With the advantage of the extra capsules you have an even more versatile microphone. I took a pair out on this summer’s festival run and tried them in various roles. These are reasonably directional but, switching to the super cardioid, the image was further tightened with no detrimental change in tone. It is one of those microphones that you want to hear, and like, just because it looks good! The Beta 181 is great for getting in close to hi-hats and snares, where a traditional microphone’s body would get in the way. Thank you for your request. The king when it comes to recording soft music. The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. You can also call us toll free at (800) 222-4700, Mon-Thu 9-9, Fri 9-8, and Sat 9-7 Eastern. Straight away they sounded fine. The way it combined with the dynamic to produce a really full, detailed sound was great and needed little in the way of extra equalisation. Reviews; Shure Beta 181. These provide a variety of polar patterns from cardioid, super cardioid, figure-of-eight and omni. Shure PG81 Microphone review. Questions about the Shure PGA181 Side-address Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone. Published December 2014. A Shure Beta 181, nestling snugly twixt a snare drum and a hi-hat. This is a bit fiddly the first time you try it, but once locked it is a very solid connection and is suitably well engineered to stay in place for the foreseeable future. Mastering Essentials Part 4 - Mastering EQ: Balance, Don’t Match. , The Josephson E22S and Audio-Technica ATM450 are, like the Beta 181, small-diaphragm side-address mics, but they don’t have interchangeable capsules and are cardioid only. I was particularly impressed with its wind noise rejection: so often you can be half way through a gig and the drummer will move their fan and you will get wind noise on condensers. On guitar the B181 performed well. Personally I've only used them for acoustic guitars, drum overheads, and drum fill mics for capturing extra sonic mojo in large rooms. Mastering Essentials Part 3 - How loud should I master? In fact if you did not know the capsule was removable you would not suspect it was. I've had a really good experience with these mics so far. On snare drums the side-address design comes into its own, as it becomes much easier to get the microphone into a position that is (a) capturing the sound you want and (b) unlikely to be clouted by the drummer! For many guitars this would be a great choice of microphone, particularly if you are looking for a detailed, more delicate sound. I may start saving my pennies now. I'm curious about how it sounds for speech/voice over. I came across this mic, quite by accident. To learn more about our cookie policy, please check our Privacy Policy. During a recent event, I attached the PGA181 to a mic input and turned it up; slowly, and it picked up the sound immediately. The ability of the microphone to handle high SPLs also meant that even really close to the drum there was still headroom to spare. What is a "hybrid" audio interface anyway? Re: The All-New Behringer Keyboards 'n' Stuff Thread, The All-New Behringer Keyboards 'n' Stuff Thread. Shop Sweetwater inSync SweetCare Events … I've been buying gear from Kenny Bergle for many years, so this is a review of the mic but also a major shout-out to Kenny who just knows his stuff! I can see this microphone becoming increasingly part of many engineers’ mic lists. The stage volume of the band I was touring with was fairly high, so rear rejection was critical. Read Sweetwater customer reviews for Shure PGA181 Side-address Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Reviews. Each capsule locks to the body with a sturdy locking ring. I'm thinking sm57 or 7b, re20 among others. It didn’t have quite the fullness in the low end, but it had a more detailed and open top end which really helped the sound cut through. At open-air gigs things can get even worse, but the B181 didn’t seem susceptible and I had no problems with fan or wind noise even on some very blustery stages. Side-address design handy for getting into tight spaces. Shure PGA181 Side-address Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Reviews. Get Directions | Store Hours, If you have any questions, please call us at (800) 222-4700. They are available to offer you personalized product advice any time you need it. All the mics share the same silver and blue metallic styling. Why Are Some A-B Stereo Arrays Angled Outwards? Can't find any reviews for this thing. Not being a heavy mic they sat in our Rycote suspensions nicely. Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS. Placed in the centre of the kit, it picked up a balanced sound from all sides and, once again, was able to pick up the sound of the kit without any fear of overload. Having spent the summer with these microphones it has been hard to give them back, and to be honest I may well be looking at getting a pair. You may login with either your assigned username or your e-mail address. Phone Hours | I ended up using the cardioid capsule at various points around the kit. Initially I tried the session with the cardioid capsules. This side-address condenser microphone has been making in-roads to the live-sound market due to its durability and practical design. Learn More. Now is the perfect time to get the gear you want with simple, promotional financing. I bought a pair and I've only been using them a few weeks, however I've been able to get some really great sounds with them. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the publishers. With its side-address capsule and compact body, this handy little mic can reach the places other mics can’t! With its side-address capsule and compact body, this handy little mic can reach the places other mics can’t! All contents copyright © SOS Publications Group and/or its licensors, 1985-2020. The Shure PG 81 is a small diaphragm condenser microphone suitable for use both in the recording and on the stage. Sweetwater's Sales Engineers are regarded as the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in the music industry, with extensive music backgrounds and intense training on the latest products and technologies. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. £393 including VAT.Extra capsules £240 each. All rights reserved. Small-diaphragm Capacitor Microphone . Everything you love about Sweetwater in the palm of your hand. They fill so many roles so well. I wasn’t looking for anything that subtle, just to capture a guitar permanently set to 11, which it also did without adding a hint of distortion. To begin this Shure PG81 microphone review we should first mention that Shure is a producer of great microphones which are renowned for their quality and efficiency. I would be happy to use it anywhere a good-quality condenser was required. lol. Unlike most condenser microphones, it is designed for use on the stage and will excel in …