SM57 LC : The go-to mic for close miking guitars and drums!

I have used this mic with rock bands in a mid-sized studio and also made extensive use of it live. In my opinion, the sound this mic reproduces is exceptional for Rock and Pop music, thus it suits well close miking snare and toms or guitar cabinets.

The only downside I find with this mic is the black outer plastic of the capsule, which is loose and rotates on its own. I'm sure that if this piece is hit while playing, it can break. Also, drums being a very loud instrument, this plastic tends to shake when one strikes the drum and produces an annoying sound of the plastic rattling with the capsule. I solved this by applying two small pieces of black electrical tape to stick this plastic to its capsule, making sure not to cover the whole circumference ofthe capsule as this changed the characteristic of sound and its pickup. This will prevent the plastic from moving. This is the reason I gave 4 stars for quality.

Having tried and tested several other mics in miking drums and guitars, I find myself returning to this mic more often than not as the sound it captures suits well the style of music I record. I have therefore by time invested in more SM57s.