Shure Beta 27
A side-address condenser with a 24-karat diaphragm and enough headroom to swallow a snare crack at point-blank range.
Overview
The Beta 27 is the odd one in Shure's Beta line. It's a studio-grade, side-address condenser built for the stage. Shure's own documentation describes it as a supercardioid condenser intended for professional sound reinforcement and project-studio work. When it launched, the company positioned it as the industry's only side-address supercardioid condenser aimed at live use. It was developed, according to the manufacturer, in response to engineers who wanted a condenser with better isolation of the source. That means you can park it next to a drum kit without the hi-hat bleeding through every channel.
The heart of the thing is a one-inch, externally-biased, ultra-thin Mylar diaphragm with a 24-karat gold layer, chosen for transient response. It's a low-mass design, and that shows on fast sources like snare, guitar cab and percussion, where a heavier diaphragm smears the leading edge. Shure rates the frequency response at 20 to 20,000 Hz, flat and neutral. That means the mic isn't voiced with a presence peak to flatter a vocal. It reproduces what's in front of it.
The supercardioid pattern is the reason engineers reach for it. It's tight enough to give high gain-before-feedback and maximum isolation from other sources, with consistent off-axis rejection. The drum next to the one you're miking doesn't arrive at the console as a phase-coherent mess. Pro-Audio-Review (April 2010, p.34) noted that Shure introduced the Beta 27 as a unique offering in the category, a side-address supercardioid condenser designed specifically for professional sound reinforcement, developed around the desire for better source isolation.
Two switches on the body do most of the practical work. A three-position low-frequency filter helps tame unwanted background rumble or counteract proximity effect. The settings are flat, a -6 dB-per-octave rolloff below 115 Hz, and a steeper -18 dB-per-octave rolloff below 80 Hz. A -15 dB attenuator handles extreme SPLs, and this is where the Beta 27 separates itself from most condensers. Maximum SPL is rated at 134 dB into a 1000-ohm load and 140 dB into 2500 ohms, rising to 148 dB and 154 dB respectively with the pad engaged. A mic that stays clean at 154 dB can go inside a kick drum or in front of a screaming guitar amp.
Output impedance is 160 ohms, sensitivity is -37 dBV/Pa (14.1 mV) at 1 kHz, and the signal-to-noise ratio is 86 dB referenced to 94 dB SPL. That's a low self-noise figure, so the mic is usable on quiet sources as well as loud ones. Dynamic range runs 126 dB into 1000 ohms and 132 dB into 2500 ohms. Shure recommends a minimum preamp load of 1000 ohms and notes that higher impedance improves maximum SPL, clipping level, and dynamic range. Clipping level is 2.0 dBV into 1000 ohms and 8.5 dBV into 2500 ohms. Common mode rejection exceeds 50 dB across the audio band.
It's a phantom-powered design, happiest at 48 Vdc but functional down to 11 Vdc with reduced headroom and sensitivity. Shure is explicit that a balanced XLR-to-XLR or XLR-to-TRS cable is required. The body weighs 428 grams and terminates in a male 3-pin XLR. Inside, there's an internal pop filter with three separate mesh layers to knock down wind and breath noise. The electronic components are premium-grade, with gold-plated internal and external connectors. The mic ships with a stand adapter and a padded zippered pouch.
In the field, the Beta 27 shows up in places where a condenser would normally be a liability. Mix (December 2010, p.41) documented drum tech Craig Krolicki's kit for Jim Riley using Beta 27s on toms alongside SM57s on snare top and Beta 52s and Beta 91s on kick. That's a live touring setup, not a studio one. Mix (April 2013, p.7) later listed the Beta 27 among the instrument and drum mics in Shure's Beta rebate program, sitting alongside the Beta 57A, Beta 52A, Beta 56A, and Beta 91A. Shure marketed it as a working instrument mic, not a specialty studio piece.
It isn't a vocal mic in the conventional sense. The side-address form factor and flat response mean it wants to be aimed carefully. The supercardioid pattern also demands attention to monitor placement. The rear null is narrower than a cardioid's, so a wedge directly behind the mic will feed back sooner than you expect. That's the tradeoff for the isolation.
The Beta 27 occupies a strange spot in the used market. It's not a collector's piece in the way an SM7 or a vintage M-series is. It's a tool, and it gets priced like one. Working examples turn up regularly, often from live-sound guys clearing out cases, and the padded pouch and stand adapter are frequently missing. The gold-layered diaphragm is the part to inspect. A mic that's been dropped or stored in a damp case can develop diaphragm contamination that shows up as intermittent output or a dull top end. The internal electronics are not user-serviceable, so a dead Beta 27 is usually a parts mic.
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