Sm57/58 mods?

[jkhuri44]

Hi all,

is anyone here familiar with something i think ive been told has been written in Tape Op magazine, a mod to perform on SM 57s and 58s which is supposed to help them pass more bass among other things (i think)...

i dont know if its for real or just speculation i heard ....

i did a google search a while back without much luck :(

[Linear]

Hi all,

is anyone here familiar with something i think ive been told has been written in Tape Op magazine, a mod to perform on SM 57s and 58s which is supposed to help them pass more bass among other things (i think)...

i dont know if its for real or just speculation i heard ....

i did a google search a while back without much luck :(

Hi,

Yeah I've got that tapeop. the famous '57' mod. i can scan and send you a copy if you PM me. I think all you're really doing is removing the crappy transformer - in my opinion, if you want a better sounding 57, buy a beyer M69 instead. the 'low-fi-ness' of a 57 is I think half of the appeal, at least when used on a snare or guitar cab.

my opinion only, of course.



Chris

[Chris H]

Just read about removing the transformer of a 57 for use as a kick drum mic.

[jkhuri44]

Hey Linear...

yeh, i wasnt too sure what the mod is intended to do...or what aspects of the 57's sound it was supposed to improve, i just remember hearing about it somewhere

could you shed some light on that?
im not even sure if the bass response was one of the purported improvements...

i will be PMing you, once i find out what this thing is supposed to do...ive also heard the SM 59 or 91?? (silver dynamic) is supposed to be a 57 without the presence peak....

Thanks.

[Kris]

forgive my ignorance, but I always thought the 57 was just a 58 with a different head/grill.

Is that correct or am I mistaken?

[OzDrum]

the 58 is "one louder" than the 57!! :D

[jkhuri44]

yeh Kris,

theyre the same :P

hehe

its funny, ive seen people write stuff like...the 57 sounds a little more...(buzzword here) than the 58....

but yeh...i own a 58...not a 57...but going on the fact theyre anatomically the same minus the grille...im pretty sure im supopsed to be able to perform that mod

the 58 is "one louder" than the 57!! :D

LOL...someone else besides me made that joke....!!!!!

JK.

[mfdu]

i can't access the tapeop forum from here (damn local government net-nancy), but i know there is a thread there on this topic.

from memory, the most immediate thing you'll find (no - i haven't done the mod) is that when you remove the trannie the output level of the 57 drops to the equivalent of a ribbon.

so regardless of the "oh my, it is so much cleaner" comments, it'll only really be any good if you have enough clean gain to crank on an extra 10 > 20db.
unless you're always having to pad the mic anyway . . .

from what i've heard tell.

results may vary.

chris
mfdu

[chris p]

The dazzlingly weird thing is that a lot of the Chinese '58 and '57 fakes can be easily picked 'cause they're as light as a feather, due to tinnier case and, you guessed it, NO TRANSFORMER!!!

So if you want a modded '58, just buy a "SURE SM58" off ebay for $10.

Although normally a DIYer, I'm with Linear Chris on this one - you have a '57 or '58 'cause that sound is right for you. If the sound isn't right, I'd be looking at a different mic rather than removing trannies (which, if I remember rightly, also involves boiling your mike). An easier first step is to remove the pop foam from inside the grill - which is a mod I would recommend provided its not for vocals.

[jkhuri44]

yeh, i will try that foam thing, i assume that will brighten the sound ever so slightly...

[Henry]

Are you guys serious? Just buy a mic with better bass!