When I first saw this I assumed it was an April's fool joke, a bent SM57 ?

But it's real and they're commercially available from Granelli Audio the more I thought about, the more convinced I was of it's simple brilliance. I'm a huge fan of the humble 57 and this new twist - pun intended - adds another dimension to their usability, especially for drum kits but anywhere other mics may fail to reach. I own a Shure Beta 56 which is similar in concept but not a mic I particularly treasure the sound of, so a mic that's as easy to position that sounds like a 57 is a god send.

You can of course DIY one of your own 57s by following these instructions. Not quite as elegant but should do the trick for those on a budget.

As the Americans might say "get bent".

James