Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic
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Review Snapshot®
by PowerReviewsMost Liked Positive Review
Great For Instruments...
I purchased the KSM32 thinking I was going to be getting a quality mic I could use for vocal and instrumental tracks. I was partially right...First of all, the KSM32 is a ...Read complete review
I purchased the KSM32 thinking I was going to be getting a quality mic I could use for vocal and instrumental tracks. I was partially right...First of all, the KSM32 is a very sturdy mic. It's obviously built like a tank. It's already been dropped a couple times in my studio, and it handled it like a champ. The case it comes in is nice too. Kudos to Shure on construction.This is a very quiet mic. Very little self noise; you can crank it up and hear many other room noises before you'll ever hear the mic. It has a bass rolloff switch, which I love. It has served me very well in recording guitars, especially big rosewood dreadnoughts. Also useful for upright bass. It has a pad switch that I've never had a need to use, but some folks might, and it's a nice feature.The mic indeed has a very flat response in it's default setting. It picks up any acoustic instrument with precision and detail. You hear every little detail, in fact. The KSM32 demands that you be a good player, because you will surely hear every little mistake you make.This mic has a very rich tone. I've gotten good results, as I said, micing pretty much all acoustic instruments. It's easy to get a good tone. But, for vocals? Here's where it all changes.Your experience and voice may vary, but for mine, the KSM32 simply does not cut it. I played a track for several listeners who remarked after a short period of time, "you sound like you're singing through a tin can". Wow. The sad part is that they were right. No matter how I EQ'd, compressed, or mixed this mic, I couldn't get it to sound good for vocals. Plug in my Audio Technica condenser, and bam. Great vocals right out of the box. Even a '58 would be better for my vocals than the '32. As I said, your experience may vary; everybody has a different voice. But for me, it just doesn't work.So, in conclusion; the KSM32 is a great instrumental mic. It has more tone and detail that you'll know what to do with. But for vocals, it's iffy. At least for me. But it was still worth every penny for it's superb instrumental recording ability, and it's durable construction. So; based on all this, 4 stars overall. If you buy it, I'm pretty confident that you aren't going to regret it. I don't.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Over-Hyped
I bought this mic for studio use but have used it for live as well. Based on how popular it is and the number of people who use it for both stage and studio, ...Read complete review
I bought this mic for studio use but have used it for live as well. Based on how popular it is and the number of people who use it for both stage and studio, I expected a masterpiece. Shure claims that this mic has a flat response; that is NOT the case. The 200Hz, 300Hz area is almost nowhere to be found, throwing key vocal and acoustic guitar frequencies out the window without a lot of additional EQ. Hi-mids are very sharp, adding brightness that isn't always needed and exciting the vocal intelligibility range, which undoubtedly cuts and therefore can fool you into thinking that it sounds great. It turns up a lot as a drum overhead, which I would assume is because of the response that I have mentioned. If you're looking for something with a little less coloration, the 32, 27, and 44 are not for you. For more money, the AKG 414 100% professionally-acceptable and is a much better and versatile option, and for less money the Audio-Technica AT4040 is a decent option and one of few professionally-acceptable options from AT. All of the KSM hype is great, but the end result is pretty disappointing.
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Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
I purchased the KSM32 thinking I was going to be getting a quality mic I could use for vocal and instrumental tracks. I was partially right...First of all, the KSM32 is a very sturdy mic. It's obviously built like a tank. It's already been dropped a couple times in my studio, and it handled it like a champ. The case it comes in is nice too. Kudos to Shure on construction.This is a very quiet mic. Very little self noise; you can crank it up and hear many other room noises before you'll ever hear the mic. It has a bass rolloff switch, which I love. It has served me very well in recording guitars, especially big rosewood dreadnoughts. Also useful for upright bass. It has a pad switch that I've never had a need to use, but some folks might, and it's a nice feature.The mic indeed has a very flat response in it's default setting. It picks up any acoustic instrument with precision and detail. You hear every little detail, in fact. The KSM32 demands that you be a good player, because you will surely hear every little mistake you make.This mic has a very rich tone. I've gotten good results, as I said, micing pretty much all acoustic instruments. It's easy to get a good tone. But, for vocals? Here's where it all changes.Your experience and voice may vary, but for mine, the KSM32 simply does not cut it. I played a track for several listeners who remarked after a short period of time, "you sound like you're singing through a tin can". Wow. The sad part is that they were right. No matter how I EQ'd, compressed, or mixed this mic, I couldn't get it to sound good for vocals. Plug in my Audio Technica condenser, and bam. Great vocals right out of the box. Even a '58 would be better for my vocals than the '32. As I said, your experience may vary; everybody has a different voice. But for me, it just doesn't work.So, in conclusion; the KSM32 is a great instrumental mic. It has more tone and detail that you'll know what to do with. But for vocals, it's iffy. At least for me. But it was still worth every penny for it's superb instrumental recording ability, and it's durable construction. So; based on all this, 4 stars overall. If you buy it, I'm pretty confident that you aren't going to regret it. I don't.
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
I recorded a Demo with this microphone and I was definetely surprised with it's performance. Sound results comparing with c414 and tlm 103 were amazing. Of course if you can afford a Neumann, get a one. But this is a great option if you want to have great professional sound for half the price!
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
I bought this mic for studio use but have used it for live as well. Based on how popular it is and the number of people who use it for both stage and studio, I expected a masterpiece. Shure claims that this mic has a flat response; that is NOT the case. The 200Hz, 300Hz area is almost nowhere to be found, throwing key vocal and acoustic guitar frequencies out the window without a lot of additional EQ. Hi-mids are very sharp, adding brightness that isn't always needed and exciting the vocal intelligibility range, which undoubtedly cuts and therefore can fool you into thinking that it sounds great. It turns up a lot as a drum overhead, which I would assume is because of the response that I have mentioned. If you're looking for something with a little less coloration, the 32, 27, and 44 are not for you. For more money, the AKG 414 100% professionally-acceptable and is a much better and versatile option, and for less money the Audio-Technica AT4040 is a decent option and one of few professionally-acceptable options from AT. All of the KSM hype is great, but the end result is pretty disappointing.
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
In some ways I prefer the KSM32 over the more expensive KSM44. The high end of the 44 is extreamly precise and crystal clear that at times drives me nuts!! Alot of SSSSS. The 32 seems a bit smoother on the high's. I can deal with no pattern selector for the price.. GET A GOOD PRE-AMP and not a cheap one. Thats where you really notice how good a good mic is!!
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
I have been very pleased with the results of my KSM 32. I use it to record vocals and acoustic instruments in a well constructed studio environment. For a large diaphram mic the sound to noise ratio is fantastic. My wife has a high soprano voice and this mic does a really great job of acurately reproducing the tonal quality.Highly recommended for mellow vocal and acoustic instrument recording.
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
Does not produce full sound quality. Sound is not crisp and full. Rather, it is tinny and shallow.
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
Beautiful for vocals, especially if you dont want brittle high end...nice and smooth at the top, with plenty of lows as well. sounds great when printed to tape.I haven't used it straight to digital. but I know people who do all the time.
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
I love this mic, it has low cost and clear sound.
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
I have used this for a little while now and I kept re-recording vocals on tracks. I thought is was me. So my friend let me borrow his MXL 67. And in one shot, everything was better. The mids of my vocals are finally there. Good price for a mic and for analog recording, but if you're going in to Protools or Logic think about like a Rode or MXL. Or even a little more fancy with a Neumann.
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
Tested this against an AKG C3000B and an AKG C414-BULS (just for grins). I've been using an SM-57 for live vocals for years. In the studio, for my voice (a little boomy), this mic doesn't require any EQ. Nice gentle rise in the 2k area, with another gentle push @ 4k. The dynamic range is good. Using this into a MOTU 828 and Logic Audio 5.5. Quite pleased with the results!