AudioChainsDB

ShureSM58

microphone

New retail price (MSRP)

$99

Used market: $75*

Check price at ThomannManufacturer datasheet

Specifications

5 of 8 values have a recorded source
Connectors
XLR 3-Pin Male·
Built-in converter
no·
Transducer
Dynamic Moving Coil✓
Sensitivity
-54.5✓
Output impedance
150✓
Phantom power required
no✓
Connection
XLR-Only✓
Indexable Locales
en·

Expert Audio Engineering Commentary

Tonal profile

Cardioid dynamic with a presence lift around 4 kHz and a bass rolloff that keeps proximity effect in check. Frequency response is 50 Hz to 15 kHz, so there is nothing below the voice to fight with.

Gain staging

-54.5 dBV/Pa is 4.5 dB hotter than an SM7B. Close vocals land at roughly 45-50 dB of gain, which every interface on the market has. The SM58 is not one of the hungry dynamics, whatever the forum says.

Setups using this gear

Klark Teknik Mic Booster CT 1 with an SM58: does phantom power reach the microphone? Nobody has published the answerShure SM58 on a PreSonus AudioBox GO: three decibels short at a quiet voice, and three ways to get them backShure SM58 with Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen: enough gain for a quiet voice?

* Estimated with the depreciation fallback (~76% retained value).