Shure Beta 87C

C

Cole Lofink

Sophomore
Jan 11, 2011
133
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NJ/NC
www.sonuspro.com
Last nights artists shows up with 3 Shure Beta 87C wireless microphones. I was the monitor engineer for this show and had the wedges rung out for SM58s. I needed only 2 slight eq notches one at 200Hz and another at 4khz to have the 58s stable at what I would consider a loud volume. I'm a big fan of the Shure Beta 87A and I often use one at gigs, so I figured " how bad can an 87C real be", also the artist insisted that we use there microphones.

So how bad was the 87C? It was terrible! Defiantly the worst pro level Shure mic I've ever used. So bad that I think Shure should stop selling these to live performers.

More details to come later today.
 
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Re: Shure Beta 87C

All the gear used was pro level and working properly so nothing else was an issue. We used a Yamaha M7CL at FOH and a LS932 for MON, EAW KF850z for FOH etc.....

The Issues:
1) Wide pick-up patten (even for a cardioid)
2) Uneven pick-patten (huge proximity effect)
3) Harsh sounding in the upper mid range
4) No usable low end (HPF had be 225 to prevent feedback)

I use condensers often live, sometimes in small clubs on tight stages. This was on a good sized outdoor stage, and I've never had issues like this before.

Does anyone own one, or use them frequently? Maybe you could share some insight.
 
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Re: Shure Beta 87C

The SM-86 seems more stable in monitors than the Beta 87C. After a bit of comparing I purchased the SM-86 (6 of them) for my personal kit.

Most of the Beta 87 we see are carried by artists with their own monitor rigs & engineers, so I can't speak to what majik they might need.
 
Re: Shure Beta 87C

When I worked at the big university here, I bought 6 Beta 87C's for general use. They were perfect for us. They were generally used by inexperienced people on a big stage that held the mic by their belly-button and talked quieter if they heard themselves in the mains.

They were great for variety shows where one minute they were used for a chorus, then moved to a xylophone, then a drum circle, etc.... They make good podium mics too.
 
Re: Shure Beta 87C

Tim Weaver said:
They were generally used by inexperienced people on a big stage that held the mic by their belly-button and talked quieter if they heard themselves in the mains.

They were great for variety shows where one minute they were used for a chorus, then moved to a xylophone, then a drum circle, etc.... They make good podium mics too.
Click to expand...
I'll second Tim's experience - mine was very similar. I also like how the microphone is very lightweight so you can extend a boom stand out pretty far if needed. That said, I also seem to remember having a tough time dialing them in when wedges were used. It'd be cool if someone with the know-how could do a balloon plot or the like on it's pickup pattern.
 
Re: Shure Beta 87C

No need for a balloon plot, it picks up everything it might as well be an omni at certain frequencys. Also using it as a "mult-purpose" mic is not something I'd recommend to anyone. Shure already makes a mic for that and it's called an SM57.

I don't event think it would make a good overhead mic!
 
Re: Shure Beta 87C

I had B87C's for about 4 months on tour with me. 3 vocals across the front. They were miserable. Picked up everything on stage. They did sound quite good, but the cymbal bleed was unbearable on smaller stages. The 87a's are better, but still pick up a lot. I would never want to use either with a loud act. I've since retired them and switched to e945's.


Evan
 
Re: Shure Beta 87C

I agree with everything you said. It was totally unusable on a female vox at a jazz gig a did. Swapped it out for my SM85. That night it just didn't work for that singer. YMMV
 
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