3
Features
• PremierliveperformancemicrophonewithShure
quality,ruggedness,andreliability
• Compactpreampattachestofourinterchangeable
capsules
• WidedynamicrangeforuseinhighSPLenvironments
• Side-addressformallowsfordiscreetpositioningin
tightperformanceandrecordingsettings
• Innnovativelockingringprovidesasecureconnection
betweencapsuleandpreamp
• Hardenedsteelmeshgrilleresistsdenting,wear,and
abuse
• Compactdesign,under12cm(5in.),reducesstage
clutter
• Furnishedwithstandadapterandcarryingcase
Changing Capsules
Applications and Placement
General Rules for Use
• Aimthemicrophonetowardthedesiredsoundsource;angleunwantedsoundstowardits
null
point.
• Usethefewestamountofmicrophonesaspracticaltoincreasethe
Potential Acoustic Gain
andpreventfeedback.
• Followthe
3 to 1 Rule
byspacingeachmicrophonebyatleastthreetimesthedistancetoitssourcetoreduce
Phase Cancellation
.
• Placemicrophonesasfaraspossiblefromreflectivesurfacestoreduce
Comb Filtering
.
• Whenusingdirectionalmicrophones,workcloselytothemicrophoneforextrabassresponsetotakeadvantageof
Proximity Effect
.
• Avoidexcessivehandlingtominimizepickupofmechanicalnoiseandvibration.
• Donotcoveranypartofthemicrophonegrille,asthiswilladverselyaffectmicrophoneperformance.
• Addawindscreenwhenusingthemicrophoneoutdoors.
Variations
Beta 181/CCardioidMicrophone
General Description
TheShureBeta181isanultra-compact,side-address,
condensermicrophone,designedfordiscreetplace-
mentinliveandstudioenvironments.Featuringinter-
changeablecardioid,supercardioid,omnidirectionaland
bidirectionalcapsulesforsuperiorversatility,thesmall
diaphragmoftheBeta181providessuperioraudiowith
consistent,“textbook”polarresponsesinaformfactor
smallenoughtogetclosetothesourceinthetightest
conditions.
Performance Characteristics
• Exceptionallow-frequencyreproduction
• ExtremelyhighSPLhandling
• Highoutputlevel
• Nocrossoverdistortion
• Transformeroutput
Positioning the Microphone
ThefrontofthemicrophoneismarkedbytheShurelogoonthepreampandthe
polarpatternicononthecapsule.Positionthissidetowardthesoundsource.
BETA 181
FollowthesestepstochangeBeta181capsules:
KNURLED RING
ALIGNMENT KEY
ALIGNMENT GROOVE
1. Turnoffphantompoweranddisconnectfrom
equipment.
2. Unscrewthecapsule’sknurledringtodetachthe
preamp.
3. Slidethealignmentkeyonthebottomofthecapsule
intothegrooveonthepreamptoensurethatthe
Shurelogodisplaysthefrontofthemicrophone.
4. Tightentheknurledringtosecurelyreconnectthe
microphone.
Thefollowingtableliststhemostcommonapplicationsandplacementtechniques.Keepinmindthatmicrophonetech-
niqueislargelyamatterofpersonaltaste;thereisnoone“correct”microphoneposition.
BETA 181
Cardioid Supercardioid Omnidirectional Bidirectional
• Drumoverheads
• Piano
• Acousticinstruments
• PairwithaBeta181/BI
forM/Sstereotechnique
• Close-mikingin
performancesettings
• Snaredrum
• Acousticinstruments
• Roomandambient
pickup
• Monodrumoverhead
• Stringensembles
• UseapairofBeta181/
BIforBlumleinstereo
teqhnique
• Monodrumoverhead
• Dualsoundsources,such
asbetweentom-tomsor
acousticinstruments
Note: Aswithallbidirectionalmicrophones,soundspickedupfromthebackwillbeoutofpolaritywiththesource.
Thosefromthefrontareinpolaritywiththesource.
Beta 181/SSupercardioidMicrophone
Beta 181/OOmnidirectionalMicrophone
Beta 181/BIBidirectionalMicrophone
NOTE:Beforeeachuse,makesurethecapsuleistightly
securedonthemicrophone,asvibrationandaccidental
hitswithdrumsticksmayloosenit,resultinginsignalloss.