choose

[@soundgineering4771]

Hi Barry. Another great video on microphones. As you mentioned, fighting with feedback comes as a “bonus” with almost all microphones unless you are not changing the levels, environment, and equipment that you have fine-tuned with them. This is my impression, and I may be wrong, but it may be harder to deal with feedback on a super-cardioid microphone than a cardioid mic. What was that which you mentioned in the video that, upon switching the SM57 with a Beta 57A, kicked in and removed the feedback? The pop filter on Beta 57A? Also, please advise how to make sure that the mic you buy is a genuine Shure mic and not a knockoff? I see that several sellers are selling SM57 for a fraction of the price of a genuine SM57. How can we avoid the fraudulent ones? Thank you.

[@Barry-Watson]

Thanks! A key attribute of feedback control is a smooth and linear frequency response. The system will tend to feed back at those frequencies where the gain is the greatest, that is where there are peaks in the frequency response. As the microphone polar pattern tightens (cardioid -> hyper-cardioid), it would not be surprising to me to see more response irregularities, especially in the off axis response. So, I could see that behavior where directional mics are a bit more squirrely to some degree. But, generally the overall rear attenuation works in your favor however. Some of the counterfeit Shure microphones look really really good and could be hard to tell from the real thing, even for casual "experts". Some of the things I look for is does the capsule look the same as the original, are they using the same colored wires internally, and on the bottom XLR connector are the pins labeled 1,2,3 with "Shure" stamped in the plastic. Also is the packaging and the fonts exactly correct on both the mic and the box. Some of those folks make very convincing looking copies unfortunately they often don't sound as good as the real thing. Even if I was to see something that looks just a little bit suspicious, I wouldn't be certain, because manufacturers make minor changes due to material availability etc and this product has been on the market for so long that there's probably some minor production differences and such between a 1960s microphone and one made today. Maybe between the older USA made and the newer Mexico made mics etc. Shure almost never allows dealers to sell popular products at a discount, so if you're seeing product being sold at much less than retail price, unless you know you're dealing with a respectable authorized dealer, I would be very suspicious. For example, I would not buy a popular mic model on e-bay, I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of them are counterfeit. If I was considering purchasing a used mic like an SM58, I would bring one of my own SM58s, make sure they look identical, and carefully listen to the sound between the two of them to make sure that whatever I'm planning on purchasing actually sounds just like a real Shure microphone.

[@JROCKNROLL_]

So if you buy the Beta 57A by mistake and you actually wanted to get Beta 58A, its not really a huge difference or mistake? I know a vocalist I bought maybe teh 57A for, but he seems to continue to use the SM-58 now... So I wonder why he wanted a BETA instead of a new SM. Or maybe he thinks the 57A is too different from the 58A? I don't dare to ask him myself.

[@Barry-Watson]

Yeah, beta 57 and beta 58 use the same capsule, so they sound very similar, practically identical, Both of them include some pop filter, so they really could be used interchangeably typically. The beta series has a tighter pattern, which can be helpful for feedback suppression, however I think that the SM58 is overall a better smoother sounding microphone on most people's vocals.

[@mustafaunsoy]

Just buy a beta 58a grill and you will have both mics, because the only difference is the grill.