RE: "wired hot"

["MLeFree" <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Once again G. has shared a wealth of knowledge, this time on my favorite
mic', the Shure 545x:
<clip>
> ...My experience with the 545 is very limited, but after Pete Knapton paid
me a
> visit and leant me his for a day I got very interested.
> There have been several models of the Shure 545 UNIDYNE® III.
> The Shure PE54 UNIDYNE® III series for all intents and purposes are the
same
> microphone in almost every aspect,  have the same R45 dynamic cartridge,
the
> frequency response charts appear the same to my eye, and the output levels
> are comparable.  That gives us a total of 8 models to choose from, the 8th
> being the latest Shure 545SD... <more ruthless clipping>

> Having a Shure 545 set up high impedance would mean one could use the same
> mic for playing both clean AND overdriven.

Indeed!  This is one of the real practical advantages of the 545's.
Another, for me at least, is that it is smaller in diameter and lighter than
my GB, and therefore easier for me to pack around  and to hold and cup all
night long.  It's also nearly bullet-proof (no pun intended  ;) due to its
stainless steel construction.  Mine's a 545SD and that on/off switch comes
in real handy, too.

> But if I want both setups, I'd prefer to set up two mics seperately so I
can
> simply switch mics, and therefore rig setups without having to mess around
> onstage between songs.

I'm unclear on what you mean by messing around onstage, G.  For me its a
real advantage to be able to play the 545 tightly cupped (and hence
compressed) or to back off a bit and play acoustically (I prefer playing
with the mic on a stand; when I want to boogie Chicago style, I can remove
the mic and cup it as usual.)  The 545 can honk and bark if I cup it tightly
to get that "proximity" effect or it can be played sweetly with only simple
adjustments in how I hold it; all in a single tune or even a single note if
I so desire.  It can be used (and is) to achieve a wide dynamic range and
broad tonal palette that I wouldn't otherwise know how to produce with only
one mic.  (The SM-57 is similarly versatile, but it doesn't quite have the
honk that the 545 does when played compressed.)

BTW, changing the impedance on a 545 is a three minute operation; something
anyone who can use a screwdriver can do.

That's the way I see it,

Michelle