SM57 Mod
I’m prepared to do this mod for people, but you can save money by doing this stuff yourself.
Be aware that in chopping off the ‘ribs’ of one 57 (not shown) with the tin-snips, the ring of the plastic grille cracked! I had to glue it back together and fasten it with the foil tape bearing the SM57 name, before it would hold the little plate securely. The resulting mic is fine, but it underscores the obvious fact that when hacking apart SM57s with tin-snips and pliers, you could just possibly break something.
Cheers! :)
Hey Chris,
Did you say you were using aluminum tape to create that cover? And, this was simply layered over the top of the existing plastic air hole piece, instead of replacing it entirely? The aluminum barrier simply covering the existing piece prevents the ringing all in itself?
Yes. Technically what’s happening (remove the whole plastic piece, and cut away the insides of the air holes carefully once you’ve placed the tape) is that the existing piece becomes a composite of plastic and aluminum, two different materials, with the adhesive acting as a ‘constrained layer’. Strips of aluminum tape are very good at suppressing vibration: if you own a cymbal (and you’re cool with cleaning it up afterward) try sticking a strip of aluminum tape on the cymbal. Don’t stick it on too hard if you expect to get it back off cleanly! Leave a bit poking up so you can slowly peel it off once you’re convinced!
This video is f*ckn hilarious!