Few microphone companies have a history quite like Shure. The company makes microphones for almost every type of recording. You can find Shure microphones on concert stages, inside recording studios, in podcast setups, in broadcast rooms, and in front of guitar amplifiers.
The difficult part isn’t finding a good Shure microphone. It’s deciding which one you actually need.
A podcaster working from a bedroom has different requirements from a singer performing on stage. A guitarist recording an amplifier needs something different again.
For most people building a home recording setup, the Shure SM4 is my favorite overall choice. It’s a versatile condenser microphone designed for vocals and instruments and works especially well when you want one microphone to handle several recording jobs.
Podcasters and streamers should look closely at the SM7B or MV7+. For live vocals, the legendary SM58 remains difficult to ignore. And if you’re recording guitar amplifiers or drums, the SM57 is one of the easiest recommendations in audio.
What is the Best Shure Microphones?
Here are the best Shure microphones for different types of recording.
1. Shure SM4 – Best Shure Microphone Overall
The Shure SM4 is an excellent starting point for anyone building a serious home recording setup. It’s a large-diaphragm condenser microphone designed for recording vocals and instruments.
That’s important because many people buying their first serious microphone don’t want something that only performs one job.
You might record vocals today. Tomorrow, you might want to record acoustic guitar. Next week, you might put the microphone in front of a guitar amplifier or use it as part of a drum setup. The SM4 is designed around that type of versatility.
Its cardioid pickup pattern focuses primarily on sound coming from the front of the microphone while helping reduce unwanted sound from other directions.
Shure also designed the microphone to help control common home-studio problems such as plosives and unwanted background noise.
If you’re a musician looking for one microphone to start building a collection around, the SM4 makes a lot of sense.
2. Shure SM7B – Best Shure Microphone for Podcasting
The SM7B has become almost impossible to avoid in podcasting. Watch enough video podcasts and you’ll eventually see one. There’s a good reason for that.
The SM7B is a dynamic cardioid microphone designed for close voice recording. It has a smooth, warm presentation that works particularly well for speech and many types of vocals.
Because it’s a dynamic microphone, it can also be easier to use in ordinary rooms than a highly sensitive studio condenser. That’s useful for podcasters.
Your recording room may not have expensive acoustic treatment. You might have a computer running nearby, traffic outside, or reflections coming from bare walls.
Getting close to the SM7B helps your voice dominate the recording. The microphone also includes effective pop filtering and electromagnetic shielding. The main disadvantage is gain.
The SM7B has relatively low output, so you need a microphone preamp or audio interface capable of providing enough clean gain.
3. Shure SM58 – Best Shure Microphone for Live Vocals
Some microphones become popular for a few years. The SM58 became an industry standard. It’s a handheld dynamic cardioid microphone designed primarily for vocals.
The SM58 has been used on stages around the world because it combines dependable sound with exceptional durability.
You don’t need to treat it like a fragile studio condenser. It’s designed to survive the realities of live performance.
The cardioid pickup pattern also helps reduce sound arriving from unwanted directions, which is particularly important on loud stages.
Imagine standing beside guitar amplifiers, drums, monitor speakers, and other musicians. Your microphone needs to focus on your voice while helping control feedback and stage noise.
That’s exactly the environment the SM58 was designed for. It’s also relatively affordable. For singers, churches, schools, karaoke setups, venues, and rehearsal spaces, the SM58 remains one of the safest microphone purchases you can make.
4. Shure SM57 – Best Shure Microphone for Instruments
If you record music, you should probably own an SM57 eventually. It’s one of the most versatile instrument microphones ever made. The most famous application is probably electric guitar.
Put an SM57 in front of a guitar cabinet and you have a recording technique that has been used on countless records.
It’s also a classic snare-drum microphone. But those aren’t the only possibilities. You can use an SM57 on percussion, brass, toms, certain vocals, and many other sources.
It’s also incredibly rugged. That’s useful in a working studio where microphones are constantly being moved between stands and instruments.
An SM57 might not look particularly exciting. There are no digital controls. No USB connection. No app. But that’s exactly why it remains useful. Plug it into a microphone preamp, put it in the right position, and record.
5. Shure MV7+ – Best USB Shure Microphone
Not everyone wants to buy an audio interface. That’s where the Shure MV7+ becomes interesting.
t’s designed for creators who want the sound and appearance of a serious broadcast microphone without needing a complicated studio setup.
The MV7+ can connect digitally to compatible computers and mobile devices, making it much easier for beginners.
That makes it particularly useful for podcasting, streaming, gaming, YouTube, and voice recording.
The microphone also provides digital processing features that can help creators get a polished sound without building a complicated chain of hardware processors.
Another major advantage is flexibility. Unlike a basic USB-only microphone, the MV7+ can fit into more advanced setups as your studio grows.
For someone who wants an easier alternative to the SM7B, the MV7+ is one of Shure’s most practical options.
6. Shure MV7i – Best Shure Microphone for Expanding a Creator Setup
The MV7i takes the creator-focused idea even further. What makes it particularly interesting is its built-in audio interface functionality.
Instead of simply recording one microphone, the MV7i is designed to let you bring another source into the setup as well.
That could be another microphone. It could be an instrument. For a creator whose recording setup is starting to grow, that can eliminate the need to immediately buy a separate traditional audio interface.
Imagine you’re a singer-songwriter. You want to record your voice and guitar. Or maybe you’re creating an interview show and want to connect another microphone. A product like the MV7i makes those setups considerably easier.
7. Shure KSM32C – Best Shure Condenser Microphone for Instruments
Once you move deeper into recording, you may want a more specialized condenser microphone. That’s where the KSM range becomes interesting. The KSM32C is particularly versatile for acoustic instruments and ensemble recording.
Condenser microphones are generally more sensitive than dynamic microphones and can capture subtle details extremely well.
That makes them useful on sources such as acoustic guitar, piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, choirs, and drum overheads. A pair of good condenser microphones can also open the door to stereo recording.
For example, you could use two microphones as drum overheads or experiment with stereo techniques on acoustic instruments.
The tradeoff is your room. A sensitive condenser microphone will hear more of your environment.
If your room sounds terrible, the microphone may capture those reflections along with your instrument.
8. Shure Nexadyne – Best for Modern Live Performance
The SM58 isn’t Shure’s only serious live vocal microphone. The Nexadyne range represents a newer generation of Shure performance microphones.
These models are designed to provide focused vocal capture and strong rejection of unwanted stage sound. That becomes particularly useful on loud stages.
A singer performing beside drums, amplifiers, monitors, and other musicians needs a microphone that keeps the voice front and center.
If you’re buying your first live microphone, the SM58 remains the easy recommendation. If you’re a serious performer looking to move further up Shure’s live microphone range, Nexadyne deserves consideration.
Final Thoughts
For general home recording, choose the SM4. For podcasting and broadcasting, choose the SM7B.
For easy USB podcasting and streaming, choose the MV7+. For live vocals, choose the SM58. For guitar amplifiers and drums, choose the SM57.
For detailed acoustic-instrument and ensemble recording, consider the KSM32C. And for professional live performers wanting something beyond the classic SM58, look at Shure’s Nexadyne range.