Shure Beta 87 A or C...

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Matt Vivlamore

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Jan 11, 2011
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I know the Beta87 are some great microphones when in the hands of a good vocalist who know mic control. I am looking to upgrade the SM58 and Beta58 capsules to the Beta87 flavor. The 10 piece band I am working for uses a mix of IEM and Wedges; the Vocalist and drummer on IEMs and the instruments (horns, guitar, bass, keys) are on wedges. According to Shure’s website the A is for wedges and C is for IEM. Looking at the polar charts, I would think the C would be better for wedges than the A. The band performs at weddings and corporate events; at weddings they like to interact with the crowd. Which one would be better for an “all around” mic?

Or the SM86 is an option.

These are going on Wireless mics, I have a combination of SLX and ULX; But and I am planning on getting the ULX-D Quad system next year.
 
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Re: Shure Beta 87 A or C...

Tim McCulloch said:
The SM86 is, IMNSHO, superior to any flavor of *87.
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I absolutely agree. Was blown away by the SM86 when I bought some recently.

It seems that every singer I run into with an 87 wanted the best vocal mic possible, walked into Guitar Center, and that's what they got. When there are so many better options out there. Just because it's the most expensive, readily available Shure mic out there does not make the 87 the best.
 
Re: Shure Beta 87 A or C...

Matt Vivlamore said:
Which one would be better for an “all around” mic?
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Neither one has a place on my stage. They both suck out loud for live music of any kind. Unless it is a solo acoustic act on iems. Then, maybe, but there are other mics that I would use over the 87 given the choice.

The SM86 is vastly superior. It still picks up a lot of stage noise, but not as much, and the overall tone is much better.
 
Re: Shure Beta 87 A or C...

Tim Weaver said:
Neither one has a place on my stage. They both suck out loud for live music of any kind. Unless it is a solo acoustic act on iems. Then, maybe, but there are other mics that I would use over the 87 given the choice.

The SM86 is vastly superior. It still picks up a lot of stage noise, but not as much, and the overall tone is much better.
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Is the sm86 head available for the shure UHF-R? I wouldn't mind trying one out. We've got a stage full of beta87s and they aren't horrible but... It's a pretty quiet stage, but when I mix stuff later there is a LOT of drum bleed in the vocal mics....
 
Re: Shure Beta 87 A or C...

86 would be ok for a drummer but the heil would be better. The sm86 is my favorite shure mic. I have them on all my wireless and its my go to wired mic. Its very much in the direction of a ksm9 but 1/4 the price. Great mic. Now so many places seem to have beta 87s and I cant understand it. They are like an ice pick on the top end.
 
Re: Shure Beta 87 A or C...

Brian Frost said:
Now so many places seem to have beta 87s and I cant understand it. They are like an ice pick on the top end.
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Like an ice pick? That's a pretty unique description. I've never had an issue with the high end at all. I really like my Beta 87a.
 
Re: Shure Beta 87 A or C...

Craig Stone said:
Like an ice pick? That's a pretty unique description. I've never had an issue with the high end at all. I really like my Beta 87a.
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Did a show yesterday and put up a B86. Singer asks.." is that an 87?"
Me.. No, it is the Shure condenser that everyone who hates the 87 loves.
 
Re: Shure Beta 87 A or C...

Forgive me, but I don't see that much difference in the response curves between the SM86 and the Beta87a. Are those tiny differences really that apparent? :|~:-|~:neutral:

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Re: Shure Beta 87 A or C...

Hi Craig,

That graph perfectly demonstrates that many properties other than frequency response determine how a mic will perform; whether or not it sounds pleasing to the ear; and why different sources sound "better" or "worse" through different mics with apparently identical specs.

One could postulate that a mic's damping and resonance characteristics throughout its frequency range are more relevant to the mic's "character" than the response curve alone. Damping and resonance alter the waveform, as well as wave amplitude. The problem is that it's difficult to quantify the effect and show it as an easy to read graph, just as it's hard to describe why our ears enjoy the sound of mic A over mic B without getting too esoteric.
 
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