Karaoke Forums

Hi Everyone,

I was having some second thoughts about the microphones that I chose to use at my show. I want the sound to be of the highest quality so I chose Shure SM58's. But, after seeing the way some people handle them, I am wondering if I should pick up some cheaper ones.

I have noticed that a lot of you use PG58's. Are there good? How much are they? I was thinking of picking some up.

I was also thinking of using 2 SM58's and 2 RSQ mics that I got (they are ok). But, I want to hand the good mics to the people who know how to handle a mic, and who I know are not too drunk and will be respectful of the equipment. The RSQ's can go to the people who are clearly tipsy and overly aggressive.

What do you all think of this? Any help would be appreciated.

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Patrick
Twinbrook Sound
Waltham, MA

Ice:
I use the PG58's and they are decent. I'm also looking at the Sennheiser 3 pack ( see other discussion on this site) . Its a business decision and a fine line ....The BEST equipment usual means BIG BUCKS $$$$ But do you want your $100 microphone in the hands of some drunk you don't even know? ON the other hand I tried the 3 mics for $49 deal..and it was a waste of MONEY ..... Try the PG58 and you will find that they are DECENT ...NOT BAD ....NOT GREAT just a good quality karaoke microphone. I also tried the wireless system but after losing 2 mics and $300 I decided to stay WIRED ...I do have a wireless I use for announcing and will hand out ON OCCASION ...Sorry its just the way I feel

I agree, Jam. That's what I am worried about. It is a fine line between wanting the best sounding system and having your expensive mics destroyed.

I think I will feel out the people who are regulars and allow use of the good mics when I decide that they are worthy.

Bottom line: If you respect my equipment, you use the best mics!

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Patrick
Twinbrook Sound
Waltham, MA

Just an opinion, but I think the RSQ's are fine for the drunks and those who want to swing them, drop them, etc. I use cordless mics. Use the AudioTechnica 3000 series for the regulars. The tipsy ones get one of the old vocopros as I'm not gonna knowingly hand a several hundred dollar mic to a drunk.

You also get what you pay for. Some of the cheaper mics aren't as durable & will die easier if dropped.
Mics are really a personal preference. Some are brand loyal, some are price loyal, some WON'T use certain equipment just because they want to be different. You need to go to your local music store & test various different mics. The SM58 is my personal favorite. I've been using them for several years (same 2 in my main system since 1994), they've been dropped countless times, & have never had a failure yet & they still sound great. I do replace the mesh screen a couple times a year, but that's about it. I have used other brands, while some did sound a little crisper, I personally don't think that I would switch. If I did I may go with the Shure Beta 58.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I hear ya on the SM58's, Lon. They will definitely take more punishment than some of the cheaper ones. Still, I agree with Ron in that I don't feel comfortable handing a good mic to someone if I can tell by their demeanor that they are going to mishandle it.

I am also going to pick up a dual channel compressor/limiter tonight. I plan on using it on the first 2 mic channels. In the instance that I get 3 or more singers up there, I will just pull the sliders down if they get too loud.

BTW, how much do the replacement screens for the SM58 cost?

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Patrick
Twinbrook Sound
Waltham, MA

Replacement screens are about $15.

In the cas of your 3rd mic being uncompressed, just use that channel for your announcements/host mic.
Any mic can break when dropped, just some of the cheaper ones will do it quicker. Use 1 $100 mic for 5 years without replacement or replace $50 mic or even something cheaper every couple years - it all adds up eventually?? Some have said they have lost at least a mic a month, but admitted most of them were cheap mics. I don't even consider $100 alot anymore compared to the durability I gain & keep the sound quality clean. I doubt I would go much higher $$ wise , but for me I wouldn't use anything else.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I say use the SM58's. They are designed to withstand abuse while providing a superior sound. A cheap mic not designed to endure abuse will probably fail when the drunk drops it. In the end it will be cheaper to have just used the SM58 or other like quality mic.

Also the Audio Tecnica ATR30 is priced btw $30 & $50 and seems to be almost as hardy as the SM58. It sounds pretty decent too (its a little warmer than the SM58). You may want to give this a try for your "questionable" singers.

We carry different mics including the Shure and the one I like best other than the Senniesser 835 is our Apex 850 ($34.99Cdn), and comes with clip and 15'xrl cable, which to me sounds better than the Shure and is very durable and takes abuse (drops etc). Nothing I've used so far beats the Senn.

Timberlea:

I could not agree with you more. My Sennheiser wireless is my favorite mic, and I definitely, hands down, prefer it to my SM58. Unfortunately, Icenine already purchased the SM58s. I do not know why people do not consider this great performing mic more often.

Well come on now guys,

The SM58 isn't exactly junk! It is the preferred mic of many, many bands across the nation. I have decided, though, that I am not going to worry too much about the mics because I bought the replacement warranty and I will get an automatic replacement if they break for 3 years.

I'll worry more after that!

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Patrick
Twinbrook Sound
Waltham, MA

Icenine:

Chances are you will not need that replacement warranty on your SM58s. They will take a beating. Please do not think that I consider the SM58 to be junk. I bought one and still use it when doing duets. When I go out to shows, they almost always have the SM58. It has been a standard for quite some time. Microphone preferences are highly subjective and I just prefer the Sennheiser 835's sound to the SM58. This takes nothing away from the well-deserved high regard that the SM58 enjoys.

I have a wireless SM58 as well and love it. I have to wonder though what it is that makes you like the Sennheiser more though. Does it have a warmer tone? Does it pick up the whisperers better? Does it not produce much feedback? Is it better able to sustain a six foot drop onto a concrete floor? Not to sound condescending to your preferences at all. I'm just still new to all this and I'm trying to learn about other brands of hardware through y'all's experiences.

Mustang:

My voice just seems to have a little more presence when I sing through the Sennheiser. It is warmer and vocals seem to cut through better. bringing the mic closer to your mouth seems to accentuate the bass a little better than with the SM58. It also feels much nicer in the hand. It is well balanced and, aesthetically speaking, it just is sleeker looking mic. I also do not need to boost the gain on my mixer as much. I have not experienced feedback issues with either the SM58 or the 835 wireless, so in that respect they are equal. Both units are built like a tank.

A friend of mine who is a KJ that uses the SM58 at his shows came over last week and sung with it for the first time. He loved it. I'm sure the next mic he buys will be a Sennheiser.

Sennheisser:

a. extremely well built and tough;

b. no feedback heard and have stood in front of the speakers with it;

c. very nice to hold and esthetically pleasing;

d. excellent pick up, easy to control on the board; and

e. it is a warmer, fuller-bodied microphone to sing into.

As with anything, ask your local retailer if you can borrow or rent one to test the difference. As with most equipment it's personal preference. As I said before for an excellent sounding, tough inexpensive mic, I'd go with Apex 850s which I use for my shows.

Steve and Timber,

Thanks for the input. I will look into the Sennheisers.

I aslo have a wireless SM58 and I think it is great! I just may try a Seinheiser on my next purchase, though. Sounds like they are quality mics. Thanks!

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Patrick
Twinbrook Sound
Waltham, MA

Our first sm58 lasted 5 years. I sent the mic to Shure and for a flat fee of $65 they fixed it. We currently use 2 sm58's and a beta 58 (seems to be a bit cleaner than the sm58). The beta is Margies, and we seldom let anyone else use it.

Using wired mics gets to be a real hassle with multiple singers. We are down to using one wired mic, the Shure 55SH Elivs Mic, which I use to emcee.

Cort
MC Entertainment

Big Jimmy C mentioned the AS890s you can get from k.com. Great dual wireless mics.

I premeired them Sat night. The crowd LOVED them! So did I