From the Studio Front:

57 a ‘Perfect 10’

Louis R. Carlozo 

Since the beginning of time—modern pop history, anyway—no microphone has shined in so many situations as the indestructible, intrepid Shure SM57. I’ve been a fan since my teens, and can still remember the invitation to first join the On Tour With Shure team. “What do you think about Shure mics?” the caller asked. Then she had to listen to me swoon over how much I loved, loved, loved SM57s. I did my earliest bedroom demos using an old Tascam 246 Portastudio with an SM57 and SM58®. 

In my years with OTWS I’ve even read tip sheets—from rival mic companies no less!—admitting that every big-time studio should have 57s. And I’ve sat in on major-label sessions, surrounded by gobs and gobs of gorgeous gear, where the mic of choice on custom amps and boutique snares was the mighty SM57. From Lindsey Buckingham’s guitars on Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors to Michael Jackson’s vocal on “Billie Jean,” it’s a classic mic making classic music. 

But I’ve always wondered: Just how versatile is this stick of sonic dynamite that can tame the loudest voice or survive getting run over and dunked in a puddle? And what if some bold, crazy engineer decided to record every sound—from subtle cymbal ding to snarly bass guitar—using nothing but SM57s? 

Being bold and crazy, that’s what I did. Here’s how it went.

King Size Sounds

With Chicago session drummer Chuck Harling in tow, I hit Kingsize Sound Labs, home of engineer Mike Hagler (Wilco, Neko Case, Redwalls). We cut all instruments for Project 57 to digital, using Pro Tools. 

We set up Chuck’s drums with 57s from top to bottom. I played a Rickenbacker 12-string electric straight into a tiny Ampeg Jet amp. Sounds came fast and easy; we finished four basic tracks in a few hours, selecting the last (“Time Can’t Hide”) for full-blown overdubs.  

Though I’ve used SM57s on many sessions as a beater-head kick drum mic, I had some apprehension going solo. I needn’t have worried. On playback, the kick sounded beefy enough—maybe not as enormous as with a Beta 52, but nothing to apologize for, either.  

Snare snap? Check. Well-rounded toms? Check. And the guitar! I’ve run my axes through all sorts of rigs, but the 57 and the cranked Jet amp worked beautifully. This live “scratch track” became the finished rhythm guitar.  

Overdubs Above and Beyond 

Back at my home studio I worked quick, avoiding gingerbread or attempts to “baby” the sound before it hit the 57. Sometimes I threw it a curve ball—as when I played bass using a Rickenbacker 4001 into a Gibson Lab Series L5 solid-state amp meant for guitar! Cutting one track direct and the other with a mic, I loved what I heard: deep, punchy and full of growl. A new trick for my arsenal, thanks to the 57! 

Organ, shakers, bongos and subsequent guitar tracks employed the same 57 and a mix of tube and solid-state amps. No outboard EQ was used. As at Kingsize, I found crisp, satisfying sounds easily. The 57’s flexibility allowed me to spend maximum time writing and editing parts—and minutes, sometimes seconds, just putting the mic in place and letting it do its sweet thing.  

The 57 Sings

If I need argue the SM57’s merits as a vocal mic, then stop reading and consider a future as a fast-food fry cook. The SM57 graces countless concert stages on any given day. What’s lesser known: Some vocalists, loving the freedom and mojo tone of an unbridled 57, use it in the studio. What good is the gold-sputtered diaphragm of a “please don’t touch” mic when you want to grab it and rock as if at a sold-out arena?  

I’ve often seen a 57 used that way but for my session, I chose a good old-fashioned stand and Shure Popper Stopper. Now if you’re like me, you hate a) reading instructional manuals for hours, and b) working around sub-standard gear to get halfway-decent sounds. This just in: If you can work a toaster oven, you can get great vocal results with a 57. Granted: It didn’t give me a post-session backrub or fix my flat notes. (How about a model with built-in Auto-Tune, guys?)  

But in the same time it takes you to read this sentence, I had the mic plugged in and ready to go—again, using no outboard EQ or fancy tube mic preamps.  

All Mix, No Fix

Returning to Kingsize for the mix, Hagler and I found no need to fix the sounds the SM57s gave us. Instruments sparkled, roared, thundered and delivered across the board, unlocking a full sonic spectrum … sprinkled with the “fairy dust” that gives a 57 its mystique. While I might’ve worried about the cumulative effect of cutting every instrument and voice on the same mic, the 57 also proved open enough to give back what I put in.  

So how did we do? Check out this link, listen to the MP3 and judge for yourself.  

As for me, I’m thrilled enough to consider this track for my next album. And for you, the studio novice or pro mentor, take note and take heart: You don’t need a killer budget and million-dollar studio to cut fabulous music. All it takes are strong hooks, heart, a laptop or computer and a few mics—maybe just one mic, if money’s tight. Need I say which one? 

Louis R. Carlozo is a Chicago Tribune staff writer, music critic for the Christian Century and a recording artist on Feedback Records/Apart Arts. His song “Elvis in the Sky” is in the upcoming film “Eden Court” starring Thomas Lennon (“Reno 911”) and Kimberly Williams (“Father of the Bride”). Listen to songs from his new album “Stick Figure Soul” at myspace.com/loucarlozo.