Replace SM91 with Beta91a?

P

Phil Lewandowski

Sophomore
Jan 11, 2011
123
0
16
Cleveland, OH
Hey all,

I recently had my preamp for my SM91 start acting up, and I know that I have heard that the newer Beta91a was an improvement over the Beta91 and much closer to the SM91.

So I am looking for some comparisons between the SM91 and Beta91a to figure out if I will invest in a new mic or just replace the preamp. (The mic is used for bass drum normally.)



Thanks much,
Phil
 
Re: Replace SM91 with Beta91a?

Phil Lewandowski said:
Hey all,

I recently had my preamp for my SM91 start acting up, and I know that I have heard that the newer Beta91a was an improvement over the Beta91 and much closer to the SM91.

So I am looking for some comparisons between the SM91 and Beta91a to figure out if I will invest in a new mic or just replace the preamp. (The mic is used for bass drum normally.)



Thanks much,
Phil
Click to expand...

Sound wise, yes, I believe Shure nailed it with the new B91, it is much more in line with the SM91, and better sounding the old B91. The new B91 has the "Kick drum scoop eq" engineered in the mic/preamp already too.

The one nice advantage I feel with the new version is the XLR jack is built right into the mic, no wee little connector and 300' thin cable(I exaggerate, but why was it so damned long-same with the ATM35, but I digress now too), which is much more robust.

I'd think if the old SM91 is working, just send it in to Shure for service-they're pretty reasonable as I recall.

Best regards,

John
 
Re: Replace SM91 with Beta91a?

Thank you for the reply, John. I gave Shure a call and they aren't servicing the ILP-1 anymore, but they said if I sent that back they would just send me the current RPM-626 preamp for a flat $50, so that would save about $20-25 from the prices I got elsewhere for the 626.


Thanks much,
Phil

PS- I agree with the sentiments about that darned long mini-xlr connecting cable. Having the preamp built into the beta91a made it very tempting to ditch the SM91.
 
Re: Replace SM91 with Beta91a?

I'm a big fan of the Beta 91A. Many drummers and sound men I work with are surprised and impressed by the sound. I like the how simple it is to set up and use.
 
Re: Replace SM91 with Beta91a?

John Halliburton said:
Sound wise, yes, I believe Shure nailed it with the new B91, it is much more in line with the SM91, and better sounding the old B91. The new B91 has the "Kick drum scoop eq" engineered in the mic/preamp already too.

The one nice advantage I feel with the new version is the XLR jack is built right into the mic, no wee little connector and 300' thin cable(I exaggerate, but why was it so damned long-same with the ATM35, but I digress now too), which is much more robust.

I'd think if the old SM91 is working, just send it in to Shure for service-they're pretty reasonable as I recall.

Best regards,

John
Click to expand...

I replaced my Sm91's with 91a's because of the 300' cable. I also agree Shure nailed it with the 91a.
 
Re: Replace SM91 with Beta91a?

We all know that the B91 was an over-hyped POS. Probably one of my least favorite kick mics on the planet. Sounded like a turd in every drum. The new A model is better, but still no replacement for the old SM91. It sounds great on its own- it actually has enough ass to work alone, unlike the newer models. I still think the new 91 has too much 5-8k.



Evan
 
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