Shure
SM86
Handheld condenser · Cardioid · 50–18,000 Hz · a rider regular
- An electret condenser handheld with a three-point internal shock mount and a two-stage pop filter; it takes the same A85WS foam windscreen as the SM58 and KSM8.
- Shure's documents disagree on its weight: the spec sheet and product page say 284 g, the current user guide 278 g.
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 SM86 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 | SM86 |
| Type | Handheld condenser |
| Form factor | Handheld |
| Polar pattern | Cardioid |
| Frequency range | 50–18,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 3.15 mV/Pa · -50.0 dBV/Pa |
| Max SPL | 147 dB SPL (1 % THD; 1 kHz, 1000 Ω load) |
| Self-noise | 23 dB(A) |
| Impedance | 150 Ω (output, at 1 kHz; recommended minimum load 600 Ω) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | Phantom 11–52 V |
| Weight | 284 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
- FOH vocal
- Monitor vocal
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”.
SM86 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 SM86’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
Not compared for the Shure SM86: response curve not redrawn yet.
-
Neumann
KMS 105
- Same job: FOH vocal, monitor vocal
- Same type: condenser (handheld)
- Same form: handheld
- Max SPL as high or higher (150 vs 147 dB SPL)
- Supercardioid instead of cardioid — deepest rejection at ±126°, not 180°: check where the wedge sits
- ≈ 3 dB more output — about 3 dB less gain
-
Shure
KSM9
- Same job: FOH vocal
- Same type: condenser (handheld)
- Switchable pattern — set it to cardioid
- Same form: handheld
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Max SPL as high or higher (152 vs 147 dB SPL)
-
Shure
Beta 87C
- Same job: FOH vocal
- Same type: condenser (handheld)
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: handheld
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Check: Max SPL 8 dB lower (139 vs 147 dB SPL) — check it on loud sources
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.