SHURE PG52 PROFESSIONAL INSTRUMENT MICROPHONE


When it comes to making a decision about what brand of microphone to use for home recording purposes, one often has to make a compromise between sound quality and cost. This is especially true with regard to micing drums. In outfitting a home recording studio, it makes no sense to skimp on microphones, as your recordings will only be as good as your weakest link in the recording chain. A place that some beginners try to skimp on is on microphones used for recording drums, especially the bass drum. This is a big mistake, as a poorly recorded bass drum can muddy up a track very easily. Fortunately, the engineers at Shure recognized the need for an inexpensive solution to this problem, and they came up with the Shure PG52 Professional Instrument Microphone. The Shure PG52 lists for $245.00, but it can be had at a good discount store for $119.95. This price includes not only the Shure PG52, but it also includes an integrated stand mount, a 15 foot (4.57meters) XLR to XLR cable, and a storage bag. In my opinion, this is an exceptional value for the money.


The Shure PG52 is a great solution to the problem of recording the bass drum, or as it is sometimes called the “kick drum,” and it can also be used to capture the sound of some other instruments that have a very low frequency range, such as a bass guitar, and which also have a high sound pressure level, such as a bass amp speaker cabinet.


The Shure PG52 is a Dynamic Cardioid microphone that is specifically designed to reproduce the low end punch of the bass drum. The term “Dynamic” means that it is a microphone that captures a sound source via a moving coil. The term “Cardioid” means that it has a tight unidirectional pickup pattern, which means that it picks up sounds that are coming directly at the front of the microphone, while being less sensitive to sounds coming at the microphone from the sides. This makes it less susceptible to feedback. The frequency response of the PG52 is between 30 Hz. to 13,000 Hz., and it is tailored and more sensitive to the low end. It is ideal for situations where high pressure levels are encountered, such as in close micing of the bass drum, or close micing or a bass amp speaker cabinet.


As is the case with most good quality cardioid dynamic microphones, the Shure PG52 profits from the so called “proximity effect.” Simply put, the proximity effect happens when a cardioid dynamic microphone is placed close to a sound source. The closer or more proximal the microphone is to the sound source, the greater will be a boost in bass frequencies. Simply put, the closer the PG52 is to the sound source, the warmer and richer the sound will be, and the further away from the sound source it is placed, the thinner and less bassy the sound will be. This is an important consideration when micing a bass drum.


Just as any person who has ever tried to mic an acoustic instrument knows, whether it be in a live situation or in a recording studio, proper placement of a good microphone can make for a great sound, while improper placement of a great microphone can result in a poor quality sound from even a great sounding instrument and an expensive microphone. This is as true in the studio as it is in live performances. Thus, where you position the Shure PG52 in relation to the sound source will determine the type and quality of the capture and reproduction of that sound source.


For example, when recording the bass drum, there are a variety of different microphone positioning techniques that will result in different sounds being captured from the very same source. If you want to have the bass drum sound aggressive, remove the outer drum head, place the PG52 inside of the bass drum about 3 inches from the surface of the primary drum skin, and slightly off to the side of the impact point of the beater. This will result in the capture of a sharp aggressive sound. For a moderately aggressive sound, repeat as above, but place the PG52 directly in front of the beater, but this time position it about a foot away from the drum skin. Finally, for a resonant, full, and less aggressive sound, do not take the outer skin off the bass drum, and in this case place the PG52 about 3 inches away from the center of the outer drum skin, and position it about three inches away from the head. Obviously, there are many other ways to mic a bass drum, but these are three simple examples.


Although the PG52 is a microphone that was specifically designed to record the kick drum, it has a frequency response which also lends itself to recording a bass guitar as well. Remember the proximity effect I mentioned earlier in this review, as different placements and positioning of the PG52 will result in the capturing of different types of sounds from the same bass amp cabinet. For a mellow full sound, place the PG52 directly in front of the center of the speaker cone about 6 inches away from the cabinet. For a sharp attack with an emphasis on the higher frequencies, place the PG52 about 1 inch away from the speaker, but this time position it at the edge of the speaker cone. For a heavy, punchy, full bass sound, position the PG52 directly in front of the center of the speaker cone, and about 1 inch away from the speaker grill. Once again, there are many other possibilities regarding recording a bass guitar, such as going direct, and not using a microphone at all, or blending the sound from a direct source and a miced source. The possibilities are numerous.


In conclusion, is the Shure PG52 the best choice for recording a kick drum? The answer is obviously “No.” There are other high end, high priced microphones that are better for this purpose. However, in this price range, I do not know of a better choice. This microphone sounds great, I own one myself, I have personal experience with it, and I have received compliments as to the sound of the bass drum on recordings that I have made using the Shure PG52. For a person on a budget who is looking for a good kick drum microphone for their home studio, I heartily recommend it.


Well, I thank you for taking the time to read my review of the Shure PG52 Instrument Microphone, but now if you will excuse me, I must get back to my practicing.




Recommended: Yes

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