Published 24/4/09
We wait for ages, then seven come along at once!
Shure rarely announce new recording mics, mainly because they’ve had most bases covered with their product range for decades. So the fact that they’ve released a raft of new mics since the beginning of this year is quite significant. What’s more, the announcement of a home-studio gizmo and the acquisition of a well-known studio brand has got lots of people intrigued about the future developments of the company. Read on for more details on that, but first, here’s a run-down of the new mics:
The SM27 is a large-diaphragm condenser with a cardioid polar pattern that Shure say will work well on a range of sources, and is especially fast when responding to transients. The SM137, a small-diaphragm condenser, is designed for use on instruments, and has a 15dB pad that, when engaged, enables the mic to handle up to 154dB SPL — they even say it’s suitable for use on guitar amps. The SM27 costs £347 and the SM137 is £184. Both are shipping now.
Also new is the Super 55 Deluxe, a revamped version of the much-loved and instantly recognisable 55-series dynamic microphone. This latest model has the same die-cast casing, but features a capsule with a supercardioid polar response, instead of cardioid. Also different on the Super 55 Deluxe is the colour of the interior foam windshield — it’s a vibrant electric blue, not grey — and the switch panel on the bottom casing has been removed and substituted for a logo-emblazoned blanking plate. At the time of writing, the price was still to be confirmed.
Added to the Performance Gear (PG) range are the PG27 and PG42, which are both large-diaphragm, side-address condenser mics. The PG27 (£147) has what Shure describe as a flat, neutral response that they say is suitable for use on a wide variety of sources, whereas the PG42 (£195) is designed primarily for recording vocals, and is tuned accordingly, “to reproduce the subtle nuances of lead vocals”. Unusually, especially for Shure, the PG27 and PG42 are both available in ‘USB’ versions, featuring on-board preamplification, A-D/D-A conversion and USB connectivity, so they can be plugged directly into a computer without the need for an audio interface or mic preamp. They also have a headphones jack complete with level and monitor/direct mix control, and cost £221 and £268 respectively.
In a related product announcement (yes, there’s more!), Shure have made available a device that provides this XLR-to-USB conversion technology in stand-alone form. The cleverly named X2U has an XLR input and a USB output, permitting any mic, including those that require phantom power, to be plugged directly into your Mac or PC. As with the USB mics, the X2U has D-A conversion on-board linked to a headphones feed. It costs £104.
Finally, Shure have announced that they’ve acquired one of the most reputable names in the world of ribbon mics. As of April 2009, Shure own “all intellectual property, microphone process equipment, product designs, and other important assets related to the Crowley & Tripp line” and will move production to their factories in Illinois, USA. They will continue to use Roswellite, the material used in the ribbon elements of various Crowley & Tripp mics, and will also assume responsibility for the “ongoing service and support for existing owners of Crowley & Tripp ribbon microphone products”.
Shure Distribution +44 (0)1992 703058
www.shure.co.uk
The SM27 is a large-diaphragm condenser with a cardioid polar pattern that Shure say will work well on a range of sources, and is especially fast when responding to transients. The SM137, a small-diaphragm condenser, is designed for use on instruments, and has a 15dB pad that, when engaged, enables the mic to handle up to 154dB SPL — they even say it’s suitable for use on guitar amps. The SM27 costs £347 and the SM137 is £184. Both are shipping now.
Also new is the Super 55 Deluxe, a revamped version of the much-loved and instantly recognisable 55-series dynamic microphone. This latest model has the same die-cast casing, but features a capsule with a supercardioid polar response, instead of cardioid. Also different on the Super 55 Deluxe is the colour of the interior foam windshield — it’s a vibrant electric blue, not grey — and the switch panel on the bottom casing has been removed and substituted for a logo-emblazoned blanking plate. At the time of writing, the price was still to be confirmed.
Added to the Performance Gear (PG) range are the PG27 and PG42, which are both large-diaphragm, side-address condenser mics. The PG27 (£147) has what Shure describe as a flat, neutral response that they say is suitable for use on a wide variety of sources, whereas the PG42 (£195) is designed primarily for recording vocals, and is tuned accordingly, “to reproduce the subtle nuances of lead vocals”. Unusually, especially for Shure, the PG27 and PG42 are both available in ‘USB’ versions, featuring on-board preamplification, A-D/D-A conversion and USB connectivity, so they can be plugged directly into a computer without the need for an audio interface or mic preamp. They also have a headphones jack complete with level and monitor/direct mix control, and cost £221 and £268 respectively.
In a related product announcement (yes, there’s more!), Shure have made available a device that provides this XLR-to-USB conversion technology in stand-alone form. The cleverly named X2U has an XLR input and a USB output, permitting any mic, including those that require phantom power, to be plugged directly into your Mac or PC. As with the USB mics, the X2U has D-A conversion on-board linked to a headphones feed. It costs £104.Finally, Shure have announced that they’ve acquired one of the most reputable names in the world of ribbon mics. As of April 2009, Shure own “all intellectual property, microphone process equipment, product designs, and other important assets related to the Crowley & Tripp line” and will move production to their factories in Illinois, USA. They will continue to use Roswellite, the material used in the ribbon elements of various Crowley & Tripp mics, and will also assume responsibility for the “ongoing service and support for existing owners of Crowley & Tripp ribbon microphone products”.
Shure Distribution +44 (0)1992 703058
www.shure.co.uk
