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Requires phantom power.
Channel Strips of the Stars: Ronan Chris Murphy
World-class producer/engineer/mixer Ronan Chris Murphy's credits include King Crimson, Steve Morse, Terry Bozzio, Victor Bisetti, Gregg Bissonette, Tony Levin, and projects with members of Tool, Ministry, Weezer, Dishwalla, and Yes. Ronan was kind enough to share some of his drum-recording signal chains:
"Well all of the drums for Terry Bozzio's Jazz trio were recorded with all A Designs Audio solid state preamps. For drum overheads I used Shure KSM32 condenser mics into an A Designs Audio Pacifica (#189903) to a Manley Variable Mu Limiter Compressor (#620908); for kick drums, AKG D112s (#271161) into A designs Pacificas. (I prefer the Shure Beta 52 (#270267) for kick but they were pre-mounted inside Terry's (Bozzio) kick drums. Actually I have used the Shure KSM32 into Pacifica combo on tons of great drummers, including Terry Bozzio Victor Bisetti (Los Lobos), Gregg Bissonette (Santana, David Lee Roth), and Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mister Mister, The Rembrandts)."
Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic
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The Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic has extended frequency response for incredibly natural sound. A transformerless preamp eliminates crossover distorti...Click To Read More About This Product
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99
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The Shure choice for critical studio recording and live production.
The Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic has extended frequency response for incredibly natural sound. A transformerless preamp eliminates crossover distortion and improves linearity. The gold-layered, high-compliance diaphragm improves low frequency and transient response. 15dB attenuation switch handles high SPLs, the switchable low-frequency filter reduces background noise. The 3-stage pop-protection grille reduces breath noises, and internal shock mount reduces handling noise. Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz. Includes locking aluminum carrying case, ShureLock elastic-suspension shockmount, ShureLock swivelmount, and padded bag.
Requires phantom power.
Channel Strips of the Stars: Ronan Chris Murphy
World-class producer/engineer/mixer Ronan Chris Murphy's credits include King Crimson, Steve Morse, Terry Bozzio, Victor Bisetti, Gregg Bissonette, Tony Levin, and projects with members of Tool, Ministry, Weezer, Dishwalla, and Yes. Ronan was kind enough to share some of his drum-recording signal chains:
"Well all of the drums for Terry Bozzio's Jazz trio were recorded with all A Designs Audio solid state preamps. For drum overheads I used Shure KSM32 condenser mics into an A Designs Audio Pacifica (#189903) to a Manley Variable Mu Limiter Compressor (#620908); for kick drums, AKG D112s (#271161) into A designs Pacificas. (I prefer the Shure Beta 52 (#270267) for kick but they were pre-mounted inside Terry's (Bozzio) kick drums. Actually I have used the Shure KSM32 into Pacifica combo on tons of great drummers, including Terry Bozzio Victor Bisetti (Los Lobos), Gregg Bissonette (Santana, David Lee Roth), and Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mister Mister, The Rembrandts)."
- Transformerless preamp eliminates crossover distortion
- Improved LF response
- 15dB attenuation switch for high SPLs
- LF filter for background noise reduction
- Three-stage pop protection grille
Put it in the cart now to make hi-fi studio sound a Shure thing.
Musician's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
Gold Coverage Includes:
- Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks
- Normal wear and tear
- Power surges
- Dust, internal heat and humidity
Other plan features include:
- For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks)
- For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Musician's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax.
- Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement
- Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold
- Plans are renewable on new gear
*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions (Opens in new window) for program details
Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.
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.
Reviewed by 12 customers
Displaying reviews 1-12
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:
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:
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 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:
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:
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 just got the mic two days ago and i am using it with a tc helicon voice prism. the voice prism provides phantom power so i can run the mic into the front low z jack and then the vocal prism directly out into my computer's sound card. the mic picks me up at a whisper from 10 inches away yet when i played back the recording there was absolutely no background noise. I love it. And coming with a case and shockmount (at least $100 extra, usually), i think it is a great deal. Of course, I would have loved to have gotten a NEUMANN just to see why they cost so much more. but in the price range that I was willing and able to spend, shure is really the only name I trusted. oh, and the voice prism is amazing, as well, but it makes me upset knowing that just about anybody can sing on pitch now if they use it. NOT FAIR!
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:
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!
Comments about Shure KSM32/SL Condenser Mic:
Used for recording. Mic range is awsome gets it all in the first pass and doesn't muddle up with background noise. Wonderful little piece of equipment.
Displaying reviews 1-12