If you're building up your home studio or live sound setup, you're likely facing a lot of important questions about microphones. What is the best mic you can get on a budget? What is the best mic for a guitar amp? What is the best mic for drums? Can you record vocals with an affordable microphone?

Luckily, the answer to all of these questions can be summarized in just two words: Shure SM57.

Known as a workhorse microphone due to its reliability and flexibility, the Shure SM57 is a world-class instrument microphone that sets the industry standard. The tight cardioid polar pattern blocks out unwanted off-axis sounds and only picks up what the mic is pointed at, great for isolating one sound source (even in noisy, suboptimal recording environments). In addition, it can handle a ton of gain before it begins to feed back—making it perfect for live settings where live amplification and monitoring are required simultaneously.

The SM57's natural presence and frequency response highlights the best parts of your vocals, drums, guitar amp, or just about any other instrument you want to point it at. It handles loud sounds with ease, capturing them without unwanted distortion. As you decrease the distance between the microphone and the sound source, the proximity effect brings out more of the bass frequencies, great for miking drums or amplifiers with a full sound.

Not only does it sound great, this mic is durable as heck, able to stand up to extreme usage, night after night...making it a top choice for touring musicians and venues whose gear needs to be able to take a beating. The frequency response is wide-ranging, allowing it to be used with a plethora of different sound sources.

If you want an all-around great and time-tested microphone that fits into a wide range of usage scenarios, the SM57 is a must-have. There's a reason this mic is part of every studio and live sound rig: it sounds great, it's durable, and you'll find a use for it in virtually every session you ever do.

SM57 FEATURES

• World-class dynamic instrument microphone
• Rugged design built to survive the rigors of touring
• Cardioid polar pattern for excellent isolation
• Workhorse tool for use on stage or in the studio
• Ideal for vocals, drums, close-miking guitar cabs, and more
• Presence peak adds clarity to virtually any sound
• High gain before feedback—great for live sound applications
• Includes mic clip and zippered carry pouch

Microphone type: Dynamic

Polar pattern: Cardioid

Frequency response: 40Hz–15kHz

Output impedance: 150 Ohms

More information - Shure