How It Was Recorded

Gear · microphone

Shure SM57

Records it appears on · 73

  • I'm Not in Love

    10cc · The Original Soundtrack, 1975

    • Drums and bass-drum part · MicrophoneReportedSnare microphone on Godley's kit during the album's sessions.Position: under the snare
  • Walk This Way

    Aerosmith · Toys in the Attic, 1975

    • Guitar solo · MicrophoneReportedEngineer believes this was one of three mics on the solo amp.
  • The Best Damn Thing

    Avril Lavigne · Album, 2007

    • Guitars (Walker sessions) · MicrophoneReportedDynamic microphone on the guitar amps, blended with the R-122 in varying combinations.
  • Stunt

    Barenaked Ladies · Album, 1998

    • Tiny distorted electric guitar licks · MicrophoneVerifiedPlaced in front of the tiny Marshall amp to capture Robertson's distorted guitar licks on this song.Position: In front of the amp
  • Parallel Lines

    Blondie · Album, 1978

    • Guitar · MicrophoneReportedOne of two microphones, used together with an AKG 414, on Infante's guitar cabinet for the album.
  • Plastic Letters

    Blondie · Album, 1978

    • Guitars · MicrophoneReportedDynamic microphone on the guitar amplifier, placed right up close to the speaker cone.Position: Right up close to the speaker cone
  • Night Moves

    Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band · Night Moves, 1976

    • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedMiked the snare drum.
    • Electric and acoustic guitars · MicrophoneReportedPlaced close to the speaker cone of the guitar amp.Position: Close in on the speaker cone
  • Lost Highway

    Bon Jovi · Album, 2007

    • Guitars · MicrophoneReportedOne of two close microphones on each guitar cabinet, combined with a Royer R-121 to shape the cabinet tone.
  • Total Eclipse of the Heart

    Bonnie Tyler · Faster Than the Speed of Night, 1983

    • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedUsed on the top and bottom of the snare.
  • Lowdown

    Boz Scaggs · Silk Degrees, 1976

    • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedPerry says the hi-hat microphone could have been an SM57 or a 546; he does not commit to one. (recalled with uncertainty)
  • Nebraska

    Bruce Springsteen · Album, 1982

    • Lead vocal · MicrophoneReportedVocal mic. The SM57 model comes from secondary accounts; Mix separately describes two mics in the bedroom, one sung into and one on the guitar, without naming a model
    • Acoustic guitar · MicrophoneReportedGuitar mic: the second of the two mics, with heavy bleed between the vocal and guitar tracks. The SM57 model comes from secondary accounts
  • Reckless

    Bryan Adams · Album, 1984

    • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedSnare top microphone, as Clearmountain best recalls.Position: On top of the snare
    • Rhythm guitar · MicrophoneVerifiedMicrophone placed in front of Keith Scott's Marshall amp.Position: In front of the amp
  • Surrender

    Cheap Trick · Heaven Tonight, 1978

    • Drums · MicrophoneReportedLadinsky can only guess the snare microphone, saying it was probably an SM57 or alternatively an AKG 451.
  • Wicked Game

    Chris Isaak · Heart Shaped World, 1989

    • Lead guitar (James Calvin Wilsey) · MicrophoneReportedMicrophone on the 1964 Fender Deluxe amp for Wilsey’s guitar.
  • A Head Full of Dreams

    Coldplay · Album, 2016

    • Electric guitar · MicrophoneInferredClose microphone on electric guitar cabinets in Simpson's usual approach.
  • Get Lucky

    Daft Punk · Random Access Memories, 2013

    • Drum kit · MicrophoneVerifiedSnare top micPosition: Snare top
  • Layla

    Derek and the Dominos · Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, 1970

    • Guitars · MicrophoneReportedUsed on the guitar amps, in combination with Electrovoice 635s.
    • Keyboards · MicrophoneReportedMicrophones on Whitlock's Hammond B3 Leslie speaker.Position: A couple at the top of the Leslie and another at the bottom
  • Freedom of Choice

    Devo · Album, 1980

    • Drum kit · MicrophoneVerifiedPlaced on top of the snare, as a general rule across the album.
  • Brothers in Arms

    Dire Straits · Album, 1985

    • Guitar amps · MicrophoneReportedOne of the microphones variously used on the guitar amps in the Montserrat live room.
    • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedOne of two snare drum microphones.
  • Seven and the Ragged Tiger

    Duran Duran · Album, 1984

    • Drum kit · MicrophoneVerifiedMicrophone placed in front of the bass drum during the French chateau sessions.Position: in front of the bass drum
    • Drum kit · MicrophoneVerifiedMicrophone under the snare to capture the rattle during the French chateau sessions.Position: underneath the snare
    • Guitar · MicrophoneVerifiedMicrophone on the guitar amp during the French chateau sessions.
    • Bass · MicrophoneVerifiedMicrophone on the bass amp during the French chateau sessions.
And 53 more records

Sources for each use are on the record’s own page.

Get the sound

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

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