Shure
Beta 98AMP
Small-diaphragm condenser · Cardioid · 20–20,000 Hz · a rider regular
- The preamp is built into the XLR end of the body, so there is no separate in-line preamp box on the cable as with the Beta 98AD/C.
- Shure specifies it as cardioid and ships it with the A75M universal mount rather than a dedicated rim clamp.
Frequency response
No response curve yet.
MicSense only draws a curve redrawn from a graph the manufacturer publishes — it never estimates one from the microphone’s class. No published graph has been redrawn for the Beta 98AMP yet, so the numbers are in the spec table below.
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for cardioid. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Shure |
|---|---|
| Model | Beta 98AMP |
| Type | Small-diaphragm condenser |
| Form factor | Clip-on |
| Polar pattern | Cardioid |
| Frequency range | 20–20,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | -50.5 dBV/Pa (Shure prints −50.5 dBV/Pa "(2.5 mV)"; −50.5 dBV/Pa is 3.0 mV/Pa) |
| Max SPL | 153 dB SPL (1 % THD; 1 kHz, 1000 Ω load; 157.5 dB SPL into a 2500 Ω load) |
| Self-noise | 31 dB(A) |
| Impedance | 150 Ω (output) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | Phantom 11–52 V |
| Weight | 130 g |
Specifications: Shure specifications page · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Mid |
|---|---|
| Introduced | — not recorded |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- Toms
- Snare top
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
Beta 98AMP alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the Shure Beta 98AMP’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
Not compared for the Shure Beta 98AMP: response curve not redrawn yet.
-
Shure
Beta 98AD/C
- Same job: toms, snare top
- Same type: condenser (small diaphragm)
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: clip-on
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Check: Max SPL 9 dB lower (144 vs 153 dB SPL) — check it on toms
-
Shure
PGA98D
- Same job: toms, snare top
- Same type: condenser (small diaphragm)
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: clip-on
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Check: Max SPL 23 dB lower (130 vs 153 dB SPL) — check it on toms
-
Shure
Beta 98H/C
- Same job: toms
- Same type: condenser (small diaphragm)
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: clip-on
- Max SPL as high or higher (155 vs 153 dB SPL)
- ≈ 5 dB less output — add about 5 dB gain
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.