Shure Beta 181/C Cardioid Condenser Microphone

Shure Beta 181/C Cardioid Condenser Microphone Overview

The Shure Beta 181 is a highly versatile condenser microphone that can cover a huge range of instrument recording applications. The Beta 181’s multipurpose design means it excels at recording drums (overheads & snares), bass, guitars and more. Plus, the Beta 181 has the rock-solid build-quality that you’ve come to expect from Shure.

Interchangeable Capsules

A standout feature of the Shure Beta 181 condenser microphone is its interchangeable capsule, which makes it a true chameleon live and in the studio. The ability to switch the capsule also saves you from having to purchase multiple microphones if you want to use a different polar pattern.

You can count on the Shure Beta 181 to deliver outstanding audio reproduction - no matter which capsule you’ve got hooked up.

Astounding Versatility

The Beta 181/C comes with the Cardioid RPM181/C capsule, which is perfect for recording piano, acoustic instruments and overheads. The Cardioid capsule can also be used in tandem with a separate bi-directional mic for Mid/Side (M/S) stereo micing.

As well as the Cardioid, you can kit the Beta 181 out with a Supercardioid RPM181/S (toms, snare, acoustic instruments, close distance micing), Bi-directional RPM181/BI (two instruments on one channel, mono overheads) or Omni-directional RPM181/O (orchestras, choirs, ambient recording) capsule.

Each capsule is locked to the body with a robust locking ring, which produces a highly stable connection.

Easy Close Micing

Where a traditional microphone’s body would be a hindrance, the Shure Beta 181’s side-address design allows you to get a lot closer to sound sources like snares, toms and hi-hats.

For recording and mic'ing drums, the ability to unobtrusively position the Beta 181 make it a no-brainer. You can place it in spots that other microphones would struggle to get to and out of harm’s way - especially if you’re working with an animated drummer.

Outstanding Sound

Part of what makes the Shure Beta 181 such an asset in your microphone arsenal is its tailored frequency response and resilience at extreme sound pressure levels (149 dB SPL). This gives the Beta 181 a wide dynamic range and means it won’t distort if you stick in front of a loud source (such as a cranked guitar amp or aggressive drummer).

If you need an instrument microphone that’s compact, durable enough to withstand regular live use and offers tonnes of versatility, you can’t go wrong with the Shure Beta 181. There’s a reason why the Beta 181 condenser is a common sight on engineer’s mic lists.