Karaoke Forums

I always use a PG58 corded mic when I gig.

I used a cordless SM58 Beta yesterday and was surprised by the results.

Everyone raves about how nice and warm it sounds, etc. I felt it sorely lacking when compared to the PG58. I struggled to equalize to my satisfaction.

Does anyone have any tips on EQing an SM58?

Help

I have the same mic and the trick is tweak, tweak, tweak. You'll get it.

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No venue to big or too small. From your den to the local club or event, we have the music most requested. Great sounding system!

I think that's the case with every mic from $29 mics to $300 ones.
On a stand in a live enviroment with enough tweaking and adjusting a $29 mic can be made to SOUND similiar to a $300. -- Now if you put a $29 mic into someones hands that does not have a clue how to use it you will notice the difference in handling noise and maybe feedback...OH and don't drop the $29 mic as it may not work after that. --OR drop it and reach in your bag for another one

**** you should use the MIC you like the best!!!*******

Minor detail, but there is no such mic. It was either an SM58 or a BETA58A.

It is entirely within the realm of possibility that you got your hands on one of the counterfeit Beta 58A's that are out there. There are literally boat loads of the fakes in circulation now and numerous articles on the net to help you spot them. I have been using Beta 58's for years, both the Beta 58A and it's predecessor the original Beta 58 and have not found it difficult to dial them in, actually they are a very forgiving mic that doesn't require a great deal of EQ. The frequency response is quite smooth over all. It rolls off at 16Khz, with an emphasis in the midrange. You may want to try a slight dip in the upper midrange to help smooth out the response for live use depending on the vocalist.

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

I have two Wireless SM58s in the 700mhz range. They are Shure UT Series Vocal Artist UHF Wireless System with SM58 Microphone Element

You can find them here. http://www.zzounds.com/item--SHUUT2458

I believe they are out of production now. Mine have a differently designed receiver case, but they are the exact same system.

I’ll sell ‘em cheap if anyone’s interested.

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

That is not a BETA mic.

AH! Sorry. I read it Wrong

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

The mics are useless in the USA after June 12. I Suggest it's a great buy for anyone in canada. They will still work there.

Shure will give you $40 off on a new moc purchase if you trade them in.

Odd, not having to eq the mic is part of it's allure. WOnder if you have a setting incorrect. Some of the mics have a switch internally that need to be adjusted to match your system. Unscrew the top where the mic meets the barrel and check for that switch.

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

For a while, when pointed in a certain direction, and handled in a certain way, and if not put through any real wear and tear (as you mention below).


Yes, but if you like a Nady best I would question your ear and sanity. There is a reason people recommend certain mics.

Pro-quality mics are all about consistency. Consistent gain before feedback, consistent off-axis response, consistent sound after being dropped, and consistent frequency response. It is very easy to eq and make a great mic sound good for a lot of people, and it is devilishly hard to impossible to get a lousy mic to perform the same way.

To try and answer the original poster, the PG58 vs. the SM58 is not close in my opinion -- the SM58 is better. But you may have had a Beta. The SM58 is a better karaoke mic than the Beta 58 in my opinion, because of its tolerant cardioid pattern. The super-cardioid pattern of the Beta 58 is not forgiving for the inexperienced vocalists you have at karaoke. I wonder if that is the problem you saw.

Also, with wireless mics a lot depends on how you have the gain set. You should dial the output down so that you trim about the same as your PG58 on the mic channel.

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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.

That switch is just a -10db Pad, I'm doubtful that it would have much to do with it, although one never knows. The big thing with the 58 series mics (both the SM58 and the Beta 58A) is the proximity effect. The closer the source is to the mic, the more the tone warms up. That said, a lower voice that sings right on top of the mic can require some tweaking. I usually go with about -3 to -4 db cut at 250Hz to take care of that. I usually give the high end (10-12 kHz on most 3 band channel strips) about a 2 db boost and leave the low end flat and engage the low-cut.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Once you are comfortable with a certain kind of mic, it's not easy to adjust to a different one, even if it may be technically superior. This is why there are droves of great artists with huge budgets still using SM58s instead of, well, technically superior microphones.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

I double checked, and the microphone was infact a UT24/Beta58 Handheld Transmitter with Beta 58 Cardioid Microphone.

My bad for not doing enough research when I bought it 3 years ago. Sad part is I only just took it out of its case recently. Used it again last night, and I am starting to notice some big differences.

1. Highs are more subdued than the PG
2. Mids are more pronounced
3. Biggest difference - does not pick up any surrounding noises probably because it is insulated much better.

I think I might learn to dial it in just right in a few more gigs. Letitrip, I hear you and will try this out this weekend.

I am in Sydney Australia so the FCC wireless stuff does not impact me in anyway. YAYYYY...

Thanks all

Vic in Sydney.

I just purchased (2) PGX SM58"s and at first I thought they were wonderful (at home). Then I put them into action last Wednesday and some of my singers get right down on top of the mic, and WOhhh!!, they distorted badly. They were very "boomy" sounding. To say the least I was very diappointed. Then I tried the 10db pad, and that fixed the problem completely. I had to increase the channel gain by about 10db (duh), and now they are absolutely wonderful to sing on. The SM58's don't wear you out like some mics do.

The SM58's proximity effect progressively boosts bass frequencies by 6 to 10dB below 100Hz when within 6mm of the sound source. This is probably the reason for the "boomy" sound, your singers do not know how to use a mic! The extra bass was probably clipping at your mixer input.

The Beta58 and SM58 mics are far superior to the PG58 in terms of handling noise.

The Beta58 has a supercardioid pickup pattern, which requires the sound source to be more directly in front of the mic, requiring better mic technique than a PG58 would.

They might still work in Canada, but as of January 2010, no new licenses will be issued for use of wireless microphones in the 698-806MHz band, effectively making them just as illegal to use as in the US.

The Beta58 is the best mic most people will ever have the chance to sing on.

To get a better mic element would cost a lot more. I have an old wireless Beta58 and it's wonderful. The next wireless mic system I buy will have a Beta58 transmitter. The quality, reliability and the transmission without noise along with very respectable distance make it a fantastic performer.

The only other wireless that I have seen and used that comes close is the EV RE2. I prefer the Shure, but I'm sure I would be happy over all with the EV too.

You can talk all day long about the comparison between the PG58, the SM58 and the Beta58, but for me the discussion is over because there is no comparison. The SM58 is a decent mic, but the Beta is betta. If you can afford the Beta you won't be disappointed. It's a hot mic that isn't prone to feedback because it's super cardioid. How can you beat that?

Hi Stogie and all,
As I had posted earlier in this thread, I was unhappy with the "boominess" of the PGX24 SM58 wireless mic. It was particularly noticeable with singers that got too close to the mic head. Based on Stogies last comment about Beta58 being "betta", boy is he ever correct on that one. I purchased (2) RPW118 Shures (Beta58A part number) wireless capsules, they came in the mail Friday, and I used them for the first time in a show last night......and I will say WOW,WOW,WOW what an improvement. I am going to purchase my third one today for my announcer's mic. I purchased them on Ebay for abot $115.

There is a small learning curve to using them, because to get your best sound you need to sing directly into them, and that is it. Forget your "feedback" problems, because it is gone PERIOD!

I will have (3) SM58 wireless heads (not mics) for sale that work with the PGX2 systems. They are less than a month old and flawless. If you have the PGX24 PG58 this could be an upgrade for you.

Mrmarog