Founded in Chicago in 1925, Shure has been making microphones longer than almost anyone. Their mics show up on stages, in studios, on broadcast desks and on podcaster booms because they sound right and they don’t break.
Shure has dozens of microphones in their catalog. But six of them cover roughly 95% of what most people are doing — talking, singing, recording instruments, broadcasting, podcasting, or running a wireless system on stage. Here they are, in one place.
The dynamic broadcast mic. The Joe Rogan mic. The Michael Jackson “Thriller” vocal mic. Heavy, dark, forgiving. Needs a clean preamp.
Read about the SM7BThe vocal mic. If you’ve sung into a hand-held mic at a wedding, in a church, or at a concert — there’s a strong chance it was an SM58.
Read about the SM58The instrument mic. Snare drums, guitar amps, brass, even speeches at the White House. The most-recorded microphone in history.
Read about the SM57USB and XLR in one body. Built for podcasters who want SM7B character at a friendlier price and a friendlier hookup.
Read about the MV7The hotter, brighter, tighter cousins of the SM line. Beta 58A, Beta 87A, Beta 52A, Beta 91A — for stage and studio.
Read about the Beta lineSLX-D, QLX-D, ULX-D, and the broadcast-grade Axient Digital. From church-friendly to Grammy-stage reliable.
See the wireless systemsShure Brothers Company started in 1925 selling radio parts kits out of a small Chicago office. By the 1930s they were making microphones. The Model 55 “Unidyne” — that chrome, art-deco mic you’ve seen Elvis hold — came out in 1939 and is still in their catalog today.
The SM57 launched in 1965. The SM58 in 1966. The SM7 in 1973. None of them have changed much since, because they didn’t need to. That kind of staying power in any product is rare. In audio gear it’s almost unheard of.
If you want one quick answer: pick by what you’re doing.
| If you’re doing this… | Get this |
|---|---|
| Podcast or YouTube voice recording (XLR) | SM7B |
| Podcast, but you want USB simplicity | MV7+ |
| Singing live on a stage | SM58 |
| Singing live, want it crisper / louder | Beta 58A or Beta 87A |
| Mic’ing a guitar amp or snare drum | SM57 |
| Wireless lavalier or handheld for church / events | SLX-D system |
| Pro broadcast or theater wireless | Axient Digital |