Karaoke Forums

I dropped the coin for my Shures (One wired, two wireless) three years ago and they are still going strong. I take good care of my gear, but even so they have been dropped, bounced around, screamed into, etc. I replace the balls from time to time when they get dented and they still sound awesome after several hundred show. I am confident they will still be cranking away 10+ years from now.

Did it cost me more? Yes. But for such an essential piece of equipment to my rig, I believe it was a very small price to pay.

Here is an interesting twist on the question here... All of us know the "industry standard" is the Shure SM58, because of consistency and durability, but if cost were not an issue to us as hosts, are there better mics out there to use for our type of application? "Better" meaning, quality of sound reproduction, handling noise, durability, etc. A good question for the "old timer" hosts, is: "If you could choose ANY mics, what would it be?"

I did not say an SM58 vs another microphone is the only factor that matters. It does matter, though; and while singers may not notice a specific component is good (or not) they will notice whether they sound better at your show than a neighboring one.


People drop microphones by accident. They step on the cords. They knock the mic stands over. They spill beer on the wedges. These things happen. Karaoke is a very abusive environment for equipment, and I choose to use equipment that withstands a lot of abuse.

I'm still looking for the karaoke-proof mic cord, and I wish singers wouldn't adjust the mic stands without knowing how to do it correctly, rather than wearing/stripping the hardware. I have thought about switching to Atlas for karaoke since I seem to go through a few On-Stage Stands each year. But these costs are part of the karaoke business, and they are all pretty small costs compared to buying music.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

I dunno, maybe I am hosting karaoke at less rowdy places so I dont need the "toughness" of a Sm58. Yeah my mics have been dropped, usually by me. But it the last 4 years I haven't replaced any microphones (Behringer), and only replaced 3 mic cords.

And in answer to the question if $$$$ wasn't the factor would you use a SM58. For me, and, NO. I like the way my Behringer xm8500's sound with m voice. Now my wife like the sound of the SM58's. But again for my karaoke singers, they couldn't tell a difference or don't care.

Which reminds me of one nite at a show. A group of Business people from out of town, came in to my show. They were very nice people, and seemed very serious about karaoke. Well as each one came up they ask witch was the better mic. Even though they were the same I told them the one on the left of the TV. 1/2way through the nite, the l&r mics got switched, but they still use the mic on the left. At the end of the nite, they out-of-towners came up to me while I was tearing down, and thanked me for a great show, and also made it a point to say i need to get that bad mic replaced. It's perception I guess for most people.

The SM58 is the perfect karaoke mic for several reasons:

1) Pro-quality sound, used by top acts. (Again reinforced when I saw Huey Lewis using one at Hullabalou, a huge music festival in Louisville, Bon Jovi and Kenny Chesney headlining). These are people who drop $10,000 on a board or a Hammond, so $50.00 in difference is nothing.

2) Extreme reliability and durability.

3) Relative affordability.

And a few things people don't often appreciate:

4) Cardioid instead of supercardioid pattern. This makes it better than the Beta 58a for karaoke in my opinion, because it tolerates poorer mic positioning.

5) Much better background noise rejection than poor-quality mics. They "leak" and can cause feedback.

6) $5.00 balls readily available to replace dented screens. This allows you to keep your mics looking great without breaking the bank. If the Sennheiser 835 had its screen available cheap then I could recommend it about as well as the SM58. (They unfortunately cost $25.00 including shipping from Sennheiser.)

I know of no other mic which has all of these qualities, and I cannot think of another mic which has significant advantage over the 58 for karaoke.

For my own vocals, I choose the Sennheiser e935, but I use SM58s for karaoke. And I am always happy when I see a 58 at a show.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Here we go again..... Original Poster asks a question about a budget microphone they are planning to purchase. The 1st few responders are the people who use the model in question and give their on hands review.

Next are the people who feel compelled to belittle anyone who uses anything but a Shure SM58. We all know that the Shure SM58 Wired is the benchmark for comparisons. There are BETTER and there are WORSE mics a KJ can buy.

Maybe the OP does not have or want to spend $100 per microphone when $20 can fill the need. Maybe the $20 wont last as long ? Maybe the handling noise will be greater? Maybe the sound quality will be a little less ?

What is SHURE is this ....... 90% of the singers for MOST karaoke shows DON'T CARE OR COULD TELL THE DIFFERENCE .
( I KNOW A MINORITY OF YOU KJ'S HAVE UPSCALE SINGERS )

So do we answer these questions as AUDIOPHILES or BUSINESSMEN/WOMAN

Believe me I have TONS of respect for the pro sound guys like Lonnie and Tony who run racks of equipment -bi and tri amping their systems with sub woofers etc.
And I believe what they say commenting on an items quality.

But they don't BELITTLE anyone when commenting which usually starts a back and forth nonsense.

My experiance is that MOST KJ's here and abroad run simpler set ups.
a $20 mic may just fit their show ? So for whatever its worth ...if you are going to suggest a piece of equipment or comment on one ... try to answer in way that doesn't offend someone. Your response might jut be taken a little more seriously....

Hmmm. I saw no "belittleing", just opinions. It is an open forum after all and when you come looking for advice, people are going to give their opinions good or bad.



Sting often uses a Sennheiser E865. Do you think anyone cares or knows the difference? People would still come to his shows if he used a $20 mic, right?



Well an audiophile would never use a $90 SM58. They would be using a $2000 Neumann ribbon mic or some such.

I don't believe that the two must be mutually exclusive. Business isn't always about doing everything as dirt cheap as possible. There is a KJ in my area who walks in with a pair of tiny powered speakers, one cheap wired mic and set of Sweet Georgia Brown discs, all packed in a rolling suitcase. Hey, it's good enough for Karaoke, right? Nobody cares or can tell the difference!

People may not know the names/brands, but they DO notice if you sound better than the other guy.

A few reasons why the SM58 is the most popular mic in the world, we've talked about again and again. Consistency and durability. The other is that they're a great general purpose mic. It's kinda like the swiss army knife of microphones. It works well with any vocal type, can be used to mic any assortment of instruments (in a pinch usually) and the proximity effect is a very popular and exploited feature of the microphone.

Are there are other mics out there that would fare better, yes for just about any circumstance you can find one that's better. I've had singers whose vocals lent themselves to a Beta87, I've worked with others whose riders insisted on $6000 Neuman's and that was the right mic for them. Drum mics have their own best of breed as do mics for Leslies, guitar amps, bass amps, etc. So if you pick the right mic for your application, yes there will always be better options than the SM58.

Production companies carry the 58 in such quantity because of the durability but also the fact that it will produce good results regardless of the singer. Some voices go to garbage on a high quality condensor. Some vocalist don't work well with hyper-cardioid patterns. So when you don't have the ability to pick the right mic for the singer (i.e. if your providing sound a festival or hosting Karaoke), the 58 is the best all-purpose cover-all choice on the market.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

That is a great line!

Hijacking a post from another thread and adding it here, figured it's o'kay providing the content and the fact that I started this post originally.............. mckyj57, I must say, if your show is as dazzling as your wit, I'm glad you have the 58's.................

Re: How's My System?
Today at 6:24 am
""Outstanding, you would undoubtedly have the best karaoke rig around many towns. Of course you could blow it all by fronting it with cheap mics...but given your apparent taste I doubt you would make that mistake.""

As I said when I first joined, I'm nowhere near a pro, have no plans to be one, I enjoy karaoke and the few people that populate this area do as well, to tell the truth most would be happy singing along with the jukebox, but we like the diversion it gives us, this is a system I paid for out of my own pocket, I don't charge to do it, we make no money off the "show", sometimes people tip, sometimes they don't, I don't care, we're doing it for FUN...................... remember what that is? Not for how much $$ I can make or how many American Idols I can find, it's just about a few folks in a bar that are as much family as anything.................... I asked a simple question about a specific mic and I got several good replies, and then for some reason things turned into a pi$$in contest basically forcing the issue that if you didn't have 58's you have no class, taste, talent, whatever.............

So then you carry the topic to someone else's thread.............. Is it Really That Important to you??? If so, wow................ I thought I had issues..........

Anyway, Thanks for all the Helpful Information folks, sorry about the long ramble, but................................. Peace, S.

We have been posting on this forum for a long time. I am not quite sure why you thought the other thread was about you. Since the poster in the other thread didn't mention the mics, that was my way of asking what they were. I am sorry that you felt it was a jab at you -- you might examine your shoulder carefully for debris.

I notice you don't mention that I replied to your post and said I thought the XM8500 is a pretty good mic, if more handling noise and not as durable. I actually like the mic, and don't mind seeing it at shows. Unlike some other mics like the Nady, which I hate because it has *lots* of handling noise and inconsistent off-axis response.

I posted specifically why I thought the SM58 was the best karaoke mic -- did you read it? Do you have a point-by-point debunking of what I said? If not, then I suggest you acknowledge that yes, it is the best -- for karaoke. It isn't the best for lead-vocal performance by an experienced singer, in my opinion. And probably the opinion of most sound pros as well. But you will see scads of pro backup singers using them -- for some of the same reasons it is a good karaoke mic.

I keep posting about this stuff because I strongly believe that 1) microphones are nearly the most important part of a karaoke system and 2) the false economy of saving a few bucks there trashes huge investments in equipment. I am going to be the counterpoint to the "yeah, but the cheap mics are good enough" crowd that don't have anything other than their apparently-deaf ears to back them up.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

#1) Sometimes it's not what is said it's How it is said.
#2) Although the quality of the Karaoke Singer is rising , the majority of singers are still out just to have FUN at their FAVORITE VENUE. Whether the KJ's system is OK or outstanding usually has no bearing on the fun to be had
#3) Business is not about doing things cheap ..BUT SMART. Sometimes smart is buying $100 Shures and sometimes it may not be depending on the KJ and THEIR BUSINESS. Maybe buying 2 PG58 is better ??
#4) If a KJ walks in with a FenderPAssport - vocopro mics and SGB discs and works a steady gig without complaints ... Is not that GOOD ?

I wasn't aware that having good equipment impeded fun.


To accomplish what? Saving $50? That's 25 cents a show if you work 100 shows a year for two years. In return, you can replace screens for $5.00 and keep your mic looking excellent, with almost zero risk you will lose your investment.


It's good, perhaps. But it will be without me. I see a lot of them pop up and disappear, to be sure. And I don't see those shows lasting long-term. Maybe there are some. But I would argue it's in spite of their equipment, not because they saved $50.00.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

#1 No one said having good equipment impedes having fun ....
#2 Using your calculations --why settle for $100 mics when $500 one are availble ?

There are many succesful KJ's running shows using (according to you ) inferior equpment. And yes ...all without your patronage .

There is no corelation between the amount of money spent on karaoke equipment and the amount of fun somone can have singing at that show.

Yes more money spent usually equates to better QUALITY or BETTER SOUND
but many people can and do have a great time at shows in spite of the mediocre sound systems. YOU may not .

It's the economy stupid -- right now the people with the most discretionary dollars to spend are the ones steering the karaoke ship, at least in our area. Those with more discretionary funds are a little fussier, again at least in our area. They have a choice as to the shows they will attend. They are not tolerant of krappyoke and a new show that pops up in a nice place will get visited once but if the host, the equipment, and their ability to run it, plus the song selection are lacking in some way, the show may last 3-4 weeks until the venue figures out that it isn't going to fly.

Hence, why go into that battle only partially armed? Spend a little more on mics because it is the 'voice' of your system. Literally. Consider spending money on better quality music; again, SGB will work, no doubt, and some is actually better than others, but the discretionary spender who has their choice will seek out the best shows...at least in our area, where there are DOZENS of shows on any given night within a 25-mile radius or less. If your collection is lacking, beef it up a little at a time by request.

The successful shows, at least in our area, have good equipment with an *effects option and good mics, a host with more than basic knowledge of sound mixing, a decent selection of songs to choose from, a venue that is respectable, and a schedule that is easy to remember.

* Re: Effects. I've had more than one really, really good singer mention to me after they sing on my system that they sound much better than at such-and-such a place. Believe it or not, it is the careful use of effects that is the difference, and the use of 58s. Such a simple concept.

Dear Karen

Who are you calling STUPID ?

I explained that in another thread. That's a much higher percentage of the system price, with little gain. In fact, it is probable that a $500.00 mic isn't as good as the $100.00 SM58 *for karaoke*.


Depends on the person. For me there is. And with the rate at which Fender Passport shows go under, I would say I am not alone.


I agree with this statement. But it isn't *because* of the poor sound or $50.00, it's in spite of it. And the better the sound, the less sizzle the host needs.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Agree

I don't know if this is off topic slightly, but if you plan on being a LONG TERM karaoke host, like 2+ years of 1-2 gigs a week, you can't do many cost analysis/comparisons where the Shure SM58 doesn't come out ahead in durability, reliability, and overall cost of ownership. It is simply the most practical mic out there.

I have had my pair for 6 years, and with a new top grill ($8.00), they would still look new and I could probably sell them for $40-50. I paid $79.00 and have used them in about 650 shows. Any way you slice it, I am only paying about 5-6 cents per show for each mic, and this cost is going down everyday. It is the most practical piece of equipment I own.

So, if you are in karaoke for the long haul, and you are in karaoke to MAKE MONEY, I'm not sure you can come up with real-world data where the Shure SM58 isn't the Honda Civic of the mic world. There are plenty of mics that are cheaper, and plenty that sound better, but there just isn't anything that compares to it's combination of sound and reliability.

Plus, if you want a Shure SM58 to sound bright, cheery, and overpowering to the mix like a cheap mic, you can alway just boost the high and mid-high frequencies on your mic channel strip

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Welp, we know Jam didn't vote for Clinton.

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Dave's not here.