Microphones Shure Unisphere A Microphone Questions

[Altman364]

Hey all,
I was rummaging the room where things go to die (aka the long term storage of our auditorium) and found this shiny looking mircophone.
Its a "Shure Brothers Incorporated Model PE 585 High Impedance Unisphere A Dynamic" microphone.
I did a bit of googling and found out little about it other than its a harmonica microphone and it runs on an MC1 type connector.
Soon I discovered MC1 is a Mic Clip screw, so a little DIY work later I managed to build my own MC1 connector so I can maybe use the microphone.

My questions are if anyone knows anything about this microphone or others like it, is phantom required, how its supposed to be wired, etc. And the general quality of the microphone. It looks very shiny but that means almost nothing.
Thanks!

 

[FMEng]

That mic is a dynamic so it does not require phantom. It is a cardioid vocal mic made in the early 1970s. It is also high impedance and unbalanced, so it will not work well with any modern day, low impedance, balanced microphone input without using a matching transformer. The mismatch results in very low level and terrible frequency response. A suitable transformer is a rare beast. The cable length between the mic and transformer or input should be kept to less than 20 feet.

The reason this mic is mentioned for use with harmonicas is its output impedance makes it a good match for plugging into a guitar amp. Otherwise, throw it on the shelf as a conversation piece.

 

[NickVon]

I've got a Unisphere I 565SD, which is a dynamic mic. though unlike yours it has XLR balanced output on it. It works fine if i run out of SM58's. Though I use it as a Talk Back mic up at the console.

 

[Nelson]

I have a pair of those with volume controls in place of the on-off switch. They are non-functional, sadly. I've always thought that would be perfect in simple PA applications where you don't have someone on site to adjust levels. The person at the lectern could adjust the level right on the mic if necessary. Would be easier than showing someone what to adjust on the mixer/amp.

Since mine are not working, I thought I would take them apart to see what was wrong. I basically ruined them in the process and never did figure out why they didn't work. I had the correct connectors and good cables.