How to Do the "TapeOp" Shure SM57 Mod
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
- A FREE, and super-easy way to improve your SM57.
For more recording DIY projects, check out my site, www.diyrecordin...
The SM57 and (SM58) is a great mic, but the performance can be noticeably improved by simply removing the stock transformer. Keep in mind this will void your warranty with Shure.
I find the modded mic to be much smoother and less "honky"--almost indiscernible from the SM7b.
This mod was not my invention! Thanks to TapeOp magazine for the original idea.
A modification with a switch to bypass the transformer would be a bit cooler. So you can choose between the two sound characteristics. ;)
+anonym musiteufel That is exactly what I have done with a switchable 58. It really works
Good idea
I’ve always thought this would be a better way to go. What’s the simplest way to do it?
Good video, thanks ! Another, cheaper solution is to buy a Pyle PDMIC78. You can find them new for 10 bucks on Amazon. They are SM57 clones without internal amp... They also need to be modded but only to make them balanced (need resoldering of the XLR connector and replacing internal cables with better ones) . That's a very quick fix and the sound is amazing, especially at that price...
I just did this today without getting the parts wet....no need to boil in a pan, simply put in a decent freezer-bag kind of thing, make sure to get all the air out and put in a bowl before covering with a kettle of boiled water. Sit it for 3 mins and use some heavy-duty kitchen gloves to handle. All done and dry, replaceable parts in hand.
I don't see the point in removing the transformer in the first place. I bought a Pyle PDMIC78, which is a clone of this exact mic...loved it so much I went back and bought four more to stock in my gear cabinet. I found out through TH-cam videos about the mics that they not only do not have the built in transformer, but they come from the factory UNBALANCED. I found a video that explains how to rewire the mic so that it has a balanced output, but also found an XLR to to 1/4 inch jack adapter that has that same transformer built into it. After balancing the mics, and using the adapter/transformer...they are so much louder and sound SO much better. They are by far the best dynamic mics that I have ever used, I use them mainly for vocals...but they work excellent on cabs and instruments as well. I have been trying to find the original transformers for these style mics to re-install them, but can't seem to find them anywhere. WHY try to FIX something that isn't BROKEN in the first place?!?
Have you already consider to swap the transformer for a High quality one, like lundahl?
I tried this and after I was done I was like "well that sounds like crap"...so I salvaged the transformer out of the trash and resoldered everything back again. Sounds great once more....and THAT is how we learn :-)
Hi Peterson, I'm late to the party but just wanted to add onto to freakybuzz's suggestion. Yeah if you don't have any elaborate workstation all you really need is a decent sized vice grip wrench to hold stuff in place. You can dial in the grip strong enough to hold most things yet soft enough not to leave a mark. If you're working with wires, you can set it on the edge of a table to let the wires hang naturally. Just make sure the wrench is big enough to balance.
Just sold my sm7b on ebay and my other mic to fund an eric heiserman u67 build thats almost done, but with two sm58's here.... now Im gonna have an sm7b again it looks like! I'll report back after recording some songs with it how close it is. I might re-record one I did with an sm7b for comparison and throw up a video. Thank you pete!
Glad someone else is thinking on these lines too - a transformer upgrade was the first thing that came to mind for me too.
this helps in a recording it gives more clarity and takes out a bit of the low mids.
i was surprised and how much it had an effect on EQ.
voiced sounded clear and vibrant
the transformer isolates RF as far as i can see
this was a bad problem in the 70s.
police radios use to come threw the mic when they were passing
if you employ this in a guitar or in the front of a guitar amp
single coil pick up get quite.
You don't need to ruin a pot. I boiled water in a tea kettle and then poured the water into a mason jar with the barrels in it. The glue loosened right up.
Following this video I modded two of my 57's . The output dropped crazy low , lower than an SM7 , so a nice mic quiet mic pre is a must with these .
I think you have destroyed the balanced signal out of the microphone. If you use a long cable between the mike and the mixer it may become an antena and pick up some noise because you don't have the phase inverted signal out from the mike XLR pin 3.
Yes, you will need more preamp gain. If you have a good preamp, this is often a good thing :)
Goodwyn merci for your effort. Have you consider to swap the stock bad transformer for the best $80 Lundahl ?
How did you get 1990's video on TH-cam???
@ModernProductionss Sure! Where are you located? In the US you can get the wire at Radioshack. You are looking for 22 or 24 AWG wire.
Great video Peter! Keep em' coming!
you don't need em, just DO IT -- also check out the transformer SWAP with a Lundahl LL1587 -- hit me up if you have questions Potsy!!
Does anyone have samples comparing this mod with an unmodded sm57? I'd like to hear what it sounds like before doing it.
@potsy24 I will, but in the meantime, if you can spare the gain (AKA if you have other mics for quiet stuff), I say do it. I find my modded 57 sooo much more useful on kick, floor tom, and rock vocals than the stock version.
Recently I knowingly bought some fake SM58s for an art project and discovered that the "transformers" in those were also fake: little plastic bobbins with yellow tape but no wire wrapping, thus not wired into the output signal. They were just buried in the epoxy blob inside the mic for anyone who might take a quick look. The fake 58s did not sound very good but I didn't need them for their sonic qualities! They did come in very convincing official looking packaging, I must say, and the physical build of the mic was totally solid.
I heard a mic with this mod and it was noisier and more harsh sounding in the mids. Like a LOT noisier. 10-15 dB of added hiss at some preamp impedance settings.
It should indeed, but don't take my word for it!
Can you explain me why did you do that? It'slike an upgrade or something like that? Saludos!
Peace, man! From one engineer named Pete to another.
Excellent video. Although I feel the description "FREE" is a little misleading as I didn't have any of these supplies.
@potsy24 That's a great idea! I'll do that when I have some time.
I've never heard this comparison before. I suppose I'll take it.
@PetersonGoodwyn I found some samples done with s transformerless sm57
It was a processed and unprocessed acoustic/vocal song done with this mic. There was also a comparison of a modded/stock sm57 on a guitar cabinet.
I downloaded the 2 guitar clips. With a -3 dB shelf at 6dB/octave on the stock 57... the 2 clips sound exactly the same. And I kind of liked the stock sound better.
I did like the vocal, but there was nothing to compare it to. I messaged you the link.
there is a transistor mod as well to salvage the transistor .. boiling the transistor in water does that damage the transistor?..
I have no experience with the SM48--I believe it's a karaoke mic? But my guess is that it does not.
@PetersonGoodwyn Please do, I've looked all over and can't find anything. There are plenty of old forum posts, but all their audio links are expired.
@boonpaul1 i hope you meant TRANSFORMER. There are no transistors in an sm57, transistors and transformers are two totally different things.
Higher the highs 😂 ❤ thanks heaps for this!
Just watched video, didn't try it yet. Is there room anywhere between transformer and body, so that you coud punch a hole for two wires wirhouth need for boiling a transformer and removing it?
@boonpaul1 Unfortunately I don't know of any way to do this without boiling the transformer which will (probably) destroy it. Maybe if you had a seriously long x-acto knife you could cut through the glue?
You're correct, but there are other factors at work besides the impedance. What this mod is mostly concerned with is the quality of the transformer. Because it's a dinky transformer, it doesn't have enough inductance to pass a full-bodied signal, especially at low frequencies.
DIY Recording Equipment You’re a dinky transformer...
I just got this feeling... by taking the transformer out you get a similar sound as a cheap SM57-copy... Many guys prefer that sound, but I wouldn't break my 57 for it.
Why should feedback be an issue?
@eRealist Haha, thanks. Why, does my soldering technique suck? I'm totally guilty of not being a professional.
I know this is an old video, but taking out the transformer and not replacing it with another, higher quality one is obviously pointless, right?
Not quite! Some dynamic mics don’t have transformers at all, like the SM7.
@@PetersonGoodwyn oh, ok that's pretty interesting then. Is their some circuitry besides the filters on a an sm7 or sm7b? Ive seen people comparing the various sm57 mods but not camparing it with the sm7.
If there is no transformer does is not need some level of circuitry on the output stage? Or is ths why you need so much gain at the preamp or a cloud lifter with an sm7?
You guys do some amazing products by the way.
@@diyrecordingstudio as far as I know the SM7 is just a capsule and wires. All the filtering is done mechanically via the shape of the cavities in the mic
Same procedure for an XM 8500 Behringer?
Bad mod if you want to keep the low end on your guitars. Good for vocals
+Spreesty
Kind of the point, like he said. It makes it sound like an SM7B, which is a vocal mic.
Thanks! does the transformer get ruined? Can it be re-installed?
Does it means the source has to be pushed at a higher volume ?
Can your describe a physycal idea to me? We have a capsule wtih 2-10 ohms impedance, Transformer rase it up to 300 - 500 ohms, so now when he pulled out i doesnt see a reasons to better performance, because most of mics pre wants to be loaded wtith a 200 to 1k ohms mike. Correct me if wrong.
Great tip, thanks!
hope to see more like this! thx!!!!
I did this mod and it made my sm57 and it worked but it also caused a buzzing sound all the time no matter where I hooked it up. I'm 99% certain I did it correctly without any errors. Whats up with the buzz?
what exactly does this mod do? besides sounding cooler,in your ending vid, does it have more response? cleaner vocals? ?
What did u actually do change the config on the original transformer or replace it with another?
If I am not mistaken the "Fake" Sm57 does not have the transformer. So You really have this Mod. already.
hey buddy at least a video where i find something really insteresting, i have a question. i want to get a transformer for my mic where do i get one, and would be that good or better keep like it is now. i bought a fake shure sm57 but then i changed the capsule (original shure sm 57) but it still doesnt have the transformer. what do you recomend me? greetings
Can you use a Cloudlifter for this mod?
Is the transformer wonky you say..? Why not try a replacement?
can you save the transformer?
Good vid, I'm going to make a how to solder video for you.
Would this work on a Unidyne 545SD then too?
CLIPALATOR!!!!! Gogole it! it has audio clips of EVERY PRE/MIC/ etc etc etc
@vyero Exactly. And thanks!
Would this work with a Beta 57a
Can you tell if this this is possible to do on a fake SM57 too? =D
Can you do this with a Beta 57?
Thanks for the feedback, you're absolutely right. To be honest, when I did this video I had very few tools and no formal training in electronics (still don't).
I enjoy watching your mod videos; many of your tips are very handy. I must comment, however, on your soldering technique. Perhaps it's the high-speed effect, but it seems the components are being allowed to move way too much when soldering. I was taught the components must be absolutely immobile when soldering, e.g., by placing them in a gentle vice, a bracket, "helping hands," or a collar. Even the coolest of mods can be ruined be a cold joint, and our workmanship should always be Zero-Fail.
3:37---------- SO WE HAVE THE BOILING WATER!!! HAHA, too funny!!! So we have a Great Video is what we have!!!! Thanks Peterson!
This guy is really dangerous
I lost it at the Julia Child part
Why are you talking into the mic but using the camera audio at 0:31
Also why is there no demo of sounds? Otherwise, it's an interesting concept but I'd do a lot more study on it before doing it (if I even would and just buy a transformer-less copy)
Douche cred
what happens if it's put on a phantom powered line? cheers!
I did it and nothing happened
@potsy24 Oops, that cut was at 500 Hz.
Thanks ! :)
Have you or anyone you know tried this on a beta 57 or 58? Thanks for making the vid. Sorry for all the angry douche bags who create nothing and complain about those who do in every comment section they can find.
lol its already made to for low end recording. you are just ruining your mic. the specs say 40hz-16khz.
god i miss martha stewart
Where are you eyebrows?
On his forehead
And what about a long cable. Hum and noise and other shit.
thanks)
Did you just call that a slotted screwdriver??? XDD
Now i have watched this video, EQ is dead to me.
First you should attach your mic to something, like a third hand or something...
For recording it's another 10db gain of noise. Useless
Don't hit this with phantom power ! 48V unblocked can fry your diaphram on connection.
Jerry Helm no, the diaphragm is not connected to ground (reference voltage) so nothing happens, it assumes ... that the transformer is coupled to the impedance would have to measure the impedance of the transducer to start a witch hunt
Nestor, does anybody have consider to swap the cheap and bad transformer for a best one like a 75$ Lundahl ?
so you buy a balanced mic to take the balancing transfo out? ehm...kay...just leave the mic as it is and disconnect pin 3 of your cable. good luck with the sound coming from this "modded" (aka ruined) mic over a multi of say, 50meters? lol free noise included
a transformer in a mic isn't for the purpose of isolating the ground (like it can be in other kinds of gear), its used for the impedance and gain structure design
it is a crossover not a ground iso or anything else
It's to step the signal up, it's not a crossover, why on earth would a microphone need a crossover ??
Do you even know what a crossover is bruh? Why would u remove something to make it quieter? When its reomoved the freq response changes.. There for it has crossover properties.. It changes the freq roll and high and low as defined on the wave chart..
Kristian my response is some what of a question.. Fyi..
"yours may be different" then it's probably a fake Shure
john mayer!
Thanks.....3 months later lol.
bien sur mais encore mieux l'originale que j'ai déja payer pour moin de travaille vive le vrai micro amigo
Senheiser E609
lmfao
Just sell the mic and buy a Senheiser. Such a better mic by far.
Which Sennheiser?
right...because everyone knows the sm57 is a completely bogus microphone whose merits have gone largely untested when compared to the ubiquitous "senheiser"
he's probably talking about the e609, which is a killer mic in its own right...is it any better than the 57? not really...they're different flavors of awesome...
609 / 906 great on guitar. Awful on snare top in my experience.