The Shure SM57 is seen everywhere. It’s the go-to solution for miking guitar amps. It is, however, fairly pricey considering it’s a high quality microphone that’s built to last. They retail for about $100.
The Pyle-Pro PDMIC78 is a chinese knock off of the ’57 and it’s available for about $10 (at the time of publishing the cost is $11.41 on Amazon). The Pyle-Pro, however, has surprisingly good sound quality and in many situations you probably wouldn’t hear any difference. It’s also Amazon’s pick for budget microphone.
The build quality of the Pyle-Pro is relatively good as it’s made from solid metal just like the ’57. Although the ’57 is bound to be extra-sturdy in comparison, the Pyle-Pro is actually very impressive for its price.
For a microphone that’s one tenth the cost of a real ’57, you may be wondering about the sound quality. It doesn’t quite live up to the ’57, however it’s definitely not far off. In a live situation you wouldn’t be able to note the difference. In a studio I would personally stick to the tried and tested, although I’ve heard stories of people who actually prefer the sound of the Pyle-Pro over the Shure SM57. Those who have AB’d them seem to conclude the Pyle-Pro has a bit more high-end in comparison. It will with no doubt perform well in professional situations.
In a practical sense, you could mic up an entire band with a few Pyle-Pro’s for the price you would pay for 1 SM57. That means 7 mics for the drum kit, 1 for guitar, 1 for bass and 1 for vocals.
