The Best FIRST Mic for Your Studio: Unlocking Perfect Sound 

The SM58 is an excellent recommendation. It works with everything you can throw at it. I am now a sE Electronics V7 user. I find it just a little bit better for the sound profile I prefer when it comes to a dynamic.

I do voice overs for commercials and RU-vid videos ( news reports and documentaries)

I was running FOH with my mentor an E.E. who also happened to be the sound guy at The Grande Ballroom in its heyday (Hendrix, Zeppelin, The Who and everyone else).

My first mic purchases were an SM57 and XM8500 for a new podcast. Since then I've collected a whole host of dynamics and condensers ranging from a $37 Fifine to a $1300 Neumann TLM 103, and every time I get back on the SM57 I feel like I never needed to get anything else.

Great video. It's tough making these decisions. Content like this helps. As an aside, bookmarks would be a boon. All the best!

I prefer the se v7 to the sm58. Not that I dislike the Shures, they have a classic sound and are easy to work with - but having worked with students, I've found that the v7 tends to be more forgiving on people who've never held a mic before.

Sound advice if I do say so myself!

Utterly spot on. The easiest way to waste money is to either overspend or underspend. At $99US these microphones are legendary because they are legendary (extra for SM57 windscreen). Let's get this out of the way: neither the SM57 or SM58 are perfect (if that actually exists, let me know). But they don't have to be. Rugged, versatile and acceptable quality. True, some people like some of the competition (I carry a Lewitt MTP550DM with the SM58 in my "run and gun" kit because it's better with sibilance) and you won't here me dissing the AKG D5. But at the end of the day you can never waste money with the SM58. Even as my locker got filled with pricier mics the SM58 gets a lot of use because it simply works and does a decent job. (Note: To get the most out of it I recommend getting a Fethead.). I am anal about sound quality. As an old broadcast journalist I had EV 635A's shoved at me and I refused to use them, period. I had my own Shure gear (the SM57 is the White House standard). That's because the Buchanan hammer (635A, named after when EV was made in Buchanan, Michigan) was tough and worked but its omnidirectional sound and frequency response just sounds crappy. Never could stand the background noise. By contrast, I'd kill the auto gain and pop a windscreen on the Shure and got much better sound quality (sometimes near studio) in the field. I will go a step further: if you could only buy ONE microphone EVER it should be the SM58 (or SM57 and the not-so-optional A2WS $15 windscreen). I know you expected me to say all of this (as you essentially did) but I will add one thing: Only buy from an authorized Shure dealer and especially NOT on EBay. There are many fakes out there. Saving a few bucks will cost you. Even if you don't like Guitar Center at least you know the microphones are genuine.

Dude! I clicked on your link for the SM58 and it is on sale right now for $89 so, I really didn't have a choice 😅 it must be mine also saw the SM7B & SM7dB were both on sale too right now ty from down here in the Americas Yeehaw!!!!

100% agreed... just look out for counterfeits!

Hi, I have a question that's been causing me quite a bit of confusion. Can you please recommend which one of these two mics is better, the Shure SM58 or the SE Electronics V7? Please tell me which one is better?

Im really thinking of buying a sm58 or the sm7b who knows if shure will now phase the original out

I'd also recommend the e835. Same price as the 57/58 but i like em more on vocals.

The best FIRST mic for any studio is always the Shure SM58, I decided. Either that or you’re wrong.

I hate the sm57 ,get a akg D5

Maybe you'll stop getting emails from people asking you what gear to buy after this video...

I forgot to tell you that I bought a new vacuum cleaner. I chose a Bissell Aeroswift Compact.