SM57/SM58 mics... now unbalanced?

[joe h]

Hello,

I remember a few years ago a salesperson at Guitar Center opened up
either an SM57 or SM58. He showed me how only two of the three wires
were being used, and that the mic was in fact running as an unbalanced
mic. He also pointed out that they were now being made in Mexico
instead of the U.S.

Is that still true? I can't understand why they would turn the 57 and/
or 58 into unbalanced mics for no apparent reason.

[mcp6453[_2_]]

On 8/26/2011 10:18 PM, joe h wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I remember a few years ago a salesperson at Guitar Center opened up
> either an SM57 or SM58. He showed me how only two of the three wires
> were being used, and that the mic was in fact running as an unbalanced
> mic. He also pointed out that they were now being made in Mexico
> instead of the U.S.
>
> Is that still true? I can't understand why they would turn the 57 and/
> or 58 into unbalanced mics for no apparent reason.

No. The two wires were probably going to pins 2 and 3. The shield/ground (pin 1)
was probably a jumper to the mic case. That's the way the AKG mic I just opened
was wired.

If they were unbalanced, phantom power from a preamp input would zonk them.

[joe h]

Thanks, that's interesting.

So maybe it's using (as you said) the casing as a ground rather than
pin 3. I didn't know that was possible.

[Les Cargill[_4_]]

joe h wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I remember a few years ago a salesperson at Guitar Center opened up
> either an SM57 or SM58. He showed me how only two of the three wires
> were being used, and that the mic was in fact running as an unbalanced
> mic. He also pointed out that they were now being made in Mexico
> instead of the U.S.
>
> Is that still true? I can't understand why they would turn the 57 and/
> or 58 into unbalanced mics for no apparent reason.


A balanced connection only required two wires. We're used to +/- and
ground for a third wire.

--
Les Cargill

[Scott Dorsey]

joe h > wrote:
>
>I remember a few years ago a salesperson at Guitar Center opened up
>either an SM57 or SM58. He showed me how only two of the three wires
>were being used, and that the mic was in fact running as an unbalanced
>mic. He also pointed out that they were now being made in Mexico
>instead of the U.S.
>
>Is that still true? I can't understand why they would turn the 57 and/
>or 58 into unbalanced mics for no apparent reason.

That has never been true.

The mike is balanced, both 2 and 3 are driven. 1 is tied to ground at
the connector, which is why only two pins are 'used.'

The mike _is_ made in Mexico, and Fletcher says the Mexican ones sound
different than the older US ones. I can't tell the difference myself.
--scott



--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

On 8/26/2011 10:52 PM, joe h wrote:

> So maybe it's using (as you said) the casing as a ground rather than
> pin 3. I didn't know that was possible.

The guy at Guitar Center didn't know what he was talking
about. There's a transformer that's connected to pins 2 and
3. Pin 1 is mechanically connected to the case and is used
for the shield connection.

Pin 1 has always been the shield and is only used as
"ground" when you have phantom power. You'll still get a
perfectly good signal from the mic without pin 1 connected,
but you may get more hum if it's being used in an
electrically noisy environment. Or maybe not if the input is
accurately differential.

Shure mics have been built in Mexico for a long time. I
haven't heard that this has changed.





--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff

[joe h]

Thanks everyone.

The amount of genuine knowledge of audio circuits on this newsgroup is
amazing.

[hank alrich]

Mike Rivers > wrote:

> The guy at Guitar Center didn't know what he was talking
> about.

Imagine that! ...

--
shut up and play your guitar * http://hankalrich.com/
http://www.youtube.com/walkinaymusic
http://www.sonicbids.com/HankandShaidri

[hank alrich]

Scott Dorsey > wrote:

> joe h > wrote:
> >
> >I remember a few years ago a salesperson at Guitar Center opened up
> >either an SM57 or SM58. He showed me how only two of the three wires
> >were being used, and that the mic was in fact running as an unbalanced
> >mic. He also pointed out that they were now being made in Mexico
> >instead of the U.S.
> >
> >Is that still true? I can't understand why they would turn the 57 and/
> >or 58 into unbalanced mics for no apparent reason.
>
> That has never been true.
>
> The mike is balanced, both 2 and 3 are driven. 1 is tied to ground at
> the connector, which is why only two pins are 'used.'
>
> The mike _is_ made in Mexico, and Fletcher says the Mexican ones sound
> different than the older US ones. I can't tell the difference myself.
> --scott

They have a different accent.

--
shut up and play your guitar * http://hankalrich.com/
http://www.youtube.com/walkinaymusic
http://www.sonicbids.com/HankandShaidri

[Mike Rivers]

On 8/27/2011 3:35 PM, hank alrich wrote:

>> The mike _is_ made in Mexico, and Fletcher says the Mexican ones sound
>> different than the older US ones. I can't tell the difference myself.
>> --scott

> They have a different accent.

My Spanish voice-over work is better when I'm using an SM-57
than a U87. I never learned how to speak German, but my high
school Spanish teacher was Señor Wilheim (from the home of
AKG mics)


--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff

[malachi[_5_]]

"Mike Rivers" > wrote in message
...
> On 8/26/2011 10:52 PM, joe h wrote:
>
>
> The guy at Guitar Center didn't know what he was talking about.

Say it ain't so. :{}

malachi

[jwvm]

On Aug 27, 11:05*am, joe h > wrote:
> Thanks everyone.
>
> The amount of genuine knowledge of audio circuits on this newsgroup is
> amazing.

Yeah and the jokes are pretty good also.

[geoff]

hank alrich wrote:
>
> They have a different accent.

I thought it was a special batch made for Britney Speirs.

geoff

[hank alrich]

geoff > wrote:

> hank alrich wrote:
> >
> > They have a different accent.
>
> I thought it was a special batch made for Britney Speirs.

"Accent", Geoff, not "accident".

--
shut up and play your guitar * http://hankalrich.com/
http://www.youtube.com/walkinaymusic
http://www.sonicbids.com/HankandShaidri

[geoff]

hank alrich wrote:
> geoff > wrote:
>
>> hank alrich wrote:
>>>
>>> They have a different accent.
>>
>> I thought it was a special batch made for Britney Speirs.
>
> "Accent", Geoff, not "accident".

I was referring to the 'unbalanced' , but yeah .... ;-)

geoff

[Ty Ford]

On Fri, 26 Aug 2011 22:18:16 -0400, joe h wrote
(in article
>):

> Hello,
>
> I remember a few years ago a salesperson at Guitar Center opened up
> either an SM57 or SM58. He showed me how only two of the three wires
> were being used, and that the mic was in fact running as an unbalanced
> mic. He also pointed out that they were now being made in Mexico
> instead of the U.S.
>
> Is that still true? I can't understand why they would turn the 57 and/
> or 58 into unbalanced mics for no apparent reason.

which Guitar Center?

Regards,

Ty Ford


--Audio Equipment Reviews Audio Production Services
Acting and Voiceover Demos http://www.tyford.com
Guitar player?:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWaPRHMGhGA

[alex]

Il 27/08/2011 4.52, joe h ha scritto:
> Thanks, that's interesting.
>
> So maybe it's using (as you said) the casing as a ground rather than
> pin 3. I didn't know that was possible.
>
pin 1 is connected to the case without wire! there's a small spring to
assure the electrical contact. pin 2 is positive and pin 3 is negative,
as usual. Being build in mexico doesn't mean they umbalanced the mic....

alex

[alex]

Il 27/08/2011 21.35, hank alrich ha scritto:
> Mike > wrote:
>
>> The guy at Guitar Center didn't know what he was talking
>> about.
>
> Imagine that! ...
>

:-)