Playing the saxophone Mic and effects for playing live?

[Nick Wyver]

57s aren't as robust as 58s when it comes to using them as a club to beat the punters that are trying to climb on stage.

Siouxsie, in case you were wondering.

 

[rhysonsax]

57s aren't as robust as 58s when it comes to using them as a club to beat the punters that are trying to climb on stage.

Siouxsie, in case you were wondering.

But possibly easier to insert into those punters ?

Rhys

 

[MikeMorrell]

But therein lies the difference - from Shure themselves:

The 57 and 58 microphones are actually based on the same cartridge design. The main difference is in the grille. The SM58 was designed for vocal applications, and therefore uses a ball grille with built in pop filter to eliminate plosives.

The SM57 is designed as an instrument microphone, where a smaller grille size is more practical and plosives are less of a concern. Subsequently, the SM57 does not use a ball grille with pop filtering and instead features an integral resonator/grille assembly, where the grille is actually part of the cartridge.

Each grille design places the diaphragm of each microphone in a different acoustical environment. The distance from the top of the grille to the diaphragm is shorter on the SM57 compared to that of the SM58, which allows for a more pronounced proximity effect through closer mic positioning. Additionally, the different resonator/grille assembly design of the SM57 produces a slightly higher output above 5 kHz.

​

It's All a Matter of Microphone Application​

Although the SM57 was originally intended for instrument applications, there are plenty of examples through music history of it being used as a vocal microphone. This is because the increased proximity effect – and 5KHz frequency boost – can be used to the engineers advantage with certain vocalists. In other words, the same qualities that help instruments, can sometimes also bolster certain voices. It's all a matter of what works for your application. Experimentation, and using your ears remains the key factor.

So there you have it, they're actually pretty similar, with subtle, but potentially significant differences.

Wow, @Pete Effamy, many thanks for this detailed comparison! In our small rehearsal room, I don't really need a mic. But it would be good to get used to playing with a mic before I might need to use one for a performance.

 

[thomsax]

For me the difference between a 57 and a 58. It's easier to get the 57 down in the bell when you are playing. 😉

 

[Pete Effamy]

Most common use for a 57 is as a snare mic. It is great on sax though I think the 58 has more body. The differences are more apparent when doubling on clarinet. The BBC used to rotate sound engineers and one always gave me a 57 which I didn’t like on clarinet. The 58 was fine.

 

[Veggie Dave]

Until today I thought I was odd because I prefer an SM58 to the 57 for sax, too.

 

[Pete Effamy]

57’s also used on guitar cabs too. And excellent.

 

[John Laughter]

Most common use for a 57 is as a snare mic. It is great on sax though I think the 58 has more body.

Totally agree and micing a guitar amp. The 57's that sound people have given me over the years are thin and shrill sounding. But then it may be their EQing. Give me a 58!

I will stay with my N/D 468 in my band

 

[PiccoloPirate]

I've never had to mic a sax, but will try using the little clip-ons, attached to a wide brimmed Stetson, as I do with flutes, and see how it sounds.
Beyer M201N(C) is what I use if there's room for a stand.
For flutes and acoustic six string.
Tried those red velcro mic clips on the flute's HJ, but don't like anything attached to the instrument.
MXR makes the flutes sound natural and just louder.
Most of my loud playing in public was on Bass Guitar long ago.
Jazz, Rock and Riding the Purple Sage.
Before that, on Tenor, big band, symphonic band and quartet club date work, with piano, drums, sax/clarinet and electric jazz box guitar. People danced but were quiet as others just listened.
We always played pretty.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

It's nice to play thru your own amp when possible.

 

[John Laughter]

It's nice to play thru your own amp when possible.

And control your own sound/volume : )

 

[thomsax]

And control your own sound/volume : )

One guy I used to play with tried to achieve to old Rock & Roll and Blues venue sound from the 50's and 60's. Just the vocals going through the small PA. All instruments had their own amps including the sax, keyboard, harmonica ... . When I blow into a microphone I used a 15" active stage monitor/speaker with a SM 57 or SM 58 (no phantom power) or a JTS clip-on microphone (needs phantom power, a pre-amp was necessary) but the settings were limited. Level, treble and bass, so easy the that even I understood 😉. No reverb. We played noisy and high energy "pubrock". I liked it. Easy for us. And beside, we didn't have to carry a lot of stuff. Less money as well. Here around, playing live for our band, has more or less vanished. We just can't blame everything on the pandemic. To carry, connect, do sound check .... when we were just playing 10-15 songs (Berry, Little Richard, Jupp, Larry Williams, Springsteen, CCR ...) in an up-tempo and with high energy. We got more positive comments when we kept it simple. So it was all very simple. The music was easy as well. The easy and unpretentious music styles has became too complicated?

 

[John Laughter]

We got more positive comments when we kept it simple. So it was all very simple.

Once in a while I sit back and think about the old days with the 1960s Kustom vintage columns and tuck & roll PA amp. The two Kustom columns stood tall behind us on either side of the stage. No feedback at all. No stage monitors (hate them), no in-ear monitors, no rackmount effects, no mic on the guitar amp, no stage volume issues, no mics on the drums and no so called sound person. It served us well for many years.

Our main "party" band today is very close to the same setup. Excellent clear sound.

 

[eb424]

I bought a used cloud vocal wireless..Its great and has its own effects box if you need it..keep it close to or on the stand and it gives you some level of control

 

[jazzdoh]

You won't go wrong with either a 57 or 58, good price and good performance, I have been using a 57 for the last 20 years no issues.
There are more expensive options but you have to be able to justify the extra cost.

 

[valjeanmeister]

Deleted. Question already answered.

 

[greenstripe]

Saw this on Facebook. I think this a really important effects pedal to have in your arsenal for playing with a band. 😉

 

[John Laughter]

important effects pedal

I could use one of those once in a while

 

[Buzzymost]

Nuix b6 mic fab mic at very reasonable price, tc helicon mic mechanic allows you to manage your own reverb & delay.

I was looking at the TC Helicon Mic Mechanic for reverb etc. Would you recommend it ?

 

[eb424]

Ive got the nux. Great mic but died after a year no after care in the uk. Make sure to take out the extended warranty. Also cloud vocals great comes with an effects box, that requires 240v. I also bought a spare seperate mic so as there are no charging issues.