The name Shure is synonymous with quality microphones.
It’s hard to imagine any musician getting onto a stage having not used a Shure microphone at some point in their career. In fact, most musicians have probably all used more beat up SM58s than they care to think about over the years, with that stage staple being one of Shure’s greatest legacies in the music arena. But it goes far beyond that, with more than 50,000 products developed over the years, the Shure company has certainly been a key player in more audio stories than we’re ever likely to hear. So, as Shure celebrates their 100th year, it is fitting that we look back at the history of the company and some of the standout products that have set the name in stone in the audio world.
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It all began back in 1925, in Chicago, when Sidney N. Shure started the Shure Radio Co selling kits for those who wanted to build their own radios. Joined by his brother in 1928, and it was only a few more years before they released their first microphone, the Model 33N. This was touted as the result of years of research and development with their in-house engineers. With a further two years, Shure offered another six microphone models, as well as a ’build your own’ microphone kit, a little salute to the company’s humble beginnings. However, the Shure Brothers had only just begun. Little could they know that this was the start of a truly incredible journey.
It’s hard to go through the history of Shure without stopping in 1939 when the Unidyne Model 55 was released. This was the world’s first unidirectional, single element moving coil microphone, and one that featured such an iconic design, it’s instantly recognizable from the back of any theatre. This soon became the microphone that was seen in front of singers on stages the world over, and to this day still has a place in Shure’s modern microphone range.
With the advent of World War II, the Shure company stepped up to meet the demand of the US military, supplying microphones for all manner of uses. This pushed the boundaries of quality with what Shure was able to offer as military specifications were of the highest standards. The microphones supplied had to be capable of operating in the worst of conditions without the fear of them failing. So, the quality of Shure products was pushed to a new level to meet these specifications.
After the war, Shure expanded their catalogue to offering world-class phonographic cartridges. They amazed the audio world in 1937, when Shure developed the first phonograph cartridge. The M3D cartridge soon became the most popular cartridge in the world, and paved the way for Shure to be a key player in the DJ revolution many decades later.
SM57 & SM58
It was in the 1960s that Shure delivered what can truly be claimed as the most iconic pair of microphones in the history of audio production. The SM57 was developed with the capsule of their earlier Unidyne III microphone, with the SM58 following soon after as a handheld vocal microphone. It goes without saying that the SM58 was a true breakthrough, allowing performers to achieve a clear sound, without excessive stage or handling noise, as well as with extreme build quality designed for the rigours of live music. It’s almost as if Shure knew the 80s was coming, and prepared early with a microphone that could handle the abuse that was soon to come. They were even prepared for the 90s! And with that, the SM58 remains the most popular vocal microphone around the world.
In the 70s, among other products, Shure delivered the SM7. Yet another addition to the list of iconic microphone designs that Shure have given us. This capsule found fame in the broadcast world, offering a smooth, and controlled vocal capture unlike any other microphone in its class, and paved the way for a series of microphones to follow that would become stalwarts in the broadcast, and later podcast, industries. It’s hard to find a YouTube podcast these days that doesn’t have a Shure SM7 variant used on it.
The late 80s and early 90s saw the introduction of the Beta 57 and Beta 58 microphones, which have over the years become the preferred choice for many live musicians with their super cardioid polar pattern and higher output, which offers an even more precise sound with less stage noise. This era also launched Shure into the world of conference and meeting systems, where they developed products that would become standard fixtures in the business world.
However, the biggest advancements on the 90s was probably Shure’s work into the field of wireless microphones. Having delivered the first wireless system way back in the 50s, now Shure took the lead in a whole new realm of microphone development. The L-Series was the breakthrough range of wireless microphones that became a standard in touring rigs across the globe. However, it was in 1997 that they really got people listening, when Shure released the PSM600 In Ear Monitoring system. This took live performances to a whole new level with a wireless monitoring option that truly offered musicians a full dynamic range in its audio reproduction.
From there, Shure has consistently delivered improvements in products in the wireless realm that set them apart from any other brand in the market. Greater channel counts, wider range, bigger systems for touring, and more compact systems for individuals, there’s very little Shure haven’t proffered in their product line-up. Recent years have seen great developments into wireless networking as well, with Shure offering a solution for any and all AV situations. Their IntelliMix Room software, and newly released ShureCloud give unlimited potential to AV systems and leave us wondering, where will Shure take us next?
What makes Shure so special is that despite the constantly forward-thinking and advancing products, the innovations they made in the 60s and 70s continue to be used today, as surely their technological advances made today will be used far into the future, no matter how the market looks.
It’s been an incredible journey from the humble beginnings in radio kits to where Shure is today. Proudly distributed by Jands, you can now find Shure products in AV installations all over the country, you can access them from any AV hire or production company, and you can purchase them in just about any AV retailer or musical instrument store. From simple USB microphone for podcasting, right up to a completely integrated AV network for an international conference or festival, Shure has Australians covered in their audio needs. Be sure, pun possibly intended, to keep an eye on the Shure website, or check in with your local store, to see what they have coming up over the course of the year, as Shure celebrates an incredible milestone in audio excellence.
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