The Gear: Shure SM57A Beta MicrophoneThis week's review is on the Shure SM57A beta Microphone.

The Shure SM57A Beta is a dynamic mic for vocals and instruments. Its a second generation microphone (hence, Beta) from Shure. As with all dynamic mic, this doesn't require Phantom Power. The down side is that you can't hook this up directly to your PC sound card - you'll need an additional DI (Direct Input) box or Pre-amp to connect to you PC. These devices usually come with audio jacks that could hook up to your sound card - plus it also boosts the signal strength for a decent recording level.