In our frequent travels as Shure Artist Relations representatives, we often hear from many engineers “You guys should really bring _____ mic back.” If you look back in Shure’s history, there are some amazing designs but also some wonderful sounding mics. Some people want them back because they just look cool and others because they have just one of those classic mics and are hoping their never becomes unusable.
Ben Folds mentioned once to me that he loves the SM5B and wanted to see Shure reintroduce it. Here’s a shot from the recent Ben Folds Five album artwork with Ben’s own SM5B in the studio:
I began thinking about which mic I would like to see reintroduced into our line. The Shure 300 was a beautifully crafted Ribbon microphone. Sleek and elegant with a timeless design, this mic was used in many applications including vocals and instruments.
I think this microphone would be a hit on stage, in music videos, maybe even a USB version for on the road interviews by radio stations or bloggers. Shure now has the capability with the KSM313 and the KSM353 to make more Ribbon mics and I think this would make an interesting “throwback.” There could be some subtle design changes but it would bear an instantly recognizable resemblance to its predecessor.
With in ear monitors becoming the norm on tours and even in smaller rooms, having a bi-directional mic on stage is much more possible today. Like the 55SH and now the Super 55, we are seeing those models all over music videos and on major award shows.
What about you? What Shure mic or product would you like to see brought back?
Ryan
