Shure SM57 Magic Cable shoot out

[ParsonsMatt]

Anyone remember my "research" about SM57s needing a lower impedance preamp to sound their best? Well, I got everything needed to make a jumper cable that effectively lowers the impedance of the preamp, and I made two clips. One has the cable in line, and the other has an identical cable that is lacking the resistor.

Everything is identical from one mix to the other. The only difference is the presence or absence of the Magic Cable.

Clip A: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=442291&songID=7640138
Clip B: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=442291&songID=7640137

Tell me what differences you perceive and over all, what you like best...

 

[ahjteam]

they are both too muddy

 

[fade_2_black]

Yeah - not too be rude or anything but they are quite muffled and hard to pick apart easily. Also, I listened on shocking computer speakers so I cant really say much. If I had to say anything, I would say B may have a very slight bit more definition, but perhaps thats just me hearing it cos I want to hear something...

 

[lolzgreg]

I'm doing this mod in two days for all my dynamic mic cables. This clip isn't very scientific/audible though...

Why not try one single tracked guitar dead center with the swapped cable and you'll REALLY hear it.

-Greg

 

[Soundlurker]

Yeah, just guitars, please.

 

[elmuchoescadawg]

I listened on shocking computer speakers so I cant really say much.

So you posted why?

 

[::XeS::]

It seems that B is more open and defined

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I'm doing this mod in two days for all my dynamic mic cables. This clip isn't very scientific/audible though...

Why not try one single tracked guitar dead center with the swapped cable and you'll REALLY hear it.

-Greg

Well, for what its worth, every person that could hear a difference preferred B with one exception, even in a dense mix where no one really liked the guitar tone at all. B is the clip with the cable in place. So I think the mod is absolutely worth doing.

 

[Force666]

So you posted why?

That was quite a contribution yourself there.




Could probably do a better shootout, but B sounded just a bit, better. Would be stoked if you did it with just guitar and a even a clean tone maybe.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

A clean tone would be pretty easy and a good addition to this kind of thing. I'll try to get a clip up today.

 

[006]

Can you please explain what it is that you are using to make the jumper?

 

[Metaltastic]

I have to agree that the entire mix feels quite muffled and dull overall, and also, it's nigh on impossible IMO to reliably detect differences in tone when there has to be a delay between switching from one streaming player to another. However, the "download" link remedied that, so after importing them into Reaper and directly A/B'ing different sections, I can say B sounds ever so slightly more defined and less muffled, but the differences are pretty insignificant IMO. If the magic cable lowers the impedance on the 57, then I'm guessing A is the one that was recorded with it, cuz my understanding is higher impedance = more high-end detail and clarity.

If you got your info on making this cable from a website, could you post a link dude? I'd be curious to try it myself, just for the hell of it

 

[John_C]

http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/330.html

i think this was the article that started off the old thread about this a year or so ago

 

[ParsonsMatt]

Can you please explain what it is that you are using to make the jumper?

It's a 1' mic cable from Audiopile.net with a resistor wired from pins 2 and 3, like the link that Skeksis posted down there.

I have to agree that the entire mix feels quite muffled and dull overall, and also, it's nigh on impossible IMO to reliably detect differences in tone when there has to be a delay between switching from one streaming player to another. However, the "download" link remedied that, so after importing them into Reaper and directly A/B'ing different sections, I can say B sounds ever so slightly more defined and less muffled, but the differences are pretty insignificant IMO. If the magic cable lowers the impedance on the 57, then I'm guessing A is the one that was recorded with it, cuz my understanding is higher impedance = more high-end detail and clarity.

If you got your info on making this cable from a website, could you post a link dude? I'd be curious to try it myself, just for the hell of it

B is the one recorded with the cable. The article Skeksis links to describes why, apparently the extra resistance makes the mic work too hard and causes it to have an unnatural frequency response in the treble region.

http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/330.html

i think this was the article that started off the old thread about this a year or so ago

Indeed!

 

[lolzgreg]

I'm doing this mod for every cable I'm using a dynamic mic on. The optimal input Ohmage of a preamp for a dynamic mic in 99 percent of cases is around 300 ohms. Most preamps now a-days have input impedances of 2.5k ohms or greater. Higher impedance is great for condensers, but sucks for dynamics.