The only microphone that can claim the title of “The Industry Standard”. There is not one music venue or recording studio that doesn’t have one, and if they don’t, they should. The mic is low priced - new for around $90. It is super durable. And I’ve even heard of people using it as a hammer in desperate situations.
The SM57 is a bright and clean sounding dynamic microphone. It has a cardioid polar pattern, which helps isolate the main sound source from unwanted noise. And has a frequency range from 40 - 15,000 Hz.
When I first started recording all I had were two SM57s, and they fulfilled all my needs. I used them for everything - stereo recording, drum over heads, snare, bass drums, toms, guitar and bass cabinets, acoustic guitar, cello, vocals, hand percussion, sax, trumpet – the list is endless. It has never done me wrong.