Warner Brothers sought historical accuracy for the new Baz Luhrmann film “Elvis” that brings the story of Elvis Presley to the big screen, so it asked Shure to consult on the various microphone models that captured the sound of the iconic performer.
In response, the company was provided photos of Elvis performing, identified the vintage mics, and offered suggestions on alternative models when appropriate. While there are a variety of Shure mics used in the movie, the company has released the models of the three (or four) different types of mics used by the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” throughout his career, including:
— Unidyne I Model 556 – This variation of the Unidyne I is one of the more recognizable mics used by the artist in the prime of his career. According to the 1947 Shure data sheet on the product, “The Model 556 is a Super-Cardioid type unidirectional moving-coil dynamic microphone providing wide-range high-quality reproduction of sound.
“The true unidirectional characteristic of the ’Unidyne,’ obtained by the ’Uniphase‘ principle provides highly satisfactory operation under adverse acoustic conditions where a conventional microphone would be practically useless.
“The microphone has a new Acousto-Mechanical circuit containing a moving-coil element, which operating in conjunction with a high flux magnet, provides high efficiency and smooth peak-free response from 40 to 15,000 cycles,” it continues. “The rear response is down approximately 15 decibels (dB) due to the ’uniphase‘ unidirectional acoustic network.
“The new moving-coil unit comes with a double windscreen to ensure quiet outdoor operation. As a precaution against mechanical vibration pickup, the unit is spring-suspended inside the microphone case, which is, in turn, floated in live rubber in the stand connector.
“The case is modern in design, with attractive streamlining and grille treatment. The swivel allows the microphone to be aimed at the source of sound for best pickup.”
This Unidyne microphone model was featured on the special edition “Elvis” stamps issued in 1993.
— Model 525 omnidirectional moving coil dynamic. The 1954 data sheet describes this microphone as “a slender, moving-coil dynamic microphone, custom-built to provide high-fidelity reproduction of voice and music as well as features an omnidirectional pattern.
“The microphone is versatile and reliable for both indoor and outdoor use. The extended, smooth frequency response and the attending faithful reproduction are largely due to a newly designed diaphragm attached to a sensitive coil suspended in a magnetic structure.
“The use of high-efficiency magnetic materials and specially designed magnetic circuits has made it possible to develop this small microphone and still achieve maximum operating efficiency.
“The microphone is ruggedly built to withstand hard usage and is unaffected by temperature and humidity variations.”
— SM53 and SM54. (Both were internally the same, with the SM54 having a larger grille.) According to the 1970 data sheet, “the reliable performance, outstanding features, and handsome appearance of the SM53 and SM54 make them extremely versatile and ideally suited for many demanding applications in television, radio, recording, motion pictures, and sound reinforcement.
“The performance and appearance of the two models are very similar; however, the SM54 is specifically designed for use in very difficult close-talking and hand-held situations because of its immunity to ‘pop’ and breath blasts.”
Presley used these microphones in the 1970s, primarily because they had little bass build-up from the proximity effect because his deep voice didn’t require “more bass.”
