Let's all be honest, the workhorse of the microphone world is the Shure SM57. Through this mic Shure created a legacy, and a standard that is undeniable. It's an affordable, durable, hard working mic. So how do you make this mic more attractive? Make it more affordable.
Now some of you may perceive the SM57 as an affordable mic already. I know I think this way. The problem is that many of you are asked to put together a new portable system, or the youth pastor tells you that they want to add a band to their gathering. Suddenly you have to come up with a way to mic a whole band for little or no budget. Suddenly an SM57 seems like an expensive boutique product that you'll beg and scrape to afford.
The next time you find yourself in this predicament, know that Shure has you covered. Shure's new PG Alta line of microphones relies on the company's time-tested technology with a heavy-duty, industrial-looking design targeted for the budget-conscious customer. There are 14 microphones in the series, some of which bear a resemblance to Shure's near ubiquitous SM series of microphones. This new series of dynamic and condenser mics includes products specifically designed for vocals, instruments and drums—even a goose-neck condenser mic designed for horns and drums—for crying out loud.
The new PG Alta series also comes in several application-specific packages. The PGAStudioKit4 (list price $299) offers four drum and instrument mics. The PGADrumKit5 (list price $299) offers five drum mics with an assortment of clips and drum mounts. Shure sent us the top-of-the-line PGADrumKit7 (list price $499), which consists of a PGA52 dynamic kick mic, three PGA56 dynamic clip-on tom mics, one PGA57 dynamic instrument mic, and two PGA81 small diaphragm condenser mics. Each kit even comes with XLR mic cables. Nice touch.
Each of these mics looks very close to their SM series counter parts—a first impression that made me confident these mics would deliver.
Nolan Rossi
Engineer & Owner, RF Productions.
Packaging & Specifics
First off, the PGADrumKit7 comes in a high-quality soft case that holds all seven microphones and their mounts. From the looks of the product literature, the other mix packages offer the same basic case. Upon opening it up for the first time I was greeted with familiar looking designs. Each of these mics looks very close to their SM series counter parts—a first impression that made me confident these mics would deliver.
All the microphones in the PG Alta series are designed for the stage with an all-black finish. The mic clip design was also a nice surprise. Shure has designed a built-in fastener that allows you to tighten and lock into place the mic clip angle. Set screws on other mic clips often become loose or stripped. Sometimes you even need two screwdrivers to tighten the clip properly. That problem is solved with Shure’s innovative design. I would love to have these types of clips for all of my microphones.
Test,Test
My first test involved an A/B’ing the new PG series mics with some of Shure’s higher-end SM and Beta series counterparts. I happened to be in the middle of recording a worship EP for my friend, Austin Davis, drummer for Kari Jobe. One day when we had some extra time, I put him on the kit to record a few drum passes and we compared the results side by side. We tracked one shots of each drum and cymbal, and then I had Davis play the same drum part two times to the same tempo. I lined up each performance with the other in my digital audio workstation (DAW) so we could switch back and forth between playlists and compare the results. Overall, the PG Alta faired remarkably well. When listening to the entire kit, Davis and I both thought the PG Alta series represented the drums very well. When we compared the solo’d one shots we found our favorites, and the PG Alta actually beat out the other microphones in a few situations.
When comparing the kick mics, the new PGA52 had a bit more low-end information compared to its more expensive counter part, but it felt slightly less dynamic. The PGA57 had a low-midrange bump that complemented Davis’s snare drum sound. The PGA56 dynamic tom mic sounded excellent on the toms and was perhaps my favorite of all the PGA mics we tested. The PGA81 condenser mics were respectable, but I wasn’t blown away at the sound. Specifically, they didn’t seem to have as much detail as the other microphones.
My next test was done on a Sunday morning at Passion City Church in Atlanta where I put the mics on the drum kit for a Sunday service. The setup was very similar to the studio test, except that I had a kick in and kick out channel. I had a plate (boundary) mic inside the kick drum and positioned the Shure PGA52 just outside the sound hole on the drum head. During the sound check I had no troubles dialing in a great drum sound. I often associate odd EQ curves, or low SPL capabilities, with budget microphones. Neither of these problems presented themselves on Sunday morning. I treated these mics in the same manner that I treat other professional-grade microphones. There were no work-arounds and the kit sounded great through the church’s main sound system.
After testing the new Shure PG Alta mics in both stage and studio, I would not hesitate to use them in any live environment. Seven high-grade Shure mics for less than $500 is pretty hard to beat. Don’t expect them to beat out all of your favorite microphones, but know that they are an unbeatable value, providing impressive sonic results.
