David Ippolito is “That Guitar Man of Central Park.” Performing in New York City, Mr. Ippolito has numerous loyal fans who faithfully attend his outdoor concerts in the park. He posted the following story on Facebook and kindly allowed Shure to share it with Tech Tip readers.
Every independent singer/songwriter knows the Shure SM58 microphone, or just 58 as we call it, is THE workhorse microphone of all time. They sound great and are basically indestructible. Years ago, when I played in bars and music clubs, the 58 was THE house mike. They’d be scratched, bent, dented, smelled like beer…and they always worked and sounded great. As “That Guitar Man from Central Park” it naturally became a staple of my gear. I always have three 58s ready for each gig, with at least one backup in my gear bag.
As I was loading up for our Saturday at “The Hill,” I couldn’t find my main vocal mic. I looked everywhere in my apartment, and then vaguely remembered something from weeks ago, wondering if I had possibly left the mic at my friend Kara’s house when I was asked to do a song at her place. Anyway, when I couldn’t find it, I just grabbed the vocal mic I use every week for our live streaming gig, “It’s Just Us.”
Now, you’ve heard me say over and over how I feel like the luckiest man alive. One of the main reasons is the amazing circle of incredible men and women who make up my circle of friends and fellow artists. After I finish a long, long, long day of music in the park, a small army of sweet people help me pack up my gear at the end of the day. But because of that, it’s hard to know sometimes where different people are stowing some of the gear after each gig.
Anyway, after I couldn’t find my mic at home, I got to “The Hill” and started setting up for the day with my pals Dean and Sean. Just as we were ready to fire up the generator and do the soundcheck, I glanced over at the tall weeds by the edge of the lake. I noticed a little speck of white tape through the leaves. Sure enough, THERE WAS THE MICROPHONE!!! it had been in that spot, on the muddy ground, for THREE WEEKS!!!
It was pretty well obscured, so it was understandable that nobody saw the mic. But it was freaking AMAZING that I had noticed it. I showed the guys and said, “If I get this home and it works, I’ll have to write a letter to Shure and tell them they have created the ultimate indestructible microphone.” Guess what…they have. I fired it up and the thing works and sounds GREAT! I’m absolutely amazed!
In this 21st century of semi-disposable electronics and sellable crap, I wish everything was made like the 58! Amazing.
Related information: http://www.thatguitarman.com/
YouTube channel of David Ippolito
Arcana – mysterious or specialized knowledge
“Hmm, why did David’s SM58 mic switch not become contaminated with dirt?” Good question. If the SM58 switch were a standard slide switch, with metal contacts gliding across other metal contacts, dirt and moisture might have contaminated it. But it is not a slide switch; it is a magnetic reed switch.
Two switch contacts (reeds) are encapsulated in a tiny glass/plastic vial – isolated from dirt and moisture. A small magnet is attached to the switch actuator. When the user moves the actuator, the magnet moves in tandem. The two encapsulated contacts are pulled together by the magnet, shorting the mic signal to mute the audio.
The reed switch employed by Shure is rated for a minimum of 100,000 cycles, though the supplier claims over 1,000,000 cycles is not unusual. Simple in design and function, the magnetic reed switch has proven exceptionally reliable and durable in our microphones for decades.
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One of the most bizarre SM58 abuse tests was a 200-foot drop from a hovering helicopter. It was a Saturday; a new air conditioning unit was being installed on the roof of Shure’s facility in Niles Illinois. Seizing this unique opportunity, we asked the pilot to drop an SM58. He was amused and happily complied. The SM58 fell, bounced, and still worked. We were delighted – the pilot astonished.
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Cars and trucks can really do a number on a microphone. Below is an SM58 found on a busy Canadian road by a musician. Carefree Highway? Not for this microphone, but after connection to a PA system, the crushed SM58 worked and sounded OK. The musician emailed photos of the abused mic to Shure. We offered a new SM58 in exchange. The road warrior mic now resides comfortably in our archives. The legend lives on…
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Here is a video from a recording session that employed the SM57 for every instrument. The sonic results are impressive. However, the video host is incorrect about vintage SM57 mics being the only units having Unidyne III capsules. At some point, “Unidyne III” was removed from the mic grille label and this likely led to his mistaken assumption. From 1966 to 2022 (and beyond), the Unidyne III mic element is inside every SM57, SM58, 545, and 565.
