Mic signals can be EQ'd big time, The SM58 is a classic, ....It's what goes thru them that really matters!

Yes, we have several old SM-58's in the studio, and I'm glad we held on to them as the newer ones (not just Shure, by the way) might be less reliable.

I suspect some of it may be due to the type of solder used in newer products.

We had one client arrive with his brand new SM-58 and he was forced to use one of our older back-ups because of noise issues.

Hopefully, this was an isolated incident, as this could be very disappointing...an SM-58 was pretty much a sure bet if one needed a good microphone.


Ian

Interestingly, I just recently went through the same decision making exercise between the Shure SM58 vs the Sennheiser E845 (not the 835). I read every review I could about each and there's a lot of info available. Net summary in my analysis of all the other reports and ratings is: Most say the SM58 is very good. Most say the Sennheiser E845 is even better. Since the Sennheiser is a bit more expensive, it's not really a very fair comparison. However, I kept seeing this comparison come up when I was doing research on the Shure SM58. I ended up last week buying the Sennheiser E845 Super Cardioid Dynamic Mic. Even though it's more of a stage mic than a studio mic, I bought it for my home recording studio. Now having used it for a week, I find it super crisp, clear, yet still warm in tone. I experience no hum, no feedback. It's totally quiet. The handling noise is less than my other mics too. I now use the Sennheiser for both male and female vocals and is as true to good voice quality as I am looking for. The E845 is supercardiod so there is more of a proximity factor for it than the E835 (i.e. you'll lose pickup more quickly if you move your mouth away from the mic). But, in my case, that's good because I wanted more side rejection. I basically am getting the equivalent of a soundproof studio via my specialized mic, without installing all the room sound insulation that I would normally need for my recording purposes. I will keep it. BTW, you can often get a nice 15% off on great mics when the online music supply stores have their regular holiday sales. One other caveat: In the final analysis, the sound quality of different mics can be better or worse for certain voices, higher or lower, male or female, and different outcome preferences. The best thing is to try them out before making a final commitment to make sure it meets your personal taste and objectives.

Correction to my previous post. The Sennheiser mic I bought and referred to in my comparison is the E945 (not E845).

Having used both the SM58 and the E855, I can assure you that the E855 is light years ahead of the SM58 in every category.

Gary

Love the 945. I've been using it for a week after about 10 years of using 855. I still have two 855s. I guess I'll clean 'em up and toss 'em in the drawer with the other 15 or 20 mics. I like all of them for one reason or another. These are the ones that made the cut! But the 945 is the winner!