Pricing and availability
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Average Price: $164
Standard/Professional
$75
$201+
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Price History
Based on price data from 8 merchants for "Shure Beta 57 Dynamic Microphone". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
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Description
For musicians and audio engineers seeking a reliable and versatile microphone, the Shure Beta 57A Dynamic Microphone stands out as a top choice. Designed to capture the true essence of vocals and instruments, this microphone excels in both studio and live environments. Its supercardioid polar pattern ensures high gain before feedback and isolates your sound source, making it perfect for dynamic performances and precise recordings. Whether you're miking a drum kit, amplifying an electric guitar, or delivering powerful vocals, the Beta 57A provides the warmth and clarity you need.
Built with durability in mind, the Shure Beta 57A features a hardened steel mesh grille that withstands the rigors of frequent use and facilitates proximity effect. This microphone is not just tough; it’s refined. The neodymium magnet delivers a high signal-to-noise ratio, ensuring your audio remains clear and vibrant. With a tailored frequency response from 50Hz to 16kHz, the Beta 57A highlights the nuanced details of your performance, offering rich lows, clear mids, and crisp highs.
The Beta 57A's advanced pneumatic shock mount system minimizes mechanical noise and vibration, providing a clean and professional sound. Whether you’re capturing the intricate sound of brass and woodwinds or the robust tones of guitar amplifiers, this microphone is a versatile workhorse that elevates your craft.
Key Features:
- Supercardioid polar pattern for excellent isolation and high gain-before-feedback
- Hardened steel mesh grille for durability and proximity effect facilitation
- Neodymium magnet for high signal-to-noise ratio output
- Frequency response: 50–16,000 Hz for balanced tonal reproduction
- Advanced pneumatic shock mount system to reduce mechanical noise
- Ideal for drums, guitars, vocals, and horns
Product specs
| Brand | Shure |
| Model | BETA 57 Supercardioid Dynamic Microphone |
| Finish | Black |
| Year | 1990s |
| Made In | United States |
| Categories | Microphones |
| Electronics | Analog, Passive |
| Microphone Type | Dynamic |
| Polar Pattern | Supercardioid |
| Wired/Wireless | Wired |
FAQs
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What instruments is the Shure Beta 57 Dynamic Microphone best suited for?
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The Shure Beta 57 is highly versatile, making it ideal for acoustic and electric instruments, drums, guitar amplifiers, brass, woodwinds, and vocals.
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How does the supercardioid pattern of the Shure Beta 57 benefit live performances?
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The supercardioid pattern offers superior gain-before-feedback, making it excellent for live performances where minimizing background noise is crucial.
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Does the Shure Beta 57 handle rough usage well?
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Yes, the Shure Beta 57 features a hardened grille designed to withstand rough handling, ensuring durability in demanding environments.
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How does the Shure Beta 57 reduce handling noise?
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The Shure Beta 57 includes an internal shockmount that effectively reduces handling noise, providing clearer sound quality during use.
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What is the primary sound characteristic of the Shure Beta 57?
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The Shure Beta 57 is optimized for maximum warmth and presence, delivering a rich and full sound ideal for both studio and live settings.
Videos
Podcastage
Shure Beta 57a Dynamic Mic Review / Test
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Shure Beta 57 Dynamic Microphone.
Comparisons
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The original Beta57 is praised for vocal clarity without brittle highs, unlike some claims about earlier models, making it a favorite for vocal use.
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The Beta 57A shares the same capsule and body as the Beta 58A, with differences in sound attributed to the grill design, which permits closer capsule proximity.
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The Beta 57A is noted to provide a warmer sound compared to the Beta 58A due to its closer grill proximity, beneficial for vocals needing less harshness.
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Use cases and applications
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The Beta57-A is noted for its tight pickup pattern, ideal for big live stages, offering strong performance across various vocal setups.
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It excels in scenarios requiring significant monitor presence on stage, particularly benefiting quieter singers due to its tight supercardioid pattern.
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The Beta 57A's narrower pattern is particularly advantageous on crowded stages to minimize bleed and reduce feedback from monitors.
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Value and pricing
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Vintage Beta57s command higher prices, with some listed at $350, while new Beta57-As are approximately $150, reflecting collector interest.
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User experience
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Owners have reported that both Beta57 and Beta57-A excel in live settings, with personal preferences often dictating the choice between them.
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Some users find the Beta 57A to produce a slightly pinched upper midrange compared to the standard 57, but its superior bleed control enhances live mix clarity.
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Some engineers prefer alternatives like the sE V7 over the Beta series for its comparable price and similar sound qualities, offering a preferred alternative to the Beta 58A.
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Features and functionality
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The Beta 57A allows for closer proximity to the capsule, creating a more pronounced proximity effect and bass boost, which can be adjusted by backing off an extra 1/2 inch.
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The Beta 57A's supercardioid pattern requires careful monitor placement, leveraging null points for effective stage use.
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The Beta 57A is seen as versatile, with its ability to transform into a Beta 58A-like sound with a simple grill change, appealing to those needing flexible mic options.
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Other
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It's advised to purchase from official retailers to avoid the prevalence of counterfeit Shure mics on platforms like eBay and Amazon.
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Artist usage
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Lemmy Kilmister frequently used the Shure Beta 57 Dynamic Microphone during live performances, particularly throughout the 1990s, as evidenced by numerous stage photos and videos.
Throughout the performance Patton is seen using two Shure Beta 57s one for regular vocals and one for vocals with effects. This is made obvious by the microphone grilles.
Used for the snare bottom on "Beggin", as described by Alessandro Marcantoni in this October 2021 Sound on Sound interview.
Working from memory, old gear lists and photos, and the track names in his mix session for ‘Beggin’, Marcantoni retraces his steps, both for the recordings and the mixing. “For the kick I would have used a Shure Beta 52A on the inside, a Neumann U47 [FET] on the outside, and a Royer Labs R‑122 placed close to the kick drum pointing to the snare, for a mono drum kit track. On the snare I used a Shure SM57 at the top, and a Shure Beta 57 at the bottom. I duplicated the top snare track to create another effect setting for the rimshots.
“In addition I had one Neumann KM‑184 for hi‑hat and another KM‑184 for the ride cymbal, a couple of AKG C414 XLII mics as overheads, and two Neumann U87s for ambience. The toms had Beyerdynamic Opus 87 mics. I would have avoided the Yamaha desk for the recording chains, so the mics would have gone through external mic pres. I most likely would have used API 512C’s for the kick and the snare, and Focusrite ISA 828/430 for the other drum tracks. They would have gone into the Apogee Symphony MkI, and the Avid HD I/O.
In Canadian Musician Volume XXI Issue No.4, the Shure Beta 57 is listed as a microphone that Brian Byrne used to record the album "Blue Green Orange."
In this article and interview with Tony Huerta detailing his process of recording and mixing a cappella, he shares, "I choose between several different microphones for the [vocal/beatbox] snare; usually dynamic instrument mics that I’d usually use on a real snare or on congas in a live show. I have used the Shure Beta 57, SM57, and a special SM57 with Gaff tape around the head, it changes the characteristics slightly and gets a cool body tone."
Album Usage
The Shure Beta 57 Dynamic Microphone has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Shure Beta 57 Dynamic Microphone, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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