Mike
May 17, 2008

Rating: 9/10

Being a student quality pieces of equipment at as low a price as possible is a must whenever I look to purchase a product, so after expanding my home studio range with help from Dolphin and their low price equipment, I was back to get a Microphone. I was looking for an instrument mic which was a cheap as possible to be able to cope with close guitar amp micing situations, as well as distant acoustic guitar situations (Without buying a separate mic for the many situations)

Before I even look at the range of products available, and after my Google searches on instrument microphones, it was clear that the Shure SM57 was a true performer, but at £65, it wasn't an option for a young teenager trying his best to excel in producing music. And then I came across the PG57, the budget version of the award winning SM57, and I am amazed at the quality!

PG57 stands for "Performance Gear", and the PG57 does perform, very well. I don't have any higher models to compare this mic to because of my budget, I got this mic as my main piece of equipment when it comes to audio recording.

Out of the package, I was outstanded that it came with a very decent quality lead and an adjustable thread microphone holder, along with a soft leather carry pouch for the mic, a cap for the base of the microphone when no lead is attached, and a nice big sticker saying "SHURE" on it. And then I picked up the mic, probably nothing special to those in the music industry, but a very sturdy metal robust feel with an elegantly sliding on / off switch. A great improvement over my £5 karaoke mics!

When it comes to recording, it is not disappointing either. After not so many tweaks, it was producing great clear recordings from my guitar amp without clipping, and the only audible noise came from the amp on standby. When I used the mic to record my acoustic guitar, the delightful same happens!

The only bad thing about this microphone is that it isn't as adjustable on the mic body itself, compared to the SM57, with has a control for +/- db, but then again, that isn’t entirely needed, and hey, it was £30! More than half of the price!

9/10 (more like 9.9/10) - Highly recommended for beginners, those on a budget, or those who just want a quality instrument, (all of those like myself!)

Great Value, Great Quality, Fantastic Mic! Even better price!

Richard Shaylor
June 8, 2006

Rating: 8/10

The Shure PG57 is an excellent microphone. I use it myself in my home studio setup. It has a good pickup and the sound it produces is awesome especially for the price i would have expected this product to have at least been 60-70 quid.