The SM57’s versatility as a vocal mic is established by several notable artists. Michael Jackson used a Shure SM 57 mic to record the famous Billie Jean in 1982; Cyndi Lauper sings into the SM57; and President Bush is still speaking to the country with the SM57. Shure themselves position the model as an instrument mic:
“SM57 Instrument Microphone – Multi-purpose dynamic microphone with contoured frequency response for clean sound reproduction of amplified or acoustic instruments. It is ideal for close miking: guitar and bass amps; snare drums, toms, and congas; and brass instruments.”
They claim…
- Natural sounding
- Durable bulletproof design
- Used widely in studios as well as on stage
- Frequency response: 40Hz-15kHz
- Tight cardioid polar pattern
