Shure product testing revealed…

Shure has long had a reputation for building not only excellent sounding products, but ones which are built to last. There are hundreds of stories of bands dropping their Shure mic into their pint glasses, accidentally dropping a 20kg mixing desk onto their mic, or in the case of The Who’s Roger Daltrey, actually going out of his way to try to destroy his Shure mics. In addition there are lots of videos showing just how tough an SM58 is. Try searching for ‘Shure drop test’ on youtube for even more videos of an SM58 being shot, dropped from a helicopter, and even being run over by a bus!

Having said all this, the actual process every single Shure product goes through before appearing on the market is something not a lot of people know about. Wired Magazine’s latest issue  includes a in-depth look at the type of tests Shure products have to pass, and includes products being scorched, smashed, frozen, and even bathed in synthetic sweat. It makes for a very interesting read…

Wired Magazine – Making of an Audio Icon: Inside Shure’s stress-test gauntlet 

 

Shure launches new open-back headphones – SRH1440 & SRH1840

Following multiple awards for our SRH Headphone range, we are proud to announce the launch of the new SRH1440 and SRH1840 headphones. These are the first  professional open back studio headphones from Shure.

The new headphones are designed for professional engineers who require a reference sound comparable to near-field monitors to achieve the best mix and production quality. Leveraging superior sound, comfort, sleek design, and legendary Shure quality, the SRH1440 and SRH1840 are engineered to withstand the rigors of everyday use, while creating an exceptionally natural sound, wide stereo image, and increased depth of field. The open-back, circumaural design of the new SRH models enables sound to move more freely and with minimal distortion.

The SRH1440 is suited for recording applications delivering full-range audio with rich bass. Its open back, circumaural design offers an exceptional natural sound, a wide       stereo image and increased depth of field. The dual-exit cables with gold-plated MMCX connectors provide secure connection, are detachable and easily replaced.

The new flagship headphones SRH1840 feature individually matched drivers for unparalleled acoustic performance with smooth, extended highs and accurate bass, appealing to studio pros as well as audio enthusiasts. Developed with premium materials and precision engineered, the custom-crafted design is extremely lightweight and durable. The premium-padded headband of the SRH1840 provides maximum listening comfort – even during long recording sessions.

Both SRH1440 and SRH1840 offer legendary Shure quality and come with a comprehensive selection of accessories such as cables and adapters, a spare pair of velour earpads plus a metal storage case.

The RRP of the SRH1440 will be £339.00 + VAT, and the  SRH1840 £499.00 + VAT. Both headphones are expected to be shipping in the spring of 2012.

Keep an eye on Sound on Sound, Music Tech and various Hi Fi titles over the next few months for some reviews.

Aerosmith use an array of Shure microphones on new album

Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas recently took some time away from recording Aerosmith’s 14th studio album to give us a little insight into what equipment he is using and why. In addition to every band member using Shure headphones, below is a small summary of the Shure mics that are being employed…..

For guitars Jack Douglas had the following to say:

“I had a KSM313 and a KSM353, and boy, did they get used! I absolutely love them. The 313 is interesting because it has a bright side and a brighter side, which is really cool. During the actual tracking session, that was on Brad Whitford’s guitar rig. I just used one of them inside the iso box, but because it’s a ribbon, it was hearing all four amps. So it’s multiple voicing in real time, and the sound is absolutely amazing.”

For Joe Perry’s rig, Douglas selected the KSM353 for a more neutral sound. “Same deal as Brad in terms of setup,” he notes. “It was just killer – big and fat and everything you want in a ribbon. Those mics lived in those iso boxes forever. I was knocked out by how great they sounded and how much sound pressure they could take. Both those mics are well worth the money. I want to try them on vocals, and I will be going back to them.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

In terms of recording drums for the new album, it is no suprise that a trusty Shure SM57 has been used on the snare.

“I have always used the 57 on snare and always will,” says Douglas. “For me, the SM57 has always been the absolute go-to mic for just about anything. If I was stuck on the moon and wanted to record, I know I could do everything with a 57 and still get a great sound. It just never fails you.”

Douglas also used a Beta 91A boundary mic as part of his kick drum setup, deployed on the floor right in front of the kick drum to capture the overall drum kit while augmenting the kick sound. The cardioid version of the Beta 181 side-address condenser handled ride cymbal. “That Beta 181 is a really nice mic. I positioned it about four inches above the ride. It had good rejection outside the pattern & gave me a clear, crisp ride sound.”

For hi-hat, Douglas employed a dual microphone setup recommended by engineer Warren Huart, with a KSM137 condenser and an SM7B. “It’s a neat trick. The KSM137 has a great sound, and I really like the SM7 on hi-hat because I don’t like it to be over-bright. I’m a big SM7 fan. In fact, I used three of them during the course of these sessions.”

 

 The vocal mix of choice to capture Stephen Taylor was the Shure SM7B:

 

“I used them on Steven Tyler’s reference vocals, which he sung in the main room at the piano,” Douglas explains. “With the rejection and accuracy of the mic, he could get real close and go as hard as he liked. The third SM7 was on Tom Hamilton’s backing vocals, which also have a great sound. There’s just something magical about that mic.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last but not least, the Shure KSM44A’s were used to capture room ambience:

“For me, the ambient sound of the studio is one of the most important things in capturing the overall sound of the band,” says Douglas, “because I’m picking up the whole band with them, particularly the drums. And the one thing that never moved throughout these sessions was that pair of KSM44As as my high room mics. Physically, they were about 12 or 14 feet up in the air as a stereo pair, covering the whole cacophony that is Aerosmith.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Songs were written during sessions at Pandora’s Box, the band’s studio complex in Boston. Final vocal tracks and overdubs will be done in Los Angeles after the holidays, working around Steven Tyler’s American Idol commitment. “It’s kind of a classic ‘70s approach, writing in the studio, everyone playing live and recording as we went,”

Pro Audio Myths- True or False……..Part 2

We really hope you enjoyed our part 1 blog on this story and found some of the information helpful. This is part 2 dishing out more truths and reasoning behind some of the myths.

Myth #7- USB mics have inferior sound quality vs. their analog (XLR) counterparts

Not always true. Many USB mics feature the exact same condenser mic element as the XLR version used in studio recording. USB models provide the same high quality sound signature; the primary difference in the models is the interface to the next device. The analog to digital converters in the USB mic also affect the quality of the recording.

Myth #8- Sound isolation is the same as noise cancellation

False. Active noise cancellation is most commonly found in over-the-ear headphones, and uses a microphone to “hear” the noise around you. It then reverses the polarity of the noise and reproduces the out of polarity noise into the headphone signal to cancel out those particular frequencies, sometimes adding artifacts into the listening material. The active circuitry needed for “noise cancellation” requires batteries or a power supply.

Sound Isolation is passive, meaning there is no need for any powered electronic circuitry. In the earphone world, “sleeves” are used to create Sound Isolation. A sound-isolating earphone will have an earplug style sleeve around the nozzle. Once this sleeve is inserted in the ear canal, it passively blocks out unwanted sound from the surrounding areas without introducing any unwanted artifacts, or degrading the listening material in any way.

Independent studies have shown that passive sound isolation is significantly more effective at reducing outside sounds than active noise cancellation.

Myth #9- Phantom power damages dynamic microphones

False for several reasons. Phantom power by definition puts a DC voltage on both conductors of a balanced microphone cable; Pin 2 and Pin 3, if you actually looked at it. In a dynamic microphone, Pin 2 and Pin 3 are hooked up to the opposite ends of the voice coil that’s part of the microphone cartridge. Since the DC voltage in phantom power is by definition equal, there’s no voltage difference across the voice coil. No current will flow from through the voice coil from the phantom source. The voltage is the same at each end.

If the dynamic microphone is wired properly and the phantom power is operating normally, the phantom power has absolutely no effect on the behavior of the mic.

Note, though, that if there is a fault with the internal wiring of the dynamic microphone or the cable that’s being used, there’s still no possibility of damaging the microphone because even if a wiring fault causes current to flow through the voice coil of a dynamic microphone, the phantom power sources are current-limited. That means the maximum amount of current that you can draw from a phantom power supply even into a complete short circuit is not enough to damage the voice coil. It will sound funny – typically, the level will go way down and the low end will disappear and it will sound thin and nasty. The user will know that the microphone sounds terrible. Fix the wiring fault and the microphone will be fine.

Myth #10- The higher the transmitter power, the better

False. The truth is that high power can have detrimental effects, particularly when using multiple wireless systems. In that case, the lowest power setting should be used.

Multiple transmitters interact with each other to create interfering signals called intermodulation products.  The higher the power of the transmitters, the higher is the level of interference from these products.  The net effect is that the total number of wireless systems you can use is greatly reduced.  An example: with a typical transmitter power level of 10 milliwatts  (ten-thousandths of one watt) you may be able to use up to 30 or 40 systems at one time.  If you bump them up to 100 milliwatts (10 times the power), the increased intermodulation products may reduce the usable number of systems to as few as 10.

This is why in theatrical applications where they are 30 or 40 channels at a time, low-power transmitters are used. High power transmitters are only recommended when there are a few transmitters, or maybe even just one. They’re not concerned about interfering with other equipment – they are trying to cover a very long range or there may be a high level of background radio noise to get above.

Shure’s UHF-R system, for instance, is switchable from 10 to 100 milliwatts. We run into problems sometimes with customers who set all their transmitters to 100 milliwatts and run into all kinds of problems. The other obvious effect of high power is that it drains the batteries much faster. High power users are generally broadcasters.

The Dube

The Dube is a stylish Cube Percussion Instrument which comes in four sizes and can be totally customised in colour schemes and tones. It’s ideal for musicians, in schools and even DJ sets.

With four different sizes comes a huge range of tones, useful for amateur to professional musicians. When buying a Dube you can select the ‘Pro’ version which has a PG52 already installed in the instrument. Having the advantage of a Shure mic inside allows you to control the volume and quality of sound, great for performances.

Using the Dube is simple, hitting the different sides of the Dube with your hand creates a variety of  sounds as shown by Dion Dublin the Inventor of the Dube

 

Many people from well known artists, music classes in schools and even The Royal Shakespeare company are already using the Dube!

To find out more information and see the Dube in action, click here

Pro Audio Myths- True or False….. Part1

Over the years the Pro Audio Industry has developed many elaborate Myths. Please keep an eye out for our two part blog dishing out the truth and reasoning behind some of the folk tale stories.

Myth #1- Some microphones have more reach than others

False: The reality is that microphones do not reach out and grab the sound from a distance. They merely measure pressure variations right at the diaphragm itself. The microphone doesn’t “know” anything about what is happening at any distance from itself.  ”The reach” of the microphone, if you can even call it that, is mostly dependent on the ability of the microphone to pick up sound in the middle of  noise. No microphone has a “reach” that is defined independent of ambient noise.

Myth #2: Microphones always sound better in the store

It depends: An in-store demo of a microphone or any other acoustic product is greatly affected by the acoustic environment of a store. (That’s why there are listening rooms.) If the store is noisy or quiet, if you’re listening to the microphone through loudspeakers or headphones, all of those factors change the perceived sound of the microphone. In-store demos are not really indicative of how the microphone will perform in real life. Ideally, if you to take a mic to a gig or record your voice speaking or singing a phrase and then listen to it in playback. We suggest you evaluate it that way.

Myth #3: A wide range flat response microphone is better than a shaped response microphone

Depends: For a sound source that has a very wide frequency range, you want a microphone that can reproduce it in a high fidelity manner. That’s what a flat response should do. The assumption is that whatever the destination of that sound, either a playback system or a live sound system, the mic will reproduce the range that you’ve gone to so much trouble to get.
The average rock and roll sound system is not a wide range flat response thing itself. So putting wide range flat response mics on the front end doesn’t get you much. You can’t hear the performance difference.
But with a very high quality sound system or a recording environment, yes.

Myth#4-The SM58® hasn’t changed in over 40 years

False: When the SM58 was introduced in 1967, it was aimed at broadcast applications for which it was not ultimately embraced. But it was discovered by the fledgling live sound industry where it quickly gained a reputation as a reliable, good-sounding and affordable mic for a huge range of applications.

Dynamic microphone technology hasn’t changed. Take the internal combustion gasoline engine. A 327 small-block Chevy engine is old technology. It was designed in the early 1960s and is highly regarded and widely used today because it is a proven design that offers great performance. There have numerous improvements in reliability and manufacturability. There was a secondary tap on the transformer that was eliminated about 15 or 20 years ago related to a 50-ohm output impedance condition that was no longer a factor. The voice coil wire was changed to a copper clad aluminium to improve the solderability of the voice coil leads into the cartridge structure. The grounding mechanism for the output connector was changed. The paint formulations have been improved. The grille plating has been improved – the things that relate to long-term reliability have been changed incrementally throughout its history.

Myth #5:Condenser mics are not as rugged as dynamics

False: Today, all of our condenser microphones are engineered to hold up to exactly the same abuse as an SM58 – they go through the same exact environmental testing. Drop testing. Temperature testing. Humidity testing. Salt spray testing. Vibration testing. Electromagnetic testing. They have to pass the same battery of tests – and they do.

In the days when this myth came into existence, the average condenser microphones were very expensive, studio-grade models. The microphone they were compared to might have been a dynamic like the SM58. So if I take the ultra-expensive, circa 1930s vacuum tube Telefunken microphone and I dunk it into a glass of beer or drop it on the stage ten times – or even one time – it will probably stop working. It’ll become a paperweight while the SM58 will survive all that.

Myth #6: You have to match impedances to get the best result when you’re hooking up parts of a sound system

False. This isn’t true and it hasn’t been true since the late 1950s. In a sound system of modern design, the load impedance or the impedance of the device that you’re plugging into has to be significantly higher than the source impedance, which is the device that you’re plugging in. For example, a microphone has a source impedance of about 150 ohms.  The device that you’re plugging the mic into needs to have an input impedance five to ten times greater.  If it were a mixer, for instance, it would have to have an impedance of at least 1000 to 1500 ohms.

If you look at the actual specifications of mixing consoles, you’ll see that the actual input impedance of a so-called low impedance mic input is typically about 1500 ohms. If you match the impedance, you get less level and less headroom – the systems are not designed to work that way any longer. Matching, generally, is not an issue.

Watch out for Pro Audio Myths- True or False…. Part 2

Vote for Shure SE425′s to win 2011 TrustedReview Award

TrustedReviews Awards 2011 are now up and in full swing. 

Shure UK are pleased to announce that Shure SE425′s are in the running for a TrustedReview Award!

We would love to encourage all our readers, fans and customers to vote for us in this prestigious award by clicking on the following link, http://www.trustedreviews.com/awards-2011/vote

Public voting will end on the 18th of November the top three highest voted products, per category, will make it through to the Grand Final on the 22nd and 23rd of November. All of the products will then be judged by a panel of leading industry experts along with experienced and impartial TrustedReviews staff.

Every vote will make a difference so please get involved in supporting Shure

Shure US teams up with Guitar Center

Shure US  announced its partnership with Guitar Center, the world’s largest retailer of musical instruments and equipment, on Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter, an artist discovery program that will find the nation’s best unsigned singer-songwriter.

Shure is helping Guitar Center continue its commitment to unsigned artists, contributing to the career-altering prize package one unsigned artist will win.

The prize package includes recording three songs with accomplished GRAMMY Award winning Producer John Shanks, whose resume boasts 60 million records sold, 43 No. 1 singles, and 67 No. 1  albums with artists including Colbie Caillat, Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Bon Jovi, Alanis Morissette, and Keith Urban Artists can sign up today at http://www.guitarcenter.com/songwriter.

The prize includes:

• Three-song EP with GRAMMY Award winning Producer John Shanks
• $10,000 in cash
• Studio time at Converse Rubber Tracks studio in New York City

• A Shure prize package that includes a variety of microphones and headphones

• Worldwide distribution from TuneCore, including free album, music video, and global songwriting service

If your from the UK unfortunately you cannot enter this competition.

Please keep an eye out on the SDUK blog for new competitions for artists in the UK!

Sound on Sound test the new Shure SRH940′s

The new flagship Shure Studio Headphones (SRH940) have been receiving some rave reviews from end users and magazines alike.

Sound on Sound are the most recent magazine to publish a favourable review…..

Sound on Sound, October 2011 -

“I think the frequency balance of these phones, with its ruthless absence of hype at the low end, is much more a blessing than a curse. Most mixes stand or fall on the mid-range, and you quickly appreciate the detail and clarity that these phones bring to that region. After a lot of listening, I even began to feel that my beloved Sonys were sounding muddy and veiled by comparison. The good levels of comfort and isolation make them ideal for tracking as well as mixing.” See Full Review

The SRH940‘s are the ideal choice for Professional Recording Engineers, and have a closed-back, circumaural design that rests comfortably over the ears.

Axient wins a Gold Award for Innovation from PLASA 2011

On the right Tuomo Tolonen from Shure UK

The popping of champagne corks heralds one of the major highlights of the PLASA Show – the PLASA Awards for Innovation presentation, which took place at a special ceremony at PLASA 2011.

During the show’s opening two days, 48 products were judged ‘live’ in front of a crowd of show visitors and camera crew by an independent panel of expert judges who toured the show floor to view each product presentation. The winning entries are replayed throughout the show on large screens in the Innovation Gallery, where all the nominated products are showcased.

Eight Awards for Innovation were presented – including a final Gold Award for Innovation – along with a special award for Sustainability. Nominees are asked to demonstrate a new style of thinking, an improvement in technical practice, an aid to safety, energy-saving or sustainability benefits, or new technology, materials or techniques. The PLASA Sustainability Award is judged separately from the Innovation Awards, and recognises the most outstanding effort to enhance the sustainability of our industry.

Axient Wireless Network received a PLASA Award for Innovation and furthermore was felt to be worthy of the prestigious Gold Award Status. The Shure Axient Wireless Manager is, the judges said, “a brilliant solution to automated RF management”. It also won a Sustainability Commendation for the rechargeable Lithium Ion battery management system that provides reliability and less reliance on dry-cells, thereby reducing landfill.

PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths hosted the Awards ceremony, acknowledging the high standard of innovation across the industry. He commented: “The seemingly boundless creativity of our industry never ceases to amaze, and this year’s hotly contested field reflects the worthiness of the winners.”

Shure UK’s Tuomo Tolonen, who was responsible for the product presentation to the judges and admirably responded to their demanding questioning commented, “The highlight of PLASA ’11 was without doubt Axient Wireless. I was very honoured to go and receive the award but all the thanks must go to the Axient team in Niles as they have done a terrific job creating this amazing product!”

Well done Shure UK!