Shure KSM137/SL

The KSM137/SL is a small-diaphragm, end-address cardioid condenser built for capturing instruments with detail intact. A 2.5-micron, 24-karat gold-layered Mylar diaphragm and a Class A transformerless preamp keep self-noise low and the top end open, so drum overheads, cymbals, acoustic guitar, piano, and strings come through with their transients and air preserved. The fixed cardioid pattern rejects off-axis sound to tighten a close-mic placement and control bleed on a busy stage or tracking session.

A three-position switchable attenuator (15 dB and 25 dB pads) lets the KSM137 sit in front of loud sources without overloading, and it runs on standard 48V phantom power, operating down to 11V with reduced headroom. The microphone ships in an A100C carrying case with the A100WS foam windscreen and an A57F swivel stand adapter, so it is ready to mount and track out of the box.