SHURE PGASTUDIOKIT4 MIC KIT
PROS: Great selection of mics, all accessories & case included.
CONS: None.
PRICE: $299
Shure has been making quality microphones for decades at decent prices, all of which feature great sound; they’re a brand that makes them a great choice. Their PGASTUDIOKIT4 is a great package of complementary mics, and accessories that can be filed under a “no brainer.”
In the kit comes (2) PGA181 medium diaphragm condensers, (1) PGA52 kick drum mic, and (1) PGA57 instrument mic. 4 XLR cables are included as well as (3) mic clips; as the PGA52 has a mic stand mount built in, a mic clip isn’t needed for it. Rounding things out is a nice padded carrying case to hold everything.
The PGA57 instrument mic is derived from the industry standard SM model, which can be used for almost any application, but worked best in our tests with guitar and bass amps, as well as snare drums or even hi-hats, and vocals.
While the PGA52 is designed for kick drums, a great application is for bass guitars and other instruments that sit firmly in the lower end of the sound spectrum.
The two condensers in this kit are the PGA181 – with two open sides, these work great for things that sound better with a little “air” in the mix, such as pianos, acoustic guitars, drum overheads and hi-hats. There’s plenty of high-end shimmer without getting “ice pick to the ear” frequencies.
The price clocks in at around $299. Purchasing all of these mics separately would run you about $400. So for $100 less, you also get all the clips, cables and a travel case! This isn’t just a dainty studio kit either; these are robust enough for live applications, with metal construction all around. In fact, we were greatly surprised with the heft of these beauties.
This gathering of microphones is a great journey for any musician, sound guy (or gal) or studio proprietor. With a well-thought-out kit like this on the market, there’s no way you can go wrong. Like we said, it’s a complete no-brainer.
FEATURES
1x PGA52 Cardioid Dynamic Kick Drum Microphone
1x PGA57 Cardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone
2x PGA181 Side-Address Cardioid Condenser Microphones
1x A25D Break-resistant Microphone Clip
2x WA371 Break-resistant Microphone Clips
4x C15J 15-foot (4.6 m) XLR-XLR cables
1x 95G16526 Zippered Carrying Case