Shure
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Shure Incorporated is a consumer and professional audio electronics corporation. Shure Incorporated mainly produces microphones and other audio electronics, but also produces high-end earphones for many personal uses including MP3 players.
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[edit] Background
Shure was founded in 1925 as The Shure Radio Company under an audio magnate named Sidney Shure. The company is based in United States, and has been a Chicagoland company since its founding, when Sidney Shure worked out of an office in downtown Chicago. The company moved to Evanston, Illinois in 1956. In 2002, Shure Incorporated relocated to an award-winning [1] office building in Niles, Illinois. The building was designed by renowned architect Helmut Jahn, and was originally the headquarters of HA•LO Industries.
[edit] Brief history and milestones
Up until 1933, The Shure Radio Company strictly made radio systems. Since then, the company has expanded its audio horizons to microphones, phonograph cartridges, discussion systems, mixers and digital signal processing, and recently headphones, including high-end earbuds.
Shure introduced a stylus force gauge, which eventually became the industry standard. The SFG-2 Precision Stylus Phono Gauge (essentially a balance) can measure the tracking force of a cartridge to within a tenth of a gram. It is useful in setting up the configuration of a record player.
[edit] Phonograph cartridges
In 1958, Shure introduced one of the first phono cartridges designed to play stereophonic discs. Shure produced numerous cartridge series as well as replacement styli, in many cases continued offering dedicated 78-rpm styli as an option for its cartridges.
Shure continues to produce fine cartridges, but the highly-acclaimed V15 Type V-MR has been discontinued.
[edit] Microphones
Shure has produced a vast array of microphones for decades, among which are the well known SM and Beta series of dynamic and condenser microphones. The series includes the SM58 (the standard and most-used microphone worldwide for live vocals), SM48, SM86, SM87A (primarily for vocal reproduction) and SM57 (used to mic guitar amps, drums, brass instruments, etc...), SM94 and SM81 (often used for strings, pianos, overhead drum mics, large choirs). The Beta 52A and Beta 91 are two of the most common microphones used for kick drums. The SM57 and SM58, and their more modern variants, the Beta 57A and 58A, are some of the most widely used microphones in the world, particularly for live sound reproduction.
The elite line of Shure microphones is the KSM series. These mics are primarily used in studio recording, but do have some applications to live sound, such as overhead drum mics or for use with guitar and bass amplifiers. The KSM series includes the KSM27, KSM32, KSM44, KSM109, KSM137 and the KSM144. The new KSM9 microphone recently debuted. It is the first microphone in the KSM line made for use with live vocals, and features both cardiod and supercardiod polar patterns.
Shure's dynamic mics are popular because they are relatively inexpensive, sound good, and are extremely durable. For example, in the 1970s Roger Daltrey of the Who often used industrial tape to secure a Shure SM58 to his microphone cord, then swung it around in huge arcs from the stage. On occasion, it would strike the floor or PA equipment, yet kept working.
Shure's 55SH Series II microphone is a fifties-era iconic mic that is still popular today among musicians and radio personalities.
Other Shure microphone series include the Performance Gear (PG) introductory professional series, Specialty Consumer Microphones, and Microflex and Easyflex installed conferencing systems for commercial installed applications.
There is also a full line of wireless microphones, most of them wireless versions of their wired models.
[edit] Earphones
Shure earphones (marketed as being "sound isolating earphones") were sold exclusively to the pro-audio channel with Shure's professional Personal Monitoring Systems when they debuted in 1997. The demand for Shure earphones grew rapidly with the rising popularity of portable audio devices such as the iPod and the company began marketing the products to consumer channels. The company's products including their wireless systems and microphones are ubiquitous in well-known music award events, such as the Grammy Awards.
Additionally, Shure increased its presence in the consumer market by manufacturing headsets for mobile phones. All of Shure's earphones and/or earsets operate under the closed-canal sound isolation technology -- blocking outside noise from interfering with the audio without active noise cancellation, which requires batteries. This makes the earphones lighter and more portable while also blocking out more noise than popular noise canceling headphones. Shure has a number of earphone and headset models available.
All of Shure's earphones operate under the closed-air, closed-canal principle (with a very low-profile form-factor), in addition to their high level of sound detail. The Closed-Canal Principle is a term used when a canal-bud has the capability of preventing almost all of the environmental air from entering the ear canal. Technologicially, Shure's canalphones block noise differently. Instead of relying on active noise cancellation, Shure's earphones block out environmental/background noise using the closed-canal principle, eliminating any need for batteries. Also, the Shure earphones utilize a variety of foam and plastic sleeves. [2]
The differences between the professional and consumer targeted products are largely cosmetic. The E Series are sold mainly through private professional channels, while the "C" and "G" versions are sold through consumer channels. For example, the E4 and E4C are similar products but marketed differently to appeal to different audio segments. Shure states in its solutions database that all sound isolation earphones, regardless of the labeling and packaging, has the same sound performance. For example, Shure claims that the E4, E4C, and E4G (for the gaming audience) have the same level of performance. The only exception to this is Shure's i series, which was tailored for both stereo jack and cell phone usage. Shure's most recent release in the consumer field, the premium E500PTH, is a triple driver earphone, meaning it houses two tweeters and one woofer in each ear.
While there are Shure earphones that are criticized (See Headroom citation), those who favor Shure earphones have no problem with them, though non-audiophiles sometimes find the canal fit intrusive. Getting the proper fit [3] when inserting these is key to getting the best sound and blcking out the most noise.
Shure expanded their consumer earphone line in January 2006 with the i series, allowing their sound-isolating earphones to be applied to both music and cellular devices and replacing earlier, lower-quality headset devices. The I2c, I3c, and I4c, use the same premium audio components as the E Series line (E2c, E3c, E4c, E5c) with cellular telephone compatibility. These are sold in a two-connector version for simultaneous connection to an audio player and cell phone, or a single connector for use with the Palm Treo 650 and 700 smartphones.
Shure announced the production of the E500PTH triple-driver earphone in 2006, with the worldwide release premiering at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in las Vegas. [4] The E500 is a triple driver earphone -- housing three balanced armature drivers -- with a new accessory called "Push-To-Hear". Push-To-Hear module allows the user to switch between audio and the outside world so one can hear important conversations without removing the earphones and disturbing thier fit.
[edit] Products
[edit] Phono Cartridge Series
- M44 series starting in the early 1960s,
- M91 series in the early 1970s,
- M95 series in the mid-1970s,
- V15 series beginning in 1965, followed by the V15 Type II in 1968, V15 Type III in 1973, V15 Type IV in 1978, V15 Type V in 1982 (discontinued).
- M97 series in 1990s.
- Whitelabel
[edit] Microphones
- Performance Gear Series
- SM series, starting in the 1960s
- Beta series, starting in the 1980s
- KSM series condenser studio microphones
- KSM9 cardiod/supercardiod live performance microphones
[edit] Wireless Microphones
VHF Technology
- T Series
UHF Technology
- UT Series
- PGX Series
- SLX Series
- ULX Professional Series
- UHF Series
- UHF-R Series
[edit] Public Address / Vocal Amplification
- Shure Vocal Master PA mixer & columns (1960s - 70s)
[edit] Earphones
| In-Ear Monitor | Also Known As | Driver | MSRP | Est. Street Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E2 | E2C/E2G (Also available in Black and Gaming Edition) | One Dynamic High-Energy Minispeaker | $110 USD | $65-$110 USD |
| E3 | E3C/E3G (Also available in Black and Gaming Edition) | One Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armature | $200 USD | $110-$200 USD |
| E4 | E4C/E4G (Also available in Black and Gaming Edition) | One Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armature with Tuned Port | $320 USD | $250-$320 USD |
| E5 | E5C | Two Low-Mass/High-Energy Balanced Armatures (one for treble, one for bass) with cooperative Inline Crossover | $550 USD | $350-$500 USD |
| E500 | E500PTH | Three Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armatures (one for treble, bass, and mids) with Push-To-Hear and pre-emptive inline crossover [5] | $550 USD | $500 USD |
| I2C | I2C-T (for Palm Treo models) | One Dynamic High-Energy with VoicePort Microphone | $130 MSRP | N/A |
| I3C | I3C-T (for Palm Treo models) | One Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armature with VoicePort Microphone | $210 MSRP | N/A |
| I4C | I4C-T (for Palm Treo models) | One Low-Mass/High Energy Balanced Armature with Tuned Port with VoicePort Microphone | $330 MSRP | N/A |
