Hi all,

I'd like to start recording all of my practice sessions, so I'm using my week away from work to plan / setup a nice recording space for myself.

I own an AT2035 XLR, and while it does a fantastic job of capturing the deep nuances of the horn, it also does a fantastic job of picking up the deep nuances of the refrigerator that's running a floor below, or the cricket that's chirping four doors down.

That's fine - this creates a great excuse to expand my microphone collection. I'm trying to decide between two Shure offerings: the tried/true bulletproof SM57, and the clip-on 98H/C. On paper, the 98H/C looks like a more capable microphone given the use-case: it has a broader frequency response at both ends, and well it's a clip-on. Meaning it will always be exactly where I intend for it to be relative to the bell. I also love the idea of not having to fuss with a mic stand (the subject room is not a dedicated practice space).

But my research here and on Reddit suggests a generally held aversion to clip-on microphones in favor of the SM57 outside of live performance scenarios. My research also suggests that the 98H/C will sufficiently block out background noise.

So, would I be making a mistake selecting the 98H/C over the SM57 given the circumstances?

I've had a 98/hc clip-on for a few years now, and it's worked well. As far as recording goes, these two mics are probably pretty similar. However, I find the clip-on handy to have on hand for live situations; it takes up almost no space in a bag, and it's often hard to know what mic/pa options will be available at any given gig.

For recording practice almost any mic will do. Room pickup comes down almost entirely to mic proximity to the source (and saying the gain to an appropriate level based on that proximity). Yes you can do treatment or isolation but if it's just for practice, that shouldn't matter much. A Zoom unit placed close by, off to the side would probably be the most convenient option.

I’ve used my Shure in band recordings, but much prefer the SM57 or similar for that situation. Not used the clip on for solo recordings.

The best way to record your practice sessions is to... record them! With whatever's handy. Cell phone. Zoom. Mic+interface+laptop. Even when I had a bedroom dedicated to music, setting up a laptop & interface was a bit much for everyday use.

If you're looking to buy a 57, OTOH - it's pretty much a Shure thing ;-) (Someone had to go there)

If you buy one used, you can always recoup your costs. I found that I never took my 98H/C out of the box, preferring either Zoom/Cell for practice, or a clip-on Audio-Technica dynamic mic if I wanted to hook up to a mixer, interface, or amp.