With the computer revolution and recording systems within almost anyone's reach, new families of equipment have appeared to meet recording needs in a reasonably affordable way, but with quality. To record or perform live, you need to know which types of mic suit you best: dynamic, condenser, for vocals, for acoustics, for high-output instruments, bright, bassy, etc. Here are two alternatives.
PG-27 microphone for vocals and instruments. A versatile, rugged microphone, even though it's a condenser. Use it in the studio and live.
Applications
• Live vocals
• Acoustic guitar
• Studio instruments
Designed with a flat frequency response for natural reproduction, the PG27 has a large-diaphragm cardioid capsule and handles high sound pressure levels for acoustic, amplified and vocal sources.
Given its characteristics, we can see that this is a rugged condenser mic. This design gives us a certain flexibility, combining the advantages of a condenser's "finer" pickup with the greater resistance to mishaps offered by a dynamic.
This versatility makes it a very interesting mic for working in your home studio and recording your vocals, electrics, acoustics, etc. And even for taking it to a gig and capturing vocals with the body of a condenser.
Conclusions
It's worth highlighting that its large-diaphragm capsule with a cardioid polar pattern offers a wide dynamic range. It gives us a flat frequency response for fairly natural reproduction of highs and lows. It has a switchable -20 dB pad for handling different sound pressure levels, thus covering, as I mentioned above, acoustic sources, amplified sources and vocals.
PG-57 instrument microphone
A versatile microphone for amplified or acoustic instruments
Applications
• Brass / Saxophone
• Bass amp
• Floor tom
• Acoustic guitars
• Harmonicas
• Congas
• Guitar amps
• Percussion / miscellaneous
Main features
• Tailored frequency response is smooth and extended, balanced specifically for instrument applications.
• The cardioid polar pattern picks up most of the sound from the front of the microphone and some from the sides. Less prone to feedback in high-volume environments.
• The dynamic cartridge has a simple, rugged coil. Handles extreme volume levels without distortion.
• The cartridge includes a neodymium magnet for high output level.
• Internal shock mount to reduce handling noise.
• Durable metal construction.
• On/off switch for control on stage.
• Tapered reinforced steel mesh grille that resists wear and abuse.
• Includes a 4.57 m (15 ft) cable, mic clip and case.
• Molded metal handle, matte black finish, reinforced silver color, tapered steel mesh grille.
Conclusions
This is a rugged dynamic mic especially suited to capturing instruments with high sound pressure levels. By properly adjusting the distance between the source and the mic, as well as its exact position relative to the source, we can get results ranging from emphasized low frequencies and boosted highs to balanced (flatter) sounds and even bright, clear sounds. It's reasonably priced, and a Shure is a Shure. You know—always handy.
