Shure
KSM8
Dynamic · Cardioid · 40–16,000 Hz · a rider regular
- The cartridge carries two diaphragms, one active and one passive, which Shure uses to keep proximity effect under control.
- The same cartridge is sold as a wireless head for Shure handheld transmitters: RPW170 in brushed nickel, RPW174 in black.
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 KSM8 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 | KSM8 |
| Type | Dynamic |
| Form factor | Handheld |
| Polar pattern | Cardioid |
| Frequency range | 40–16,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 2.66 mV/Pa · -51.5 dBV/Pa |
| Max SPL | — not published by the maker |
| Self-noise | — none (passive capsule) |
| Impedance | 300 Ω (output) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | None (dynamic) |
| Weight | 330 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 | Pro |
|---|---|
| Introduced | — not recorded |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- FOH vocal
- Monitor vocal
- Wireless handheld capsule
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”.
KSM8 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 KSM8’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
Not compared for the Shure KSM8: max SPL not published by the maker · response curve not redrawn yet.
-
Sennheiser
e 835
- Same job: FOH vocal, monitor vocal, wireless handheld capsule
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: handheld
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
-
Sennheiser
e 935
- Same job: FOH vocal, monitor vocal, wireless handheld capsule
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: handheld
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
-
Shure
SM58
- Same job: FOH vocal, monitor vocal, wireless handheld capsule
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: handheld
- ≈ 3 dB less output — add about 3 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.