Gain-cranked SM58 vs Condenser/U87?

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prometh

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I have a Grace m101 and an SM58. I'm curious as to how it would compare to a great condenser mic such as the U87 for quieter recordings.

I've never worked with a condenser mic before, but from what I know, they are very sensitive to subtle sounds.

So, how would that compare to simply cranking the gain on a very low-noise preamp with a cardioid mic? That would increase its sensitivity, no? And in a dead room, there'd be no background noise/reflections to worry about.
 
It's more than just sensitivity.

An SM58 and a U87, besides the obvious condenser/dynamic difference and the fact they are both cardioid*, are fundamentally different microphones.

Cranking the gain won't make a dynamic mic respond like a condenser. You'll just be upping the gain, nothing more. You then risk over-driving the preamp, and depending on your preamp, this may sound less-than-pleasant. There's nothing wrong with using a dynamic to record vocals. James Hetfield did a lot of Metallica records with a hand-held SM57, and I use an SM7b (which is nothing but a glorified SM57) all the time, especially on heavier vocals or someone with an overly-sibilant voice.

You can email me directly if you have any other questions: jordon.gwp@gmail.com

*Some models of U87 have switchable polar patterns.
 
For louder vocals, I've had great results with the SM58, but for quieter ones, I wasn't able to capture that really intimate feeling.

I was hoping that I could skip out on buying a condenser mic... oh well, someday I'll get one :)

Thanks
 
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